Chapter 348 A Battlefield
Shawn’s face fell at Raven’s words, which he took as a grave insult. The lingering pain in his neck clenched his jaw, suppressing any retort.
Observing his silence, Raven decided he could still be helpful and took no further action. Her voice was cold and commanding as she said, “Three days. Find my brother’s Starcard and bring me two more drops of the Water of Life. Now, get out of my sight.”
Shawn’s fists clenched, frustration simmering just below the surface. He couldn’t deny Raven had outmaneuvered him, and he bore some responsibility for the outcome.
He hesitated momentarily, then signaled the others at the Indigo Training Ground to follow as he quickly departed. No one dared to stay behind, and two of them dragged the body of the man Raven had killed with a single silver needle. Raven, ignoring the onlookers, quickly called up Hugmuinn and got Lola’s detailed profile moments later.
The murderous chill in Raven’s eyes melted into an unsettling stillness–the deceptive calm before a volcano erupts. She was still absorbing this revelation when Shawn’s message buzzed on her phone: [Ten minutes ago, Lola was spotted at the border between Vyrdenia and the Sunset Empire.]
Raven turned to Cassian and Hiemaly after reading the message. Noticing their worried expressions, she offered a faint smile. “I wasn’t planning on dealing with the Sunset Empire immediately,” she said, “but our plans have changed.”
Raven’s plane reached the border separating Vyrdenia and the Sunset Empire three hours into the flight. An alarm suddenly shrieked, followed by a mechanical voice: “Warning. You are entering the Vyrdenia–Sunset Empire combat zone. Further travel is prohibited.”
Hiemaly remained silent, turning to Raven with a calm but questioning look and silently asking for her decision. “Let’s go down and look,” Raven said, her voice steady as she surveyed the battle–scarred land below.
“Understood!” The member of Hiemal Court responded promptly, swiftly maneuvering the plane toward a clearing below. As the plane descended to about 110 feet, the battlefield came into view, revealing hundreds of soldiers from Vyrdenia and the Sunset Empire locked in a fierce battle. Each side took cover and sought any opportunity to fire upon the other. From her vantage point, Raven frowned slightly. The relentless gunfire and falling soldiers painted a grim picture of the battle below. The distinct uniforms revealed the Sunset Empire’s advantage, yet the outmatched Vyrdenian soldiers fought on without retreating.
Moments after the plane touched down near the Vyrdenian battlefront, a frantic soldier rushed from the rear lines to a grizzled veteran commander in his sixties. “Captain,” he pleaded, his voice urgent, “the troops are breaking! We need to fall back!”
The veteran’s uniform, bearing the insignia of a junior colonel, was soaked in blood. Closer inspection revealed two bullet wounds: one in his left shoulder, the other in his left side, both bleeding steadily.
He remained unfazed by the pain, his gaze fixed on the activity beyond the dirt ridge. “Captain,” the soldier urged desperately, “if we withdraw now, we can regroup and fight another day! If we stay, we’ll all perish here!”
The veteran stayed silent, his stare never wavering. A shot echoed, and the enemy soldier behind the ridge cried out, clutching his arm. Only then did the veteran offer a bitter laugh. “Retreat! I know my limits. If I leave this battlefield now, I’ll never return.
“Taking down so many Sunset Empire soldiers before I go… I, Miles Henderson, can die without regrets!”
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