Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 923 - 64: Downsizing and Struggling

Chapter 923: Chapter 64: Downsizing and Struggling

The rising sun cast warm, gentle light over the abandoned city, now overgrown with plants, exuding a refreshing and clean aroma devoid of industrial emissions and human chatter. A gentle breeze stirred, and dewdrops from the branches fell, shattering into eight petals upon hitting the ground.

A team of small ants, foraging for food, carefully dragged a bug shell and skirted around the droplets, continuing their march. Sadly, they hadn’t moved several meters before a chameleon shot out its tongue and scooped them into its mouth.

The short-lived peace made the atmosphere around the fort even heavier. Dantai meticulously gathered the last letters of three fallen comrades and put them into his pocket.

Li Xinlan sighed as she distributed food and Sweet Spring Potion; Pang Meiqin approached Tang Zheng to ask about his condition.

"I’m fine, Dantai, call Qin Yan and the others back. Losing two Sub-castles, our defense system no longer works," Tang Zheng said.

"Okay." Dantai nodded, knowing that the only option left was to hold the Mother Fort and then withdraw at the last moment. However, dealing with so many tired and wounded was a headache. "We must find a way."

The news of a potential withdrawal gave the group a sigh of relief. In such times, only by staying with the entire team could one feel secure.

"They are heroes, but I can’t give them a hero’s funeral."

As Qin Yan and her team arrived, they saw Dantai’s grieving face as he tidied the clothes of the three fallen soldiers and washed the stains from their faces with clean water.

"What’s wrong?" Lu Fan asked, not understanding the situation.

"Good timing to strike up a conversation," Yu Manli thought with a flicker of joy inside, though her face showed sorrow. She explained softly but made sure everyone could hear.

Influenced by the mood, the injured survivors wrestled with their thoughts, and then they looked at the soldier’s corpse that had committed suicide nearby. Rather than dying a worthless death, they might as well make a final contribution to the team.

"Better to cremate them, or the bugs will eat them," Bai Guo said, a Natural Stupid with sincere concern for the deceased. His words solidified the survivors’ resolve, and their eyes became resolute.

"Dantai, hand me the ring. Let me do it next time," Sha Ou woke up, leaning against the wall, smiling at the deputy group leader, "There’s no one left at home, so I don’t need a last letter."

The German flight attendant crouched next to Li Du, taking care of him, eliciting a few jokes from the soldiers about their combat mate, while another soldier shrank in the corner, still trembling.

"Don’t lose heart, we will survive, and leave this Game!" Qin Yan cheered everyone up. Perhaps because everyone had made their decisions inwardly, the panic dissipated, and morale was boosted.

Dantai wanted exactly that effect. Yu Manli, an expert in understanding hearts, had explained things just right, once again stirring the mood and affecting everyone.

"I’m really despicable, aren’t I? From the beginning, I was ready to forsake the newbies, just thinking about how to maximize their use. If it were Tang Zheng, he probably wouldn’t have thought that way until the very last moment, or maybe not at all," Dantai said as he looked at Tang Zheng. The Group Leader frowned, staring at the Azure Sky’s rising sun with an utterly dispirited expression, as if blaming himself for his helplessness.

Tang Zheng indeed felt guilty. He knew Dantai was right, as newbies couldn’t withstand such intense combat. It was the Group Leader’s duty to maximize team resources, leverage everyone’s value, and keep the core, most viable survivors safe until the end of the Game. But because of these kind-hearted soldiers, he had hesitated.

"No wonder Yin Shangwu says I can’t be a ruthless leader, not suited for this cruel Survival Game!" A self-mocking smile crossed Tang Zheng’s lips, his heart was too soft.

"It’s because of your kindness that we’ve gathered around you. If you were cold and ruthless, who would dare to trust you? Even if we didn’t leave, we would become self-preserving," Qin Yan understood Tang Zheng very well. The team had come this far largely thanks to him, otherwise they would have only been suspicious of each other, fighting their own battles. Just like Zhuo Lie’s team, like Landeck’s team, once they faced a desperate situation, those hidden dangers would exponentially grow and become factors leading to Team Annihilation.

"Is Tang Zheng alright? Showing such an expression at this time isn’t what a Group Leader should do!" Even Yu Manli and Ruan Feifei were subtly influenced by him. They once aimed to elevate their Status within the team, to protect themselves, to gain benefits, but now they, too, were thinking about how to make Tang Zheng consider the Team more, because aside from his soft heart, he was undoubtedly a competent Group Leader.

"He has become much harsher recently, it’s just that the three newbies who voluntarily sacrificed themselves touched his delicate nerve. You should tell him that such newbies are very rare," Ruan Feifei whispered, somewhat dismissive of Tang Zheng. She liked strong men, but for some reason, it pained her to see that lonely figure sitting by the wall.

"That’s his principle too. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to follow a leader without a bottom line," Yu Manli said.

No sooner had Yu Manli finished speaking than the Teleportation Gate appeared again. In only three seconds, a total of fifty-five gates emerged around the fort, with the closest one just sixteen meters away. A host of Self-destructive flying bugs poured out, hurling themselves at the Mother Fort.