The First Order

When strength was like the magma in a volcano’s crater, any creature that fell into it would melt straight away in its scarlet flames.

Humans had never stopped yearning for power. Otherwise, the Li Consortium would not have created something like the nanomachines and put them to military use.

Ren Xiaosu could feel a raging fire in his body. As he raised his saber and stepped forward, the nanosoldiers could only watch him move past them with shocked expressions on their faces. They had wanted to raise their nanoswords and slash Ren Xiaosu, but his overwhelming speed at this moment made them feel like they were moving in slow motion.

When that black saber slashed across one of the nanosoldier’s chest, it smoothly cut through the nanosword he was holding in front of him, and his body was also cleanly severed in two.

One of the nanosoldiers couldn’t dodge in time and was rammed into by Ren Xiaosu with his armor. The nanosoldier could feel his chest collapsing, and his blood felt like it was being compressed inside with no outlet of escape. As a result, it ruptured out of his blood vessels.

Over a dozen nanosoldiers had surrounded Ren Xiaosu. When a nanosword slashed his back, it only left a scratch on the armor without causing any damage to his skin.

The scratch on the armor rippled outwards in a horrifyingly hideous fashion.

In this instant, the nanosoldiers realized this was how the nanomachines should be used!

When Ren Xiaosu’s strong physical fitness was paired with the armor, it made him into a battering ram as he barged his way around intimidatingly.

One of the nanosoldiers was beginning to feel scared. He did not know what he could do to defeat this strong and powerful “machine” in front of him. He was overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness!

He picked up a gun from off the ground and began shooting indiscriminately within the tent while shouting, as though that would eliminate the fear he was feeling.

But a second later, his shouts abruptly stopped. The black saber Ren Xiaosu had plunged into his chest caused his lungs to quickly fill up with bloody foam.

Ren Xiaosu slowly pulled the black saber out. “Wudi, how you doing?”

Chen Wudi swung the Golden-Hooped Rod over his shoulder. “Done!”

Only then did Ren Xiaosu return his armor and store the black saber back into the palace. He looked at the mess he had created around him, though the tent remained standing.

However, it seemed like the situation was not good. Ren Xiaosu looked over at his “comrades” lying on the ground. Some of them had been shot dead when the nanosoldiers started firing wildly, while others were crying with their heads in their arms.

But Ren Xiaosu did not care about how they were doing. He looked at Li Qingzheng, Wang Yuchi, and the others. “Anyone hurt?”

Ren Xiaosu frowned when he discovered bloodstains on Wang Yuchi’s leg. Several of the students were also wounded, but Li Qingzheng was fine.

Wang Yuchi’s face was covered in sweat. “My leg got hit by a bullet. I think it might be broken. Monitor, go and check on others. I think they’re also injured.”

Ren Xiaosu counted them. Five students were injured, and they were even injured quite badly. He would have to remove the bullets in their bodies first.

“We can’t stay here any longer.” Ren Xiaosu said, “Let’s grab a truck and escape from here. We’ll take this chance to head back to Stronghold 108 while the others are busy with the battle out there!”

This crisis made Ren Xiaosu realize there were already people who could link together all of what had happened so far. It would be even more dangerous if he continued to stay in the Li Consortium’s territory.

Ren Xiaosu said to Chen Wudi, “Carry the wounded out and wait for me there.”

Li Qingzheng automatically helped to carry the wounded out as well. After everyone was outside, Ren Xiaosu broke the necks of the remaining “comrades” one by one. He could not keep them alive as they knew too many of his secrets.

He took out everything like pots and pans, shovels, hammers, and whatnot from his storage space, leaving only the gold and food. Then he placed all of the nanomachines he had gathered from the nanosoldiers into the storage space.

After doing so, Ren Xiaosu walked out of the tent and carried the wounded together with the others.

Position 313 had descended into chaos by now. No one would notice them, as the Qing Consortium’s artillery fire was so intense it was unimaginable. Even the other fighting forces that passed them by had thought they were the wounded returning from the front line.

“There’s a vehicle over there!” Ren Xiaosu whispered, “The driver is still in it, so we’ll have to steal it!”

They were now very close to the entrance of the camp at Position 313. As long as they could grab a vehicle, they would be able to get out of here. No one would discover their whereabouts in this chaos.

But at this moment, a group of strange soldiers ran in from outside the camp. Ren Xiaosu got a bad feeling as these soldiers were moving too orderly, and their eyes looked unfeeling.

This was a full-strength battalion that consisted of 500 people!

Ren Xiaosu lowered his head and tried to lead Chen Wudi and the others past this battalion of troops quietly. However, the officer at the very front called out to them, “Which ORBAT do you all belong to?”

His voice was mechanical and calm. Li Qingzheng immediately went up and explained, “We’re from the 7th Infantry Regiment. We’ve just returned from the front line after getting injured, and we’re heading to the medical center.”

The officer glanced at Ren Xiaosu and the others before saying, “Bring me to the location the Heroes Battalion is guarding.”

Ren Xiaosu clenched his fists tightly. These people were also targeting him?!

What could he do? If there were really 500 nanosoldiers here like Ren Xiaosu had thought, he and Chen Wudi would not be able to defeat them even if they were demigods.

Moreover, it would be too eye-catching if they fought out here in this open area!

While Ren Xiaosu was urgently trying to come up with something, he heard Li Qingzheng say with a laugh, “Sure, I’ll bring you all there.”

Ren Xiaosu was stunned for a moment. Then he watched Li Qingzheng turn around and smile wryly at him. “Quickly get to the medical center and don’t delay your treatments. I’ll join up with you guys after I bring these officers to the Heroes Battalion.”

Dumbfounded, Ren Xiaosu said, “You…”

“Don’t worry about me.” Li Qingzheng said with a smile, “I couldn’t be happier to do this. Enough, go on ahead.”

Then Li Qingzheng turned around and headed resolutely for the high ground where the Heroes Battalion was located without looking back.

It was the same for life as in war. There wouldn’t usually be time to give a heroic speech or have any sentimental talks since unexpected things could happen at any moment. And then familiar people and familiar smiles would get taken away from you.

Ren Xiaosu decisively turned and walked towards the truck. “Don’t anyone look back.”

Wang Yuchi struggled to say, “Monitor…”

Ren Xiaosu whisper-shouted, “I’ve already said that I’m not a good person! That light of mine has already fucking gone out!”

Wang Yuchi and the others were at a momentary loss for words. They did not even know what light Ren Xiaosu was referring to.

Only Chen Wudi understood what he was talking about. He remembered what his master had said to him in the afternoon: “If I’d had the option, I’d’ve liked to be a person with a light in his heart, but I don’t have a choice.”

It was not that he did not want to choose, but rather that life had never given him this option before. He could only see two ways forward. One was to live, the other was to die.

This was what the wastelands were.