The Last Stand

Lighthouse Base, the headquarters of the Nightwalkers.

On one screen, the haughty visage of Zhou Wang was frozen; this image was transmitted by Zane's electronic eye. Over the past half hour, the entire defense sequence Zane had participated in was faithfully displayed on this screen.

Orion sat in his chair, spinning an electronic pen in his hand—a habit when pondering important matters. His aide, Draco, knew this all too well.

The pen finally came to a halt, and Orion switched off the screen.

Draco spoke up, "Should we inform Han Shu to dispense with Zhou Wang? It's clear he bears a grudge against Zane and might try something during future operations."

"It's of no consequence," Orion replied nonchalantly. "A person untested by trials can never truly excel. That's why I sent him directly into the field instead of some training camp. He must continually prove his worth and that he merits our investment. If he can't handle someone as trivial as Zhou Wang, then his potential is limited."

Draco chuckled, prompting a curious glance from Orion.

"What's so funny?" asked Orion.

"You haven't shown such high hopes for a young person in a long time," Draco observed.

Orion removed his glasses, "Is it that obvious?"

Draco laughed, then said, "However, throwing him into Han Shu's squad might raise suspicions soon. From how Zane dispatched that dog demon, his abilities clearly differ from the War God rank."

Orion nodded in agreement, "Indeed, quite different. At only level 1, he's already demonstrating speed rivalling the Hunter rank. And he was able to strike fatally at the dog demon's weak spot without seeming prior experience. That must be an innate ability of the Assassin rank."

"A few more battles, and even the blind will see he's no War God. But does it matter?"

Draco seemed to grasp the key point, "By that logic, it seems the City Lord is already aware."

"You're correct. With the City Lord's knowledge, containing the news becomes simpler. There's no need to keep the new rank hidden for too long. Just enough time for Zane to establish deep ties with the Nightwalkers. When we make it public later, we won't fear other legions trying to poach him."

Orion smiled, then sobered, "More concerning is the fallout from yesterday's military department meeting. Commander Chu's clash with Minister Wade worries me."

Draco rubbed his face, "No wonder Strategy suddenly sent a high-ranking official to the wasteland. Minister Wade is still hung up on his son's incident and seeking to cut resources for Ascendants."

Orion leaned back, "In recent years, people's envy over Ascendants' resources and privileges has reached unbearable levels. Wade's actions have a good chance of success. But now Zane has emerged, and he might become a significant impediment to Wade's reforms."

"If Zane can prove that the Avenger rank is a deterrent to a hostile Bastion, Wade's plans may falter."

Draco sighed, "Life would be simpler if our battles were confined to the interstellar wasteland."

Orion put his glasses back on, the reflective lenses hiding his eyes, "But also much duller, wouldn't it?"

Draco muttered, "At my age, ordinary is much more blissful than interesting."

...

Inside the medical vehicle, Zane sat quietly in a corner, waiting for his examination.

The vehicle, akin to a small-scale mobile medical clinic, had its own generator set, ensuring a constant power supply during the treatment of the wounded.

Equipped with an operating room, an intensive care unit, and a temporary ward, along with a well-trained medical team, it greatly increased the survival rate of explorers in the interstellar wasteland. However, such medical support was reserved for significant operations like the Star Marrow Pillar recovery, not for small-scale explorations.

Zane was soon called in for examination.

As he was about to enter the examination room, he encountered the Strategy Department official, his head wrapped in a disinfectant bandage.

Chen Liu's insistence on this rescue operation, meant to further tarnish Ascendants, had backfired with a slap in the face from the dark denizens.

Now devoid of his earlier arrogance, he looked sullen.

Zane nodded a greeting, which Chen Liu ignored.

Entering the examination room, Zane was surprised to find Xun as the examiner.

The young girl, not yet fully matured but already radiating clear beauty, smiled warmly upon seeing Zane.

"You don't look injured," she said, patting the pristine examination bed, indicating for Zane to lie down.

Zane complied, removing his uniform, leaving on only his armor. "I feel the same, but Captain Han insisted I come."

"Han cares a lot about you guys," said Xun as she brought over a medical diagnostic device. Approaching Zane, she wrinkled her nose, "You stepped into something?"

Recalling the dark denizen fluid sprayed on him, Zane muttered, "Maybe I should come back later."

Xun gently pressed him back down, "You're already here, let's not waste time."

She began the examination.

Lying there, Zane could even see the fine downy hairs illuminated by the light near her earlobes.

"Why did you choose to be a nurse in the interstellar wasteland medical system?" he ventured.

Xun paused but kept working without a word.

"Must've been a dumb question," Zane thought to himself.

"You're fine, just some minor muscle strains, no need for treatment," she said after a moment, scanning the diagnostic results.

Getting off the bed, Zane picked up his uniform, "Thanks for your time."

Just as he was about to leave, her voice stopped him, "The medical system here pays well. My father is sick; I need contribution points to save him. There are easier ways, but I don't want to be constrained. You understand, in the Bastion, freedom comes at a high price."

Turning back, Zane found Xun busily arranging her instruments, her back to him. After watching her quietly for a moment, he stepped out of the room.

The easier way she spoke of likely meant becoming some upper citizen's wife or lover. With Xun's qualities, that wouldn't have been difficult.

Yet she chose a harder path.

Zane remembered a book he'd once read, which said: Life is a journey of constant compromise, but sometimes, we should retain some stubbornness for ourselves. Otherwise, what's the point of living?

Perhaps Xun's choice was her way of holding on to her last bit of stubbornness?