"The soldiers of the Empire, unless they die in battle or become disabled, can never leave the Empire. Xiao Ling, are you certain that the retired personnel on the list you gave me are all disabled?" The officer deliberately shook the list in his hand, waiting for Xiao Ling's explanation.
Xiao Ling's face was expressionless. Dressed in an off-white military uniform, her tie was meticulously fastened, and her slightly handsome face revealed no emotion.
"They can no longer serve the Empire." Her voice was cold, devoid of warmth.
At the very top of the list, the name Qian Li was prominently displayed.
'I want to leave the Empire. I want freedom…' That person's face resurfaced in her memory.
Xiao Ling lowered her head slightly. Her shoulder-length black hair had a slight wave. Maintaining her usual businesslike demeanor, she showed no sign of lying. The officer studied her face and finally sighed.
"You know the consequences."
"I will bear all the consequences alone."
"But she won't know any of this."
"I don't need her to know." I only hope she can have her wish.
* * * *
The vehicle came to a stop, and someone beside her called out, "Major General! Major General!"
Xiao Ling finally opened her eyes. Another dream? She looked up at the soldier. The moment their eyes met, the soldier visibly flinched in fear. She withdrew her gaze, still somewhat drowsy.
"We've arrived?"
"Yes… Major General, we have reached our destination."
Xiao Ling sluggishly stepped out of the vehicle, watching the soldiers as they prepared for the mission. She accepted a speech script from one of them and began reading in an emotionless tone. "Let me see… The Empire's order is to annihilate all armed forces. As warriors of the Empire, you must not fear life or death. Brave soldiers, fight for the Empire. Fight for honor. End of speech."
All the soldiers looked at Xiao Ling, none daring to speak.
She handed the speech script back to the soldier beside her, scratched the back of her head, sensing the awkward atmosphere. Her once shoulder-length hair had been tied into a ponytail. When her fingers touched the leather strap securing it, her hand paused slightly.
Then, she looked at the group of soldiers. Her tone was calm, yet it gave an overwhelming sense of reassurance. "Don't be afraid. As long as I'm here, none of you will die."
For this mission, Xiao Ling was not accompanied by her squad members. After all, her Unit 0 was the Empire's elite force, composed entirely of S-class superhumans. Any one of them could operate independently.
And the only one capable of leading them was Xiao Ling.
This time, she was assigned to lead a regular military unit. Though they had never met her before, they were well aware of her capabilities, which made them all the more silent.
A specially designed black muzzle was placed over Xiao Ling's face, with a leather strap fastened at the back of her head. The muzzle resembled a mask, concealing the lower half of her face and leaving only her deep-set eyes exposed, making her look even more like a caged beast.
"Move out."
"Yes!"
Anything the Empire deemed a threat would be eliminated by the military.
Xiao Ling commanded the soldiers in battle, but she hadn't expected the enemy's armed forces to be far stronger than the Empire's intelligence had reported.
"Major General, we can't hold out much longer."
Superhumans, while superior to ordinary soldiers, had a fatal flaw—using their abilities rapidly drained their stamina, preventing prolonged combat. Compared to technological weaponry, they lacked endurance.
Xiao Ling stepped forward, ordering them to retreat first. Once everyone had withdrawn to a safe distance, she issued a standby command. Then, she silently moved forward alone. She pressed a button below her right ear, and the muzzle instantly unlocked and fell to the ground.
The opposing armed forces were still baffled. Why had the Empire only sent a dozen soldiers? Even more puzzling—why was this woman standing alone before their entire force?
Xiao Ling eyes gradually turned completely white, losing all color. A radiant glow emanated from her body, enveloping the battlefield in shadow. When the light faded, she had transformed into a towering creature over ten meters tall.
Her sharp fangs resembled those of a wild beast, sending the enemy forces fleeing in terror.
"Open fire! Open fire!"
Bullets rained down on her, but they left her unscathed.
"A monster… Run!"
She grabbed soldiers with her claws, either crushing them or devouring them whole. Against her, they stood no chance. Even the Empire's soldiers could not help but tremble in fear.
"A monster."
Xiao Ling was the Empire's monster, existing solely for its sake.
A reckless soldier rushed at her, blade in hand, stabbing at her foot.
"Die, monster!"
The blade pierced her toe. She slowly looked down at him, reaching out and lifting him into the air.
The moment their eyes met, all his courage evaporated. He sobbed and begged for mercy, but the monster only gazed at him impassively.
Her grip tightened. It was simple—like crushing an ant. Blood splattered, and the screams ceased. Flesh and blood dripped from her fingers, staining the ground red.
When all sound had vanished, Xiao Ling reverted to her human form. She stood amidst the carnage, tilting her head to look at the sky. At some point, her hair had come loose, obscuring her face, making it impossible to discern her emotions.
Her entire body was drenched in blood. Even her off-white uniform had turned crimson. Expressionless, she searched through the remains and found her muzzle. Casually shaking off the blood, she placed it back on her face.
Blood trickled down her pale cheeks. Her voice carried a hint of laziness, as if she had long since grown accustomed to this.
"Ah… Another bath…"
She walked past the soldiers, not forgetting to issue an order. "Clean this up."
"Yes!"
After she had left, the soldiers still felt a lingering fear. As they cleaned up the battlefield littered with corpses, they couldn't help but murmur among themselves.
"Only today did I realize how terrifying the Major General truly is."
"I heard she wasn't always like this. A few years ago, she was punished and sent to undergo superhuman research. That's how she became this monster."
"Isn't she the general's only daughter? How did she end up punished?"
