Team B

In the darkness, the girl couldn't see Huo Xuan but recognized his voice. "I'm fine," she said. "Go help the others."

Knowing she wasn't in immediate danger, Huo Xuan nodded. "Hold on a little longer." With that, he rushed to the next room.

By the time he arrived, it was too late. The man in his thirties lay dead, his neck snapped by a grotesque figure with a thick, scaly tentacle protruding from its chest—the very appendage that had strangled the life from him.

Yet the tentacled monstrosity hadn't escaped unscathed. One of its arms had been severed at the shoulder, blood gushing from the stump, and its left eye was a ruined mess. It sprawled on the ground, barely clinging to life.

Without hesitation, Huo Xuan crushed its skull with a single kick and hurried onward. Before he could reach the next location, the hotel's emergency power system kicked in, flooding the corridors with light.

Under the restored illumination, Huo Xuan spotted Blood Fox and the two young operatives emerging from the stairwell. All three bore injuries—the round-faced youth fared worst, missing an ear and his left hand.

The lanky-faced operative had fared slightly better, though several ribs were broken, and a gash above his eye bled freely.

Blood Fox, despite numerous wounds, suffered only superficial cuts and appeared the least affected. His gaze locked onto Huo Xuan. "Where are Chi Yi and Little Grass?"

Little Grass was the injured girl; the strangled man was Chi Yi. Huo Xuan sighed. "Little Grass is badly hurt. Chi Yi... didn't make it."

"How come you're unharmed?" The lanky-faced youth's stare bore into him, suspicion thick in his voice.

Huo Xuan smirked coldly. "Because I know how to fight. Your skills surpassed the enemy's, yet you paid a steep price for victory. That speaks volumes about certain people's incompetence."

The lanky-faced operative's expression darkened, but he couldn't refute the truth. Among the six, Huo Xuan alone emerged unscathed.

Blood Fox's face was stormy. "Retrieve Little Grass. We're pulling out."

An hour later, the five entered a covert base. Everyone except Huo Xuan was wounded. After treating their injuries, they gathered to debrief.

In a dimly lit room, Blood Fox's voice was taut. "This is the Violent Squad's heaviest loss in five years. One comrade dead, two severely injured, two lightly wounded!"

Silence hung heavy. The mission should've been flawless—yet the sudden blackout had turned it into a bloodbath.

"The failure of this operation is my responsibility. I underestimated the enemy," Blood Fox admitted.

Little Grass shook her head. "We all share the blame, not just you." She added, "Huo Xuan saved me today. Without him, I'd be dead."

Blood Fox glanced at Huo Xuan and sighed. "The plan was to give you combat experience. Never thought we'd end up needing your help."

Huo Xuan replied, "As long as I'm part of the Violent Squad, this is my duty."

Blood Fox's expression remained grim. "Our team suffered heavy losses. We won't be taking missions for a while—you'll have to leave."

Huo Xuan frowned. "Where do I go?"

"The Violent Squad has three units: A, B, and C. We're C-team—the weakest but most active." Blood Fox paused. "If you want to continue gaining experience, your only option is B-team. But be warned—they have Hua Jin masters, and their missions are far deadlier. Think carefully."

"I'll go." Huo Xuan didn't hesitate. He hadn't come this far to quit.

"Good." Blood Fox studied him. "Your performance today proves you can handle it."

After contacting B-team, Blood Fox escorted Huo Xuan to a military airfield outside Jiangzhou. Over an hour later, a transport plane landed, disgorging two men in civilian clothes. Both radiated a feral intensity—veterans who'd walked through blood and fire.

The leftmost man, whose forehead bore a bullet scar, eyed Huo Xuan. "This the recruit, Blood Fox?"

Blood Fox nodded. "X's orders were to train him, but C-team's out of commission. He's yours now."

Scarface grunted. "Heard about your losses. Tough break."

The hawk-nosed man's gaze sharpened. "We're heading to Africa next. You know how that goes—suicide odds. Sure you want to throw him into the grinder?"

"His choice," Blood Fox said flatly.

No further words were exchanged. Within minutes, Huo Xuan boarded the plane with his new teammates. Once airborne, Hawk-nose broke the silence: "Introductions. We'll be bleeding together—best know who's at your back."

"Huo Xuan. Appreciate the opportunity."

Hawk-nose shrugged. "X's orders aren't optional."

Through conversation, Huo Xuan learned Scarface was Zhu Hong, Hawk-nose Fang Lingtian—both B-team operatives. The X Unit's three squads (A, B, C) each had 5-7 active members, though reserves swelled their ranks to 20-30.

Their commander, known only as "X," was so enigmatic even Zhu and Fang had never seen his face.

This mission? A shadow war in an African nation where China had recently secured a $5 billion oil and infrastructure deal—infuriating America, who'd ruled the region for decades. U.S. proxies were inciting anti-China riots, kidnapping engineers, and threatening to topple the local government.

"Our job?" Zhu Hong cracked his knuckles. "Crush their schemes, rescue hostages, and wipe every Yankee rat out of their holes."

Huo Xuan blinked. So much for training wheels—I've been drafted into a superpower showdown. Surviving this would take more than luck