Chapter 38: The Long Night

“Do we have enough medicine left?” Qianye asked as he offered a cigarette.

The company commander took a deep drag, his spirits lifting slightly. “We still have some medicine, but it’s only enough for one day and needs to be strictly rationed. How did these damned black-blooded bastards suddenly become so numerous?”

Suddenly, a commotion and cries drew the attention of the three men. A young civilian was tugging at an expeditionary soldier, shouting, “I need medicine! Give me medicine! My woman is dying!”

Behind him, a young woman was half-sitting, half-lying against a wall, clutching her neck, with blood seeping through her fingers.

The expeditionary soldier glanced at her and shook his head. “She’s already gone. There’s not much medicine, and we must conserve it.”

“Are you still hoarding it when she’s about to die?” The man grew more agitated.

The soldier’s face turned cold. “Many injured brothers don’t even have any medicine; they just have to endure the pain! If I give it to you, what will the dying brothers use?”

Suddenly, the man snatched the soldier’s gun, pointing it at his head, and roared, “I don’t care! Give me the medicine, or I’ll blow your head off!”

A gunshot rang out, and the man’s head exploded, his body crumpling to the ground. An expeditionary lieutenant walked over, his pistol still smoking. He picked up the rifle and shoved it into the soldier’s arms, coldly saying, “Remember, on the battlefield, whoever takes your gun is your enemy! Next time, no one will save you!”

He patted the young soldier’s shoulder and added, “Hope you make it through the night, rookie.”

Bao Zhengcheng, Qianye, and the company commander looked away, the atmosphere growing even more somber. Such a scene, though harsh, was all too real and familiar. On the battlefield, military needs always came first, an ironclad rule of the Empire.

Qianye asked, “When will the reinforcements arrive?”

The company commander sighed. “From the direction those black-blooded bastards came, it looks like the division headquarters is under attack. I sent a signal to Division 60 for help. If the boys are lucky, reinforcements will arrive by tomorrow morning. If it’s an elite combat unit, maybe sooner. But that’s the best we can hope for.”

Tomorrow morning meant another long, hard night ahead.

Qianye pondered silently and then said to the company commander, “Have your men find me two close-combat weapons for the Bloodline. Anything high-grade, the heavier, the better.”

The company commander immediately called a messenger and gave the order. Moments later, three weapons were brought. Two were third-level Bloodline Force swords, one being the Blood Knight’s sword. The third was a colossal, pitch-black axe, obviously incredibly heavy!

Qianye lifted the axe, feeling its weight with satisfaction.

Bao Zhengcheng and the company commander watched, their eyes twitching. The axe weighed over one hundred fifty kilograms! Even a fourth-level warrior with enhanced strength would struggle to wield it, let alone in battle.

Bao Zhengcheng recognized the axe. Its original owner was a sixth-level spider demon. He had drained his force to knock it down with a ‘Storm.’ But to cover his attack, several soldiers were cleaved in half by the axe.

Qianye tried channeling force, and a force array on the axe blade lit up, emitting a dark red mist. Though only a second-level force weapon, its weight and length made it far more powerful than a third-level Bloodline sword in melee.

Qianye picked up the Blood Knight’s sword and said, “I’ll take this axe and the sword. I’m going to meditate now. Every bit of recovered force helps. I hope we can all survive the night.”

Bao Zhengcheng and the company commander exchanged glances and each found a place to meditate and rest.

Though the night would be tough, there was some good news. The dark races had almost lost all their cannon fodder in the recent battle, and the next step would be to deplete their regular forces. The dark races, regardless of which, did not have as many soldiers as the human race. If they start losing their regular troops, any commander would feel the pain.

The earthen castle fell silent.

Qianye inspected himself and found, to his surprise, two additional ordinary bloodlines curled around his heart. His veins surged with foreign blood, like an uncalmed sea, the gold and purple bloodlines thriving, consuming and transforming vast amounts of other bloodlines in their wake.

However, the Dawn Force was like a reef beach after the tide, barely restored to a shallow layer, clearly needing replenishment through the Art of War.

Before meditating, Qianye decided on his new ability: Precision Shooting. This skill would significantly increase his mental speed during shooting, making it easier to hit vital points and deliver more powerful strikes.

Reaching the fourth level granted a new ability. Initially, Qianye had hesitated between firearms and close-combat abilities, but now he was determined.

With Eagle Strike’s long-range assassination, combined with heavy ammunition, precision shooting, and special force bullets, the burst damage would be terrifying, key to Qianye’s overkill against higher-level dark races. In the next battle, taking out the highest-ranking warriors controlling the nodes would be crucial for victory.

