"It's my turn now," Cedricl's voice came from behind Ethan. "You rest." His hands trembled slightly as he held the military knife, clearly frightened, yet he steeled himself to take over. Ethan nodded and retreated to the back, while Cedricl let out a shout and swung the knife with a decent form, chopping into the head of a golden-winged louse. However, the blow wasn't strong enough to split it open. The louse screeched, its front legs scraping sparks off Cedricl's arm guards. With a yell, Cedricl slammed the louse against the rock and pushed the blade through, finally severing one side of its head. He gasped for air; watching Ethan fight had seemed effortless, but now he knew better. The lice's carapaces were incredibly hard, and without sufficient force, it was impossible to cleave through their bodies.
In the crevice, Ethan took out a medkit and injected himself with an 'Anti-Toxin Needle' in his thigh, worried that the lice blood might exacerbate the 'Crimson Poison.' Watching Cedricl, Ethan's gaze deepened. If Cedricl hadn't stepped up, Ethan would have used him as bait to escape. Cedricl's loyalty had saved his life, at least temporarily. Ethan wasn't sure how long he could last.
Now, after killing one louse, Cedricl was already struggling, his thigh bitten by another. He cried out in pain, stabbing the louse in the head. He didn't even have time to remove the carcass, letting it hang from his leg as he moved to kill another louse. In less than 30 seconds, Cedricl was showing signs of fatigue. Ethan squinted, ready to take over at any moment. The benefits of "Observing the Mountains and Seas" became apparent. Although Ethan had only cultivated to the second layer, his physical strength and Yuan Force recovery were superior to Cedricl's. After resting for half a minute, he felt ready to fight again.
At that moment, a sound inaudible to human ears caused the golden-winged lice to fall to the ground and scurry about in confusion. Ethan and Cedricl were heartened by this anomaly. Clearly, reinforcements had arrived. Indeed, soon intense light shone from outside the crevice, followed by rhythmic gunfire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each shot, a louse on the ground had its head blown off. After a dozen shots, all the remaining lice were eliminated. Marshal's voice then called out, "Ethan, are you in there?"
Cedricl's eyes reddened with relief upon hearing Marshal's voice, confirming his survival. "Yes, Ethan and I are here."
As Cedricl moved to exit, he suddenly turned back, took Ethan's hand, and placed it on his shoulder, intending to support Ethan out. Ethan hesitated for a second but did not refuse. Together, they walked out of the crevice.
Outside, the fog had cleared, and a breeze blew under the starry night sky. Ethan felt as if he had been reborn. He then saw a Mystic Mech standing nearby, its bright light illuminating the area. Marshal had arrived with a combat team. The team leader, upon seeing the ground littered with louse carcasses, had a slight change in expression.
"Did you kill all these?" Cedricl nodded vigorously, then looked at Ethan. "Mainly him. I only killed a few."
After Cedricl spoke, he noticed the team leader and the other soldiers looking at Ethan with a hint of respect. Marshal surveyed them and nodded, "Let's go back first. We can talk about everything tomorrow."
The team leader signaled for an off-road vehicle to approach. As they boarded, Ethan saw a stretcher carrying Wu Renfan's body pass by. He had been sucked dry, his death gruesome.
Back at camp, Ethan and Cedricl received checks and treatment. Ethan's injuries were more severe and he was kept in the medical vehicle for observation. The night passed without incident.
The next day, Marshal summoned Ethan to his tent and inquired about the previous day's events. Ethan recounted everything, including how Wu Renfan was instructed by Ren Zhong to switch backpacks containing the 'Phoenix Tail Fern.' Marshal grunted, "So young, yet so malicious!"
He shook his head and sighed, "It's a pity Wu Renfan is dead, and now there's no proof. Just the 'Phoenix Tail Fern' alone is unlikely to convict Bryce. Besides, he can always blame Ren Zhong. What do you plan to do?"
After a moment of silence, Ethan said, "An eye for an eye."
Marshal looked at him, said nothing, and let the matter rest.