Chapter 562: Loss Beneath the Peaks

A man of few words, skilled at installing solar panels, fixing electronics, and building pedal-powered generators and water pumps—twenty-three-year-old Tiger, a Level Four Strength Evolutionary, is dead.

Last night, when Xia Qing heard the Inspection Team reporting casualties over the walkie-talkie, she was seized by a bad feeling.

The most common evolutionary abilities used in battle are speed, jumping, stamina, strength, flexibility, and enhanced senses like smell, hearing and sight. Among these, strength evolutionaries and stamina specialists are less adept at sensing and dodging danger compared to others of the same rank. That’s why pure strength types usually end up in support roles within combat teams or the military.

Back in the Safe Zone, Xia Qing herself was only ever assigned as auxiliary support when joining combat squad missions because she’s a Strength Evolutionary.

Since Tiger wasn’t great with a gun, Tan Junjie never put him on the battlefront—the Southern Barrier. Instead, Tiger was assigned to patrol near Territory Seven and Fifteen.

Both these territories have powerful defenders. By all rights, Tiger’s assignment shouldn’t have been that dangerous. No one expected that the first group of human invaders last night would be a squad of Advanced Evolutionaries.

Xia Qing clenched her fist. “Did you notify his family yet? How are Yuan Rui and the others holding up?”

Xia Qing had traded supplies with Tiger many times, and she’d heard him mention his mother back in the Safe Zone. He cared about her a lot. Tiger worked hard making gear that the Lords would need, bartering it for natural food to send home, just so his mom could eat better and grow stronger.

Cao Xianyun’s voice was heavy. “We haven’t called them yet. Old Yuan was with Tiger at the time—he tried to pull Tiger to safety and got his leg crushed by an advanced elasticity evolutionary, total break. Tiger was struck in the chest and didn’t make it.”

The loss hit the team hard. The youngest, Su Ming, started crying again. Everyone knew the risks of working outside the Safe Zone, but the fact that Tiger died at the hands of humans—and not in a natural disaster—was something Su Ming just couldn’t accept.

How is it that humans are struggling to survive as it is, yet instead of working together for better chances, they end up killing each other?!

After hearing Cao Xianyun’s report, Xia Qing could only think—letting that elasticity evolutionary die last night was far too easy!

Waiting until Su Ming and Cao Xianyun were safely inside her territory—clear of Territory Two’s surveillance—Xia Qing finally whispered, “What’s the medic’s verdict?”

“The medic says our medical equipment just isn’t enough. Best chance is to send Old Yuan to Territory Seven for surgery, then transfer him to the Base’s military hospital. Our squad captain said we’ll move him once he wakes up.” Like everyone here, Cao Xianyun had total faith in Zhang San’s skills. “As long as Third Brother takes over, Old Yuan’s definitely going to recover.”

Xia Qing nodded. “He absolutely will.”

Su Ming sniffled. “Sister Qing, we owe it all to you.”

If it weren’t for the Wolf Pack that had built a partnership with Xia Qing, none of them would still be standing. Their mission was to guard the territory. If the Wolf Pack charged in during a beast wave, they were forced to fight.

Cao Xianyun shot Su Ming a look to keep him quiet, then lowered her voice to Xia Qing. “Don’t worry, Sister Qing. We know nothing, and nothing is leaving this place. How did things go on your end last night?”

Xia Qing nodded, leading them up the High Slope as she talked. “I had four evolved bats break in last night. Lucky thing, I caught them in time. Only the greenhouse and camera on the slope got blown up. No actual invaders, and no one got hurt inside the territory.”

After the explosion, Xia Qing was left temporarily deaf from sudden ear ringing. That sort of injury wouldn’t even get noticed in a disaster year.

Once they finished inspecting Section Three for losses, Cao Xianyun closed her notebook and made a request to Xia Qing, now the manager of Hill Fifty. “We need to visit the base of Hill Fifty’s Second Peak, see the remains of those controlling bats for last night’s attack.”

“I’ll come along.” Since part of Hill Fifty was bombed, Xia Qing needed to check things herself and file a report to Zhang San. Plus, she wanted to drop off food and bug medicine for the Yellow Weasel guarding the valley.

Finishing up, Xia Qing handed Su Ming a black bag. “There’s ten pounds of snake meat in here. Bring it to Yuan Rui.”

Green Lantern python meat is so valuable, Su Ming hesitated to take it. He glanced at Cao Xianyun, who accepted it instead. “Sister Qing, I’ll thank you for Old Yuan.”

The best part of heading out with the patrol team is catching a ride in their vehicle—it saved them a ton of time getting there and back.

Sure enough, at the base of the Second Peak, they didn’t need any fancy equipment to find the blast site. A whole flock of crows, vultures, and other scavenging birds were already feasting.

With six humans drawing near, the birds weren’t giving up their meal easily. Some just hopped to the nearest tree, while others circled low overhead—shrieking and dumping bird droppings in protest.

Su Ming stared into the massive crater, shocked. “How much explosive did it take to blow a hole this deep? No wonder there was so much smoke last night—you could see the laser beams through it.”

“You have to use plenty if you want to wipe these bastards out in one go.” Cao Xianyun cursed the invaders as she snapped photos, then led their six squadmates picking up burnt bits and unrecognizable fragments.

Claiming she needed to check the High-Risk Area at the Third Peak, Xia Qing split from the group and made her way to the Bear Cave. She confirmed the iron gate showed no signs of tampering. Following tracks left by the Wolf Pack, she saw the three bodies had been dragged down from the mountain by wolves.

Xia Qing guessed their reason for climbing the Third Peak: maybe, after failing their mission in the blast, they raced for Hill Fifty’s highest point.

The Third Peak of Hill Fifty rises into the clouds, buried under deep snow. Climbing up helps them avoid the Surveillance Birds and call in a helicopter for extraction.

What they never expected was the Wolf Pack waiting up there.

Xia Qing didn’t climb any higher. She opened the Bear Cave’s iron gate, slipped into the Hidden Valley, and let out a breath of relief when she saw the stone crevice at the top was still open. That’s when she caught the faintest rustling noise.

In a flash, Xia Qing spun and hid, gun aimed steady at the sound, holding her breath for whatever would appear.

She relaxed a little when a pair of round, twitching little ears peeked out from the crevice. Xia Qing lowered her homemade pistol and coaxed softly, “Hey there, Balding Weasel. How’d you find your way in?”

All the crevices in this valley were sealed tight with wire mesh—did this guy somehow break through? Xia Qing checked the area but couldn’t spot a single breach.

Balding Weasel pressed his tiny paws on the stone, popping his grinning little head out to watch Xia Qing.

It was Xia Qing herself who’d asked Crippled Wolf to send one of his pack over to guard the Bear Cave and this valley.

Balding Weasel was Crippled Wolf’s chosen wolf for the job. If he turned up here, he was right where he belonged—no mistake about it!

Xia Qing took an insulated food pouch from her backpack, pulled out a fresh roasted chicken drumstick, and placed it on the stone. “Balding Weasel, this is the Queen’s favorite—see if it’s to your liking, too.”