Northeast Army suffers major defeat

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The place he returned to was the same place he had entered, right in the dining room.

The seats were deliberately placed further away, just in case he bumped into them on his way back.

Wei Huan stood in the middle of the room and could see the flagpole swallowed by darkness outside the door, as well as two soldiers on duty anxiously waiting in the open space.

“Wei Huan.” Zhao Youming and his black-backed dog turned around simultaneously, then strode over. “What came out of the spatial rift was a 2-star dark beast. After losing contact, we immediately contacted our superiors, but it will take them 10 minutes to get here. I’m worried…”

Wei Huan nodded and interrupted him: "Arrange for someone to lead the way, and we'll set off now."

"But we only have one aircraft left; the others are all under repair..."

As soon as Wei Huan had a thought, a shadow descended from above.

Zhao Youming subconsciously looked up, his pupils contracting. His black-backed wolfhound barked, its fur standing on end.

Wei Huan had summoned the Cave Beast on Blue Star more than once, but this was indeed the first time the Cave Beast's true form had been exposed to the public.

This enormous, truck-like creature evokes a profound sense of fear and helplessness in anyone who sees it for the first time.

But actually...

"Mmm~~"

The cave beast was delighted to be summoned again, letting out a lively cry, and then stretched out its two front legs toward Wei Huan.

Wei Huan stepped onto its long legs, and soon his field of vision rose to the top, landing on its white back, which had a black spot on it.

Wei Huan looked down at him and asked, "Who will lead the way?"

At this moment, the two people and the dog at the camp finally realized what was happening.

Zhao Youming swallowed hard: "I...I'll go!"

Under Wei Huan's command, the cave beast stretched out its long legs toward Zhao Youming.

Looking at the enormous white skeleton and the rich power it contained, Zhao Youming swallowed hard. He steeled himself and, imitating Wei Huan, shakily climbed onto the back of the cave beast.

The black-backed dog paced anxiously in circles on the ground, making "hmm hmm" noises.

Before Wei Huan could send another cave beast to fetch it, the black-backed creature suddenly ran about 30 meters away, then turned back and jumped up from a great distance.

He easily jumped up to a height of over five meters.

As an animal companion of the hunter profession, their strength will naturally be enhanced.

The cave beast stepped out with its eight legs and stood on it, as smoothly as if it were standing on a bus moving at a constant speed.

The gate to the camp was opened, and soon the cave beast disappeared into the darkness.

Wei Huan glanced back at the encampment one last time. The vast expanse of sky above was where Wei Huan's ghost crows were stationed to protect Mu Zhong, ensuring they would be alerted to any unusual developments immediately.

But these ghost crows cannot stray too far from him.

How far is it?

"About three kilometers."

"……good."

After Wei Huan's profession leveled up to level two, the distance between his summoned creatures and him reached 3 kilometers.

And as he continues to enter the Temple of the Profession, the distance is gradually increasing, now it is about 3.3 kilometers.

Of course, it doesn't matter if you go beyond the distance.

Nowadays, almost everyone owns a car, so if danger comes, getting into the car to protect yourself shouldn't be a problem.

What is even more worrying is that garrison squads like Guo Xiang's, if they are not strong enough but have to fight because of their duty, often suffer casualties.

The speed at which the cave beast ran was no slower than that of an aircraft, and was even much faster.

However, walking on the ground is affected by the terrain, and it still took them about four minutes to get close to their destination.

Zhao Youming's fingers were icy cold from the moment he opened his mouth; he had been gripping the shotgun tightly in his hand ever since.

He said, "Dark energy was detected there in the morning. The squad leader took people there to check, but there were only cracks and no trace of dark beasts. So we reported it according to procedure."

Tonight I was on duty in the monitoring room when the alarm suddenly went off, indicating a very strong dark energy level, the highest I've ever seen.

When the squad leader took people to see it, I said to report it first. The squad leader said to see it first and then left with his people.

Before you came out, I received the last message from the squad leader, saying that it was still the same crack as in the morning, but it was bigger than ever before, and that I should notify the higher-ups.

I notified them, but I couldn't get in touch with them anymore. I knew something was wrong, so I contacted Captain Mu to ask for your help.

