Chapter 67

Chapter 67

...

This incident was a minor episode and was quickly forgotten. After dividing the supplies, the team set aside a portion for everyone to share, managed by Elia and Kappel.

Since there were no vehicles, it took them an hour to walk from Zone B3 to Zone B1. To conserve energy, everyone tried to minimize unnecessary expenditure, so the journey was extremely quiet.

At the rear of the team, two teammates looked at each other's sweat-drenched faces. Most of the team were from the committee, but they were different; they were members selected solely by their mentor.

"What's the deal between that beta and Kaiser's group?"

"He's probably Kaiser's roommate? They seem pretty close; I've seen Bush being quite affectionate towards him."

The person pursed their lips. "...Is he also from the committee?"

"I think so. His joining the committee was mentioned in the school newspaper. It's pretty amazing; I've never seen a Beta join the committee before."

"You're way too optimistic."

He cast his gaze towards the black-haired youth ahead. "Every time we plant the flag, only one person gets picked, and it's the best opportunity to shine. Everyone is fighting tooth and nail for it, but there are only so many opportunities. Two-thirds of our 15-man team are from the committee, and they'll definitely stick together. So what do we have left?"

"...But they didn't say they wouldn't give us a chance to shine..."

"Does such a thing need to be said?"

"If you don't grab it, you'll never get a turn in this life."

Hearing this, the person became restless. "You're absolutely right... We came here for the fame. If we don't perform at all, wouldn't it be a waste to have participated? But what can we do? Kaiser and his group aren't easy to deal with; how could we possibly compete with them?"

"We could try to get rid of one of them, and I don't think they're very harmonious internally."

Lowering his head, he continued, "I think that Beta is our breakthrough point."

...

An hour later, they were nearing the flag point in Zone B1.

They encountered quite a few Zerg along the way, but their progress wasn’t delayed. Those who could join this team, while not necessarily top-notch, at least had the ability to defend themselves against the Zerg.

The sky gradually started to pour.

The raindrops pelted Yi Ye's raincoat like hail. Everyone was soaked, and Yi Ye's black hair in front was wet, clinging to his pale cheeks. He turned to look at Bai Chuan, who was using his bag to shield himself from the rain, looking less disheveled.

Then he looked at Kaiser and Bush Meihua. Bush Meihua was the most comfortable; not a single drop of rain touched him, and he walked leisurely as if attending a top-tier fashion week.

Kaiser, on the other hand, was not so lucky. With no bag to shield him and no raincoat, his red hair, drenched in water, looked like it had been painted red. Only his handsome face remained untouched by the rain.

Yi Ye thought about taking off his raincoat, thinking it might cover two people from the rain.

But squeezing three under it would be too tight.

I wish this raincoat were bigger.

"We're almost at the flag point," Elia, facing the wind, looked at the map. "Another 500 meters. Once we plant the flag, we'll find somewhere to take shelter from the rain. Hang in there, everyone!"

"Captain! The rain's too heavy!"

"Yeah, we're going to lose sight of the path soon."

The distant shouts cut through the rain. Elia turned on his flashlight and held it high: "Keep close!"

Elia was really strong when it came to leading the team. Everyone followed closely, pushing through the rain. Yi Ye turned around to grab Bai Chuan's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone approaching. In the next second, Kaiser had already pressed down on his shoulder.

Kaiser pulled him, and he pulled Bai Chuan, the three of them struggling forward.

The already tight space instantly became even more crowded.

"We're here, we're here!"

Seeing a distant red fluorescent light sparked excitement. Someone yelled excitedly.

A few teammates who had been exhausted immediately perked up. But soon, the atmosphere turned tense.

Each of them was wearing the flag of the Imperial Honor Military Academy. They looked at each other, hands ready at their sides, all wanting to be the first to plant the flag.

Yi Ye didn't care about any of that. He pressed his palm to his forehead to block the rain, squinting toward where the red light was. Visibility was low, so he shone his flashlight, the beam piercing through the rain, landing at the base of the fluorescent light. The flagpole stood at the intersection of four streets, made of brass with a square black marble base.

Next to the flagpole was a white stone statue, one hand raised, pointing east.

Raising the flag to the top of the flagpole would mean victory. But the area was too open.

In such an open and quiet area, Yi Ye couldn't help but wonder.

"I think..."

Before he could finish, someone suddenly dashed out. A teammate holding the flag sprinted straight to the flagpole and quickly attached his flag to the rope.

"Hey, stop!" Kappel roared, "We haven't decided who's going yet, who told you to move?!"

"Sorry, Kappel," he called out, waving vigorously, "Let me have this one, the next is yours!"

"Damn it!"

Kappel stomped his foot forcefully.

Suddenly, boom!

Shrapnel exploded in the rain, and everyone immediately dove to the ground to avoid it. Pieces of stone fell everywhere. Kappel, hands over his head, looked up in shock as his terminal displayed the cold message: "Your teammate has been eliminated."

Damn... he just stomped his foot, and it blew the guy up?!

"Stop stomping, it's an ambush!"

Kaiser kicked him away, drew his pistol, and fired wildly into the rain, then quickly darted behind a nearby ruin. He glanced over and met Yi Ye's eyes across the ruins. Yi Ye gestured, pointing to the southeast.

"It's in the southeast, huh? Just watch, I'll blow them up."

He pulled out a grenade, removed the pin, and threw it.

A series of explosions followed. Yi Ye looked at Bai Chuan, who was hiding behind another pillar, and warned him: "I see the uniform, Eagle Naval Academy."

