Chapter 102
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Step by Step Slowly (2)
"Ungh!"
Four Thousand Four let out a faint groan as he opened his eyes.
Half-dreaming, half-awake... The world rocked wildly around him. The sky felt like the ground, and the ground like the sky. His body seemed to float in midair.
It was due to the fever.
With his body temperature far from normal, all sorts of hallucinations and illusions cropped up. And they felt utterly real.
"Haaah...!"
He opened his mouth wide and exhaled the heat building in his gut.
It didn't really help. But at least temporarily, psychologically, it helped him pull himself together.
He looked at the termites first.
Before he lost consciousness, the termites had been rustling about three feet away.
Now, when he opened his eyes, they covered his entire body.
The termites were especially clustered around his wounds. They weren't just clinging on—they were constantly biting and carrying something away, if he watched closely.
Were they tearing off bits of his flesh?
It didn't hurt. Instead, it itched terribly.
The wounds that should have throbbed with excruciating pain itched like mosquito bites, driving him mad.
The wounds were healing. And at an incredibly rapid rate.
Realizing he'd stepped back from the brink of death, he relaxed and took slow, steady breaths.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division had given him both poison and medicine.
Termites had a healing effect on wounds. They carried away pus and germs, promoting new flesh to grow.
The Heavenly Annihilation Division seemed completely unaware of this property. That's why they'd kept releasing termites to chase the wounded.
If they'd known, they would've warned him before handing them over: Don't chase the wounded—they could actually help.
From this, it seemed the Heavenly Annihilation Division had never used termites before.
This was their first time.
Which meant no one had ever fought back against them until now.
Four Thousand Four peeled a bit of flesh from one of his wounds.
Tearing flesh from an already painful spot hurt like hell. But it was like gaining extra lives, so even if it meant losing a limb, he had to do it.
Where to put the flesh?
His eyes fell on a sword.
It was Fox's sword. He also saw the golden sore ointment and fire liniment Fox had left behind. Apparently, Fox had come and gone while he was out.
Fox gave so much.
Whenever someone gives something, there's always a reason. They don't just hand over extras for no purpose. They give because they want something in return.
What did Fox want in exchange for these?
He knew exactly what Fire Lin meant to Fox. She was everything to him.
Not many would hand over such things without hesitation. Almost none, in fact.
He had nothing to give Fox in return. If Fox were nearby, he could offer some small help, but now they were enemies. Vanguard was hunting him on orders from the Heavenly Annihilation Division.
Fox had given a fearsome weapon to someone who might kill him.
It was kindness. Burning kindness.
Fox had climbed down the cliff out of worry, left the ointment and weapon, and slipped away quietly.
He was indebted to Fox now.
And debts of the heart were the hardest to repay...
He picked up the sword Fox had left.
Shing!
As he drew it, a blade so clear it was almost transparent gleamed forth.
Fox had a meticulous side, like a woman. Even a man might overlook details, but Fox tended to them carefully.
You could tell his personality just from how he'd maintained the sword.
Four Thousand Four set the sword aside and shoved the flesh torn from his wound deep into the scabbard.
"In you go."
He placed the flesh-filled scabbard on the ground and watched intently.
Sure enough... The termites slithered over and crawled inside. One went in, then another followed, and soon they streamed in one after another.
He planned to trap the termites in the scabbard.
Once they were all inside, he'd seal the opening with the golden sore ointment.
He'd need to observe their survival needs a bit more, but since they chased him relentlessly, luring them into the scabbard should be easy enough to contain them.
Having termites heal wounds was far better than carrying a few jars of ointment.
Four Thousand Four entrusted his body fully to the termites and drifted off to sleep with a relaxed mind.
Rest when you can, rest deeply.
Swish! Swoosh!
As soon as Fox's feet touched the ground, three men approached.
"Where's the target?"
"No reason to tell you."
Fox narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
"No reason to tell, true. But if you saw him and let him live, that's defying headquarters' orders. You should know that much."
"Do I need to explain myself? See for yourself if I did wrong or not."
"You bastard!"
Shing!
The twenty-five men drew their swords.
But Fox raising a single finger was faster than any of them drawing.
He showed them his raised finger.
A small black pill was pinched between two fingers.
"You ever hear of fire lin? One of these could turn the whole area to ash... You really wanna test me?"
"You son of a—!"
"I know you're from the Martial Camp... I'm from the Nineteen Hells. Killing's second nature to me. Don't keep poking the bear, or I might just blow you all sky-high."