Wei Huan's current strength is known worldwide; he is capable of suppressing second-tier opponents single-handedly and has an achievement called "Dark Beast Slayer."

This strength is even greater than that of the higher-level garrison, so it's no wonder Zhao Youming sought out Wei Huan.

After listening, Wei Huan simply said, "I understand."

Zhao Youming saw that Wei Huan's face was cold, and his phoenix eyes behind his glasses were cold and mean, making him look nothing like a warm-hearted person.

Just as I was feeling uneasy, a "quack quack" sound suddenly rang out from the dark night sky.

The sound was shrill and piercing, as if it were drilling directly into the head, causing a pain in the skull as if it were being hammered.

Zhao Youming and his dog immediately became listless.

Of course, he also knew that this was Wei Huan's ability.

The Challenger Forum is currently flooded with posts featuring videos of Wei Huan's fights.

The seemingly endless skeletons of the dead, accompanied by irritating "quack quack" sounds, were already unsettling to watch, but to actually hear them was even more soul-crushing.

After enduring it for a while, the bird's chirping finally stopped.

When Zhao Youming stood up again, he discovered that he was surrounded by ghosts.

These undead ran swiftly around the cave beast, their green flames the most striking light in the darkness, the rest of their bodies appearing as a blurry cloud of smoke, sometimes dissipating and sometimes gathering.

Zhao Youming opened his eyes wide and could barely make out, by the moonlight, that all those running figures were skeletons.

There are skeletons of wolves, hidden cats, and bears.

Those dark beasts that struck fear into the hearts of challengers in the world of challenges returned from hell after their deaths, becoming loyal servants of humanity.

Zhao Youming felt both a strange and terrifying sensation and a great sense of exhilaration.

Former enemies have become their lackeys, and they are forced to kill their former compatriots against their will, repaying their deep hatred with a sea of ​​blood.

good!

The undead army surged forward like a raging wave, followed by a mournful cry from not far away.

There were howls of wolves and roars of bears.

Zhao Youming knew that the spirits of the dead were not good at making noises; they could only open and close their jaws, making a "clattering" sound.

This means that the cries came from the enemy.

Thinking of this, Zhao Youming's expression changed.

So, does this mean that the dark beasts that appeared this time include not only wolves but also bears?

If a two-star Berserker Bear is also a Lord Berserker Bear that has undergone the Lord Trial and awakened its bloodline, let alone a small outpost, it would be difficult for them to deal with. Even if a higher-level outpost sent troops, they would probably be wiped out here.

What about the squad leader and the others?

Thinking of this, the passion I had just felt instantly vanished.

The chill of the night seeped into my bones.

The cave beast slowed down until it finally stopped. Zhao Youming glanced at Wei Huan and then jumped to the ground.

The uneven ground nearly caused Zhao Youming to twist his leg.

He stumbled forward in the darkness, ignoring the skeletal remains around him, until he smelled the stench of blood.

"Class monitor?" His voice trembled and was damp with sweat as he spoke. "Xiao Zhang? Lao Hang? Class monitor! Class monitor, answer me! Anyone answer me!"

Under the moonlight, the scattered chunks of flesh still flowed with warm blood.

Staggering, Zhao Youming suddenly touched his hand with blood, and as if he had been electrocuted, he sprang up abruptly.

Then he slowly knelt down and touched the headless and footless leg in front of him.

Suppressed sobs poured out from his throat.

In that weeping figure, Wei Huan seemed to see a reflection of his former self.

It's always like this: getting to know each other, being together, and then parting ways, living with the hatred of each comrade-in-arms on one's back until one closes one's eyes for the last time.

"Caw, caw, caw!" The ghost crow cried out again, its mournful cry like a tragic funeral procession.

But Wei Huan's expression suddenly changed.

"There are still survivors! Take me there!"

The order was even spoken aloud.

Upon hearing Wei Huan's voice, Zhao Youming felt as if he had found a lifeline and hurriedly followed.

Tonight, only half a moon remains, blurring the view in the mountains. Zhao Youming, his hands stained with blood, holds a flashlight, illuminating the path ahead, where white skeletons skeletal and give way.

