Chapter 687 - 336: As Long as We’re Alive
Chapter 687: Chapter 336: As Long as We’re Alive
"Stay with the Captain! Don’t fall behind!"
Shen Qiuyue shouted as she brandished her Dueling Sword.
Working together, the four of them finally broke through and rushed aboard the waiting shuttle.
"That was a real brush with death!"
Han Ruoxi collapsed into her seat, gasping for air.
"What matters is that we’re still alive!"
Li Chang’an sat beside her, wiping the blood from his Saw Chain Sword.
"Captain, the footage from the lab has been uploaded!"
Bai Lin’s voice came from the terminal.
"Good work!"
Li Chang’an nodded.
The shuttle returned smoothly to the base. One by one, the members of the Insect Hunter Squad dragged their exhausted bodies down the ramp.
"We were lucky to make it out of that one!"
Sun Yang said, rubbing his shoulder, the lingering fear still on his face.
"Those Rebel Army guys were fighting like their lives depended on it. We were almost left behind for good!"
"And that was just their outer defense line. The main battlefield will probably be even tougher."
Shen Qiuyue replied coolly, picking up her Dueling Sword to clean the marks off it.
"Sister Qiuyue, could you not be such a buzzkill?"
Sun Yang rolled his eyes.
"My heart’s still pounding! Don’t scare me like that!"
"Enough nonsense. Let’s go report in."
Li Chang’an cut off their conversation and led the way toward the command center.
The squad members followed behind him in silence.
They passed through the base’s corridors, and the doors to the command center opened before them. Liu Na was waiting inside.
"What’s the mission status?"
Liu Na asked directly, her gaze falling on Li Chang’an.
"The intel was accurate. The Rebel Army does have experimental weapons in that lab."
Li Chang’an handed a portable terminal to Liu Na.
"But we didn’t have time to investigate thoroughly. A Rebel Army patrol found us."
"Good. The video data is already transferring."
Liu Na nodded and looked at the rest of the squad.
"Any injuries?"
"Just some scrapes. Nothing serious."
Han Ruoxi raised her hand and gave it a little shake.
"Everyone else is fine, too. The Captain protected us well."
"Good. Go get some rest. You all performed well this time."
Liu Na nodded.
"Rest?"
Sun Yang’s eyes lit up.
"Great! I can finally get a full meal and a good night’s sleep!"
"Don’t celebrate just yet. There may be follow-up missions, so stay alert."
Liu Na said calmly.
"I’ll compile the mission summary and send it to the commander. For now, you all just focus on recovering."
The squad left the command center and headed toward the mess hall.
"Finally, time to eat!"
Sun Yang said, a blissful expression on his face as he smelled the aroma from the mess hall.
"I’m getting three big plates this time!"
"Can you not be so embarrassing? At least try to maintain some dignity."
Shen Qiuyue frowned but didn’t stop him.
"Ruo Xi, is there anything you’re craving today? You pick, and I’ll get it for you."
Sun Yang asked, turning his head to Han Ruoxi as he stood in line.
"You’re asking me? I haven’t even decided yet!"
Han Ruoxi pouted.
"But don’t you dare add any of that weird spicy soup base for me. Last time it was so hot I couldn’t sleep all night!"
"Don’t worry, I know my limits!"
Sun Yang said cheerfully as he took a tray.
"Bai Lin, aren’t you going to eat something?"
Han Ruoxi turned to look at Bai Lin, only to find him still fiddling with his terminal.
"I’ll eat in a bit!"
Bai Lin replied without looking up.
"Alright, but don’t get too carried away. I’ll get some soup for you later."
Han Ruoxi reminded him.
By the time they sat down with their trays, Sun Yang was already scarfing down his food.
"Brother Chang’an, you’re not eating? Aren’t you hungry?"
Sun Yang asked, his mouth full of food.
"You guys eat first. I’ll eat in a bit."
Li Chang’an was looking at a report, seemingly pondering something.
"Captain, can’t you take a break? We just got back from the battlefield, you should rest!"
Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but say something.
"You all eat first. Don’t worry about me."
Li Chang’an waved his hand dismissively and went back to reading the report.
After everyone had finished eating, Li Chang’an had a quick bite himself, then led the squad back to the dormitory area.
"We still have training tomorrow, don’t we?"
Sun Yang asked, leaning back on the dorm sofa and patting his stomach with a satisfied look.
"Training is mandatory."
Shen Qiuyue said, sitting to the side and cleaning her Dueling Sword with a portable toolkit.
"Sister Qiuyue, don’t you think our training is too intense? After what happened today, can’t we take it a little easier tomorrow?"
Sun Yang asked tentatively.
"If you don’t train, you’ll fall behind. No one’s going to pity you."
Shen Qiuyue replied coldly.
"Ruo Xi, Sister Qiuyue is the strictest one on the team, wouldn’t you say?"
Sun Yang turned to Han Ruoxi again.
"Being strict is good. At least it helps us stay alive."
Han Ruoxi, on the other hand, looked relaxed.
"Besides, don’t you love a challenge? Isn’t more practice better?"
"You’re all ganging up on me!"
Sun Yang said with a look of exasperation.
"Alright, everyone get some rest. We have a mission debriefing tomorrow."
Li Chang’an said, putting an end to the topic.
The squad members all went to their respective rooms to rest.
Li Chang’an stood by the dormitory window, gazing at the starry sky outside the base as he pondered his next move.
「The next morning.」
The Insect Hunter Squad faced another day of training.
"Today’s focus is on reaction speed and coordinated teamwork!"
Li Chang’an announced, standing in the center of the training ground.
"The objective is to simulate a joint operation between the Rebel Army and the Insect Race. No one fights alone!"
"Captain, that’s my specialty! No problem with reaction speed here!"
Sun Yang said, confidently patting his chest.
"Talk is cheap. We’ll see how you perform in a bit."
Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but retort.
Once training began, the Insect Hunter Squad quickly got into the zone.
The simulator’s virtual environment was incredibly realistic. Rebel Army soldiers and Insect Race monsters appeared one after another, giving them no chance to breathe.