Chapter 80: Unexpected Betrayal and Urgent Rescue

The camp’s ownership was firmly held by the City Defense Army.

Regardless of personal willingness, a contingent of personnel was always required to remain within the camp after hours, ensuring its essential functions continued uninterrupted.

In the post-apocalyptic era, the ‘wilderness’ itself was a symbol of unending peril and trouble. Conversely, the presence of a ‘camp’ functioned as a vital torch and a guiding lighthouse.

Should such a lighthouse fail to illuminate the path, its very existence could be deemed not only useless but actively detrimental.

Leaving only a hollow shell would be catastrophic. Imagine a desperate individual, in dire need of aid, stumbling upon this camp only to find an abandoned, inoperable husk.

Such a failure could genuinely cost lives.

Leader Xu, idly stroking the corner of his mouth, sat hunched over a makeshift desk, meticulously reviewing the camp’s routine self-inspection checklist.

His expression was far from relaxed.

“Are you telling me the vehicle we reserved for the magical girls was suddenly ‘borrowed’ by someone else?”

Leader Xu’s voice, though not particularly loud, possessed a deep resonance that caused the very tent to shiver.

A single glance at the Logistics Officer’s utterly constipated expression was enough for anyone to discern the undeniable truth in their words.

“But… the City Hall personnel arrived with all the proper paperwork. I wanted to stop them, but—”

“You the hell couldn’t wait for me to handle it?”

Leader Xu swore, a string of curses escaping his lips. Two prominent veins pulsed on his forehead, yet he forcibly suppressed his fury, waving a dismissive hand as he began to explain.

“The various departments within City Hall aren’t a unified front, you see. Some even deliberately try to obstruct us.”

“So I ask you, what if the person who ‘borrowed’ that vehicle merely intended to cause us trouble? How do you propose we acquire a new vehicle from the city, one specifically cleared for the intercity high-speed lines?”

“Forget it. Just bring me the requisition form. I’ll see if I can arrange to borrow a vehicle from a nearby camp.”

He had intended to mentor a new recruit, yet it had almost backfired spectacularly. Leader Xu felt a profound sense of helplessness.

Yet, upon closer examination, neither he nor the inexperienced recruit was truly at fault.

This was, after all, a low-probability occurrence that even he hadn’t foreseen.

Who could have imagined that internal saboteurs would dare to undermine cooperation with other Transcended branches?

Receiving the order, the Logistics Officer rushed out of the tent. At the same moment, someone else, moving with even greater urgency, brushed past them and entered.

He had run all the way.

“Leader, Leader Xu! We’ve just received an urgent distress call from a Peacekeepers squad. There are at least three seriously wounded individuals among them.”

“What!” Leader Xu shot up from his chair in a single, abrupt movement.

Peacekeepers typically operated in groups of three, forming a single squad. This urgent call could only mean that one such group had, for various reasons, either issued a distress signal or requested cooperation.

Whatever the precise reason, the situation was undeniably critical.

The Peacekeepers were direct colleagues and trusted partners of the City Defense Army. Their predicament was tantamount to a brother unit within the City Defense Army facing grave danger.

Dismissing all thoughts of the vehicle, Leader Xu immediately moved to leave, questioning as he strode:

“What’s the situation? How many are there, apart from the critically wounded?”

“It appears an augmented four-person team suffered heavy casualties mid-mission, rendering them unable to proceed. Consequently, the last uninjured member sent the distress signal.”

“After locating two other nearby Peacekeepers teams, they assisted in transferring the injured to this location.”

The messenger soldier, diligent and responsible, trailed behind Leader Xu, meticulously relaying the full account of events as recounted by the other Peacekeepers.

Hearing this, Leader Xu let out a sigh. “Where is the Adjutant?”

“He’s already gone ahead.”

“Understood. Transmit my orders: prepare all soldiers for combat. First and foremost, direct every available resource towards the critically wounded.”

The medical tent wasn’t far from their current position.

Leader Xu issued a few more rapid instructions, and without realizing it, he had already arrived at the entrance of the medical tent.

Pushing aside the tent flap, he immediately spotted three Peacekeepers lying on stretchers, their faces freshly wiped clean of blood.

A Medic, bearing a red cross on their shoulder, and a Transcended from the Mage branch, clutching a wand and displaying a Peacekeeper ID on their chest, had just ripped open a package of emergency bandages.

The gravely wounded were, naturally, exempt from the ‘Transcended retreat’ principle. The Mage chanted arcane syllables, using spheres of water to cleanse the grime from the injuries.

“Such peculiar wounds—”

Upon seeing the Leader enter, the Medic hastily reported, “The primary injuries on these patients are pinpoint corrosive wounds; common lacerations and contusions are secondary. Two individuals are already in severe shock.”

“Blood loss isn’t the primary concern; my magic can filter it back,” the Mage explained, sweat beading on their brow. “The real problem is that the corrosive marks on the wounds are still spreading, and they’re actively devouring my magical energy.”

Leader Xu’s brow furrowed into a knot, a crease deep enough to ‘crush a fly,’ yet he spoke with unwavering calm. “We’re already retrieving medical supplies from the other two corners of the camp. Additionally, do you have any other Transcended with healing specializations within your ranks?”

“This—” The Mage’s words faltered, though their hands continued their work without pause. When they spoke again, however, their voice carried a noticeable tremor of uncertainty.

“I volunteered for this rescue. It’s certainly possible that other colleagues possess relevant skills.”

“They should be in the temporary relocation zone, shouldn’t they? Send someone to inquire if any—”

Leader Xu was addressing the Adjutant by his side when his gaze inadvertently drifted towards the window.

A Peacekeeper, unmistakably not in City Defense Army attire and wearing a deep hood, was passing directly by the tent.

“—Go remind her that’s not an authorized activity zone.”

Leader Xu waved a hand, dispatching a nearby soldier to follow her, before turning his attention back to the urgent matters at hand.

Only after sifting through a mountain of minor tasks did Leader Xu finally recall his initial purpose for coming to this area.

He scanned his surroundings, quickly locating the Adjutant in a corner of the emergency tent.

“Old Bai!”

The Adjutant, a scar marring his face, had been sifting through the clothes removed from the critically wounded. He only snapped back to attention when Leader Xu called out to him.

“Leader Xu, you’ve arrived?”

“I came to ascertain precisely what transpired here.”

“What else? The augmented patrol team was ambushed by swarms of Transcended creatures, and this is the result,” the Adjutant scoffed, a clicking sound escaping his tongue.

Adjutant Bai clicked his tongue in exasperation, yet his hands continued their diligent work without pause.

“What are you doing?”

“Searching. I’m looking for this team’s identification tags.”

“While all four members’ medals are accounted for, something still feels fundamentally amiss.”

“This—should I go investigate?”

Adjutant Bai tossed two “dog tags” to Leader Xu, who, in turn, instinctively handed them off to a subordinate nearby.

It wasn’t long before the results were delivered.

The soldier who had been dispatched to retrieve information burst into the tent, forsaking all formalities, not even offering a salute.

A large, chilling gust of air, laden with fine rain, abruptly slammed into everyone’s faces. Even the unconscious casualties stirred, groaning softly in response.

“Damn it all—”

Before the furious, red-faced Leader Xu could even react,

The soldier, his face pale with alarm, shouted emphatically:

“No, Leader Xu! This team had no augmented members whatsoever!”

“What!”

Leader Xu and Adjutant Bai exchanged a chilling glance, an intensely ominous premonition blossoming spontaneously in the pit of both their stomachs.