After passing through a thicket, large sections of trees ahead were broken, and there were signs of a violent battle everywhere.

Then a huge creature slowly moved over.

It made a crunching sound as its body crushed the dry branches and fallen leaves on the ground.

This size and aura undoubtedly belong to the Violent Bear.

Without the protection of a vehicle, getting so close to a bear creates a sense of intimidation, like facing a natural enemy.

Zhao Youming nervously raised his hunting rifle and took aim!

In his blood-stained eyes, there was despair and determination.

But soon he discovered that the bear was dead.

The deformed, enormous creature lay on the ground, its brown-black fur oozing foul-smelling blood.

The three-headed bear skeleton tore at its fur, pulling it backward as it slowly slid past him. Zhao Youming's gaze met the six unseeing eyes of the dead bear.

After the bear's carcass was dragged away, two people who had been hidden were revealed.

"Brother Zhao..." A weak, trembling voice came from the darkness.

Zhao Youming shone his flashlight over, then exclaimed with delight, "Squad Leader! Xiao Zhang!!!"

...

The helicopter arranged by the higher authorities has flown away.

Inside were Guo Xiang, the squad leader who had lost half an arm, and Xiao Zhang, who had survived unharmed and painlessly thanks to the protection of the veterans and the old squad leader.

Wei Huan cooperated with Zhao Youming to help Lao Hang collect his body.

Since they couldn't gather all the bodies, they cut open the bear's belly and found half of Old Hang inside.

Most of the rescue team from higher command stayed behind to handle the scene.

They could remain calm in the face of the wolf's corpse, but when they saw the bear, their expressions changed, and their gazes toward Wei Huan became somewhat fervent.

But now is clearly not the time to get to know each other; the sacrifice of an old soldier has made the air thick and suffocating.

Wei Huan's face was as cold as ice, and he exuded an aura that kept people at a distance.

The course of the battle is actually quite easy to predict.

Guo Xiang arrived with his men and discovered Benlang first.

The three of them killed the wolf together; they had the ability to do so.

But little did they know that a clever and cunning bear was lurking in the forest, and it attacked the moment they relaxed after the battle, biting Old Hang directly.

Old Hang's desperate resistance before his death delayed things for a while, and with Squad Leader Guo Xiang's escape and fighting, the arrival of the undead army finally came.

Among the Challenger troops, there is a tacit rule—those who are married and have children are the ones who charge ahead.

Guo Xiang stood in front of Xiao Zhang.

Young people are hope, young people are sparks, and young people have a bright future ahead of them.

As Wei Huan was tidying up Lao Hang, he touched his chest, which felt tight and burning hot.

He is also one of the surviving "seeds".

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

As dawn approached, Lao Hang was put into a box and put on the helicopter that was about to return.

The wind bent the treetops, and Wei Huan watched the beam of light that pierced the sky as the helicopter flew away, unable to recover for a long time.

Just then, a hand reached out and was placed in front of Wei Huan.

Wei Huan turned his head and looked at the captain standing in front of him.

A female captain with a neat short haircut and a heroic demeanor.

The female captain didn't have delicate, fair skin, nor did she wear rosy, glossy lipstick. Her hands were calloused, and even the most exquisite manicure would be a waste of her thick fingers.

She wore a faint, almost imperceptible polite smile, and her eyes were dark and bright, standing tall like a towering tree.

"Hello Wei Huan, it's nice to meet you. My surname is Wang, Wang Juan."

Wei Huan shook hands with that hand: "Hello, Captain Wang."

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Juan's gaze held a hint of scrutiny: "Why are you here?"

Wei Huan countered, "Is there a problem?"

Wang Juan shook her head: "No, but I need to know why you're here."

Wei Huan thought for a moment and realized there was no point in hiding it: "Commander Dong and I agreed to meet at this garrison."

"Trade goods?"

"right."

Wang Juan's eyes lit up instantly. She saluted Wei Huan and said firmly, "Thank you!"

In an instant, all the challenger garrison troops turned to look.

Wei Huan's face was tense, his ears were a little hot, and he said stiffly, "It's only right."

...

