For Lin QiYe and the others, the landslide was just a minor setback on their journey. The catastrophic natural disaster could not stop their progress. They quickly adjusted and continued forward along their original route.
As time passed, they drew closer to Village No. 1.
Mud and dirt clung to their military coats, blending with the black fabric. Their boots sank into the soft earth again and again, pulling free each time, only for the inside of their boots to be filled with wet, muddy leaves, causing an indescribable discomfort.
Cold, hunger, fatigue, pain... These negative feelings weighed heavily on their minds, yet none of them spoke of being tired.
After a year of training, they had already grown accustomed to such conditions.
They were no longer the ordinary individuals they had been before entering the training camp. Now, they were soldiers about to swear an oath to become Night Watchers!
Instructor Hong's walkie-talkie suddenly crackled to life. He reached for it, speaking into the device while continuing to run forward.
After a moment, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Instructor Hong, what happened?" Lin QiYe noticed the change in his expression and asked.
Instructor Hong was silent for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, "The commander is missing."
"Missing?" Bai Li, the plump recruit, was stunned.
"He's been missing for eight hours. The last people who saw him were the two instructors at the temporary command center. They thought he had gone to help with the rescue at a village, but they've checked every village and couldn't find him."
"So, they came to ask if we've seen him?"
"Exactly. But we haven't reached Village No. 1 yet, so we don't know the situation." Instructor Hong paused, thinking. "But given the commander's speed, if he really went to Village No. 1, he should have gotten there by now, maybe even less than two hours."
"How far are we from Village No. 1?" Lin QiYe asked.
Instructor Hong thought for a moment, comparing their current position to the map they had memorized. "At this pace, about half an hour. But we've been running for a while. Do you all want to take a break?"
"We're almost there." Bai Li gritted his teeth, "No breaks! Let's push through!"
The others had no objections, and they increased their speed once again, rushing toward Village No. 1.
Soon, the trees around them began to thin out, and their field of vision widened. In the distance, a corner of the village buried by mud and rocks appeared, its remains barely visible.
The nine of them stopped before the ruins, breathing heavily. Sweat mixed with rainwater, dripping to the ground. Their military coats were soaked through.
"The commander didn't come here," Instructor Hong scanned the ruins and furrowed his brow. "He really is missing..."
"But the commander is a 'Sea' realm expert. He shouldn't be in any real danger. Maybe he just had to leave earlier for some reason?" Deng Wei said, uncertain.
Instructor Hong didn't respond. The new recruits might not fully understand the kind of person Yuan Gang was, but the instructors knew very well that under these circumstances, Yuan Gang would never abandon them while they were still in the midst of rescue operations, quietly running off to do something else.
Something must have happened that they didn't know about...
Instructor Hong took a deep breath. "Forget it. The priority now is saving people. Let's split up and proceed with the rescue as planned. Everyone, take your weapons. If you find anything unusual, call for backup immediately!"
"Understood!" the others responded in unison.
The remaining eight spread out, with Lin QiYe using his abilities to locate the survivors. Shen Qingzhu, Mo Li, Bai Li, Deng Wei, Li Jia, Li Liang, and Instructor Hong began digging to rescue, while Wen Qingqing was assigned to treat the injured.
Lin QiYe moved swiftly through the village of broken walls, marking the locations of survivors with a "X" carved into the dirt or walls using his Star Blade.
With the full use of the Forbidden Ruins, the others' rescue efforts accelerated at an astonishing pace. One survivor after another was rescued and moved to a partially sheltered building to be treated by Wen Qingqing.
Village No. 1 in the valley wasn't large, and it had fewer residents compared to the other villages. After all, very few people in this era chose to live so deep in the mountains. Most were elderly people who had stayed behind, while a few younger generations, who had grown up here, refused to leave.
Moreover, the rescue team in Village No. 1 was highly efficient. In less than half an hour, they had rescued all the survivors.
"Team No. 1 reporting, rescue operations are complete. A total of 17 survivors from Village No. 1 have been treated and are awaiting further rescue teams," Instructor Hong reported via walkie-talkie to the temporary command center, receiving confirmation shortly after.
"The rescue team will take about a day to arrive. Until then, we must stay here to protect the injured," Instructor Hong said, turning to address the others resting against a broken wall.
"What happens when the rescue team arrives? Do we go down the mountain with them?" Bai Li asked.
Instructor Hong shook his head. "No. When they're almost here, we'll head down the mountain on our own to avoid encountering them."
The others nodded, understanding at once.
They were part of an advanced rescue team, deployed before the official teams arrived, and they were affiliated with the Night Watcher organization. In the eyes of the official rescue teams, they were essentially an invisible group.
If they encountered the official teams, it could cause unnecessary complications.
The nine figures in black military coats leaned against the wall. The short remnants of the broken wall shielded them from some of the wind and rain, but raindrops still dripped down their bodies, slowly sliding to the ground.
Bai Li hung his head, gently swaying, his eyes barely open as if they were magnetically drawn to sleep. Meanwhile, Li Jia, Deng Wei, and others had already fallen asleep.
They were exhausted.
Nine hours of extreme environmental running, without a single rest, followed by frantic rescue work—every ounce of their energy had been drained. And remember, the average age of these eight recruits was only 20.
Mo Li gazed at the rain as it slid down from the sky, a little lost in thought. Suddenly, a head gently rested on her shoulder. She instinctively tried to move, but when she saw the fatigued yet determined face beneath the military cap, she paused.
Bai Li had fallen asleep.
He was deeply asleep, to the point where his body had collapsed against Mo Li's shoulder, unaware of it.
Mo Li stared blankly at his face for a moment, torn in thought, but ultimately chose not to push him away. Instead, she let him rest against her.
She pursed her lips and turned back to look at the continuous rain, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she seemed to remember something.
In his sleep, Bai Li's lips curled up into a slight smile.