After selecting his ability, Qianye began his meditation, waiting for the next call to battle.

In the dark alliance camp outside the city, the Bloodline baron paced back and forth, his face livid.

Two Blood Knights knelt inside the tent, and the few werewolves and spider demons standing nearby looked uneasy. The baron, the overall commander and the strongest among them, was just a step away from becoming a war general.

The baron suddenly erupted, sweeping everything off the table, roaring, “Worthless! Complete failures! You couldn’t even take a small fort with all your cannon fodder! How am I supposed to explain this to my superiors?!”

The Blood Knights, naturally suppressed, couldn’t speak. A tall werewolf spoke up, “The firepower of that garrison is abnormally strong! Your intelligence is wrong! And I suspect there’s a strong figure hidden in the city, not weaker than us.”

Disgust flashed across the baron’s face. “How could our intelligence be wrong? The strongest there is a fifth-level warrior. Did you see anyone above fifth level during the assault? Idiots!”

The werewolf growled threateningly, unafraid. “Not seeing doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist! I heard the sound of Eagle Strike! Our warriors suffered heavy losses because of it! Old man, have you ever heard of a human below the sixth level using Eagle Strike? I think your castle is too damp, and it’s rotted your wooden brain!”

Enraged, the baron’s eyes turned red, and he bared his long, bloodsucking fangs. The werewolves, though not as high in rank as the baron, tensed, ready for battle, clearly unafraid.

One of the spider demons spoke. “If you truly want a duel, I’d be delighted, but not now. We can’t complete the mission, and no one can explain that to the higher-ups. This battle was already unexpected, with cunning humans invading early. We shouldn’t be stuck in this place. Baron Mikel, watch your tone. The Blue Mane tribe and we are not under your command; we respect your power, but if you prefer, we can split up and attack separately.”

The other spider demon added coldly, “Our tribes lost many high-ranking warriors, while your Bloodline suffered little. Doesn’t seem fair, does it? Are there other reasons?”

The baron’s red eyes narrowed, his voice cold. “What reasons?”

The spider demon’s aura faltered, and he fell silent.

The lead werewolf spoke. “I demand compensation. Thirty force grenades for each of our tribes, and we’ll forget today’s losses.”

The baron’s cheeks twitched, and after a moment, he gritted out, “Fine!”

Bloodline force grenades were much more powerful than human ones, but each was handmade by a rare artisan, making them scarce. Even within the dark races, they were a luxury for ordinary troops.

The baron’s gaze swept the tent. “Who will lead the attack tonight?”

Silence fell, and no one answered.

An unknown strong figure in a battalion-sized human node, capable of using Eagle Strike, posed a significant threat to any seventh-level or lower warrior. Even a sixth-level warrior might be killed by a single shot. And this person had fired multiple shots, indicating at least a sixth-level warrior.

No one wanted to face Eagle Strike in a chaotic siege. The only option was the baron, who was just a step away from becoming a war general.

Seeing all eyes on him, the baron’s face darkened. “If I go, what will you do if the human elite units appear?”

The spider demons and werewolves exchanged glances, falling silent.

Since midnight yesterday, the battle in Dongling Mountain had been raging, turning the entire region into a battleground. The 55th Division was pushing forward from a hundred kilometers away, and the 58th Division was mobilizing. Their allied force, originally positioned thirty kilometers north, was inexplicably stuck here. The latest message from command indicated several human elite units had vanished into the depths of Dongling, eluding even the Wind Wolf tribe.

Seeing their faces, the baron sneered, pointing at a spider demon and a werewolf. “You two will lead the attack tonight! I’ll set up a perimeter. The human garrison is only a day’s march away, and their reinforcements should arrive by morning. I may not be able to hold them, so you’d better resolve this tonight!”

The spider demon and werewolf glanced at each other and left silently. The baron remained in the tent, staring at the map, his brows furrowed. A Bloodline warrior entered, placing a cup of blood on the table and then quietly leaving. But the baron only stared at the map, forgetting to savor the blood.

His gaze wasn’t on the earthen castle or the direction of the human reinforcements. He was looking at two other dark race forces, his eyes filled with wariness. The baron picked up a pen and marked several red dots on the map, indicating his own threat levels.

From the marks, the human reinforcements were far less threatening than the other two dark race forces.

Deep in the night, outside Xichang, at the Yin family estate.

Qi Qi read the letter in front of her twice and then called someone in.

A beautiful girl rushed in and out.

Moments later, Ji Yuanjia strode in. Clearly, he had been resting, wearing a narrow-sleeved, right-lapel robe, typical of noble men.

Before he could steady himself, Qi Qi asked, “Why did Qianye go to the mountains near the earthen castle?”