"It's their team's Fu Chen," Bai Chuan said calmly, "I've competed against Fu Chen before. He likes setting up ambushes, so be careful."

"Okay."

"I'll flank from behind. You and Kaiser draw their fire."

"Alright."

Bai Chuan threw a smoke bomb on the other side to distract attention, and Yi Ye took the opportunity to head up to the second floor, leaping from the rooftop onto the balcony of the neighboring building. He ducked behind the railing and pulled out his binoculars to check the situation. On the Eagle Naval Academy side, he could only see thirteen guys, and Fu Chen was not among them.

"There're only 13 guys here. Someone might've gone around your back. I'll message Bai Chuan."

As soon as the voice message was sent, his eyes locked onto the screen, and he froze.

His face was reflected on the screen, and behind him stood another person.

The face on the screen suddenly zoomed in, and a powerful sweeping kick came with the force of a gale. Yi Ye deftly dropped into a crouch, snatched the ankle, and twisted it to the left! The other guy leaped into the air, flipping to break free from Yi Ye's hold, landing hard with a thud, sending dust flying everywhere. The man took a boxing stance, bouncing on his feet, his muscles so massive they looked almost unreal, stretching his uniform to its limits.

Fu Chen from Eagle Naval Academy.

Yi Ye was envious.

How the hell does this guy have muscles like that?!

"I thought it would be that Bai Chuan brat. Who are you?" Fu Chen turned his neck with a cracking sound, sizing up the youth in front of him. "Wait, haven't I seen you before? You're the one who took Bai Chuan away on the day of the match, right?"

"He's my brother."

"Bro?!"

Fu Chen's eyes lit up, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "You gotta be better than Bai Chuan, right?! What's your level?"

Yi Ye glanced at the floor below perfunctorily, "A-rank mental strength, S-rank physical strength."

"...Huh?"

Fu Chen immediately stood still, looking disappointed as he put his hands back. "Not gonna fight you then. It's not fun. Find someone else, literally anyone."

Yi Ye chuckled, "Can't do that. I didn't sneak all the way around the rooftop just to turn back now."

"Don't worry about getting accidentally hit by our team. It's all good, just wait a sec."

He walked to the balcony and shouted to the floor below, "Everyone stop! Let this Imperial Honor Military Academy guy go back first. He needs to bring our team's 3S over to fight me!"

"Fu Chen, you moron! I'm in the middle of tearing stuff up here, and you're worried about a fight?!"

"Get your ass down here and work! One more word and I'll blow your head off!"

"Chill, chill. The world's huge, no point in getting mad."

Fu Chen looked upset. "I got chewed out."

Yi Ye: "..."

Isn't that what you asked for?

"These guys never cooperate with me," he suddenly looked frustrated and covered his face, without a shred of vigilance. "I'm the captain, after all. Why do I have no authority at all? Is my leadership really that bad? I got first place in the exams too, am I not smart enough?"

"..." Yi Ye wasn't sure why he suddenly started comforting him, walking over and patting his shoulder. "Don't be sad, that's just life. Once you get used to being bad, it's not so bad."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"I don't know. My ability to comfort others is also pretty bad."

Fu Chen was speechless. He sniffed hard, carefully wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, and then, with a determined expression, flung it away.

"Although it’s embarrassing to fight a Beta, you’re a decent guy, so I’ll do you the favor of fighting you. Don’t worry, even though I look like a rough guy, I’ll go easy on you and not break any bones."

"……So, should I thank you?"

"Don’t mention it." Fu Chen took a fighting stance, "Let’s begin!"

…………

Ten minutes later.

The gunfire on the ground gradually died down as both sides had almost run out of ammunition. Continuing would inevitably lead to hand-to-hand combat.

Bai Chuan drew the dagger bound to his arm, his gaze sharp as a falcon’s as he stared intently at the alley’s corner. He just wanted to deal with these guys and then find Yi Ye. Even though the terminal hadn’t flagged a 'teammate down' notification yet, he was worried Yi Ye might get hurt if he went up against Fu Chen. Fu Chen’s size was intimidating, and even though Yi Ye’s fighting skills were top-tier, no one could be sure of winning against that kind of raw power.

Holding his knife, with only two bullets left, he moved his feet slightly, walking in the direction Yi Ye had left.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the building across the way. Everyone straightened up and listened as they saw a shadow plummet from the balcony!

"Who! What the hell just fell? Is it someone from the Imperial Honor Military Academy?"

The Eagle Naval Academy students immediately straightened up and listened.

"That doesn’t look like someone from the Imperial Honor Military Academy, judging by the uniform..."

"Is it Fu Chen?"

"Holy crap, he’s down to a sliver of health! Medic! We need a medic! Quick, go rescue him!"

"Coming, coming, coming!"

Smoke bombs instantly filled the air as they scrambled to drag the unmoving hulk back, causing a flurry of chaos. Meanwhile, the rest of the teammates couldn’t help but glance back at the balcony from which he had fallen. Damn, who could have beaten him to this extent?!

"I’m back."

Yi Ye returned to Bai Chuan’s side, holding the bullets he had taken from Fu Chen. He grinned and split the bullets with Bai Chuan, his clothes disheveled but otherwise unharmed.

Bai Chuan let out a sigh of relief, lowering his gaze. "They’re out of ammo, and no enemies have snuck up from behind."

Yi Ye’s hand paused in the air. "Something’s not right."

"One guy’s missing."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a mechanical notification sounded from the Eagle Naval Academy’s terminal.

"Congratulations to your team for successfully occupying Zone B1."