Chapter 146: Return to the Base

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Return to the Base

Lin Jingjing took off, and the others scrambled to follow.

The nearby soldiers saw them and started running too.

In an instant, a crowd was running behind the five of them, all heading for the exit. The monsters were right behind, relentlessly chasing them.

But the monsters were too slow to catch them.

The mutant beasts, however, were another story.

They were fast and nimble, darting to the front in an instant.

Those covering the rear could only fight with all their might to stop them, trying to delay even a single one.

’We absolutely cannot let them break through.’

Lin Jingjing and her group ignored all of that. Once they reached the exit, Lin Jingjing immediately summoned her Eagle, jumped on, and flew upward.

They didn’t even have a transport to fly up.

After leaving the underground and dismounting from the Eagle, their feet finally on the sand, the group truly felt they had escaped mortal danger.

"Goddamn it, we’re finally out," Gu Kaiwen sighed, lying on the sand and gazing up at the star-filled night sky.

"I’m still alive," Shi Feng said, patting himself down with a look of delighted surprise.

"Don’t worry, we all made it," Lin Jingjing said, panting slightly with her hands on her knees.

’Just being alive is enough. I can’t ask for more.’

"Let’s go. Let’s head back." Lin Jingjing had no intention of sticking around to see how the aftermath would be handled.

This was far beyond their capabilities.

More and more people were escaping, but some mutant beasts and monsters had found other routes, digging their way out in different locations.

"How did these monsters get out?!"

"Run! The monsters are out!"

"Where?! Where are they?!"

The area descended into chaos. Everyone just wanted to get away as fast as possible. After all the trouble to escape from below, they weren’t about to die on the surface.

Everyone was already exhausted. Seeing the monsters still chasing them relentlessly, they grew frustrated.

But not wanting to die here, they had no choice but to keep moving.

Lin Jingjing’s group was also physically and mentally drained. These monsters were just relentless.

Shi Feng grumbled, "If I’d known this would happen, I wish we never found this place."

"Then no one would have had to go through this."

Gu Kaiwen, who was nearby, heard him and smacked him on the back of the head.

"What kind of nonsense is that? If we hadn’t found it now, even more people would have died later."

Shi Feng clutched his head. At that moment, the Silver Whip coiled around his body suddenly shot out toward Gu Kaiwen.

If Shi Feng hadn’t snatched it out of the air with lightning reflexes, Gu Kaiwen would have been ensnared by the Silver Whip.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"Did I tell you to move? You just shot out on your own!" Shi Feng scolded it.

The Silver Whip raised its tip toward Shi Feng, as if to say, ’He hit you. He’s a bad guy.’

"Don’t attack any of them. These are my brothers and sisters," Shi Feng said, patting it gently.

The silver whip seemed to nod, then shot toward a nearby monster. It coiled around the creature and constricted, instantly tearing it to shreds.

"Where did you get that weapon?" Feng He asked, having witnessed the scene. ’It understands what we say, and its killing power is incredible.’

"When did you get this weapon behind our backs? You have to get us one when we get back," Gu Kaiwen said, reaching out to touch it, only for the silver whip to dodge his hand.

Gu Kaiwen: ...

’Hey, why won’t it let me touch it?’

"It’s got quite a personality," Gu Kaiwen remarked.

Shi Feng scratched his head. "This whip just appeared on its own after I woke up. I have no idea where it came from."

"But it listens to me, and it even helped me save someone."

Feng He stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Could it be a weapon you summoned?"

"One summoned with spiritual power."

Hearing this, Shi Feng was stunned. ’Is this the weapon from my Spiritual World?’

’It’s so strong!’

"Not bad, not bad at all. I like it a lot," he said, raising a hand to stroke its length.

Receiving its master’s approval, the silver whip grew excited.

Its slender form wiggled back and forth endearingly.

The group chatted as they ran toward the edge of the desert, no longer paying any mind to the mutant beasts behind them.

The Empire’s King hadn’t even made a move, so why should a bunch of small fry like them be in such a rush?

For the same reason, the group didn’t concern themselves with it. Their own lives were what mattered most.

The rescue efforts were still underway.

But that no longer had anything to do with Lin Jingjing’s group. By the time they returned to the base, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the dawn.

They dismounted the Eagle, and the sight of the First Corps base felt incredibly welcoming.

Captain Li, knowing they were almost back, had come out of his office to greet them.

Captain Li breathed a sigh of relief seeing his soldiers return safely.

Looking them over, he let out another breath. "It’s good you’re back safely."

As he spoke, he raised a hand and clapped Shi Feng on the shoulder. The Silver Whip coiled around Shi Feng’s waist immediately shot out to attack Captain Li.

Shi Feng quickly reined it in. "Don’t be so reckless."

"He’s my superior officer."

Hearing Shi Feng’s words, the Silver Whip quickly retracted, but it began to throw a tantrum at him.

Its tip flicked against Shi Feng’s body from time to time, as if to say, ’They keep hitting you, so why do you stop me?’

"Alright, be good," Shi Feng soothed it. "From now on, you can hit whoever I tell you to."

The Silver Whip finally coiled back around his body. The others watched, and Captain Li in particular was astonished. "Is that a weapon you made yourself?"

"Nope," Shi Feng shook his head. "This is my prized treasure."

After returning, they immediately grabbed clean clothes and rushed to the bathhouse. They were filthy and sticky, and the rank, foul stench of blood clinging to them was becoming unbearable.

They didn’t have such luxuries on the battlefield, but now that they did, they absolutely had to wash themselves clean.

"I stink so bad!" Feng He couldn’t help but shout, sniffing her own arm.

It was just the two of them in the entire bathhouse, and Feng He’s shout echoed off the walls.

"Then hurry up and wash," Lin Jingjing said, already scrubbing with a towel.

It took them an hour to emerge, both of them now smelling fresh and clean. The soldiers who could make it back had returned, while others were still on their way.

Yun Yiyou stood a short distance away, her eyes on the returning soldiers. She saw their exhausted faces; the weaker-ranked soldiers, in particular, had looks of pure terror from the battle etched upon them.

But the war was far from over. The live broadcast continued, showing mutant beasts and monsters still crawling out from underground.

After emerging, they streamed endlessly out of the desert.

At this rate, there was no telling when they would spill out of the desert.

When that happened, everyone in the cities would be in mortal danger.

"When will the reinforcements from the other corps arrive?" Yun Yiyou asked.

"They’ve already entered B6 Star’s airspace. They’ll be here shortly," Captain Li replied.

Yun Yiyou said, "The moment reinforcements arrive, we launch the attack."