Chapter 14: Abandonment and Persistence

Allen slipped into a hidden supply point, a cave veiled by foliage. Without thorough inspection, it was nearly impossible to discover. He drank every drop of stored water, finally catching his breath. He had almost succeeded.

Six months in the training camp had been enough to understand someone, especially someone as proud and impulsive as Mao. Mao's character was distinctive, and his weaknesses apparent. Allen used himself as bait, exploiting Mao's flaws to lure him from his sniper's nest. With the help of a caribou to divert Mao's attention, Allen then launched a surprise attack. Despite Mao's unexpected quick reflexes, Allen had prepared.

Allen had set another trap along Mao's likely escape route. As predicted, Mao, like a startled prey, stumbled into the trap. It wasn't lethal, but it hampered his movements. This series of carefully orchestrated maneuvers would have been perfect, if not for Meli.

Perhaps Meli's timid demeanor made Allen subconsciously overlook her, not considering her a real threat. Yet Meli not only disrupted his plans but nearly cost him his life. A bullet had grazed Allen's back, leaving a bloody furrow. Thankfully, it was only a superficial wound. He tore his uniform into strips to bandage the injury, then picked up his weapon and left the supply point. There was no time to rest; he had to eliminate Mao before he could recover. If Mao and Meli joined forces, Allen's situation would become dire.

Exiting the supply point, Allen climbed a tall camphor tree. From the canopy, he looked out over a sea of trees, their leaves rippling like waves in the mountain breeze. The forest was tranquil, and Allen waited patiently, watching for any sign of his prey.

Soon, a flock of birds suddenly took flight from the treetops half a kilometer to the west, their cries filling the air as they flew away. Allen grinned, pinpointed the direction, and swiftly descended, moving stealthily towards the western woods.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Mao raged, leaning against a tree, smashing the ground with the butt of his sniper rifle to vent his fury. He was wounded but not dead. His chest was a bloody mess from where Allen's blade had grazed him. A deeper cut would have split him in two. Remembering Allen's swift, precise strike, Mao still felt a lingering fear. Though the attack was not seasoned, it was dangerously close to fatal.

Besides the gash on his chest, two sharp wooden spikes pierced his right leg, infuriating him further. It was another of Allen's traps. The spikes had embedded deeply into his calf, nearly piercing through. Though the spikes had been removed and his leg bandaged, the wound burned like fire, causing unbearable pain.

Suddenly, the foliage ahead rustled. Mao turned his rifle, ready to fire.

"Don't shoot, it's me," a timid voice said.

"Meli?" Mao saw the girl emerge from the shadows, her hands holding a pair of pistols. The black youth commanded coldly, "Stay where you are."

Meli bent down, placing the pistols on the ground. "Don't be like that, Mao. I only want to help you."

"Help me? How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Meli sighed. "Listen, Mao. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have chased Allen away. We agreed he's our common enemy. Once we kill him, you help me escape. It's that simple."

"You fired the shot?" Mao had heard the gunfire and suspected it was Meli but was now more cautious because of his injury.

"Besides me, who else could it be?" Meli spread her hands.

Mao nodded, finally lowering his gun. Meli approached, leaving the pistols behind. Mao felt reassured; Meli without a gun posed no threat.

As she knelt to rebandage Mao's leg, her movements exposed her cleavage, her youthful body enticing. Mao swallowed hard, memories of their previous encounters stirring within him, his breath growing heavy.

Meli finished bandaging his wound, looking up. "Done, you..."

Mao suddenly grabbed her face and pushed her to the ground, his breath hot and urgent. "What are you doing? Now is not the time for this!" Meli protested softly.

"Shut up. You're mine. When I say now, it means now. Spread your legs, I want you now!" Mao forced himself upon her, his rage against Allen transferred to the girl beneath him. 

Meli bit her lip in pain, her expression driving Mao to further frenzy. He thrust violently, each move an outlet for his anger towards Allen.

All this was silently observed by a pair of crimson eyes.

Minutes later, Mao shouted, his body shuddering. Allen, hidden in the brush, tightened his grip on his weapon, ready to strike. Now was the perfect moment; Mao was vulnerable. Just as Allen was about to attack, a scene froze him in place.

