Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Inside another building nearby.

"Kappel! The map shows that Zone B1 has been occupied!" a teammate exclaimed in shock, pointing at the blacked-out area.

"What?" Kappel jumped up in frustration. "The flag point is supposed to be right there! I didn’t see anyone coming close; how did they manage to occupy it?! Where are Elia and Bush Meihua?!"

"I don’t know. They vanished just a moment ago."

"Damn it!"

Kappel flipped the last few bullets in his magazine, gritting his teeth. "Concentrate all firepower and take down everyone from Eagle Naval Academy!"

…

"There’s something wrong with the flag point."

In an instant, Yi Ye and Bai Chuan both realized it.

Kaiser took cover behind some obstacles, hurriedly making his way to their side, and asked what was happening.

"That flag point is likely fake."

Yi Ye took a photo of the flagpole with his terminal. Due to the bomb trap planted by Eagle Naval Academy, the base of the flagpole was damaged, the top tilted precariously in the wind, and the nearby white stone statues were blown to bits. But Eagle Naval Academy hadn’t successfully planted their flag yet, so they wouldn’t have destroyed the flag point themselves. This was clearly a glitch, but in the midst of the intense gunfire, everyone was more focused on defeating the enemy and hadn’t noticed the anomaly.

Looking back, things had been off from the beginning.

Kaiser said, "But the map shows the flag point is right here."

The area was surrounded by ruins, and aside from tall buildings, all they saw was wild grass. There were no other flagpoles in sight. Suddenly, Bai Chuan raised his hand, pointing at the fragments of the white stone statue in the photo.

"Do you remember which way the left hand of this statue was pointing?"

"Good question."

The statue had been blown up too suddenly, and with the heavy wind and rain, not many of them had noticed.

Yi Ye said, "East."

Bai Chuan knew Yi Ye would always notice details others overlooked, and he gave a slight smile.

Kaiser frowned. "They didn’t bomb this place just to ambush us; they also wanted to destroy the clue. Damn, the real flag point is to the east!"

But what was in the east? Except for a lonely, weed-covered road, there was nothing else.

Yi Ye pondered. "I have an idea."

Bai Chuan and Kaiser both looked at him.

"What if the flag point is underground?"

"Are you saying… the sewers?" Kaiser was stunned. He had some experience with this. During the rookie assessment, he and Yi Ye had killed that silver Zerg in a sewer nest. If this logic held, it wasn’t impossible. After all, this virtual world seemed to love building strange things underground.

"Contact Bush Meihua and Elia, and have them look for the flag point. Their location is closer."

Yi Ye had Kaiser send a message to the two.

Strangely, they didn’t reply for a long time. After asking other teammates, they learned that both of them had vanished minutes ago.

"Does anyone have any idea where they went?"

"Nope."

"……"

Yi Ye furrowed his brow. Where would Bush Meihua go at a time like this?

Meanwhile, thirty feet below the surface.

A cadet wearing the uniform of Eagle Naval Academy struggled through the water. The foul-smelling, damp underground air filled the narrow space. The murky water contained strange, deformed fish thrashing wildly. Heavy rain had caused water to flood into the underground area, and the water level was visibly rising before his eyes, making every step more and more difficult.

He gripped the rough walls and pressed his earpiece. "I've successfully secured the flag. I'm heading back now."

The signal underground was poor, and the microphone crackled in response.

"Be careful. Return the way you came and don't stop."

"Copy that."

The cadet covered his mouth and nose and pressed on.

The water surged wildly, like a storm-tossed sea, pushing the cadet back with every few steps forward. By the time he neared the exit, his strength was almost gone, his body both cold and hot. He couldn't tell if it was dirty water or sweat on his face.

He clenched the flashlight in his teeth and grabbed the ladder with both hands, looking up toward the manhole. Rain pelted down the long, narrow passage, stinging his eyes and obscuring his vision. He shook the water from his face and wiped it with his sleeve.

The rain suddenly stopped overhead.

The sensation of being soaked by the rain disappeared, and he looked up, stunned.

Two shadowy figures stood at the manhole's edge, their faces hidden.

But he saw one of them holding a revolver, pointed at his head, and a blinding spark flashed.

Boom!

The sound of the gunshot echoed.

"Bush Meihua eliminated Elna. Congratulations, your team has successfully seized Zone B1."

Receiving the system notification, Elia shifted his gaze from the corpse sinking into the water and looked toward Bush Meihua through the heavy rain. "How did you know the real flag point was here?"

Bush Meihua wiped the grip of his weapon, seemingly uninterested in explaining the details.

Elia had long heard of his personality and knew his intelligence was not something an ordinary person could fathom, so he didn't get angry. Instead, he continued, "Even if we've claimed Zone B1 now, as long as those from Eagle Naval Academy are still around, they might take it back. We should head back as soon as possible."

