Chapter 398: A Desperate Stand in the Cage

You fucking dare move?!

Outside the cage, a man’s frantic struggle had drawn the attention of a thug from the Black Camel Merchant Caravan.

The thug’s face was lined with irritation, his eyes flashing with cruel intent.

He casually snatched up an iron tong and thrust it at the burly man’s wounded abdomen. The dark tong, normally used for stoking fires, plunged with a sickening thud, as if boring into his intestines. In an instant, the man’s eyes bulged in shock, his enraged stare nearly popping from his sockets.

Soybean-sized beads of sweat dripped from his vein-pulsing forehead. In moments, the man, draped in tattered military uniform, collapsed into helpless convulsions, like a curled-up shrimp.

With his mouth stuffed, even his agonized roars could only emerge as pitiful, angry whimpers.

Clang-Clang

The cage shook violently.

Inside the cage, several soldiers tied behind the man watched their captain suffer such abuse. Half panicked, half furious, they struggled desperately, trying to break free of their chains to fight back against these scum.

However, under the specially designed chains, their struggles only managed to slice their wrists raw.

“Oh? Still got some energy? Fuck, just wait—I’ll break you!”

Realizing that his tong had failed to intimidate the soldiers, the half-naked thug suddenly felt his pride slip away.

Almost as if scanning for a new target, he sneered and fixed his gaze on a female soldier in the cage.

“Goddamn it! Aren’t you supposed to protect her? Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed the fire tong and, as if taking careful aim, prepared to stab the girl in her lower parts.

He could already picture the agonizing scream that would erupt when that tong connected.

Damn it! I won’t let these fools underestimate me—watch how I handle you losers! You slaves can’t even fathom your own predicament!

“Luo Hei! That’s enough!”

“Are you brainless?! With this mess, can we even sell this cargo?!”

Before the tong could plunge further, an Awakener resembling a squad captain stormed over and smacked the fire tong right out of his grasp.

With a clatter, the bloodstained tong fell to the ground.

Glancing at the cage as if assessing the damage, the squad captain scanned it carefully before exhaling in relief.

Thank goodness, the most valuable cargo was unharmed.

His anger wasn’t at his own men—it was directed at this idiot for spoiling his merchandise!

“Are you out of your damn mind?! Who would want that woman after you stab her? Don’t you know the big shots are picky?! Fuck, if we can’t get a good price, I’ll chop you to pieces and sell you!”

Listening to the captain’s tirade, the burly man known as Luo Hei looked abashed, as if finally realizing what he had done.

He never had much sense anyway; when angered, he easily lost control.

“Boss, didn’t you see they’re still moving? Besides, these soldiers are all Awakeners—Second-Stage fighters. How could things go so wrong…?”

“That bitch is glaring at me again. Several of our brothers in the caravan died at her hands.”

Scratching his head, the burly man’s face darkened as he recalled what had happened before.

A week ago, men from their Slave Capture Team had discovered a settlement. Planning to replicate their usual tactic to capture a group of people, they were unexpectedly ambushed by the Construction Corps on a mission.

During the ensuing melee, seven or eight Second-Stage fighters from the Merchant Guild were killed; if not for a Third-Stage fighter stepping in, they might have been completely wiped out.

Reeling from heavy losses, they rounded up these soldiers to make up for the damage. The most valuable prizes were, of course, the burly man with the injured abdomen and that female soldier.

The former boasted top-level Second-Stage strength—highly trainable. The latter, with her attractive looks and feisty spirit, was sure to catch the fancy of many influential figures.

“Alright, sell them while there’s a crowd. I see several powerful figures outside—probably connected to today’s banquet.”

“We can fetch a high price—those guys are definitely interested in this cargo!”

Tired of the bickering among his men, the squad captain waved off the Madam on stage, signaling her to hold up the sale as all eyes turned toward them.

Soon enough, several Merchant Guild thugs staggered onto the stage carrying the cage, immediately drawing the attention of the audience.

At that moment, the captives locked in the cage seemed to realize their grim fate, their faces falling into expressions of despair. Meanwhile, the badly injured burly man struggled to get up, clinging desperately to his military pride.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The finale is here! Feast your eyes, bosses!”

“Far Frontier Construction Corps! Top-tier Second-Stage Awakeners!”

“If you bear a grudge against the Military or are just looking for something different, don’t miss this batch!”

“Premium quality! Imagine how impressive you’ll look with this haul!”

Banging on the cage, a short Awakener stepped forward calmly and adjusted the controller in his hand. Instantly, the restraining collar that had been suppressing the soldiers’ strength loosened, unleashing waves of seething, murderous intent.

The surge of lethal intent left the nearest crowd pale as death.

Compared to the usual Awakeners they encountered, the aura emanating from these soldiers was far more intimidating!

“Yenir?! They really are one of us!”

“And they must be warriors from the Border!”

In the crowd below, Huang Yuanhao’s expression soured. Spotting the identification tags on the soldiers, an eruption of anger took hold—a fury of seeing his own people humiliated within the Military.

In his impatience, he even shouted Yenir’s name, though the noisy crowd ensured no one took notice.

“Really, they’re from the Military? These guys have some nerve!”

Fixing his gaze, Yenir placed his right hand on Huang Yuanhao’s shoulder, urging him to calm down. Although his relationship with the Military had soured recently, Yenir knew that corruption was common in such a vast organization—but that didn’t mean the entire Military was rotten; otherwise, he wouldn’t still be serving.

The soldiers below were innocent—many had sacrificed their lives for the Huaxia Battle Zone. As a fellow member of the Military, Yenir felt a deep sorrow as he eyed the captives.

“Uncle Huang, do you know these guys? Border troops?”

Noticing Yenir’s signal to keep his composure, Huang Yuanhao realized he had gotten too worked up. Taking a deep breath, he closely examined the soldiers in the cage before speaking hastily:

“I don’t recognize these guys; I left Far Frontier long ago.”

“But, Y… young man! These border soldiers are among the Military’s most downtrodden. We have to save them if we can!”

“These bastards are cursed! Don’t they know who’s protecting them?”

Shaking with rage, Old Huang—who had seen far worse in the Far Frontier—looked on with sorrow. Amidst the excited chatter and gawking like monkeys at the stage, no one seemed to display any hint of pity.

Border soldiers form Huaguo’s most crucial line of defense. Without these warriors holding the front, survivors from enemy nations would have already stormed the borders. Especially in the small countries along the Far Frontier, where Awakeners clawed their way up from heaps of corpses, long stripped of any semblance of government, reduced to beast-like existences.

Once they breach our borders, their destruction is more terrifying than that of monsters.