Ch. 761..770
Chapter 761
Meanwhile, James had already arrived at the underground cavern.
He finally got on land, but because of the wetsuit, he could not walk properly, so he took it off.
“It’s over there, James.” A soldier pointed ahead of them.
“Alright.”
James nodded and said, “Lead the way.”
“Honey, I’m here. The cave is damp, and there’s a lot of moss. Watch your steps,” Thea supported James and reminded him.
James slowly advanced with the help of Thea in the direction of the soldiers.
The underground cavern extended in multiple directions. Fortunately, he had sent people to search the place in advance. Otherwise, it would have taken him a few days and nights.
“We’re here.”
The soldiers pointed to a location in front.
They shone their light ahead of them.
James saw the open space in front of him, and in the center was a stone boulder that was ten meters high. The light illuminated the place, revealing the dragon head statue in front of him.
The air in the underground cavern was probably humid all year round, causing the statue to be slightly unidentifiable. Still, after careful inspection, it could be recognized as a dragon head.
“T-This is it!” James exclaimed.
He recognized the place.
Back then, he had drifted into this cavern and found a medical book with the Crucifier within the crevices of the dragon head statue.
However, it was incredibly dark. He did not have enough time to look around the place and left in a hurry.
James instructed, “Check to see if there’s anything, especially around the statue.”
“Yes, sir.”
The soldiers took out their flashlights, walked close to the statue, and searched the surrounding areas.
Some of them even climbed onto the statue to search.
James quietly stood aside.
As time passed, the disappointment in his heart grew stronger.
He knew that finding what he needed was highly unlikely.
“James, we couldn’t find anything.”
A voice sounded and echoed throughout the cavern.
“We’ve checked everywhere.” Hearing their reports, James’ face was filled with disappointment. He walked over to the statue, held up a flashlight, and shone it onto the dragon’s head to observe it. Suddenly, he knelt on the ground and bowed. This was where he obtained the medical book that changed his fate over the past ten years. Although he returned with nothing to offer to it, he wanted to express his gratitude.
After bowing, he stood up and said softly, “Let’s go. We should head back now.”
Since he could not find what he wanted here, he could only put his hopes on the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge.
He had to find a chance to return to the Cadens and retrieve the painting. Even if he could not get it back, it should be fine to borrow it for a while to observe. Boom!
A loud noise broke out as soon as he turned around.
Immediately after, the ground began to shake as if an earthquake had struck. “What’s happening?” The soldiers were shocked and quickly stepped back. James turned around and looked at the dragon head statue. Under his gaze, the massive statue began to collapse into countless pieces of rocks to the ground. James frowned.
‘It was fine just moments ago. Why did it suddenly collapse?’ James thought. The sudden occurrence was incredibly abnormal.
He advocated science and was not superstitious, but he had countless unexplainable encounters with science, including the Crucifier, which did not conform to modern science.
“What happened?”
“Why did it suddenly collapse?”
“That’s so strange. This place seems cursed. We should get out of here soon.”
Chapter 762
Many soldiers began to discuss in a hushed tone. James thought for a while and ordered, “Check if there’s anything inside the collapsed pile of rocks.”
“Yes, sir.” The soldiers nodded.
Although the place seemed creepy, they dared not go against James’ orders. James was their idol, the War God, and their inspiration as soldiers. Even though he had been stripped of his title, it did not change their views of him.
The soldiers walked toward the stones and began searching. The statue had collapsed into rubble, making it easy for the soldiers to move it.
The rubble was quickly cleared away. James walked over, holding a flashlight. He shined it on the ground. “Clean up a little more,” he ordered. “Understood.”
The soldiers began clearing up the smaller stones from the ground.
James held up the flashlight and illuminated the area.
Soon, he discovered a clue.
He squatted down, tapped on the ground, and realized it was empty. He looked around and found a gap inside the ground. He pulled a dagger out from the gap. Following that, a slate split open. With a look of joy, he immediately ordered the soldiers, “Quick, open it up.”
The soldiers were doubtful.
‘What exactly is going on? ‘How can the ground be hollow?’ Despite being suspicious, they squatted down and opened the ground.
Underneath was a small pit with a diameter of half a meter, and placed inside was a small chest.
“Quick, bring me the chest,” James exclaimed, his voice trembling.
A cultivation method of Internal Martial Arts had to be inside the chest.
He was right.
A grandmaster had left his inheritance in this cavern.
A soldier picked up the chest and handed it to James.
James attempted to open it but to no avail.
He frowned and carefully scrutinized it. Eventually, he found a tiny pinhole in the chest that was almost unnoticeable unless one carefully inspected it.
“A pinhole?” James frowned.
Suddenly, he thought of the Crucifier.
Could it be that the Crucifier was the key to opening the box?