Just as he finished speaking, a message from Kaiser popped up on his terminal: "They've also noticed something wrong with the flag point."

"Faster than I expected."

Elia: "Let's go."

"Wait, don't you want to talk?"

Elia frowned and looked at Bush Meihua's handsome face, hearing him ask, "Do you think there's a mole in our team?"

His brow twitched slightly, and he calmly replied, "No one can say for sure right now."

"But I heard you have some familial ties with Riley from Melville Military Academy." Bush Meihua said with a half-smile.

"We're only distant relatives. There's almost no contact between our families. Do you suspect that I'm the spy?"

Bush Meihua threw the question "now nobody can say for sure" back at Elia. For reasons unknown, Elia's usually calm demeanor showed a flicker of anger. His face was a little pale, perhaps due to recent physical discomfort causing low blood sugar. Behind his glasses, his eyes betrayed his deep fatigue.

"If you doubt me, you can revoke my position as team leader."

"Calm down," Bush Meihua patted him on the shoulder, "Just a word of caution. I usually don't care whether we win or lose in matches. If this were any other activity, your being a spy wouldn't concern me. But this time, things are different. I don't want anything standing in our way. Bullets kill enemies swiftly, but they can just as quickly kill our own."

"If you are the spy, abandon any idea of helping another military academy win; if not, accept my apology."

Bush Meihua's apology carried no sincerity and only served to anger Elia further. But Elia remained silent, a dark expression on his face as he watched the other turn and leave.

The daylight was fading, making it hard to discern his expression.

……

After a long period of time, everyone gathered inside the abandoned building.

After an hour of standoff, the team had lost three teammates, leaving only twelve remaining.

They were currently facing an ammunition shortage, but the news of Elia and Bush Meihua retaking the territory brought them renewed hope. Some suggested seizing the chance to retreat rather than getting drawn into a fight, but others argued for fighting to the end, fearing that another encounter with Eagle Naval Academy would lead to a repeat of previous losses.

"Skipper, what's the plan?"

Unable to agree, the team deferred to Elia.

With a serious expression, after a brief silence, he said, "We must take out Eagle Naval Academy here. There are still many enemies ahead; we can't afford to leave ourselves in a more dangerous position."

"Alright, if the skipper says so, let's hit it!"

Everyone huddled together to discuss strategies, their voices rising in heated debate.

Meanwhile, at Eagle Naval Academy, chaos reigned. After finally securing Zone B1, it was taken back just like that by Imperial Honor Military Academy?! And this half-dead, wailing fool, upon regaining consciousness, threw himself into someone's arms and sobbed uncontrollably!

"Shut up!!"

The female Alpha captain was furious, "If you cry one more time, I'll cut off your little brother and feed him to the dogs!"

Fu Chen trembled all over and immediately covered his lower body, sitting upright with a serious expression.

"What happened with falling off the balcony? Did you run into that Kaiser?"

"No, I didn't..."

"Is there someone in their team who can outfight Kaiser in a 1v1?"

"I don't know."

"You!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Fu Chen hurriedly raised his hand and backed off, "I'm not being dismissive, I really didn't see how I fell."

He only remembered preparing to fight that short, skinny Beta, but the guy's movements were so light and agile that he couldn't even touch a single hair. In the blink of an eye, his thigh was kicked hard, the excruciating pain taking his breath away, and the next moment he was falling over the balcony railing.

Fu Chen had been in countless fights since he was young, but he had never experienced such an indescribable defeat. He also felt unwilling, "Let me fight that guy again, and this time I'll definitely win!"

"If we don't win, we'll all have to write self-criticism reports when we get back!"

She stood up with her hands on her hips, "Everyone, check the weapons and supplies, and prepare for the final battle!"

……

The rain started to ease up.

The ripples on the mud's surface gradually lessened, but the thunder continued to rumble violently in the clouds. The lightning seemed like the angry roar of a grieving god, splitting open cracks in the dark sky. Red beams tore through the firmament, casting an eerie red glow over the ground, making it impossible to take another step forward in fear.

The eerie wind howled, and shadows darted swiftly between the ruins.

In the distance, several teammates gave the "ok" sign. Caesar stood in the center of the street, unarmed except for a short knife strapped to his calf.

From the darkness across the way, someone approached.

A tall, dark-skinned youth with black hair stepped heavily onto the ground, his broad shoulders and narrow waist giving off an intense aura. He exhaled heavily, having shed his restrictive uniform, now wearing a tight black vest that displayed his glistening, rain-soaked muscles, brimming with tension. His fierce brows were furrowed, the intensity so palpable that it was visible to the naked eye.

He glanced at both sides, meeting Caesar's golden eyes.