When Wei Huan returned to the camp, Mu Zhong was waiting for him in the open space, with two strangers standing beside him.

One of the men was strong but short, with a high, straight nose like an eagle's beak. The other was tall and thin, young, and always smiling, like a university student.

But Wei Huan sensed the presence of powerful individuals in them.

Perhaps it was an officer sent down from above to investigate.

Wei Huan was still deeply immersed in the grief of the night and had no intention of investigating. He glanced at the two of them and then looked away.

Mu Chong gently patted the hidden cat's forehead and came to Wei Huan's side.

Wei Huan looked at Mu Zhong, then glanced at his legs, and a sudden wave of sadness washed over him.

He bent down, gently hugged Mu Zhong, and said, "Once you awaken Sequence Five, you can stand up."

Mu Zhong smiled faintly, then reached out and patted Mu Zhong gently, offering him comfort.

Wei Huan felt the coldness on his fingertips. He released Mu Zhong, touched the back of his hand, and raised his eyebrows.

It was as cold as ice.

He looked more like a dead man than his skeletal remains.

Mu Zhong smiled and said, "The chances of stray dark beasts appearing are getting higher and higher. A few years ago, there were only a few a month, but now there are several a day. This time, two even appeared at once, and even a berserk bear appeared."

Wei Huan sensed that something was wrong with Mu Zhong: "Yes, the wilderness is getting more and more dangerous."

Mu Zhong said, "The level of the wandering dark beasts has increased, but the strength of the garrison in the enclave has not improved. The root cause is that the high-level exploration progress has stagnated, and effective resources cannot be distributed, which in turn makes the lower-level challengers afraid to open high-level boxes and lack resources to upgrade."

Once you get caught in this vicious cycle, things will only get worse.

In the end, the garrison could not stop the wandering dark beasts, which found their way to the city and attacked ordinary people. Civilization was about to collapse in an instant.

Everyone will die.

As Mu Zhong spoke, Wei Huan looked at the striking "depressed" state reflected in his glasses, which kept flashing before his eyes.

The demise of a civilization—this is the ultimate pessimism.

Wei Huan grabbed Mu Zhong's hand, tightening his grip little by little, and looked into his eyes: "No, it won't happen."

He secretly vowed that this would never happen again.

“But…” Mu Zhong’s lips trembled slightly. He seemed to be trying his best to hold back, but in the end he was powerless and almost collapsed as he said, “Old Hang is dead, Captain Zhang is dead, and Liu Yaqi and Zhao Qin are dead too. Just yesterday afternoon on the big battlefield, the fifth-level lords declared war on the Northeast Army. On the main battlefield, 3,211 challengers were killed and the front line was forced to retreat 16 kilometers. So, Old Hang is dead.”

Wei Huan, the Northeast Army needs us too. I know what you want, and the Northeast Army can give you anything. If you stay here, you'll have the greatest opportunity for development and can fully realize your ambitions!

Wei Huan stood up halfway through the conversation.

His face was blank, but his brain was working at high speed.

In the history of the previous life, did a war occur today? Or did it end in humanity's defeat?

It seems... there is...

In my memory, wars are always about winning and losing, and every now and then, there would be a report on the number of casualties.

There are no names, only cold numbers.

After watching it for a long time, you become numb to it.

But he did remember that shortly after he first participated in the highway challenge, the commander-in-chief of the Northeast Army, Hong Gang, was suddenly reported to have been seriously injured and fallen into a coma.

After that, the Northeast Army was in chaos for a long time due to the issue of power transition.

As a result, the Northeast Army, which had always had the most challengers, started to lag behind in recruiting new soldiers every year from that year onwards.

From then on, it declined into the worst of the four challenging legions.

This... is probably why Wei Huan has always had a bad impression of the Northeast Challenger Army.

so……

"Was Commander Hong Gang also injured?" Wei Huan asked without thinking.

Mu Zhong was taken aback by the question, "What?"

He subconsciously glanced at the two people behind him.

"Yes, Commander Hong is seriously injured and unconscious, and is being treated." It was Commander Dong's secretary who answered them.

The other person had been listening for an unknown amount of time, standing at the door saying this while still holding the phone that had just been hung up.

