Chapter 468: Return to the Fireline

Fueled by the Evolution Element stim shake, Xia Qing slung four wolves over her shoulders and, in just fifteen minutes, made her way along the familiar path into Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine. That was when Hu Zifeng’s voice crackled through her earpiece walkie-talkie.

“Third Brother already sent someone with the antidote to Section Three. Just head back to the Territory through the Northern Gate—it’s hanging on the big toon tree.”

She hadn’t even made it back, but the Idol had already gotten the antidote? How did he get his hands on it so quickly?

“Copy that.” Xia Qing, delighted, led the huge wolf through Section Three into Section Three, pulled the light bag down from the toon tree, and still couldn’t quite believe it was real.

Hu Zifeng went on, “There are four injections in the bag. Third Brother said to inject them straight into the muscle. He also said…”

Hu Zifeng paused a second, then continued, “He said that after you inject it, you need to go drive away the beast horde right away. Once you can’t stand anymore, we’ll have someone carry you to Territory Seven. Xia Qing, did you make Third Brother mad or something?”

Hiding behind the tree, Xiao Jiang piped up with a plan. “Are you still holding out, Sister Qing? How about you just take down a couple animals and then lie down? We’ll haul you to Territory Seven right away.”

“I’m fine, I can handle it.” Xia Qing grabbed the bag of medicine and dashed home as fast as she could.

“Sister Qing is incredible—she can still run that fast carrying three evolved wolves,” Xiao Jiang exclaimed.

“It’s four. The yellow weasel on her head counts too,” Er Yong whispered. “Guan Tong, do you think Sister Qing’s strength evolution level just went up again?”

Guan Tong nodded and told Hu Zifeng, “Boss, something’s off about Sister Qing’s state.”

There’s no way she improved this much in such a short time. She must be forcing herself with some kind of drug.

Chen Cheng muttered quietly, “The smell’s weird, too. Don’t you guys smell something awful?”

Hu Zifeng gave orders, “Jing Kuan, Peng Jian, the three of us will follow Xia Qing to the Eastern Quarantine Strip. Everyone else, guard the Territory. Remember—don’t go near the village. The huge wolf isn’t someone you want to mess with.”

“Copy that.”

When Xia Qing reached the edge of the village, Old Goat had already charged out, sniffed the air, then actually took two steps back. “Baa!”

“I’m back, Boss,” Xia Qing called, quickly carrying the three wolves into the house. She pulled off her protective gloves to disinfect her hands, then injected each wolf with antidote.

“Baa—” When Old Goat saw all three wolves lying motionless, he no longer cared about the smell and rushed into the house, anxiously asking what was wrong.

Time was tight. Xia Qing didn’t even take off her protective mask, just pulled down her suit halfway and injected herself with the antidote. “Don’t worry, Boss. The Queen will be fine soon. You and the big wolf—wait, where’d the plucked one go?”

Once she finished, Xia Qing started suiting up again. She glanced around but couldn’t spot the yellow weasel, so she left it. She hurried to the basement, grabbed all her ammunition and the shoulder-mounted grenade launcher, and gave her team instructions. “Boss, I’m counting on you and the huge wolf to protect the Queen and the others. I’ll take care of the beast horde and be back soon.”

With everything settled, Xia Qing rushed out, greeted the big wolf at the door, and sprinted toward the Territory’s southern gate. Taking the east-west passage outside the southern gate would get her to the Eastern Quarantine Strip faster than heading north.

As soon as she burst out the southern gate, Xia Qing raced toward the firelit chaos at the Eastern Quarantine Strip.

“No way! Xia Qing’s actually back alive?! And she’s carrying a grenade launcher! Damn!” Zhou Xun, hidden inside Territory Two behind the Wild Grass Wall, was stunned. “Even the Trapping Team from Territory Nine couldn’t take her down!”

“Shut the hell up. You want everyone to hear you or what?”

Xia Qing sped past the loudmouthed guards in Territory Two, dashed by besieged Territory Nine, waved a quick hello to folks in Territory Seven and Territory Fifteen, and dove straight into the flames.

That wall of fire was meant to keep out crawling snakes, insects, rats, and ants on the ground. It was useless against big animals—those had to be stopped by defenders outside the wall.

Luckily, this time around, the poison gas bomb had gone off on Hill Fifty, right on the border of human territory. That mountain was occupied by two evolved bears, so there hadn’t been any other large predators around. Plus, the Base had reinforced this area with more Inspection Team members and better weapons, so all the animals charging over were stopped by the fire wall and the Inspection Team.

“Wait—that was Xia Qing just now, wasn’t it? She waved at us as she ran past—Section Three’s boss Xia Qing, right?” someone guarding Territory Fifteen’s northern thorn wall couldn’t believe their eyes.

Another answered, “No doubt about it. The Inspection Team in this area doesn’t have any other female evolvers. She’s the only one who’d greet us like that.”

Xia Qing homed in on Tan Junjie, who was commanding the fight. “Captain Tan, I’m back! Requesting to join the First Combat Team.”

Tan Junjie didn’t waste words. He pointed toward the northeast corner of Territory Eighteen, at the exit of Hill Fifty, and assigned her a task. “Tune your walkie-talkie to channel three-five-three-six. In two minutes, at least twenty adult wild boars will charge out from the second exit over there. We’re low on ammo. Reinforcements will be here in an hour.”

“Roger!”

Xia Qing handed over her grenade launcher, submachine gun, and ammo to Tan Junjie, tuned her walkie-talkie to the right channel, and cut through the third team—who were exterminating insects with pesticide—past the second team killing small animals with knives and guns. As she moved up to the front, where the First Combat Team was taking down bigger beasts with sniper rifles and submachine guns, Tan Junjie’s voice came through the walkie-talkie.

“First Team at the second exit—withdraw. Half go to the third, half to the fourth exit. Xia Qing, you take over command at the second exit.”

“Got it!”

Once the First Team snipers pulled back, Xia Qing took up the sniper position and zeroed in on the animal horde surging through the exit, picking off the biggest shapes.

After taking down a few giant lizards and five other unknown evolved creatures, wild boars appeared in her night vision goggles—a whole herd. Massive tusks, bloodshot eyes, bristling coats gleaming in the fire—they looked absolutely vicious.

Wild boars from the Evolved Forest would repeatedly rub against pine trunks, smearing themselves with thick layers of pine resin and mud. Their hides could be tougher than armor. To kill a boar with a single shot, you’d have to hit its eye or get it while its mouth was open.

Calm and focused, Xia Qing lined up her sights on their eyes and fired.

After taking out eight boars with the sniper rifle, the last three were only five meters away. Members of the second team started screaming.

Without hesitation, Xia Qing stashed the sniper rifle, rushed forward, grabbed the lead boar, and hurled it at the other two. She’d practiced this move to perfection with Old Goat—wherever she aimed, she hit.

Before the three wild boars could get back up, Xia Qing charged, smashed one’s head with a punch, then hefted the second boar and slammed it into the third.

“Bang!”

The heads of the two boars collided with a sickening crunch—both dead at once.

“She’s a top-tier strength evolver!” The second team cheered as soon as they saw Xia Qing in action, their confidence soaring.

No wonder Captain Tan had the First Team pulled back—he’d called in top-tier muscle to clean up!

Hu Zifeng had just caught up in time to witness the scene. He had no more doubts. Xia Qing really had taken the Evolution Element stim shake!