"Every time I face an opponent, it's never the one I want. Do all you guys from the Imperial Honor Military Academy follow some kind of rotation system?"

Caesar smirked confidently, "No matter who they put up, you can't win."

"Heh, empty boast. You're Caesar, right? Fighting you is fine, but if you lose, hand over that dark-haired pretty boy from your team."

Caesar's expression immediately darkened. "You're asking for death."

He clenched his fist, twisting his hand, the sound of his knuckles cracking. He moved his right leg back, crouching low, feet firmly gripping the ground—then he shot out like a bullet!

The dull thuds of fists hitting flesh echoed through the air. Fu Chen, with the advantage of experience, and Caesar, with the advantage of talent, were locked in a stalemate for a time. Their auras clashed, creating a violent vortex of energy, as if anyone who stepped into the area around them would be torn apart by the conflicting forces.

Inside a dilapidated house.

Yi Ye and two other teammates were assigned to protect Bush Meihua. Elia had repeatedly emphasized that everyone else could die, but Bush Meihua absolutely must not.

The crisp sounds of steel blades clashing and the noises of fighting could be heard around them, but it remained quiet where they were. The other two teammates were patrolling outside. Yi Ye, glancing at the immobile Bush Meihua, crouched down to tighten his shoelaces. The raincoat had become a bit inconvenient, so he had temporarily stuffed it into his bag.

When it came to shoelaces, Yi Ye only knew how to tie a basic knot, which tended to come undone easily. So, he simply tied a tight knot and, satisfied, gave the laces a couple of tugs. Humming a tune, he stood up and straightened his clothes. His long hair was tied into a high ponytail and flung to one side.

Since the Imperial Honor Military Academy uniforms were quite fitted, the pant legs were tucked into his boots, faintly revealing the straight lines of his calves, giving him a lean and sharp silhouette.

Bush Meihua lifted his gaze and looked at his back, noticing how the gun holster around Yi Ye's thigh was tied tightly, pressing slightly into the flesh.

"Yi Ye," he suddenly spoke, "Come sit with me for a while."

Yi Ye pretended to be busy adjusting his terminal, ignoring him.

Bush Meihua narrowed his eyes and said again, "If you're going to protect me, shouldn't you stay a bit closer?"

Yi Ye: ……Offline, do not disturb.

"Are you playing hard to get with me?"

Yi Ye was startled by his words and choked on his saliva, quickly turning around, "Are you sick!?"

His eyes glanced at the two patrolling teammates outside, "If someone hears you, they'll think something's going on between us. Can't you just sit quietly?"

He looked slightly innocent. "But this is so boring."

"Not my problem, I've got stuff to do."

He held an AK automatic rifle with both hands. Being stared at by Bush Meihua gave him goosebumps, and he moved to a position two meters away, helplessly.

"Is this distance okay? If I stand too close to you, we might both get caught in the crossfire and die."

"But you're supposed to protect me."

"Dude, which one of us is 2S rank?"

"Me."

"That's what I'm saying."

Bush Meihua nodded. "Got it."

"How about I protect you instead?"

...

What the hell goes on in this guy's head?

Yi Ye facepalmed helplessly. "I'm asking you, have you always been like this since you were a kid? It feels like you never listen to others."

"Is there something wrong with me now?"

"I became like this because one day the doctor came to the Meihua mansion and said I was sick."

"……You really are ill?" Yi Ye quickly spat. "No offense, but... I thought it was just your personality."

"Does it even matter? If the doctor says I'm cured one day, would you think I'm the kind of person you could be friends with?"

Yi Ye couldn't answer.

Could he say he was avoiding Bush Meihua because of his crazy, SM-like tactics? Definitely not. Saying it might just excite Bush Meihua even more.

"Did the doctor say when you'll recover?"

"If I can keep it under control, it'll help with my recovery." Bush Meihua chuckled. "Doctors everywhere say the same thing."

Yi Ye got the sense that Bush Meihua just didn’t care anymore and hesitated. "So why did you..."

"I killed someone as a kid."

Silence followed.

Yi Ye's expression was a mix of shock and something else.

Bush Meihua, thinking he was scared, was amused by his reaction and laughed until tears came. "You actually believed me? I was joking. If I had actually killed someone back then, my father would have sent me to prison first."

Yi Ye: "..."

This guy is such a pain!

He didn't want to talk to the crazy Bush Meihua anymore and turned his head sullenly.

"Attention, footsteps approaching!"

The voice of a teammate crackled through the earpiece, and Iino quickly composed himself. With one hand, he signaled Bush Meiwa to be quiet, while with the other, he gripped his gun and moved to stand behind the door, peering out through the glass.

The wind stirred up plastic bags on the ground, making the outside seem eerily quiet.

Iino focused, his ears straining to catch any sound.

One, two, ...

There were at least four people outside the house.