Floating Fire in July

Floating fire in July; Red Heaven, the Desolate Realm.

Billowing yellow sand flowed across the ground, and the wind, laced with grit, stung the skin.

This was the desert zone located on the southern border of Red Heaven, a place called Tu'erwara that never lacked resilient life, whether it be the soldiers stationed here year-round or the camels carrying heavy loads.

At this time of year, traveling caravans would set out from the south and drive deep to the north, their route cutting across the entire Desolate Realm, serving as the link for supplies between the north and south.

On the barren and harsh earth, a steel beast roared as it leaped down a sand slope, kicking up dust that obscured the sky.

Reddish searchlights flickered on, and this steel beast broke through the shroud of sand, revealing its full form: a military off-road vehicle from the Desert Pathfinder series.

Grit constantly drummed against the scarred bulletproof glass with a pitter-patter sound.

Following the direction of the setting sun on the horizon, the silhouette of a military base could be seen, which was the final destination of this off-road vehicle.

Sands filled the sky, obscuring the sun.

On the military district's watchtowers, soldiers accustomed to the harsh environment pulled up the dust masks around their necks; their weathered gazes were sharper than the sand falcons circling the region.

Looking closely, one would see their chapped hands were like eagle claws, powerfully gripping the rifles in their arms.

This was to prevent anyone from launching a sneak attack from behind the dust clouds to steal their weapons.

In the low-visibility environment, red lights flashed at a fixed frequency; the soldiers were currently conducting routine inspections on passing military vehicles.

Further ahead lay the Devil City Military District, and beyond that was Devil Tower City.

Nearly six months had passed since the Eight-Spider Zerg riots began.

During this period, the bug race organized attacks against the military district almost every day.

No one knew when the next offensive would arrive, and everyone's nerves were stretched to the limit after long-term combat.

A piercing horn blast shattered the silence as the military off-road vehicle stopped at the entrance of the base.

Three people got out of the car—or rather, two and a half, because one person's lower body was still stuck inside while his upper body leaned out, making intimate contact with the ground.

He scrambled to his feet with hands and feet while grumbling and cursing.

Finally, the woman beside him couldn't take it anymore; with a soft sigh, she grabbed the man's collar and hoisted him up.

"Ow, it hurts, everything hurts," Mountain Crow wailed. "It hurts wherever I touch!"

"It's because your hand is fractured," the woman said calmly.

"Ji, your driving is too wild. Not long ago, I was still a wounded patient..."

"I've seen your medical report. Large-area severe burns plus multiple fractures throughout your body. This is nothing to you."

"You used this as an excuse to lie heartlessly in the hospital for half a year. If it weren't for Mountain Crow Tan, your subordinates would have probably come with knives to hang you from the gallows."

"I crawled back from the gates of hell!" Mountain Crow snapped back immediately. "Their family head was almost blown to death. Do those guys have no basic empathy?"

"When have I ever treated them poorly? Now that something happened to me, those heartless bastards aren't even willing to bring a fruit basket to visit!"

"It was the family head who personally ordered that no one approach your room to ensure your safety. And yet, you were able to get out of bed in the second month and almost fully recovered in the third, but you kept making excuses to delay."

Mountain Crow was left speechless.

The young man closed the car door, rubbing his forehead helplessly. If possible, Cloud Magpie didn't want to be associated with Mountain Crow either.

"The target is inside. Let's go."

Upon seeing the three newcomers clearly, the soldiers on duty widened their eyes.

Snow Crow Ji, Mountain Crow, and Cloud Magpie—the heads of three families gathered together.

Such a grand lineup caused even the seasoned soldiers to lose their composure. Finally, the captain stepped forward to salute.

"Enough, skip the formalities," Mountain Crow waved his hand impatiently. "Open the gate, then get lost and do whatever you're supposed to be doing."

The soldiers glanced at each other, but no one cleared the path. This made the already irritable Mountain Crow flare up; he spat on the ground and stepped forward.

"Am I not speaking clearly?"

"We are currently in a state of alert, and we have not received orders from superiors..."

"What orders from superiors? Are you kidding me? Are you saying that the faces of the three of us aren't as good as a commander's word here?"

"That's not what I mean, it's just..." the soldier hurriedly said, his tone suddenly becoming solemn. "Can you prove your identity?"

"Heh." Mountain Crow was about to roll up his sleeves to prove his identity when the woman stopped him just in time.

Snow Crow Ji shook her head. Among the bug race, there were plenty of species capable of mimicking human physiological features; the soldiers' vigilance was reasonable.

However, what she found strange was...

Before departing, they had clearly notified this outpost base in advance. Had the information been intercepted midway?

Signals with long wavelengths were easily monitored by the bug race, so such intelligence was encrypted and transmitted to the outposts, then passed between them. When an outpost could not transmit for various reasons, it would be passed by other outposts in the same area.

The possibility of the entire communication network failing was infinitesimal; it could only have been suppressed manually at some point in the chain.

Such an anomaly made Snow Crow Ji alert. Ever since entering the base, she felt it was strange; almost all the soldiers were monitoring her direction.

Technically, even low-intelligence shapeshifting bugs rarely tried to turn into core figures like them, as it was too easy to see through. This outpost didn't look like it had just been attacked, either.

"Step aside."

Sensing the anomaly as well, Cloud Magpie's tone turned cold. The soldiers near him felt a sudden drop in temperature, a bone-chilling cold that made breathing difficult.

Just as a conflict was about to break out, a figure appeared—a tall, middle-aged man with a thick, short beard and eyes that glowed with authority from deep sockets.

"Lords and Lady, heads of the families, my apologies. Their nerves are on edge during these special times. Please forgive them. Come in."

The tension eased. The soldiers stepped aside, and the heavy gates of the outpost slowly opened. The three family heads followed the man inside.

As the man led them into the interior of the base, he spoke about the recent conditions.

Noticing the still-wary expressions of the soldiers on both sides and the cameras on the ceiling tracking them, Mountain Crow narrowed his eyes.

"Major Mondeville, it seems your words are far more effective than ours?"

"I spend a lot of time with these soldiers, leading them in both training and combat. Aside from Dr. Klef, they are accustomed to listening to me in this outpost. I apologize again on their behalf for the earlier offense to you all," Major Mondeville explained.

Mountain Crow grunted and said nothing more.

Among the Five Great Chi Families, the Chi family held the military and political power. The other four families mainly assisted the Main House in management and rarely meddled in military district affairs. Even if previous family heads had the intention, it was ultimately difficult to reach their hands into the military district.

"Dr. Klef?" Cloud Magpie keenly caught the anomaly in the man's words.

"Why would these soldiers listen to the words of a research scholar?"

Major Mondeville, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. His tall body froze in place, motionless. The surrounding soldiers cast their gazes over, and a deathly silence spread through the air.

"Because... his research improved our combat environment. Many of us escaped death from the claws of the bug swarm because of him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he gave us new life."

"Is that so?" Cloud Magpie placed his hand on the Seiyumaru Mitetsu at his waist.

The three of them exchanged subtle glances.

After all, this Dr. Klef was the very target of their mission.