Meli quietly picked up a wooden spike and plunged it into Mao's neck. He groaned, Meli stabbing repeatedly. Blood poured from his neck, and with his last breath, Mao whispered, "Why…?"

Pushing Mao's body aside, Meli dressed herself, then savagely stabbed his chest a few more times. "Why? To survive! Did you really think I wanted to sleep with you? It was to make you like my body! Did you think I wanted to escape? No, I want to stay and be the last one standing!"

"I've used the awakening serum three times; even if I escape, I won't live more than ten years! Only by surviving and winning can I hope to repair the neural damage." Meli's face, smeared with Mao's blood, showed no trace of timidity, only madness. "So you had to die, and that white-haired brat has to die too. I'll seduce him and kill him at his happiest moment, just like you!"

After one final stab, Meli stood. Wiping the blood from her face, she turned to retrieve her guns, but froze. Allen stood before her, weapon in hand, watching coldly.

Meli forced a smile. "You're here? Look, I just helped you deal with him."

Allen said nothing, but his gaze was suffocating.

Terrified, Meli stumbled and fell, tears streaming down her face. "Please, I don't want to die. I just want to leave here. If you don't kill me, I can make you very happy."

She removed her uniform, baring her youthful body. "You've never touched a woman, have you? Come, do whatever you want."

Allen shook his head. "I don't want to become like him."

"You heard everything?" Meli's voice trembled.

"What do you think?"

Meli rolled, grabbing Mao's sniper rifle, and stood. Aiming at Allen, she screamed, "Yes, I want to kill you! I just want to live, is that so wrong?"

"No, but unfortunately, I also have a reason to survive."

"Then die!" Meli squeezed the trigger.

But Allen ducked and slid sideways. The bullet shattered a thick branch on the ground. Ron had once said that until one's source energy was sufficiently strong, firearms were indeed the best choice. Their advantages were clear, but so were their weaknesses. By evading the gun's trajectory, even the most powerful bullet was rendered useless. When Meli picked up the sniper rifle, Allen had already calculated her firing line and preemptively dodged.

The distance between them was only six or seven meters. With a few swift movements, Allen closed the gap before Meli could fire a second shot. He dashed to her left with the agility of a leopard, his superhuman physical abilities making him extraordinarily nimble. Without pity or hesitation, his blade carved a black arc through the air, severing Meli's neck.

The crescent slash, combined with the blade's sharpness, sent her head flying, landing near Mao's body. As her headless corpse fell, Allen stood straight, a complex expression in his eyes that finally settled into calm.

"I sympathize with you, but I despise deceit even more."

With these words, he dragged his sword and left. By dusk, the magical aircraft landed in a valley. The rear hatch opened, and Ron waved from inside. "Get in."

As the aircraft ascended, the forest below shrank from view. Watching the receding landscape, Allen felt as though he had left something behind forever.

The next day, Allen donned the new uniform Ron had prepared. In addition to his vest and camouflage pants, he now wore a black leather jacket. Half a year had passed, and the season had shifted from summer to winter. When Allen woke, snow had begun to fall outside the barracks.

Amidst the snowflakes, luminous source energy particles danced in the air, beautiful like that morning five years ago. But Allen was no longer the same. Six months of intense training had added five centimeters to his height and some muscle to his once-slim frame. He now looked like a boy of fourteen or fifteen.

Stepping out of the barracks, he saw the magical aircraft and Ron waiting in the square. The lieutenant waved. "Hurry up, this vessel will take you to the 13th District's garrison base. Someone there will escort you to Babylon."

Approaching Ron, Allen said, "Thank you for your guidance, Lieutenant."

"Thank yourself for surviving, kid." Ron gave Allen's shoulder a firm pat and then pushed him into the aircraft's cargo hold.

As the hatch closed, Ron suddenly shouted, "Listen, Allen, sometimes we have to abandon things, even become monsters. But never forget, some things are worth holding onto. Otherwise, you'll face a true hell!"

These words made Allen pause. The closing hatch cut off Ron's figure, but a smile gradually appeared on Allen's face. Ron's words brought a touch of warmth to his somewhat cold heart.