Chapter 169: Night Watch

Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Night Watch

An encampment housing several thousand people required immense security. Transparent, 360-degree sentry tents were stationed about every hundred meters, and the night watch alone consisted of two to three hundred personnel.

In a sentry tent at the rear of the main force.

"Damn it, we have to listen to that Ford woman for everything. Once I hit the Third Rank, I’ll definitely get myself an official title," a rugged man with bulging muscles grumbled. He hogged the warmest spot next to the stove, his contemptuous expression appearing twisted under the flickering firelight.

"Oh? Didn’t you reach the Second Order using the Crystal Core that the vice-commander applied for?" a clear, resonant female voice chimed in, her tone dripping with obvious skepticism.

"I joined the Special Operations Team because I respect Luke Locke! The base provided the Crystal Core, not that pretty boy!" the man roared, enraged by the rebuttal.

"Whoever feeds you is your mother, huh? You reap the benefits, put down your bowl, and start cursing the cook?" The sarcasm in the woman’s voice was palpable.

The other squad members in the tent dared not make a sound. After all, the two arguing were both combat squad captains: Yvonne Ford of the Fierce Tiger Squad, and Ivan Spencer of the Snowhawk Squad. Both squads now belonged to the Special Operations Department. Who would dare interrupt them?

Hearing this, Ivan flew into a rage. "Are you calling me an ungrateful bastard? Our Snowhawk Squad is much more official than yours. How long have you even been in the Special Operations Department? You haven’t even memorized everyone’s faces, yet you dare stand there and judge me!"

Yvonne replied coldly, "I don’t talk behind people’s backs. You know exactly what kind of trash you are."

"What kind of trash?! Don’t think I won’t hit a woman!" Ivan shot to his feet, cracking his neck as he glared down at Yvonne. Seeing that the two were about to come to blows, their respective teammates in the tent also grew restless.

"Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!" A deep, booming voice echoed, instantly drawing the attention of the dozen or so people present.

"Vice-Captain Barnes!"

"Shaun."

Greetings from the Fierce Tiger Squad rang out one after another. Their vice-captain had come to see their captain.

The eyes of several members lit up when they saw Sean Barnes. It was well-known that their captain and vice-captain were incredibly close, and the team was constantly forced to endure their public displays of affection.

Sean flashed a hearty smile. "Yvonne, what’s wrong? Is this guy giving you a hard time?"

Ivan’s face darkened like a thundercloud the moment he saw Sean. This man was completely wasting his huge, muscular build by letting himself be thoroughly whipped by a woman.

Yvonne crossed her arms and scoffed. "Masculinity isn’t proven by talking trash." She knew Ivan had long been annoyed by how she bossed Shaun around. He picked fights over nothing all day, as if she were actually afraid of him.

Ivan immediately clenched his fists, coating them in a solid layer of metal as his eyes practically spat fire.

Yvonne instantly channeled her superpower. Several thorny vines sprouted at her sides, their tips adorned with small, pure white flowers that only accentuated her charming figure.

A fierce battle was on the verge of breaking out. Sean charged further into the tent and stood his ground. "If you dare touch my woman, I’ll tear you apart alive."

The members of both squads looked troubled. They didn’t want their captains fighting here. After all, danger lurked everywhere outside. If their captains depleted their superpowers fighting their own people, it would be a disaster when zombies or mutated animals attacked.

Seeing that Sean was also on the brink of losing his temper, Yvonne quickly intervened. "Don’t fight in the tent!" Supplies were scarce right now; it would be a shame to destroy anything.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sean grabbed Ivan by the collar, and the two tumbled out of the tent before anyone could stop them.

Ivan swayed but quickly steadied his footing. He thrust his thick thigh upward, driving his knee fiercely into Sean’s chest and pinning him down completely.

His massive fists cracked loudly as he clenched them tight. With a piercing whistle through the air, he smashed punch after punch into Sean’s face. Each blow landed with a dull thud, the muscles on his arms bulging and twisting with raw, savage power.

In the next second, a cold glint flashed in Sean’s eyes. Enduring the intense pain in his face, he violently seized Ivan’s wrists. His core muscles contracted sharply as he used the explosive power of his waist and legs to kick Ivan forcefully over his head. Taking advantage of the momentum, Sean executed a flawless kip-up, flipping onto his feet in an instant.

Ivan had barely staggered upright when Sean leaped like a savage tiger, delivering a heavy, powerful roundhouse kick squarely to his chest.

The kick carried the force of a thunderbolt. The muscles on Ivan’s chest caved in violently as he skidded backward several paces, gouging two shallow trails into the snowy ground beneath his feet.

The onlookers were stunned. This wasn’t an ordinary brawl; it was a hardcore physical clash between two literal bears! They watched in numb horror, too terrified to step forward and intervene.

"HISS... just watching makes my jaw ache."

"Wow, look at Brother Miles’ leg strength."

"He messed with Brother Barnes. He fights like an absolute beast!"

"If you want to bully our captain, Brother Barnes isn’t going to let that slide!"

"Your captain is getting way too cocky, daring to talk back to our boss."

While the group stood around watching the spectacle, Francis Grant’s slightly raspy yet steady, authoritative voice suddenly crackled through the communication headsets worn by all captains and vice-captains. Every word was as clear and weighty as falling stones, carrying the unquestionable tone of a military order. "Attention, everyone! A horde of nearly thirty thousand zombies has been spotted approaching from three kilometers north of the highway! All Earth Ability Users, get into position immediately! Within ten minutes, you must construct a defensive wall five meters outside the convoy’s perimeter! Execute immediately!"

The communication earpieces of all squad and military formation captains buzzed simultaneously. Even for those who were asleep, their earpieces were still active. Almost in unison, captains across the encampment shot up from their beds. Lights flickered on in countless tents. The defensive operation had officially begun!

On the other side, Ivan and Sean were still grappling with each other. The command in their earpieces felt like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, causing both men to break apart in near synchronization. Both sported battered faces with busted lips and bruised cheekbones, their expressions so dark that water could practically drip from them.

In the very next second, the lights of countless tents lit up across the encampment. The dim yellow orbs formed a continuous sea of light in the dark, shattering the previous tranquility.

Yvonne stood not far away. Watching the two men separate, she scoffed lightly, her tone carrying a hint of provocation. "Whoever kills the least today is garbage." With that, she waved at Sean and turned to sprint back to her squad’s tent. Her crisp voice echoed through the night. "Wake up! Emergency assembly! Prepare for battle!"

As if guided by an unspoken understanding, the two men didn’t say another word. They turned around, scooped up handfuls of ankle-deep snow from the roadside, and viciously scrubbed their faces with it. The stinging cold sharpened their minds. Casually wiping away the melting snow and residual blood from their faces, they quickly dashed toward their respective squads to prepare for combat.

Back in the camp, all personnel participating in the mission moved like clockwork. They shot up, geared up, and grabbed their weapons with crisp, decisive movements, without a shred of hesitation. A unified, resolute response instantly flooded the communication channel. "Copy that!"

Wearing an expression as if he had just eaten crap, Ivan swiftly led his members out. He switched to his squad’s exclusive channel, his hoarse voice full of urgency and indignation. "Skinny! Did you hear the order?! Get everyone into combat readiness immediately!"

He refused to believe it; there was no way he would lose to that stinking bitch tonight!