The credit? It's yours

Daylight gradually brightened, revealing the canyon's sinister contours beneath the dark red sky.

Luo Li put the last of the supplies into his Portable Space and glanced at Lu Jingheng, who sat leaning against a rock, his face still pale.

"Can you hold on?"

He asked, his tone calm.

Lu Jingheng nodded and tried to prop himself up with his arms. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead with the effort, but his gaze remained firm. "Yes."

Luo Li said nothing more and stepped forward to hoist him onto his back again.

Compared with last night, he felt that much of his strength had returned, and his steps were considerably steadier.

Today's task was to find a signal or a relatively safe way out.

He chose to head toward higher ground, hoping to break through the canyon's energy interference.

Along the way, the two remained mostly silent.

Lu Jingheng retained his powers of observation, occasionally reminding Luo Li in a low voice to avoid unstable-looking ground or hidden fissures.

To some extent, his presence did make Luo Li's exploration less difficult.

As Luo Li walked, he kept trying his communicator.

The red cross on the screen stubbornly persisted, like maggots clinging to bone.

Time ticked by, and the sun gradually rose higher. Though filtered through the Blood-Erosion Clouds, it still brought a trace of warmth, dispelling some of the night's chill.

Sweat had appeared on Luo Li's forehead, too.

Trekking a long distance with someone on his back was far from easy, even with his stamina far exceeding that of an ordinary person.

Just as he was about to rest again and drink some water-

"Beep..."

An extremely faint notification tone, almost drowned out by the wind, came from the tactical communicator in his hand.

Luo Li stopped abruptly, almost thinking he had imagined it.

He immediately raised the communicator and stared at its screen.

The glaring red cross flickered unsteadily, then... turned into an extremely weak, intermittent single bar of signal!

Found it!

Excitement surged through Luo Li, but he forced it down and immediately tried connecting to the guild's encrypted channel.

Bzzzt-bzzzt-

Loud bursts of electrical interference came from the communicator, breaking up as though the connection might drop at any moment.

"This is... Luo Li... calling guild command... please respond if you hear me..."

Speaking into the microphone, Luo Li repeated his call in as clear and steady a voice as possible.

Bzzzt-"...Luo Li?... from... A-021 Reconnaissance Squad... Luo Li?... signal... extremely poor... report... situation..."

A muffled, urgent voice finally came through from the other end amid heavy static.

"Identity confirmed. This is Luo Li."

Luo Li took a deep breath and spoke faster, making sure to transmit the most critical information before the signal cut out.

"During the A-021 mission, we came under aerial attack by the A-rank vampire Earl Shadowwing. Our helicopter crashed in the core region of Howling Wind Canyon. Apart from me, every member of the reconnaissance squad... is confirmed killed in action."

The other end fell silent for a moment, leaving only the crackle of static, as though he could feel the gravity there.

"...Understood... Earl Shadowwing... current location?"

"Already killed," Luo Li replied succinctly.

"...What?! Confirmed?!" The voice on the other end abruptly rose in disbelief.

"Confirmed. The body has been dealt with."

Luo Li's tone did not waver, as though he were discussing something insignificant.

"During the kill... I had assistance from a survivor."

He glanced at Lu Jingheng on his back. The latter's eyes seemed to have widened slightly when the call connected, carrying a trace of curiosity and interest.

"A survivor? Who?"

"Lu Jingheng, a data clerk from the Star Rail Research Institute's Third Exploration Team.

He was trapped in the canyon for days. During the final battle, he provided... critical environmental data support, disrupting Earl Shadowwing's movements and creating an opening for me."

Without batting an eye, Luo Li wove a reasonable explanation, naturally sharing a portion of the credit.

On one hand, he wanted to see Lu Jingheng's reaction. Credit was hard currency in the apocalypse, and few could turn it down;

on the other, he was finding a more reasonable excuse for his outrageous "higher-rank kill," making himself stand out less.

