Old White and Turner stood back to back, eyes alert, watching the circling demon wolves. Their powerful physiques were soaked in wolf blood, as if bathed in a crimson deluge.
Exhaustion weighed heavily upon them. The daggers in their hands, dulled and weary, could no longer pierce the wolves' hide.
"Old White, can you still hold on?"
Old White panted, age dragging on his breath—such relentless battle was a heavy burden for a man of his years.
"Don't worry. I won't die just yet," he growled stubbornly.
"Take down these beasts and we live. Heh, I'm glad to be fighting by your side!" Turner chuckled, his blood-smeared face making his teeth gleam like ivory in the dark.
"Yes… We live, for my daughter."
"And I—for my sister."
In that desperate moment, neither man fought for himself, but for the women they loved most.
The five demon wolves let out low, feral growls, and lunged as one toward the two warriors.
This would be the decisive clash. With a final roar, the battle-worn men summoned the last of their will to resist. Should they fail, they would be torn apart—nothing left of them to protect Alice or Ivy.
But just as despair began to cloud Old White's heart, a thunderous gunshot shattered the air.
The wolf before him howled in agony, its head blasted open by a merciless bullet.
A grin cracked across Old White's bloodied face—Xiao Feng had returned.
One shot after another rang out, demon wolves collapsing like felled trees. At last, the two remaining beasts exchanged a glance, then turned tail and vanished into the forest's shadows.
Old White and Turner sank to the ground, back to back, too drained to speak.
Xiao Feng strode up to them with his sniper rifle slung casually in hand, a roguish grin tugging at his lips. "Well, well, didn't expect you two old dogs to still be breathing."
Turner turned his head. "Where's my sister?"
"Relax. Ivy's safe. I got her back to the armored vehicle. They're on their way to the Safe Zone now."
"Heh… good. You know, I'm starting to like you, kid. But if you ever lay a finger on Ivy, I'll rearrange your teeth for you."
Old White shook his head and struggled to his feet. "I told you not to join Viper Squad, but you wouldn't listen. First mission and you nearly got yourself killed. Tch."
Xiao Feng offered him a hand and pulled him up. "Come on, Uncle White, if it weren't for the Viper Squad fighters, the three of us would be feeding the wolves right now. Be grateful."
Supporting one another, the three limped out of the forest. Midway, Xiao Feng suddenly frowned. "Wait—where's the alpha?"
White and Turner exchanged glances—they had completely forgotten the F-class beast. If they could bring back its carcass, the bounty would rival that of a dozen G-class monsters.
But there was no trace of the alpha anywhere.
"Forget it. That thing's wounded. Once we recover, we can come back and finish the job," said Old White.
"You really think you can kill an F-class monster? Keep dreaming," Turner snorted.
"You're probably right."
It took them several more grueling hours to return to the Safe Zone. Xiao Feng's sniper rifle was their salvation—keeping mutated rats and vicious hares at bay. Without it, they might have survived the wolves, only to perish in the wasteland.
Viper Squad had been decimated—barely ten survivors remained. Turner's heart bled at the sight.
Those who made it back stood waiting at the gates, especially Ivy, who watched with tear-filled eyes for the two men she cared most about.
Just before nightfall, the three blood-stained warriors emerged beneath the floodlights. When Ivy saw them staggering forward, tears spilled freely down her cheeks once more.
The remaining soldiers of Viper Squad stared in silent reverence. They knew well what kind of carnage these three had endured.
To their eyes, these were no mere survivors—they were heroes, wounded and unbowed.
The lights cast long shadows behind them. Though the distance was only a few hundred meters, their every step was labored, a testament to the cost of their defiance.
Captain Locke, watching from atop the wall, scowled at the sight of White and Turner, bloodied but alive.
"Still not dead? And look at that armored vehicle—full of G-class demon wolves. Seems Viper Squad took a real hit this time."
"Hmph, they're down to a handful. Let's see how arrogant they are now," sneered a low-ranking officer.
"Idiot. As long as White and Turner are together, they'll be even more dangerous. Call the psychics. We need reinforcements."
"Yes, sir!"
Locke's eyes darkened as he looked down at the broken remnants of Viper Squad. Seven or eight at most. Certainly no more than ten.
And yet the strength of these few far exceeded the thirty they had lost.
Turner glanced around, eyes wide. "Where are the others?"
"You didn't see the bodies on your way here?"
Turner turned to Xiao Feng. "So that's why you led us the long way around…"
"I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it," Xiao Feng said softly. "I couldn't let you see them like that."
"No… I have to go back. I'll bring every one of them home. They deserve a proper burial!" Turner's wearied body surged with new strength as he strode toward the armored vehicle.
Old White caught him in a headlock. "Calm down! Going back now is suicide. The beasts are already active. Even in a war truck, you'd be throwing your life away."
Turner shoved him aside. "Out of my way! They were my brothers!" Tears streamed down his face, a flood he could no longer restrain.
Ivy stepped forward then. "Brother, please… calm down. If you go into that forest now, you'll die. And if you die… what am I supposed to do?" She embraced him from behind. "This world is cruel enough. Those men are gone. Don't waste your life—treasure the ones still beside you."
Turner froze, silent. Tears rolled down his face—tears befitting a warrior.