Chapter 689: Unexpected Tests and Rivalries

“Thank you.”

In a quiet room, the Defense Force captain from the 10th level regarded the card Yenir had handed over with a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes.

“No need for thanks. But Captain Lin Ming, didn’t your men cause quite a commotion downstairs?”

“So, how did it go? Did your team’s test yield anything useful for you?”

Taking the Military ID Card, the Squad Captain asked Yenir with a trace of suspicion.

It was deep into the night; after hearing about the incident in the 19th level testing area, he had been seriously rattled, fearing he might get caught in the crossfire.

He had already taken a huge risk by secretly handing over a Military ID Card and uniform to Yenir.

Word was that the disturbance had been sizable—there were even rumors that the Third-Stage Captain had suspected some members of the Fire Wolf Team of being traitors and had them taken in for questioning. In the end, nothing further came of it.

“The Testing Machine broke down. You and Captain Chen aren’t in the same team, are you? I don’t have the full details—I was just as shocked as you.”

“As for any gains… Honestly, I’d like to ask: what exactly is tomorrow’s test supposed to be?”

Feigning ignorance about the incident, Yenir just shrugged and skipped over the question.

After the Military Third-Stage Captain under his control had turned his Otherworldly Ghost on, with no further information to be gleaned, he headed back to the rest area to prepare for tomorrow’s test. He needed his rest.

His mental power had taken a serious hit—given his current strength, he was already struggling.

“Tomorrow’s test…”

Seeing that Yenir really didn’t know anything, the Defense Force captain hesitated for a moment before deciding to offer a parting favor.

Leaning in without a trace of hesitation, he whispered quickly into Yenir’s ear:

“The longer you hold out tomorrow, the more they’ll appreciate you.”

“From what I hear, that senior officer who’s keeping an eye on you even made a special trip to Base 1. Chances are, he got his hands on that thing.”

After finishing his words, the Squad Captain cast an expression of mixed envy and complexity at Yenir.

Before Yenir could ask any further questions, the Squad Captain cleared his throat and excused himself, as though he feared saying any more.

(That thing? What on earth is that?)

“Captain Lin Ming, brace yourself. But let me warn you—don’t stay out too late tonight. Take it easy.”

Without giving Yenir a chance to press on, the Squad Captain laughed softly with a knowing smile and shot a glance over Yenir’s shoulder.

Clearly, like those earlier rebel soldiers, he assumed that the young lady Yenir was too delicate to handle.

“Hmm?”

Noticing a strange look on Yenir’s face, the Squad Captain promptly turned and left, leaving a somewhat speechless Yenir behind.

Alright, it seemed his habit of flaunting his true self had finally caught up with him.

After quickly replaying the past few days’ events in his mind, Yenir, utterly exhausted, collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep.

As for what to do if Yu Keran woke up in the middle of the night, he was too tired to worry about it.

At worst, he’d just pass out again.

————-

South Korean Battle Zone – along the Han River border.

A bitter wind howled as white snow, sharp as blades, sliced across the frozen surface, reflecting a cold, clear light like murky glass.

Across the river, a squad of South Korean Awakeners watched the heavy artillery cluster on the opposite bank with icy detachment, their eyes flickering with derision and mockery.

“Seems these Huaguo monkeys still aren’t feeling enough pressure,”

“Their ranks are so disorganized, yet they’ve even managed to send reinforcements to the border?”

A Korean Third-Stage Awakener clad in a black overcoat and carrying a Giant Crossbow nearly half his height scoffed, pointing disdainfully toward the artillery on the far bank.

Even from across the river, they could sense the ‘nervousness’ of the Huaguo Awakeners.

Occasionally, Military Third-Stage Awakeners patrolled overhead, ever alert and ready to strike.

“Reinforcements are normal. Those Huaguo monkeys have always been in awe of us Koreans. If it weren’t for the river and sea separating us, we’d have smashed through with full force long ago.”

“Besides, not many troops can be mobilized. Our contacts said that these monkeys have Third-Stage units scattered everywhere. If they make a move, having ten Third-Stages at the border is a stroke of luck.”

“Trying to stop us with such a paltry force? It’s almost laughable…”

As their leader Kim Haoyuan finished speaking, the other Korean Third-Stage Awakeners joined in with matching laughter.

In this squad alone, there were seven Third-Stage members, including one Advanced Third-Stage.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that if they weren’t so cautious about casualties, they could have broken through the air defense net and shattered the barrier outright.

“It’s those Huaguo monkeys—they thrive on internal strife. The more they fight among themselves, the better it is for us.”

“It’s hard to believe… there used to be dozens of Third-Stage Awakeners stationed here, with a peak officer holding the rear.”

Beside Kim Haoyuan, a middle-aged, Third-Stage Mid-level man marveled at the news that Huaguo Military was even embroiled in internecine battles among their own Third-Stage officers.

Rumor had it that not long ago, over a dozen Third-Stage Awakeners had perished, and the entire Battle Zone was on the brink of a massive war!

Upon hearing the news, they instantly recognized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and quickly agreed to back the Rebels’ invasion of Huaguo territory!

“Captain, is the Blue House side telling us to wait?”

“I’ve heard that not only are we, but the Vietnam and Myanmar Battle Zones are also preparing to cross the border. Those bastards are like starving dogs—if they rush in first, I’m afraid we won’t get anything worthwhile.”

The team instinctively turned to Kim Haoyuan with the question.

As a small nation on Huaguo’s periphery, the Southeast Asia Battle Zone has been one of the most chaotic regions since the apocalypse; rather than functioning as a unified nation, it’s become a fragmented collection of warlord territories.

Thus, the Awakeners from these two countries have grown wildly aggressive, fully embracing the law of the jungle.

Instead of completing missions to gather resources, the Third-Stage Awakeners from these countries prefer to turn on their own.

Perhaps a decade ago, during the golden age of the Huaguo Awakeners, these small nations wouldn’t have dared act so boldly. But as internal strife worsened in Huaguo, these countries got used to border raids and looting Huaguo Safe Zones.

And after linking up with another Huaguo faction, the forces of both nations mobilized rapidly, almost intent on completely ‘clearing out’ Huaguo’s borders.

Resources! Food! Dungeons! Mission points!

And, of course, women!

“So, you want to strike now? Fine by me. If we charge in, these Huaguo Third-Stage Awakeners won’t dare act rashly.”

“If they dare pursue us, they’ll have to face our overwhelming force!”

It seemed as though Kim Haoyuan had thought of something. A glimmer of greed flashed across his eyes as he stared across the river into Huaguo territory.

He knew all too well that with the outbreak of the corpse tide, the Safe Zones along the Huaguo border were busy organizing survivor evacuations.

In his eyes, these survivors were like fat targets on the move—during evacuations, they always carried their most precious belongings!