Chapter Sixty-Six: The Battlefield Hospital

This woman was tall—at least one meter seventy or more—and possessed a striking, statuesque figure. Her curves were accentuated by a green camouflage outfit, though it consisted of only a pair of camo shorts, revealing her astonishingly long, smooth, and fair legs. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, perfectly matching the allure of her voice. A cascade of black hair was casually tied back in a ponytail, giving her an air of effortless ease and composure.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling her with a golden glow. She lounged lazily like a cat, her phoenix-shaped eyes half-closed, flawless skin shimmering in the gentle light as if cloaked in a faint, ethereal radiance. She was a woman whose very fingertips exuded an indescribable allure.

Yet at this moment, slung over her shoulder was a massive black sniper rifle, nearly a meter and twenty centimeters long, which, combined with her languid posture, lent her an undercurrent of danger that could make one’s heart skip a beat.

Had it really been her who killed those six Silver-ranked Berserker Blades just now?

Even Fang Mu was briefly stunned, but quickly regained his composure and stole a glance at her.

If even Fang Mu had reacted like this, then the men beside her were worse off—some seemed utterly entranced, almost as if they'd lost themselves entirely.

“We’re leaving,” she said, giving Fang Mu a casual once-over before turning away without another word. With a wave, she led her group into the forest.

Only then did the men around her snap out of their daze, returning to their senses. The lean Berserker Blade glanced at Fang Mu and waved him off. “You’d better get moving… Don’t meddle.”

He shot Fang Mu a warning glare, clearly telling him to keep his mouth shut. Then he summoned a few companions, hoisted the corpses from the ground, and hurried after the woman until the group vanished among the trees.

Only when they had completely disappeared did Fang Mu let out a long breath.

“A Silver-ranked female Gunfighter… Which legion is she from?” Fang Mu pondered. This was clearly a clash between two legions. The battle in the woods was still raging, with at least several hundred combatants involved.

Ordinary squads usually consisted of four or five members. For a battle of this scale, it could only be between legions.

But Fang Mu had only been in this First Star battlefield for three months, and had spent almost all of that time on the Luyan Plains. He knew little of the affairs on the battlefield.

Especially regarding the powerful figures… he knew none of them.

All he knew were the names of a few major legions—like Wolfbane, Celestial Palace, and Blood Sakura.

Still, he was aware that Silver-ranked Gunfighters were extremely rare; otherwise, Wolfbane wouldn’t have sent only four Bronze-ranked Gunfighters for that assassination three days ago.

But as for who this female Gunfighter was, he had no idea.

As he mulled it over, a wave of dizziness washed over him, making his body feel even heavier.

Fang Mu shook his head vigorously. Whatever—none of this concerned him. The shock from earlier had left his condition even worse. If he didn’t hold out for three more days, and instead collapsed at the gates of the Battlefield City, that would be truly tragic.

With that, Fang Mu pushed aside all other thoughts, forced himself onward, and headed for the city.

…

The journey became much smoother after that—he encountered no further battles.

Gradually, more people appeared along the road: groups of three or five Evolvers, some coming from the direction of Battlefield City, others returning toward it, many burdened with large packs, no doubt spoils from the battlefield.

When they caught sight of Fang Mu, more than a few looked surprised.

“Where’d this guy come from? He’s all banged up like that?”

“Looks like his whole squad got wiped out…”

Fang Mu now looked like a mummy, wrapped head to toe, and wandered alone without any weapons or loot. Naturally, people assumed he’d been the sole survivor of a small team that had met disaster.

Fang Mu, his head growing heavier by the minute, ignored them and continued his slow, hard trek toward the city.

In a place as dangerous as the battlefield, injuries were commonplace. Groups being wiped out by battlefield creatures happened often enough, so while Fang Mu attracted some attention, it went no further than that.

They were close to Battlefield City now—the crowds had thickened and, by extension, the area felt much safer. Moreover, Fang Mu appeared to be empty-handed, so there was nothing about him worth coveting.

Still, no one offered help. The battlefield was ruthlessly harsh: outside of team members, strangers rarely aided each other. No one dared to help lightly, nor would anyone easily accept a stranger’s help.

And so, Fang Mu pressed on.

At last, the city gates of the battlefield metropolis loomed in the distance. Fang Mu’s breaths grew ragged, his dizziness worsening.

Just then, a large crowd surged out from the city gates. There must have been over a hundred of them, each face tense and fierce, their presence so intimidating that the people nearby instinctively parted to give way.

Fang Mu, his forehead burning hot, was startled and raised his head to look. The group, perhaps numbering a hundred strong, thundered past him, soon vanishing from his sight.

In his confusion, Fang Mu overheard a hushed exchange between a few bystanders.

“They’re Wolfbane people.”