A B-rank ability user, with the "assistance" of a researcher familiar with the terrain, managing through luck to kill an A-rank vampire who might have been injured in the helicopter crash sounded much more reasonable.

The other end fell silent again, seemingly digesting this astonishing news.

"...Received... your... current location?... condition?"

"Still inside the canyon. Exact coordinates unknown.

Lu Jingheng is severely injured, with a fractured left leg. He needs urgent medical support.

I'm attempting to move toward the canyon's outskirts.

The signal is extremely unstable and could cut out at any moment."

"...Hang on... located... your last... signal source... dispatching... search and rescue team... keep... channel... as much as possible..."

Bzzzt-!!!

Before the speaker could finish, heavy interference severed the connection again. The single bar on the communicator's screen vanished completely, reverting to that despair-inducing red cross.

We made contact!

It was brief, but the most critical information got through! The guild knows our approximate location and has sent a search and rescue team!

Luo Li let out a long breath. His taut nerves could finally relax a little.

He put away the communicator, adjusted Lu Jingheng's position on his back, and prepared to continue toward where he estimated the outskirts lay.

"Mr. Luo..." Lu Jingheng suddenly spoke softly from his back, his tone carrying a hint of complexity. "Just now... why did you mention me? And... give me a share of the credit?"

His voice was calm, betraying neither pleasure nor any other emotion.

Without stopping, Luo Li replied evenly, "I stated the facts. Without the information you provided about the canyon's environment and energy interference, I might not have seized the opportunity."

This was, of course, nonsense, but his tone was natural.

He paused, then added something that sounded more like he was talking to himself, yet was just loud enough for Lu Jingheng to hear. "Besides, I have my reasons for doing this."

He wanted to see how this "researcher," who seemed indifferent to fame and fortune, would react to credit that was his for the taking.

Lu Jingheng fell silent for a moment.

Just as Luo Li thought he would accept or offer a polite refusal, he spoke in an unusually sincere tone. "Mr. Luo, thank you for your kindness.

But credit means nothing to me.

I'm only a data clerk. My duty is to observe and record.

Killing an A-rank vampire was a feat you accomplished alone. I offered no substantial help in combat, and I would feel unworthy accepting the credit."

His refusal was straightforward and frank, without the slightest hesitation or insincerity.

"If the guild asks, I'll explain what actually happened. You needn't trouble yourself on my account."

This answer was somewhat beyond Luo Li's expectations.

In the apocalypse, credit meant contribution points, resources, status, and even better conditions for survival.

Few would so decisively turn down benefits handed to them, especially benefits of this size.

Was he truly that indifferent to fame and fortune? Or... was this little bit of credit beneath his notice?

Thoughts raced through Luo Li's mind, and he grew increasingly curious about Lu Jingheng's identity.

Outwardly, however, he remained impassive, merely giving a quiet "Mm," as though he did not care. "Suit yourself."

Since the other man did not want it, he would not insist.

It had only been a test in the first place.

Lu Jingheng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his tone growing gentle again. "Our immediate priority is to meet up with the search and rescue team as soon as possible. Mr. Luo, thank you for your efforts."

For the rest of the journey, neither spoke again.

Carrying Lu Jingheng, Luo Li pressed steadily on toward where he estimated the canyon's outskirts lay.

He knew the search and rescue team was already on its way.

As long as they left this core interference zone, the hope of survival would be right before them.

As for the mystery surrounding this enigmatic "survivor" beside him, perhaps he could only unravel it slowly once they were safe.

Right now, he only wanted to leave this place as soon as possible and return to the place called "home," where she was waiting.

[Ding! The host successfully established communications in a desperate situation, transmitted critical intelligence, and conducted an initial probe of the unknown individual "Lu Jingheng." Survival probability has increased significantly, and the host has maintained a calm and cautious mindset.]

[(Assessment of "Lu Jingheng": extremely low threat? Unknown objective? Value undetermined?)]