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墨書 Inktalez
“Fei Fan? Is that you?” His mother on the other end of the line seemed a bit incredulous.
“Mom, it’s me,” Fei Fan replied with a chuckle.
“You scared me! I thought it was someone else. How are you? Did you pass your exam? Are you hurt?” His mother fired off questions like a rapid-fire cannon, anxious about her child's well-being.
“I’m fine, Mom. I passed the exam. I’ll be home tomorrow. How’s Dad doing?” Fei Fan answered casually, deliberately omitting the details of the grueling exam and the violent events he had experienced, not wanting to worry her.
“He’s doing well, eating and sleeping fine. Just don’t know when he’ll wake up,” his mother sighed on the phone, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he wakes up,” Lu Fei Fan reassured her over the phone.
“Just don’t push yourself too hard. Take care of your health and stay safe,” his mother cautioned from the other end.
“Yeah, I know. You take care of yourself too, don’t overwork. I have to go now; I’ll see you at home tomorrow,” Lu Fei Fan said before hanging up. He sighed deeply; although his heart felt heavy, at least he had become a Fuser.
After finishing the call with his mother, Lu Fei Fan tried to reach out to A Teng and Da Li through the online network to find out where they were. As expected, A Teng picked up the call.
“Wow, boss! You’re out?” A Teng exclaimed excitedly, like an ecstatic animal.
“Where are you guys?” Lu Fei Fan asked.
“We’re at the medical station. I’ll send you our location; come find us,” A Teng quickly provided the coordinates for the medical station.
Lu Fei Fan checked again on the Virtual Network and chatted briefly with some heroes about recent Pulse Energy training issues before logging off from the Virtual Network.
The flow of people was bustling as Lu Fei Fan boarded a truck that shuttled between the bases. Along the way, he saw numerous Evaluators who had just completed their assessments. As the truck passed Camp Square, someone suddenly shouted.
"Recruitment for the Free Federation Legion is now open!"
Lu Fei Fan glanced over and noticed several Military Police sitting in front of a row of tables, with seven or eight soldiers standing by to maintain order.
At that shout, the crowd in the square surged forward like a boiling pot, excitement spreading as if they had just glimpsed a vast new world.
The truck carried Lu Fei Fan through the winding buildings of the base, heading towards A Teng's medical station. Along the way, he saw four or five camp squares, each one conducting similar recruitment for soldiers.
What was going on?
"Excuse me, could you tell me what this recruitment is about?" Lu Fei Fan asked a Reference sitting next to him, who seemed equally indifferent. The man, appearing to be in his early thirties, stroked his beard and glanced at Lu Fei Fan. Finding him somewhat agreeable, he pretended to be an old hand and surveyed the other newcomers waiting for an explanation.
"Are you all first-timers this year? Haven't participated in an Assessment before?" he asked after looking around.
Inside the swaying truck, everyone shook their heads, indicating that it was their first time witnessing such a scene.
"Alright then. Let me, Xu Sanfo, explain it to you rookies," he said, seemingly enjoying the attention.
"Every year after the Fuser practical combat concludes, the Free Federation opens recruitment plans for soldiers right at their respective Monster Bases. Those who have participated in the Practical Assessment are considered to have combat experience, and most have a foundation in real combat skills, making them quality recruits. If you have some Pulse Energy cultivation background and pass the assessment, you can earn a rank of Private First Class. Keep in mind that ordinary people only qualify for the rank of Private." He shook his head. "The rank of Dah Tou Bing merely represents slightly better treatment; in reality, they are just cannon fodder."
“Then… why don’t you sign up?” someone in the car suddenly asked.
“Me?” He found the question amusing and confidently replied, “Of course, I want to join the Ace Legion or the Elite Corps of the Free Federation! What you saw earlier were all recruitments for the Expeditionary Force.”
“Expeditionary Force? I’ve heard they’re stationed in the Recovery Zone,” someone chimed in from within the vehicle.
“Hmph, what a bunch of rookies,” Xu Sanfo sneered disdainfully. “You newcomers won’t be stationed in the Recovery Zone for long. Once you’ve been trained enough, you’ll be thrown into combat in the Fallen Zone.”
“Fallen Zone!” Someone gasped in fear. “I’ve heard that the Expeditionary Force fights against monsters that crawl out of the sea and island beasts there.”
“What do you expect? Do you think the Expeditionary Force is just for show? Their job is to capture cities and conquer territories. Those islands filled with unknown beasts definitely need the Expeditionary Force to take them over. It’s not just about fighting monsters; they also have to battle the ruthless Rebels. It’s a dead end no matter how you look at it.” Xu Sanfo shook his head, determined not to take such risks. Even if the Expeditionary Force outnumbered regular troops three to one, it wouldn’t be worth risking his life.
“What are you afraid of? A real man relies on courage and fearlessness! The rewards—food, bonuses—are several times better than those of other defense forces. If you’re not going, I will!” A burly man suddenly grabbed his backpack and jumped out of the car, rushing toward a recruitment square at the back, shouting as he signed up.
Xu Sanfo shook his head but didn’t stop him. Everyone has their own ambitions; those who walk different paths naturally won’t conspire together.
Meanwhile, Lu Fei Fan began to understand what was happening. The Expeditionary Force was starting to recruit individuals looking to join the military to bolster its strength. This might also be a privilege tacitly granted by the Free Federation to the Expeditionary Force, considering that operating outside safe zones in the Recovery Zone and Fallen Zone would naturally lead to significant troop losses that needed replenishing.
