Chapter 24: I'm Back!

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The off-road vehicle sped across the wilderness as the team set off.

However, contrary to the original plan of a five-member squad led by Crownslayer, there was also a trailer accompanying them.

"Is this safe?" Chu Ning looked at the trailer in the rearview mirror and pushed his glasses. "Wasn't it supposed to be just the five of us?"

"Who knows," Eliask, the driver, also expressed dissatisfaction. "Is it because they don't trust us or they don't care about our safety?"

"Maybe... maybe they're here to protect us?" Galileo, holding a laptop in his hands, typed away while speaking softly.

"I don't like them," Eliask snorted. "The fewer people who know about this support mission, the better. And now? How many people are in that thing behind us?"

"Two casters, three lurkers, and a Sarkaz sniper," Xiu Xian, resting his eyes in the backseat, replied. "To be honest, I don't like them either."

"Why?" Chu Ning turned around. "Do you have history with them?"

"Nope," Xiu Xian shook his head. "It's just that this means more people to save if something goes wrong. It's troublesome."

Eliask sneered. "Sure enough, doctors like you have dark hearts."

"We doctors are still human," Xiu Xian didn't even open his eyes, but he shifted his body slightly. "Our energy is limited, but don't worry, if any of you have trouble, I'll be the first one to save you."

Eliask sneered. "I hope what you're saying is true!"

"Hey, chubby," Chu Ning changed the topic. "Do you know the identities of the people behind us?"

Galileo, slightly excited, raised his head, eager to show his expertise, but soon his expression fell, and he looked at the roof of the car.

Xiu Xian sat up and tapped on the roof.

After a moment, a face appeared at the side window, upside down. "What's up?"

Xiu Xian pursed his lips and smiled. "Lord Crownslayer, although it's winter now, there's no shelter in this place, and the sun is shining directly outside. The wind blows sand everywhere. I won't mention the impact these would have on your skin. But as a doctor, I have an obligation to remind you. The battle that just occurred here released as much Originium energy as a catastrophe, and who knows how much is lingering in the air. So, for your safety and the smooth progress of this mission, could you move to an enclosed space, please?"

"What a bunch of nonsense," Crownslayer frowned and then tapped on the window. "Open it."

"This is a four-seater car," Xiu Xian smiled.

"Open it!"

Xiu Xian opened the window, and Crownslayer jumped in. "Move aside."

Helpless, Xiu Xian sat in the middle seat and looked at the front row. "You guys should reconsider my suggestion to let Galileo sit in the front."

Galileo, beside him, laughed awkwardly. "I'm going on a diet, I'm going on a diet, starting tomorrow."

"What did you find out?" Crownslayer sat in Xiu Xian's previous seat, nudging Xiu Xian to make more space for herself. "Don't worry, this is a task I assigned to you, so say it."

Galileo swallowed and nodded. "Among those people behind us, I have intel on three of them. The Sarkaz sniper joined the Reunion Movement last year and was previously a Sarkaz mercenary, but it's unclear who they worked for specifically. Among the three lurkers, there is a pair of twins, all of them joined three months ago. As for the two casters, well, there's no detailed information."

Crownslayer looked outside the window. "Reunion rarely has electronic records of joining time and such."

"It was inference, inference," Galileo hurriedly explained. "This was something Fei Fan bro told me. We managed to find some of their previous information at that time, such as when they joined the public eye or official records, and also inferred from the time on the missing person's list."

Chu Ning praised, "It's impressive to find their previous information just from their appearances."

Galileo touched his head and chuckled. "And there were names, names."

"Where did they come from?" Xiu Xian curiously asked. "I thought we're already short on people?"

"This operation is of great importance, and the insufficiency of manpower is relative. The people in the trailer behind us were recommended by other leaders, just like you. You all were recommended by me," Crownslayer explained.

Xiu Xian was surprised. "So there are still different factions within the movement?"

"The Reunion Movement is one big family, but there needs to be some division of labor. What different factions? It's called cooperative distribution of tasks," Crownslayer clarified.

"Yes, yes, yes," Xiu Xian quickly nodded. "As the leader, whatever you say is correct. By the way, most venerable leader, could you please move your esteemed posterior a bit to give me some more space?"

"Heh," Eliask on the other side muttered under his breath, "Flatterer."

Crownslayer didn't pay Xiu Xian any mind and said, "If you can't sit still, go to the rooftop."

"Then I might as well go to the trailer at the back."

"Sure, I'll accompany you."

"Let's see you actually doing it!"

"Do you think I wouldn't dare?"

Galileo quietly squeezed himself towards the door, feeling puzzled.

Are these two... old acquaintances?

As night fell, the vehicles stopped in the wilderness, a bonfire was lit, and the car's trunk was opened. Everyone rested inside the vehicles, on the rooftop, and even on the engine hood. No one chose to sleep on the ground. Resting on the ground in the wilderness of Terra was definitely not a sensible thing to do.

Now, except for the night watch, everyone else rested far from the ground.

Chu Ning walked out of the car and patted Eliask's shoulder. "It's my turn for watch duty."

"Mhm," Eliask nodded and headed back towards the vehicles without looking back.

"By the way, a gentle reminder," Chu Ning spoke up. "Don't let your relationship with that doctor become too strained."

Eliask paused for a moment and without turning his head, said, "I'm not afraid of death."

"It's meaningless," Chu Ning took Eliask's previous seat and added some new firewood to the bonfire. "Didn't you see? He has a close relationship with Crownslayer. We are carrying out a mission far from the base. If you offend him, it won't benefit you."

"I'm just straightforward by nature."

"It's just unnecessary trouble," Chu Ning continued. "Safety comes first when we're away from home, especially since we are all compatriots, all Infected. Why make things difficult for each other?"

"I just can't stand that doctor."

"Sigh," Chu Ning sighed. "Forget it, it's up to you. I just hope you know that apart from him, there are three other people in this team. Now there's another group following us. It's obvious that other officials are trying to take over. We need to be united even more, don't we?"

"I..." Eliask hesitated in his tone as he thought about it.

"If there's anything, you can talk to me," Chu Ning smiled. "In any case, it's better to be more united."

"Thanks," said Eliask before going to rest in the car.

When dawn broke, the vehicles set off again.

This time, after driving for only half a day, a massive city outline appeared before them.

Xiu Xian took a deep breath as he looked at the distant outline of Lungmen.

Lungmen, I'm back!

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