CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: MOM NO LONGER HAS TO WORRY ABOUT ME LACKING BLUE

EDITOR: ENDLESSFANTASY TRANSLATION

"We accidentally discovered a Demon Base in a valley about ten miles from here. Inside, there were incubation chambers where the Demon Clan was breeding Biochemical Demon Soldiers, and there was also video material of the Demon Clan’s experiments."

"We’ve been searching for a year, and at last, we found it..." The other party narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Hello, I am Captain Ren Xingwu of the Martial Arts Corps, Star Martial Special Combat Brigade, Southeast Military Region. Thank you for the information. Please guide us to the Demon Clan’s secret base for reconnaissance."

"That’s no problem, it’s just that my companions are all injured..." Wang Lan set Jiang Xinyu down and then gestured towards Xu Xiangwen and Gong Feiyu.

"Lanzi, why don’t I take them? You take Xinyu to the Star Martial Army’s garrison?" Xu Xiangwen said seriously.

"Xu, you’re badly injured too. Let me do it," Gong Feiyu quickly interjected.

"Stop it, both of you. You’re six of one and half a dozen of the other. At least I have my Self Healing ability. It’s settled," Xu Xiangwen stated firmly.

Jiang Xinyu wanted to speak, but the words reached her lips, and she ultimately swallowed them. Wang Lan was indeed the only one of the three unharmed, but the injuries he had previously suffered were all life-threatening. He fought the toughest battles and sustained the most severe injuries, yet he was the only one to make a full recovery.

"In that case, Whitebeard, you take them back to the garrison to report to the battalion commander. I’ll have this young man lead the way."

"Yes, sir!"

After handing Jiang Xinyu over to that soldier, Wang Lan immediately set off with Captain Ren Xingwu to the Demon Clan’s secret base they had discovered earlier.

"My name is Wang Lan, a second-year high school student from Suzhou No.1 Middle School!"

"I know. I just saw your files."

After a ten-minute sprint, Wang Lan brought Captain Ren Xingwu to the canyon where they had killed the Flaming Leopard King. Pointing at the hole before them, he said, "It’s right here."

"Let’s go in."

"Wait, be careful of ambushes. As you saw, the Demon Clan pursued us shortly after we left the base. They probably know the base has been exposed and might have set an ambush."

"Xiaoyu, recon!"

"Yes, sir!" A Star Martial warrior stepped forward. Covering his right eye with one hand, his left pupil suddenly turned white, his eyeball spinning continuously like a globe.

"No traces of the Demon Clan or any signs of activity detected inside the base."

"Good, let’s go in."

Wang Lan gave Xiaoyu a long look, wondering how this person’s ocular ability differed from Xu Xiangwen’s.

Wang Lan was positioned in the middle of the ten-person team, a protected spot.

The lights inside the base were off, but Wang Lan remembered he hadn’t turned off the main switch when they left. He navigated to the electrical box with ease and flipped the switch.

The corridor lights illuminated.

"The Demon Clan came here after we left. Soldier Xiaoyu, if you can scout, please remain on alert at all times. There might be unknown enemies lurking in the base."

Being addressed as ’Soldier Xiaoyu’ by Wang Lan made Xiaoyu’s face light up. In Wang Lan’s previous life, respectfully and familiarly calling a military man ’soldier-brother’ was common. But in this world, this particular address, ’Soldier Xiaoyu’, was new and felt surprisingly warm and pleasant.

"Xiaoyu, stop grinning and focus on scouting. Our squad’s lives depend on you," Captain Ren ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

They entered the corridor and reached the incubation chamber area. However, the doors of the dozens of incubation chambers were now open, and the Biochemical Demon Soldiers inside had vanished.

"Just as I thought... Captain Ren, these incubation chambers were all closed before, and they contained Biochemical Demon Soldiers being bred by the Demon Clan. But now... the Demon Soldiers have been released. At least seventy or eighty of them."

"This means the Demon Clan is still in the primary trial grounds, or perhaps there’s more than one Demon Clan base there. But simply confirming the existence of a Demon Clan base is a victory for us. Even if it means a ground-penetrating search, I want every single one of these bastards dug out."

Next, Wang Lan led them to the laboratory. The central control computer there had already been destroyed, and even its remains still crackled with sparks.

"Hmph!" Captain Ren Xingwu snorted angrily. "The reconnaissance is complete. This is confirmed as a Demon Base. The intelligence from a year ago was accurate; the Demon Base was just hidden too well to be found until now. Mission accomplished. We will return to report."

"Yes, sir!"

"Not good!" Suddenly, Xiaoyu cried out in alarm.

Those two words, "not good," made Wang Lan’s heart leap into his throat, startling him into quickly opening the system to check the cooldown time for his Phoenix Form.

Less than an hour left... This is a disaster!

"What’s wrong?"

"Many Demon Soldiers with Mantis Blade hands have appeared outside the cave entrance. They must be the fifth-generation Biochemical Demon Soldiers you mentioned, young brother Wang Lan. They’re entering the cave."

"Is there another way out?"

"No, this base is sealed. All rear passages are blocked."

"Then we fight our way out!"

"Wait, Soldier Xiaoyu, aren’t the Demon Soldiers attacking each other?"

"Attacking each other? No! Why would they do that?"

"That means there’s still a Demon General present. Demon Soldiers lack sentience and are indiscriminate killing machines. Without a Demon General to control them, they would attack any entity they perceive as a threat. If two Demon Soldiers encountered each other, they would definitely fight. Only under a Demon General’s control do they become elite troops. The last entry in their experiment logs mentioned a failure to control the Demon Soldiers; the Demon General and the Biochemical Demon Soldiers revolted, even killing the project’s lead doctor. I initially thought the Demon Soldier project was shelved, but it seems the Demon Clan’s project has not only continued but has been perfected."