Fox flicked the pill on his finger as if to drop it.
In an instant, two of the three warriors backed away sharply.
The one unmoved by Fox's threat glared fiercely and spoke coldly.
"You haven't answered yet. Where's Four Thousand Four?"
"Told you. No reason to tell you."
"The termites haven't come down. That means Four Thousand Four's up there. If you came down and claim ignorance, that means you let him be—which is defying orders."
Shing!
The warrior drew his sword.
His blade was different from the others'. A sinister aura emanated from it. At that moment,
"Captain, is it right to threaten another unit's men like that?"
A heavy voice rang out as Vanguard approached.
"Heh heh heh!"
The Twenty-Fifth Captain let out a cold laugh and sheathed his half-drawn sword.
Vanguard glanced at the Captain, then asked Fox,
"Four Thousand Four?"
"Didn't see him."
"Termites?"
"Too dark. Couldn't see a thing. One thing, though—no place up there to hide a body."
"I see."
Fox's words reeked of lies. But to press him would mean climbing the cliff themselves.
"Fox."
"Yes."
"Do you know your mistake?"
"Mistake? What mistake?"
"If Four Thousand Four's dead, the Twenty-Fifth recovers the body. If he's alive, the Twenty-Fifth—first on orders—handles it. We have no authority to intervene yet. Who told you to search the cliff on your own!"
"Ah! Didn't think of that..."
"One more act of defiance, and you'll pay dearly."
"Understood."
Fox clasped his hands in respect.
Both of them... Their true feelings were plain as day. They were putting on a blatant show. But in that act, they'd clearly divided roles. This incident's yours now.
"Let's go."
Vanguard took Fox and left.
The Twenty-Fifth Captain could only grit his teeth and watch them pass.
"Any places he could be?"
"None."
A warrior who'd scanned the cliff from the opposite ridge answered with frustration.
"Caves or branches?"
"Not a one."
"Termites?"
"Didn't see any from over there."
"Hmph!"
The Twenty-Fifth Captain grunted.
Two options: Wait for him to come down, or chase him up now.
He chose the second.
The cliff favored the target. But considering the wounds he took right before falling, he was probably dead by now—or at least half out of his mind.
Best to strike now.
"You come down from above. You go up from here. Those vines he made are handy."
"Got it."
One warrior dashed toward the cliff top.
The Captain started climbing bare-handed, without using the vines.
The vines had to support two: one descending, one ascending... Fox had made them sturdy enough for that. But with the Captain hanging on too, it was risky.
Second, for surprise, climbing together wasn't ideal.
Attack from above, from below. From completely unexpected angles.
Swoosh! Swish!
The Captain began scaling the cliff at high speed.
"Whoa! Didn't think of that."
Fox blinked in surprise.
"Should've cut the vines."
Hanbi said frustratingly.
"How's Four Thousand Four? He okay?"
Jaja asked.
"Okay? He was half-dead. Looked like he was in a coma to me. Deep one, too."
"Coma... That's rough."
Jaja muttered.
Severe wounds often led to unconsciousness. If it lasted days without waking, it was as good as abandoned. Wounds festered, strength faded. Harder to wake then. Eventually, death from weakness.
Most died without ever regaining consciousness.
Only question was how long. Some lasted a day or two; others a week. Still mindless.
Warriors called this state "mixed death."
Not dead yet, but as good as.
"Any space to hole up?"
Vanguard asked.
He'd coldly said Four Thousand Four must die, but Vanguard didn't want him dead either.
"Barely room to lie down..."
"Termites?"
"Scattered around."
"What? Then finding him's just a matter of time? They come down, we see 'em. He's comatose. Done. Ha! Ends like this?"
"Cut those vines, and two at once..."
Fox blurted out his inner thoughts.
Two Twenty-Fifth members clung to one vine rope. Cut it from the top, drop them both. Captain would remain, sure.
That was Fox's real mind.
She wanted to save Four Thousand Four somehow.
But that inner wish... Vanguard, Hanbi, and Jaja couldn't accept it.
Vanguard's eyes chilled. Hanbi and Jaja furrowed their brows.
Whatever else, the Twenty-Fifth were Heavenly Annihilation Division Martial Camp alumni. Comrades sharing the same pot.
Not like the riffraff dragged from the Nineteen Hells. Different mindsets, statuses.
Fox realized her slip and shut her mouth.
An awkward silence fell between them.
They all cared for Four Thousand Four, but a subtle discord lingered.
Incompatible worlds.