However, Lu Fei Fan recalled what Mei San Shao had said about the Expeditionary Force. The current strength of the Expeditionary Force was certainly not comparable to its most glorious period, so progress in reclaiming sea territories was quite limited due to their own military capabilities.
No one else spoke in the car; Lu Fei Fan pretended to doze off and stopped asking questions. Xu Sanfo remained quiet as well, and everyone in the vehicle harbored their own thoughts until they reached their destination. Lu Fei Fan jumped out of the car and headed toward the medical camp.
Inside the makeshift medical tents lay numerous injured soldiers. After asking several nurses, Lu Fei Fan finally found A Teng and Niu Dali among his fellows.
Dali lay on the bed, having just had his wounds treated by the nurse. The reunion with his brothers filled him with excitement.
"Boss, how's it going? Did you get a spot in the Stunt Training Camp?" A Teng asked eagerly.
Lu Fei Fan recalled many events that had transpired inside, including entanglements with Xie Yuanbai, Bai Xu Chang, and even Mei San Shao. However, he decided not to share these details with his two clueless brothers.
"No, my luck wasn't great," Lu Fei Fan replied casually.
"We were worried about you out here. From what we've heard from those who came out, the hunting later on was brutal. Many people were injured or killed... The casualty rate is reportedly several times higher than in previous years," Dali said, rubbing his rear where the nurse had just administered a shot. Thankfully, his tough skin meant he barely felt it after a while.
After chatting for a bit at the medical camp, Lu Fei Fan and A Teng left Dali behind in the infirmary and headed to a nearby regular camp to rest. Having not showered for several days, Lu Fei Fan eagerly made his way to the Monster Base's bathhouse, where he scrubbed himself clean for nearly an hour. Emerging refreshed from the hot water, he felt a wave of hunger wash over him.
Lu Fei Fan and A Teng then went to the dining area and indulged in a hearty meal. After satisfying their appetites, Lu Fei Fan returned to his tent, practiced Fu Mai Xi Shu for over an hour, and discussed his training progress with A Teng. Once everything was done, fatigue crashed over him like a tidal wave.
Lying on the bed, Lu Fei Fan's eyelids felt heavy as lead, and he slowly drifted into slumber.
A Teng watched as his boss snored away. He pulled out an Energy Pistol, disengaged the safety, and checked the magazine; he had no intention of sleeping just yet.
Stepping outside the Camp, he settled down by the fire and lit up a Military Knife Brand Cigarette he had bought from the base shop. He had developed a liking for these cheap smokes because they packed quite a punch. With the pistol in hand, he gazed up at the star-filled sky before glancing back at the tent where Lu Fei Fan slept peacefully. A Teng knew that this fellow must have been exhausted from hunting; whether or not he had faced life-and-death situations was uncertain. Still, he felt that Lu Fei Fan seemed like a different person now—something about him had changed.
Regardless of everything else, this fellow was still his brother. It seemed that since the Slaughterhouse incident, their fates had begun to shift alongside his. As for what lay ahead, A Teng dared not speculate; however, it was clear that their lives would no longer be ordinary or unremarkable. It felt as if they had spent over a decade merely scratching the surface of this thrilling world.
Though unsure if his boss had made any enemies, A Teng resolved to stand guard for his brother so that he could sleep soundly inside.
In another medical camp far away at the Monster Base, the night was illuminated by the moonlight, and the tent was filled with the low moans of pain.
Sitting on a hospital bed, Xie Yuanbai touched his right shoulder, which was wrapped in bandages. Although the bleeding had stopped, he needed to return to Dadu Island City’s Advanced Hospital for arm regeneration. He felt uncomfortable and even frustrated about losing his arm.
At that moment, an elderly man entered the tent. He had an ordinary face and wore a doctor’s coat stained with blood, appearing quite busy.
“Uncle,” Xie Yuanbai said, his eyes lighting up as he thought he might have found a way to restore his arm.
“Your sister is looking for you,” the elderly man said, tossing a communication device for a video call before turning to leave.
Xie Yuanbai connected the video call, and a woman with black short hair and a beautiful face appeared on the screen. Behind her, several team members were firing their energy guns forward, while bombs exploded nearby.
“Yuanbai, how did the Practical Assessment go?” the woman asked.
“Sister, there was an accident; my hand was cut off,” Xie Yuanbai replied. Just thinking about Lu Fei Fan made him grit his teeth in hatred, wishing he could tear him apart.
“What!?” The woman on the other end of the video was slightly taken aback, then asked darkly, “Who did it?”
“A fellow with no background,” Xie Yuanbai answered.
At that moment, a missile came flying from behind the woman in the video.
“Sister, duck!” Before he could finish, a figure lunged forward and pushed her down.
Boom.
The explosion severed the communication signal.
Anxiously, Xie Yuanbai kept redialing until, after ten minutes, the video call finally connected again. Seeing his sister safe and sound on the screen eased his worries, though he noticed a tall, handsome young man standing beside her.
"Brother-in-law," Xie Yuanbai greeted.
"Yuanbai, I heard someone hurt you?" the man asked. "Take care of your injuries first. We can talk about everything later. Don't worry, your brother-in-law won’t let your suffering be in vain."
"Mm."
With that, Xie Yuanbai ended the call, and his expression turned fierce.
"Lu Fei Fan, just wait. I will make you taste the pain of losing an arm!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fists, his hatred swelling uncontrollably...
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