“Yeah, I know that Heavyblade at the front—definitely Wolfbane.”

“Judging by their urgency, they're clearly heading out to reinforce someone… Looks like another Wolfbane team got cornered by Celestial Palace.”

“Yeah, those two have been at each other’s throats these past days…”

“Wolfbane really bit off more than they could chew this time. It’s a blood feud now…”

Fang Mu was stunned by what he heard.

A battle between Celestial Palace and Wolfbane?

Almost immediately, his thoughts leapt back to the recent fight in the woods. If those Wolfbane reinforcements were heading out, then the six Silver-ranked Berserker Blades shot dead by that female Gunfighter must have been Wolfbane’s.

And the Gunfighter—was she from Celestial Palace?

Fang Mu’s mind felt sluggish, his thoughts laborious. But he did know of Celestial Palace—it was one of Battlefield City’s major legions, its strength on par with Wolfbane. But in terms of reputation, Celestial Palace far outshone Wolfbane.

Wolfbane was infamous for murder and plunder on the battlefield; people hated them but dared not speak out. Their notoriety was widespread.

Celestial Palace, by contrast, enjoyed a sterling reputation; it was rare to hear of their members committing such heinous acts. Many who had faced mortal peril on the battlefield had even been rescued by Celestial Palace members. Their popularity among bystanders was unmatched.

So, Celestial Palace was at war with Wolfbane? What could have triggered it?

Fang Mu was puzzled—after all, though Wolfbane was detested, their power was undeniable. For two such major legions to come to blows, there would have to be a compelling reason; the cost of war was simply too high.

“Wolfbane gathered four vice-captains to ambush Celestial Palace’s Vice Leader Lin Chuyin and others. Not only did they slaughter over a thousand Celestial Palace members, but they forced Lin Chuyin to unleash her berserk mode, and she’s still unconscious… That’s a blood feud if ever there was one. No way Celestial Palace will just let it go.”

The next moment, someone’s words left Fang Mu dumbstruck.

“Lin Chuyin… is Celestial Palace’s Vice Leader?”

His eyes widened in astonishment—he’d never known that. He was aware the Lin family wielded great influence, but that was outside the battlefield. His first impression of Lin Chuyin hadn’t been favorable, so he’d never bothered to learn more about her.

Who would have thought she was the Vice Leader of Celestial Palace?

If so, then those with her three days ago were all from Celestial Palace, too.

“True enough. Wolfbane’s bullying is notorious, but who’d have thought they’d go so far as to target Celestial Palace? They’re in deep trouble now.”

“Celestial Palace’s reputation is far better than Wolfbane’s. I heard their leader, Qin Hongyun, is reaching out to Blood Sakura and Dragonbane, aiming to uproot Wolfbane from the First Star battlefield entirely… Serves them right.”

Clearly, these people harbored deep resentment towards Wolfbane; seeing their predicament, they could barely conceal their delight.

“In that case, let’s get inside and regroup. I was robbed by Wolfbane myself last time, but dared not speak out. Now that the tide has turned, it’s time for payback!”

“Agreed.”

With that, many quickened their pace.

Fang Mu’s head felt heavier and heavier; he gasped for breath.

“So Lin Chuyin and her people did escape after all, but the aftereffects of going berserk left her comatose… Well, it doesn’t really concern me. I’d better hurry—if I don’t get these injuries treated soon, I’m in serious trouble.”

With no time to spare, Fang Mu hastened his steps.

…

Twenty minutes later, Fang Mu entered the battlefield metropolis. The information plaza was as bustling and noisy as ever, though to Fang Mu’s ears the sounds seemed distant and muffled.

His body was nearing its limit.

Yet he pressed on to the maglev station. A train soon arrived, and he staggered on board, his vision already doubled.

Other passengers eyed his condition with concern, but said nothing.

He slumped into a seat, wheezing for breath. Had his temperature been taken, it would surely have shown over fifty degrees.

Ten minutes later, the train pulled into the station. With the last of his strength, Fang Mu forced himself off and exited.

Ahead, a massive building rose into view—the battlefield hospital.

Its entrance was as wide as a plaza, bustling with injured people, both lightly and gravely wounded. Fang Mu was inconspicuous among them.

With the last shred of his will, Fang Mu reached into his clothes, drew a pistol from his spatial armory, and staggered through the hospital doors. Soon, a figure in white approached him.

His vision was blurred and ghostly; he couldn’t make out the person’s features, but seeing the white coat, and given this was the battlefield hospital, it was surely a medical worker.

He lurched forward, causing a commotion.

It was a young woman?

With his last ounce of strength, he shoved the pistol into her hands and rasped, “This is my payment… Please, save me…”

With that, his body went limp and darkness claimed him.

Just before he lost consciousness, he felt his face brush against something soft…