Ch. 66 - Choice

Pulling the flame soldier close, Tianyang didn't hesitate and carried him on his back. They quickly ran to the ground floor and found a corner to put him down.

From the multifunctional waist pouch, Tianyang took out the first aid kit and removed the armor from the flame soldier's leg, carefully examining the wound. The soldier's lower leg had a large piece of flesh blasted off by the beam, and blood was flowing profusely. Tianyang tore off the sleeves of his own uniform, turned them into strips, and tightly bound the soldier's thigh to slow down the bleeding.

But that wasn't enough.

Tianyang took the solid bullet gun from the flame soldier's hand, removed the magazine, and took out the bullets.

Applying the gunpowder from the bullets to the surface of the wound, Tianyang pulled out the Crimson Moon Warblade and looked at the flame soldier. "Hold on."

The flame soldier nodded vigorously.

Tianyang pointed the heated tip of the blade at the soldier's wound, and the gunpowder on the wound instantly ignited, producing a burst of orange flames.

The flame soldier let out a miserable scream inside his helmet, gripping his hands tightly, clenching his teeth, and gasping for air.

He was quite tough, just letting out a scream but enduring it.

Tianyang retracted the combat knife, injected a painkiller into him, then used disinfectant spray to clean the wound, finally applying a hemostatic bandage.

Hearing the scream, Cang Du rushed over and happened to see Tianyang using the remaining bandage to wrap several turns around the flame soldier's leg, sealing the gap in the protective suit. The youth wasn't sure if it would work for such a large wound compared to his.

Seeing that he had saved the flame soldier, Cang Du snorted, pointing at the other soldier. "You carry him; let's move quickly."

The soldier lifted the injured comrade, Tianyang patted the flame soldier's shoulder, and then, holding the Assault Rifle, walked cautiously out of the building's entrance with Cang Du.

The street outside was quite quiet; the remaining Mysterious Marksmen didn't seem to be chasing them. Instead, the wheezing sounds of Lurkers came from the building.

Cang Du gestured for safety and then took the lead in evacuating along the previously planned route.

Tianyang had two soldiers follow, covering the rear. When they were about to enter an alley, he suddenly felt as if something was watching him. He turned abruptly, and the light beam from his gun swept around.

But besides seeing the desolate street covered in black mist and shadows filled with malice, there was nothing suspicious.

The youth thought it was just his imagination, turned around, and entered the alley, catching up with the team.

When they arrived near the building enveloped in filth, Cang Du suddenly blocked Tianyang, pressing him against the wall.

The Assault Rifle pointed at the youth's forehead, and Cang Du was furious. "Do you always love playing the hero? Fortunately, those dark creatures didn't chase us; otherwise, we'd be in trouble because of you!"

The two soldiers were startled, especially the flame soldier. The conflict between Cang Du and Tianyang was all because of him.

He was about to intervene, but Tianyang stopped him with a glance and then calmly looked at Cang Du. "I didn't intend to play the hero. I just didn't want to leave my comrade behind."

Cang Du shouted, "You need to change those civilian thoughts. We are Ascenders, the upper class. Our value, not to mention one soldier, is worth more than a hundred soldiers combined. The fortress invests a considerable amount of resources in us, not to make you a saint! Besides, do you think you can save everyone?"

Tianyang said in a deep voice, "I never thought of saving everyone, nor did I ever think of becoming a saint. If it's impossible, I would choose to give up as well. But if it's within my capability, why not lend a helping hand? I've experienced the feeling of being abandoned; I know the despair. If you were in that situation, wouldn't you hope that someone could pull you out of hell?"

Cang Du snorted, released his hand, and said, "I haven't been unlucky enough to need a little ghost to save me. You better not be so naive again. Otherwise, it will cost you your life sooner or later."

"I will seriously consider your advice."

"Hmph, next time, let the captain be a nanny himself; I won't help him carry little ghosts anymore." Cang Du kicked a stone away, vented a bit, and then led the way ahead.

Not knowing if the dark creatures would suddenly catch up, they didn’t dare to collect specimens and hurriedly returned to the camp.

When they arrived at the camp, Han Shu and Ji Yu were already back. Upon seeing the flame soldier injured, Han Shu almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth.

"What happened? Did you run into dark creatures?" Han Shu inquired. While he asked, Ji Yu had already arranged for someone to take the flame soldier to the vehicle. In the absence of a dedicated medic, Ji Yu, with some medical knowledge, often played the role of the team's doctor.

Cang Du briefly recounted the experience, then unloaded his gear and went to rest on the side.

Anyone could see that this guy was sulking.

Tianyang sat by the campfire with Han Shu, glancing nervously at the rugged man. "I made him angry."

Han Shu laughed, seemingly unconcerned. "That kid Cang Du is like that, it is okay, give him a little time to sulk and it will pass."

Tianyang looked towards the armored vehicle where Ji Yu was re-treating the flame soldier's wound. "Captain, do you think I did something wrong?"

Han Shu took a drag of his cigarette, asking in return, "Well, do you think you did something wrong?"

Tianyang pondered for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know. I just felt like it was the right thing to do."

Han Shu blew out a cloud of smoke. "Well then, you didn't do anything wrong. Cang Du didn't either. In this world, there's no such thing as right or wrong. There are just different choices. Whatever you do, if you make a choice and bear the consequences, then you haven't done anything wrong."

Tianyang scratched his head. "Captain, your reasoning is too profound. Can you simplify it a bit?"

Han Shu glanced at him, saying meaningfully, "Act more, think less. You'll have fewer worries."

"I understand. It's like you and Lao Xu. You're about the same age, but Lao Xu is losing his hair. I think it's because he thinks too much. Captain, am I right?"

"Right, my ass. I really want to smack you to death."

Han Shu stood up, patted his buttocks, and said, "You guys are tired too. Eat something and rest. I'll take the first watch. After two hours, you and Lao Xu will take over for me. The third watch will be Cang Du and Ji Yu's responsibility."

Tianyang nodded and returned to the vehicle, taking out a high-energy ration to eat.

Two hours later, he woke up on time. Stepping out of the vehicle, he saw Lao Xu sitting by the campfire.

Lao Xu was looking at the communicator, probably looking at photos of his wife and daughter again. Tianyang cleared his throat before walking over.

With only the two of them left in the camp now, along with two soldiers, Tianyang added some dry wood to the campfire. Lao Xu spoke without looking up. "Heard you guys ran into a trap?"

"Yeah, we were attracted by the Lurkers’ knocking sounds and then ambushed by the Mysterious Marksmen."

In the flickering firelight, the man with thinning hair asked with a solemn expression, "Were there any particularly unusual dark creatures at the scene? Usually, Lurkers wouldn't coordinate with Mysterious Marksmen to set traps, unless something is directing them behind the scenes."

Tianyang carefully recalled but didn't seem to notice any particularly unique dark creatures.

Just as he was about to answer, the soldier responsible for the alert suddenly shouted, "Dark creatures! It's dark creatures!"

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