"Mmm~ Good morning! Wen... de?"
March 7th, having just stepped out of her room and stretched luxuriously, was about to greet Wende when she saw what looked like a "giant panda" that vaguely resembled him.
"Morning, March," said Wende, sporting a pair of panda eyes, waving a listless hand at her.
"You... didn't sleep all night?" Stelle asked in surprise, staring at the dark circles under Wende's eyes.
"Mm..."
Wende hung his head and nodded.
Normally, pulling an all-nighter wouldn't cause this problem for him. But because of last night's nightmare, he had been forced to bleed his ten Jing-well points to stay awake. He was afraid that if he fell asleep, he would wake up as soone else, and in the process... he might have let out a bit too much blood.
"This... why don't you get so sleep today?" March 7th suggested, looking at the exhausted Wende.
"No, we still have to investigate the Underworld today. By the way, where's Bronya?"
Wende looked around but couldn't see Bronya anywhere.
"She went out this morning. I didn't stop her," Dan Heng said, holding his arms. He indeed had no reason to stop her; this wasn't an imprisonnt, after all.
"Mm, let her go. With 'those people' around, she shouldn't get hurt," Wende nodded. "Let's go find Sampo first. He told us yesterday that he would introduce us to the leader of 'Wildfire'."
Stepping out of the hotel, the scene before him left Wende stunned.
"Huh? You actually waited for us here?" Wende said, looking at the blue-haired man in disbelief.
"Hey, hey, hero! In your eyes, is your old friend Sampo such an untrustworthy person? I'm a businessman! Reputation is number one!"
Sampo imdiately put on a heartbroken expression, as if Wende's doubt had wounded his fragile little heart.
"Tsk. I hope so," Wende shrugged, feigning belief on the surface while muttering to himself internally.
What on earth happened in the Underworld? How did even this fun-seeker start acting serious?
The current state of Belobog was a complete ss. Above ground, there was a Great Guardian hell-bent on sending her troops to their deaths. Although Wende had temporarily incapacitated her with Hiko's coffee, allowing the frontline Guards to hold their position instead of charging forward, he didn't know if she would continue to force them down the sa path once she woke up.
As for the Underworld, while he didn't know the specifics of what had transpired, Wende could guess.
It was simple. If the Fragntum activity in the Overworld was intensifying, then the Underworld...
"Speaking of which, there's hardly anyone on the streets today," March 7th said, looking at the empty streets with confusion.
"Yeah, I didn't even see the hotel owner this morning. It's so weird," Stelle also realized sothing was wrong.
Under Sampo's guidance, the Trailblazing team walked through the deserted streets.
After what felt like a long ti, Sampo led them to a clinic.
"Everyone, we have arrived. The leader of Wildfire is here."
Sampo bowed slightly to the group.
"Thank you for choosing Sampo's tour guide service. I look forward to our next eting!"
With that, Sampo, like a fox with oil on its feet, turned and vanished into a nearby dark alley.
"A clinic? Is the leader of Wildfire sick?" March 7th scratched her head, confused.
"Maybe the leader of Wildfire owns this clinic?" Stelle suggested seriously, pinching her chin.
"Hmm... seems plausible," March thought for a mont and found it surprisingly reasonable.
"..."
Dan Heng's brow furrowed in silence. He could sll... the scent of blood.
Wende looked up at the clinic's sign, a sudden unease stirring in his heart.
Did Sampo really bring us directly to Wildfire's true leader? Does this guy have that much of a conscience? Or did sothing major happen that forced him to bring us to see this person?
It seed that relying on the original plot was no longer a dependable strategy.
Burying his speculation in his heart, Wende stepped forward and pushed open the clinic door.
A pungent sll of disinfectant imdiately wafted out. Wende was the first to enter.
In stark contrast to the silence outside, the inside of the clinic could be described as "bustling"—a liveliness built upon the pain of its patients.
The clinic was filled to the brim with beds of all sizes, occupying every corner. The groans of patients rose and fell in waves. dical staff rushed between them, changing dressings for the injured.
"..."
Seeing the scene before them, even the slowest mber of the Trailblazing team would have realized what had happened. The wounds on these people were clearly fresh. In the Underworld, the only things that could cause such massive casualties were either internal strife or an attack by Fragntum creatures!
Creak...
The door behind them was pushed open again. Another wounded person was helped in, groaning in pain, their hand still tightly gripping their own severed right leg...
"Huu..."
Wende took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn.
"Stelle, Dan Heng, March, go outside and help. If it's Fragntum creatures, I'll leave it to you. I need to stay here..."
Seeing Wende's serious face and the room full of wounded, the three didn't say another word. After asking the Wildfire mber who had helped the patient in for directions, they rushed to the battlefield where the Fragntum was encroaching.
Wende stopped a dical worker, identified himself as a fellow doctor, and expressed his wish to join the relief effort. The worker agreed without a second thought.
At a ti like this, rules and regulations were no longer important. As long as these people's lives could be saved, what did it matter if you were a stranger?
"Relax, you'll be fine," Wende said reassuringly to the man with the severed leg. He first used his lightning needles to seal the bleeding wound, then took the severed limb, aligned it with the stump, and channeled the power of Abundance from his hands.
Soon, the severed right leg was reattached to the man's body, leaving only a line of fresh, pink flesh where the break had been.
"You're lucky. The limb was intact. Don't walk on this leg for a few months; the bone needs ti to heal."
As the man stared at him as if he had seen a god, Wende gave his instructions and imdiately turned to the next patient.
At this mont, Wende had entered a state of extre focus. A voice that seed to be there and not there was guiding him, telling him how to treat this wound, how to reattach that limb, how to resuscitate an unconscious patient...
Knowledge that had not previously existed in his mind flowed into him like an endless river, slowly becoming his own mory.
Wende felt it happening, but he did not stop this mory that was not "his" from entering his mind.
Saving lives is what matters!
Both Wende, and the voice in his head, thought the exact sa thing.
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