"What do we do now?"

"Fight our way out!" Captain Ren ordered decisively.

Instantly, surging Star Power emanated from the ten-member squad. Their formidable Star Energy Fluctuations revealed that every one of them was at the Star Cloud Stage. Captain Ren, in particular, had reached the peak of the Star Cloud Stage.

Wang Lan’s eyes lit up. If Captain Ren’s squad possessed such strength, they might actually be able to fight their way out.

"Captain Ren, is the Star Martial Army this powerful?"

"Of course. But not every squad is this strong. Don’t forget, we’re not just any unit from the Southeast Military Region; we are also part of the elite Martial Arts Corps, which has a designated unit number. The most outstanding soldiers in the Southeast Military Region’s Star Martial Army are all concentrated in the Special Combat Brigade, and the Martial Arts Corps is the elite of the elite within that brigade. Our battalion commander, though ’only’ a battalion commander by rank, is a top graduate from Modu City’s Star Martial Academy, with a Cultivation Level at the Galaxy Stage. Those Demon Clan bastards picked the wrong time to cause trouble while our Third Battalion is on duty!"

"They’re charging!"

"Hold the entrance! Old Wolf, An Huo, use your ultimate skills!"

"Understood!"

Two Star Martial warriors stood at the forefront of the passage. In front of them, over a dozen Biochemical Demon Soldiers charged ferociously. The soldiers’ Star Power surged, and suddenly, An Huo spewed flames from his mouth. Meanwhile, Old Wolf blasted out ferocious winds, fanning the inferno. Wherever the gale swept, flames instantly engulfed the area, rolling out like a fiery carpet towards the group of Biochemical Demon Soldiers.

The combined Star Martial Skill continued scorching for over ten seconds before ceasing. The foremost Biochemical Demon Soldiers were charred black but hadn’t died. With these dozen or so Biochemical Demon Soldiers clearing the path, the large number of Demon Soldiers behind them quickly closed in.

Seeing this, Wang Lan’s heart sank. The Biochemical Demon Soldiers were stronger than indicated in the test records. The records suggested that, at most, the Biochemical Demon Soldiers would be at the peak of the Star Shine Stage, not yet having reached the Star Cloud Stage. But now...

"Forward! Don’t let them get close!" Captain Ren commanded, charging ahead first.

They had no time to finish off the Biochemical Demon Soldiers who were already on the brink of death from the flames.

Wang Lan, protected at the rear, saw the nearly charred Biochemical Demon Soldiers on the ground, and his eyes glinted.

What’s this? Experience points and skill points!

There was no room for politeness. His figure instantly shot forward. He rushed in front of a Biochemical Demon Soldier and brought his saber down on its forehead.

"Experience points plus one hundred!"

He extracted the Soul Bead but didn’t absorb it. He quickly moved to another Biochemical Demon Soldier and struck again.

Wang Lan’s finishing blows seemed unnecessary, but... whatever makes him happy. Captain Ren thought.

The pressure from the Biochemical Demon Soldiers was immense. Only upon engagement did they realize how terrifyingly powerful these purpose-built weapons of war were. If the Star Martial Army encountered them on the battlefield, it would be a nightmare. The Star Cloud Stage soldiers could hold their own one-on-one, but they struggled when facing two opponents. Captain Ren’s squad only had ten members, yet the Biochemical Demon Soldiers kept pouring in relentlessly.

The situation was dire.

"Experience points plus one hundred..."

"Experience points plus one hundred..."

Wang Lan didn’t know how many finishing blows he’d delivered, nor how many more experience points he needed to level up. If he saw one still breathing, he unhesitatingly went to deliver the killing blow.

"Experience points plus one hundred..."

"AH—"

A scream echoed. A blood-covered soldier rolled to Wang Lan’s feet, and Wang Lan instinctively raised his blade.

"Shit!"

"Sorry, sorry..." Wang Lan hastily withdrew his hand and, with another slash, killed the Biochemical Demon Soldier beside the fallen man.

"Xiao Gang, how are you?"

"Damn it... My lung’s been pierced... Captain, I think I’m done for... Only managed to kill four Demon Soldiers. Didn’t even break even. What a loss..."

"Damn it! I’m not dead yet, so you’re not allowed to die either!" Ren Xingwu roared.

"I can hold on a bit longer. I’ve saved some Star Power. When I can’t hang on anymore, I’ll set off some fireworks for you guys."

"Xiao Gang, you damn fool, just hang in there! If anyone’s setting off fireworks, I’ll be first!" another soldier shouted.

"Experience points plus one hundred..."

Suddenly, a warm current flowed through Wang Lan, and a shocking wave of Star Energy emanated from him. Instantly, the Star Palace above his head opened automatically, and a twinkling Starlight burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

Xiao Gang, watching Wang Lan closely, widened his eyes, his breathing becoming so ragged it seemed like he was about to stop breathing altogether.

Freaking unbelievable!

At this moment... under these circumstances, you can actually break through? Is this timing for your breakthrough too perfect or what? Without any warning?

And... I didn’t see you condensing Star Power or absorbing Soul Beads. You were just happily delivering finishing blows! How can you break through like this?

Upon breaking through to the Star Shine Stage, his Star Power skyrocketed severalfold. On the system interface, the most direct change was a sudden increase in all basic stats. The blue bar surged with data. Although the blue bar itself didn’t lengthen, the numerical value it represented had increased more than fivefold.

Momma won’t have to worry about me running out of mana anymore...