"I heard… it was voluntary."
"For what?"
"Who knows…"
* * * *
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Chu Ling caught up with the convoy and had Gu Jingbo find a safe place to rest. Watching as defensive measures were being set up around them, it seemed even Gu Jingbo was feeling a little uneasy.
There were still some big weapons hidden in Gu Jingbo's convoy, though they had yet to be revealed. However, Chu Ling couldn't be bothered to care. She was exhausted tonight and just wanted to get some proper rest.
Before long, Gu Xiyan and the others also arrived. Gu Xiyan impatiently got out of Liang Liang's vehicle, unwilling to stay there for even a second longer. Liang Liang, on the other hand, stepped out with a dark expression, ordering A Yong and Scar to set up the tents.
At some point, Chu Ling had built a small campfire and was roasting sausages. Ah Hu and the others sat nearby, waiting, while Qian Li leaned against a car, gazing at the horizon, lost in thought.
Chu Ling fanned the flames occasionally. The sausages sizzled with oil, looking incredibly delicious, though unfortunately, she had no other ingredients on hand.
Seeing Gu Xiyan approach, she casually picked up a sausage and offered it. "Want one?"
Ah Yi's eyes were glued to the sausage, and he licked his lips. When Gu Xiyan shook her head, he quickly spoke up. "Boss, if she's not eating, can I have it? I'm starving!"
Ah Hu kicked Ah Yi. "Boss hasn't even eaten yet, and you're already thinking about food? Were you a starving ghost in your past life?"
Ah Yi elbowed Ah Hu in response, hitting him hard enough to make him clutch his stomach and groan. "I don't have any other hobbies—I just love to eat. Even if I die, I want to be a well-fed ghost. You wouldn't understand."
Chu Ling had roasted several sausages beforehand. Seeing that Gu Xiyan had no interest in eating, she distributed them to Ah Hu and the others. Ah Yi quickly grabbed one, grinning. "Thanks, Boss!"
He immediately started devouring it. Chu Ling simply chuckled, then stood up and walked over to Gu Xiyan, returning the Goldslayer Mark 3 that Gu Xiyan had given her earlier.
Gu Xiyan shook her head again, pulled out her cherished tablet, and typed:
[Keep it for self defense. It's compact and easy to carry]
Chu Ling's face lit up with joy. The power of the Godslayer Mark 3 was no joke, and she hadn't expected Gu Xiyan to be so generous as to give it to her outright.
"Much appreciated."
Gu Xiyan watched Chu Ling's genuine smile. Whether it was the words she spoke from her heart or those on her face, they were always the same—honest and sincere. That smile alone was like a rare sight in this post-apocalyptic world.
Chu Ling noticed Gu Xiyan staring at her and suddenly recalled how she had randomly touched her earlobe last time. Instantly, she became wary and covered her ear.
Gu Xiyan caught the movement and immediately read her inner thoughts.
{What is she trying to do? Is she going to tease me again like last time?!}
Realizing her previous action might have been a little too intimate, Gu Xiyan's ears turned slightly red. Fortunately, the darkness concealed it well.
She had intended to explain that she hadn't meant anything by her actions last time, hoping that Chu Ling wouldn't overthink it. After all, considering how much Chu Ling liked her, it was best not to let her imagination run wild.
However, before she could speak, Liang Liang, completely oblivious to the atmosphere, suddenly stepped between them.
The moment she appeared, Chu Ling and Gu Xiyan both turned cold, staring straight at her to see what kind of nonsense she was about to pull.
Liang Liang awkwardly smiled and apologized to Chu Ling. "Sorry for interrupting."
Chu Ling lowered her hand and looked at her without showing any dissatisfaction. Instead, she put on a professional fake smile. "Not at all, how could you be interrupting?"
{Fake smile, huh? Let's see who gets sick of it first.}
"Pfft—" Gu Xiyan couldn't hold back and let out a laugh. When Chu Ling and Liang Liang looked at her in confusion, she quickly regained her composure and pretended to be calm and refined.
Liang Liang, though puzzled by Gu Xiyan's reaction, didn't dwell on it. She was here to test Chu Ling.
"Miss Chu, you were really lucky to make it through this time."
As she spoke, she moved a little closer. Chu Ling noticed a necklace peeking out from Liang Liang's collar, glinting conspicuously in the dim light. Her gaze was drawn to it, as if Liang Liang had deliberately revealed it for her to see.
Seeing Chu Ling staring at the necklace, Liang Liang took it out entirely. "Isn't this necklace beautiful?"
The crystal pendant glowed faintly in the darkness, resembling a shooting star. Chu Ling had never seen a gemstone like it before, so she nodded.
Liang Liang held it out in front of Chu Ling, gesturing for her to take a closer look. Chu Ling obliged, examining it from different angles but failing to discern how it emitted light. Something about it felt strange.
"This necklace is very important to me. I've worn it since childhood—it's a family heirloom."
Her words seemed directed specifically at Chu Ling. After speaking, she reached out, signaling for the necklace back. Chu Ling, not understanding her intent, simply returned it to her.
"If it's a family heirloom, keep it safe. Don't wave it around carelessly, or someone might take an interest in it."
Gu Xiyan watched the interaction with suspicion. In the previous timeline, Liang Liang had always worn that necklace and never taken it off. It truly was important to her.
Liang Liang smiled sweetly and put the necklace back on, this time keeping it tucked away. Her test had reached a satisfactory conclusion.
"Of course, I'll keep it safe. I'd hate for someone to try and steal it."