Chapter 524: Die For The Country In Its Hour Of Need

"So, the little mouse has been hiding here." A short white man who was barely over 1.6 meters stepped through the shattered doorway. A gleeful smile spread across his face upon seeing the two people in the operating room. "Oh, and you even have a companion. This is going to be so much fun."

A flicker of despair went through Poison Wolf's eyes. He recognized this diminutive man. Nicknamed Bloodhound, he was the lead tracker of the Realm of Traces’ Burrower Squad. He was a Yiggs mutant with a highly advanced sense of smell.

It was this very man who had unearthed the Dragon Group squad in Tokyo, leading to the capture of many of his teammates, including his partner and lover, Chong Chong.

If rumor was to be believed, Bloodhound's superhuman sense of smell could distinguish a target scent from among thirty thousand different odors.

Poison Wolf had specifically chosen to hide in the slave camp to use the overwhelming stench of the stone forest to mask his scent and evade Bloodhound’s pursuit. Even if it couldn’t completely shield him, it could at least buy enough time to finish the surgery and extract the data.

But now... The sound of footsteps multiplied as they grew louder and closer. The entire makeshift operating room was surrounded. As seasoned operatives used to working underground, Poison Wolf and the Doctor instantly estimated the situation. At least fifty combat-ready elites were closing in. They could also hear the faint hum of power armor micro-engines in the distance. There were additional power armor squads stationed on the perimeter to cut off all escape routes.

There was no doubt. The area had been entirely cleared and locked down. But when they realized that escape was no longer an option, Poison Wolf and the Doctor did not panic. Without a word, Poison Wolf lunged straight at Bloodhound. Meanwhile, the Doctor immediately activated the self-destruct protocol on the nanomachines.

The data they contained, even if it was useless to them, could not be allowed to fall back into Jiepeng’s hands. After all, it had details about the Dragon Group’s covert operatives. If the information reached the Realm of Traces, it could easily jeopardize other Great Xia Dragon Group cells within the Jiepeng Empire. The consequences would be catastrophic.

But Bloodhound clearly had no intention of engaging Poison Wolf in combat. He was far too familiar with the fighting habits of Great Xia’s Dragon Group operatives. When they were cornered, these operatives fought with the ferocity of tens of soldiers. Fueled by their unshakable beliefs, they could exhibit strength beyond scientific explanation, especially when combined with the Dragon Group’s unique secret technique, the Heart of the Pure Child.

This technique allowed them to ignite their latent potential. It had often caught even far superior opponents off guard and turned the tide in an instant. Even elite combatants had fallen victim to such desperate counterattacks.

"If you don’t want her to die..." Bloodhound spoke as he swiftly stepped back to reveal a machine over a meter tall behind him.

A semi-transparent casing on top of the machine displayed a mutilated head. It had been severed cleanly at the neck and connected to the rest of the machine by cables and wires. It was clear that only the head remained.

"Ahhhh!" Poison Wolf let out a howl of anguish.

It was his lover, Chong Chong. The woman who had stood by his side through all the years spent undercover in a foreign land, every mission filled with the clash of blades, and every perilous journey where death loomed at every corner.

Though he had always known this day might come, Poison Wolf howled like a wounded lone wolf at the sight of her scarred and mutilated head displayed so brazenly. It was a cry that tore through the air with raw pain.

"Don’t worry, she’s still alive," Bloodhound smiled cruelly as he placed a hand on the head’s protective casing. "You know well enough what the Heart of the Pure Child technique does to the practitioner’s body. The fact that we managed to preserve her brain and her consciousness is practically a gift of mercy. If you’re willing, she could even have a new, perfect body that’s stronger and more real than before. What do you say? Interested in making a deal?"

Poison Wolf’s chest heaved violently. His eyes were locked on the severed head beneath the transparent casing. Her face was marred by scars. Half her hair had been shaved off, exposing pale skin where two brain-machine interfaces were connected to a web of wires. Her eyes fluttered faintly.

The Doctor stood silently on the side. In a situation where death was certain, even the smallest delay was an opportunity. If they could stall until the nanomachines were destroyed and the data erased, it wouldn’t matter if they were both reduced to ashes.

"Not speaking? That means you’re hesitating," said Bloodhound.

He was a master at breaking people down. He observed every nuance and every flicker of emotion that crossed Poison Wolf’s face. When he saw the crimson haze of rage begin to cloud Poison Wolf’s eyes, a cruel smirk crept across his lips.

Having encountered countless members of Great Xia’s Dragon Group, he knew precisely how to deal with these indomitable warriors. They were perfect soldiers. They had incredible combat prowess, unwavering faith and ironclad resolve. But their weakness was just as obvious. They cared about the lives of their loved ones.

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Bloody tears streamed down Poison Wolf’s face. Memories of their final mission surged through his head. In the end, it was Chong Chong who had used the Heart of the Pure Child technique, unleashing a surge of energy at the cost of her own body. She had held off the Realm of Traces agents in a desperate last stand, buying him a fleeting moment to escape with the intel.

If not for his unique physique, which could better tolerate the nanomachines, he swore, it would have been him who had stayed behind.

"Run.”

"Go."

"Little Wolf, I fucking love you."

Those were Chong Chong’s final words before she had been swallowed by the storm of battle. But now, that fiery, fearless, beautiful woman was enduring unimaginable agony.

Poison Wolf’s entire body trembled uncontrollably. He wasn’t afraid of death. He wasn’t even afraid of hearing that his lover had sacrificed herself. What he feared most was seeing her trapped in endless torment for all eternity. This was his partner, the woman he would die a thousand times over to protect. But now, he stood utterly powerless.

"Heh," Bloodhound continued. "Her life or death rests in your hands. Let me tell you, if you refuse, she’ll find no relief in life or death. The Inquisition has developed many new techniques, such as brain stimulation that induces pain a thousand times worse than death. Imagine torture that acts directly on the brain, a torment so horrific it makes physical suffering seem trivial. And the best part? No matter how many times it’s inflicted, she won’t die. She’ll remain trapped in an endless hell with no escape."

"Really?" A strange voice came from behind him.

"Of course, it’s tr—" Bloodhound abruptly stopped mid-sentence as he realized something was amiss.

None of his subordinates would dare interrupt him in such an undisciplined manner. And the voice... it was speaking in Great Xia’s language. He wheeled sharply to find a man wearing a monkey mask standing in the doorway.

"I think you’re full of crap," the stranger said earnestly. "The most terrifying form of torture in the world is definitely my exclusive curse technique, the Life and Death Talisman. Don’t believe me? Try it."

Whoosh!

Cold light streaked through the air and pierced Bloodhound’s body. With his level of cultivation, Bloodhound should have reacted instantly—but he didn’t.

In the next moment, an indescribable ripping pain engulfed him. His hand fell away from the transparent casing as he collapsed. In a mere fraction of a second, he was drenched in sweat as he convulsed on the floor.

The monkey-masked figure turned to the Doctor and Poison Wolf.

He spoke quietly. "To die for one’s country in its hour of need is an honor."

Thirteen words. Thirteen simple words brought tears to the eyes of the two hardened Dragon Group operatives. Finally, their reinforcements had arrived.