"That Ability User is dead."
Qin Tian spoke softly. The darkness was kind to certain orcs, such as Shadow Cats, Shadow Catmen, and the Snake-men before them.
The Ability User had hidden himself well. He was almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but the heat radiating from his body shone like a beacon in the night to the Snake-men.
In contrast, most special forces personnel lacked Night Vision Ability, and their infrared detection equipment was far less effective against Snake-men.
In terms of visibility, the humans were clearly at a disadvantage. The enemy could see them, but they couldn't see the enemy.
The plan to lure the Snake-men out tonight might not go as smoothly as they'd expected.
"Dead?"
Xiao Yunlong and the others' expressions shifted. Who could have imagined that the Ability User who'd just dealt the Snake-man a critical blow would be killed moments later?
Although they hadn't known him, they were all Imperial special forces soldiers. Hearing of a comrade's death still weighed heavily on them.
Clang, clang, clang~~
The battle below was nearing its end.
Badly wounded by the bomb ambush, the Snake-man could no longer withstand the three Psionic Users' assault. The steel blade in his hand grew heavier with every swing, and his wounds kept multiplying.
The Snake-man knew he wouldn't survive much longer if this continued, and quickly made up his mind.
"Haa~~~"
The Snake-man opened his mouth, spewing thick green poison that spread in every direction.
Everyone knew how deadly Snake-man venom was.
The three Psionic Users immediately backed away and held their breath, terrified of getting even a speck of poison on them.
Seeing this, the Snake-man picked the weakest point and bolted, his tail whipping behind him.
As he fled, he squeezed every last drop of venom from his Poison Sac, releasing it in a steady stream to keep the three Psionic Users at bay.
The three Psionic Users were furious and frantic as their prey seemed about to slip away, but the threat of poison kept them from pursuing recklessly.
Just when they thought the Snake-man would escape, his tail suddenly exploded, severed in two.
"Ahhh~~"
The scream was sharp and agonized. The Snake-man writhed on the ground in pain.
"There's a marksman!"
The three Psionic Users were startled and immediately looked behind them.
On a cliff, four figures stood shoulder to shoulder. The darkness obscured their faces, but they clearly saw one of them slowly lower his rifle.
"That guy's got a sense of decency."
One of the flat-topped men chuckled. Judging by the wound, if that shot had been aimed at the Snake-man's heart or head, it would have killed him instantly.
But the marksman had only shot off the Snake-man's tail, then lowered his rifle. Clearly, he hadn't been trying to steal the kill.
"Not bad. We should go thank him later. He helped us out, after all."
The three rushed forward and, as the Snake-man watched in terror and despair, cut off his head with a single blow.
The Battlefield Recorder on their chests captured the scene. After the war, the Battlefield Sky Eye would assess the footage and award the combatants Military Merit Points.
Swish, swish, swish~
The three moved like agile apes, scaling the sheer cliff and quickly reaching the Earth Dragon Squad.
"Brothers, we're the Storm Squad from the 158th Regiment. Thanks for that."
Their leader, Huang Siwei, smiled as he spoke.
The Earth Dragon Squad exchanged glances, their expressions complicated.
Huang Siwei and the others found their reaction strange and were about to ask what was wrong when Qin Tian spoke.
"Your teammate was killed."
"What?!"
Huang Siwei and the other two were horrified. They immediately shouted:
"Xu the Third! Xu the Third, do you copy?"
No response came through their combat earpieces. Their hearts sank.
"Where is he?" Huang Siwei asked, his voice trembling.
Qin Tian pointed to a distant tree. "In that tree."
Huang Siwei and the others sprinted toward it, with the Earth Dragon Squad following behind.
Soon, they reached the tree.
Two bodies lay beneath it.
One had been stabbed through the back and lay face down.
The other was a Snake-man, his head blown apart, flesh and blood everywhere.
"Xu the Third! Xu the Third!!!"
Huang Siwei held his teammate tightly in his arms and called his name. His voice grew hoarse and broken with grief.
The two teammates beside him stood with their lips pressed tight and their bodies trembling. Tears poured uncontrollably down their faces.
Qin Tian lowered his eyes, his heart heavy.
The sight brought Dai Jun and Lin Chao to mind. Watching teammates and brothers, as close as family, die before you—only soldiers could truly understand that pain and despair.
Dai Jun could have survived. He could have lived with an artificial eye and prosthetic limbs, and if the Empire honored him, rare treasures like Life Spirit Liquid might even have restored him.
But Lin Chao's death had shattered his resolve. He believed he was the one who had caused Lin Chao's death.
So in that moment, all he wanted was to die alongside his brother.
Xiao Yunlong, Qin Dadi, and Zhaozhao had red-rimmed eyes. They'd been through the same thing. The death of their former teammate, Huang Xun, was still a scar in their hearts, impossible to forget.
"My condolences."
Qin Dadi spoke in a low voice.
At those words, the men finally broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Xu the Third, we said we'd go home together!"
"You bastard! I won't allow it! Who said you could go first?!"
Their cries rang through the empty night like the howls of wounded beasts, filled with boundless pain and despair. They tore at everyone's heart.
Qin Tian stood silently to one side, his senses fully alert as he became a Humanoid Radar, scanning the area to keep any Snake-men from taking advantage of the moment.
A few minutes later, their sobs gradually subsided.
Huang Siwei laid his teammate's body beneath the tree, then stood and bowed to Qin Tian. Choking back tears, he said:
"Thank you, brother."
One look at the two bodies' wounds was enough for Huang Siwei to piece together what had happened.
A Snake-man had ambushed Xu Yang from behind, stabbing him straight through the back. Then the Snake-man had been shot in the head by a sniper.
Without that sniper, after killing Xu Yang, the Snake-man would have immediately joined up with the one they'd just killed. The Storm Squad could have been wiped out.
The sniper had not only avenged Xu Yang, but had also saved their entire squad.
Qin Tian silently accepted his bow. This wasn't the right moment for polite words.
"Brother, which unit are you with?" Huang Siwei asked.
Qin Tian replied, "The 319th Legion, Earth Dragon Squad."
"The 319th Legion, Earth Dragon Squad."
Huang Siwei repeated it, then said solemnly, "All right, I'll remember that. If we make it back alive, I'll treat you to a drink."
"Mm. Take care!"
Qin Tian nodded.
Huang Siwei took a deep breath and beckoned to the others, his voice full of resolve and killing intent.
"Let's go. Kill Snake-men and avenge Xu the Third!"
The two teammates beside him tightened their grips on their War Blades, murder in their eyes.
The three nodded to the Earth Dragon Squad, then headed off in another direction. Soon, they vanished into the vast darkness.
On the battlefield, they could only leave their teammate's remains behind for now. Once the war was over, they would take Xu Yang home.
"We should get going, too," Qin Dadi said.
"Okay!"
As the three turned away, Qin Tian lightly nudged Xu Yang's body with his foot. A Blue Light Orb flew out and entered his chest.
[Name] Black Gate (Blue) [Type] Active Talent [Description] Open the Black Gate to connect two spaces.
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