He looked at Wei Huan with suspicion: "How did you know about this top-secret information?"

It was true; I hadn't misremembered.

Seeing Mu Zhong's deathly pale face, and his hesitation to speak, Wei Huan asked for him, "Where is Commander Mu?"

The secretary said, "The left flank under Commander Mu's command suffered relatively little damage from the Dark Beasts. Aside from five severely damaged Level 4 vehicles, the casualties were not high, but 11 very skilled special operations team members died. There were..."

At this point, the secretary glanced at Mu Zhong and then sighed: "The appearance of the raging bear tonight is indeed related to the situation on the battlefield. Our Great Xia has lost 60,000 square kilometers of territory in the northeast."

Finally, the secretary said meaningfully, "So, after dawn, are you still going to the Southwest Army with us?"

Mu Zhong also looked at Wei Huan.

He remained silent, not believing he was qualified to advise Wei Huan on whether to stay or leave.

But... he really wanted to go back to the Northeast Army to take a look.

The tall, thin young man, who had been holding back for so long, finally couldn't help but fiddle with his fingers and ask cautiously, "Can... can I not go?"

Another short, stocky man also extended his hand: "Sorry, we met from afar yesterday afternoon."

Unfortunately, we suddenly received a notification that we needed to return to Challenge World immediately.

Wei Huan remembered.

They were those two elite soldiers who came and went in a hurry.

In their haste, they even left the "beacon" in mid-air.

"Hello, nice to meet you." Wei Huan shook his hand.

Captain Wang continued, "We know Mu Zhong very well, so there's no need to be polite. You're one of us, so let me get to the point."

As you heard, yesterday things happened suddenly. Five fourth-tier dark beast lords declared war on us, but during the battle, two five-star lords suddenly appeared on the battlefield.

Among them were the Dark Beast King, who had just reached the fifth rank, and the eight-star fifth-rank lord he had secretly trained.

No one expected that they would leave their territory and launch a focused attack on Commander Hong's chariots, attempting to break through our defensive line and escape the defenses of human civilization.

The deaths of Wei Huan and Commander Hong, along with the sacrifices of those soldiers, teach us a lesson.

In this battle, there is no front line. The flames of humanity must be lit in every corner of the Great Wall, never extinguished, so that our friends and family may survive.

Please stay, okay?

The Northeast Army desperately needs your help.

The secretary standing to the side was so anxious that he was scratching his head and cheeks. It would be unethical to try to take someone away at this time, but he really couldn't bear to part with them.

When Commander Dong comes out and finds out he lost the man, he'll be furious with him.

The secretary stepped forward and said dryly, "The Southwest Army welcomes talented people."

Liu Xiaotian sullenly said, "You all already have You Wuyi, how can you be so greedy?"

"The pressure of battle is immense where we are; no matter how many geniuses we have, it's never enough."

"That old dark beast isn't stuck over there. It came all the way here yesterday, asking if it was under a lot of pressure. Tell me, who isn't under pressure these days? From yesterday afternoon until now, I've been so angry I've cried so many times. Look at my eyes, they're swollen like walnuts!"

Liu Xiaotian poked his own eyes and shoved his face into the secretary's face.

The secretary stepped back, exasperated, and said helplessly, "But we've already confirmed Wei Huan's whereabouts. Shouldn't we at least let Commander Dong know about this?"

"Commander Dong has Commander Mu to explain, I don't care. Even if I throw a tantrum today, I'm taking him away. Don't force me to roll on the ground! Let me tell you, even I'm afraid of myself when I get angry!"

"...You're cheating and you think you're right?!" The secretary was both amused and exasperated, but finally fixed her gaze on Wei Huan's face. "It still depends on his opinion."

Liu Xiaotian blinked, glanced at Mu Zhong who was clearly anxious but dared not speak, silently rolled up his sleeves, pulled up his pants, and came to Wei Huan.

He squatted down and hugged Wei Huan's leg.

It stopped moving.

Wei Huan: "???"

Liu Xiaotian remained silent.

You all care about saving face, and you're all too embarrassed to speak up. I'm fine, I don't care about saving face, I can do anything.