Just as he was deep in thought, a gunshot suddenly sounded in the distance.
It echoed through the cave and did not dissipate for a long time.
The soldiers’ expressions immediately changed as they exclaimed, “What’s going on? Why are there gunshots?”
At that moment, a soldier covered in blood rushed over and shouted, “R-Run! We’re under attack!”
After warning them, the soldier fell to the ground.
“What?”
The soldiers’ expressions immediately turned grim.
James quickly walked over to the soldier, squatted down, pulled up his wrist, and checked for his pulse. Unfortunately, he could not feel a heartbeat. The soldier had died.
“Quick, turn the lights off,” James ordered.
The soldiers immediately switched off their flashlights.
“What’s going on, James? Why are there enemies coming for us?”
A few voices questioned in the dark.
James was not sure either.
‘Since the enemies have reached us, the people on the riverbank must’ve already been attacked.
“What should we do? Could it be the person who poisoned us in the Southern Plains?” Thea asked anxiously.
“Don’t make a sound,” James whispered.
“James, leave with Thea. The cavern extends in many directions. It won’t be easy for them to find you. We’ll stay here and cover for you two.”
“We’ll leave together.” James dismissed the suggestion.
He knew the enemy was there to kill him.
Although these soldiers were elites, they were not equipped with powerful weapons. Meanwhile, their enemies must have deadly weapons. Leaving them would mean abandoning them to die.
Gunfire continued to resonate in the distance.
At the same time, bright lights shone into the cavern.
“James, hurry and leave. Go now, or it’ll be too late!”
Chapter 763
“We’re leaving together.” Under such circumstances, how could he leave alone?
If he left these soldiers behind, they would die.
“Liam, James is weak. It’s too difficult for him to escape. Carry him on your back.” In the darkness, a voice gave an order.
“Understood,” The soldier named Liam answered instantly. “Let’s leave together! If we don’t go now, it’ll be too late!” Seeing the enemies’ lights approaching, James began to panic. “Liam, carry him and leave! The rest, prepare for battle!”
Liam picked James up, stood up, and said, “Ms. Thea, let’s go.”
Then, he carried James on one shoulder and pulled Thea with his other hand, hurriedly making his way deep into the cavern. James closed his eyes.
He knew those who stayed back were destined to die.
Gunshots sounded shortly after they left.
It was an intense exchange of gunfire. After ten minutes, the cave became quiet.
However, Liam, who was carrying James and pulling Thea, did not stop in his tracks. He was in a hurry and had no idea where he was going
“Damn it. It’s a dead end.”
Liam ran for a long time, but he was unfamiliar with the place and dared not turn on his flashlight. Ultimately, they reached a dead end and were unable to advance any further.
“Put me down,” James whispered.
Liam immediately placed James down.
James sat on a damp rock
“What should we do now, James?” Liam was worried.
James said, “It’s definitely too late to go back and find another path. The soldiers that stayed back have most likely been killed. The enemies are right on our tracks. All we can do now is hide and stay quiet.” “Honey, I’m scared.”
Thea’s voice sounded in the dark
She grabbed James’ hands tightly.
James could feel her body trembling in fear.
He quickly hid the chest in a gap and held Thea’s hand. He comforter her, “It’s alright. Don’t worry.” “Do you have a gun?” In the darkness, a gun was stuffed into James’ hands.
James identified their surroundings, found a boulder not far away, and whispered, “Bring Thea over there. Hide behind that boulder and stay quiet.”
“Understood.”
Liam did as he was instructed and quickly dragged Thea over.
Meanwhile, James used all his strength to climb a several-meter-high boulder.
He lay low on the boulder and stared straight ahead like a wooden sculpture.
Soon, lights flashed in their direction. James moved backward and hid behind some rocks.
He peeped in the direction of the light and tried to identify the people who were after their lives.
“Twenty-three.”
James took a deep breath.
If he were healthy, twenty-three people would be nothing. Even a few hundred would not scare him.
Unfortunately, he was now a crippled man with only a gun in hand. There were also not many bullets left in the gun. He could only kill a few of them.
However, as soon as he fired, his position would be exposed.
Thus, he did not act rashly.
He could only hope for these people to turn around and search in another direction after seeing that it was a dead end. “Boss, it’s a dead end, and there isn’t any way out.”
A voice resonated in the dark.
“Turn back and search elsewhere.”
“Wait…”
Dominator suddenly raised his hand and stopped his men from moving.
He shined his flashlight on the ground. No one would come to this cavern, and a lot of moss was growing on the grounds. However, he noticed messy footprints on the moss, indicating that someone had come here before them. Only one person could have come into this cavern – James
Dominator made a shush gesture and quickly motioned to the rest of the team. His compliances nodded, took out their weapons, and slowly made their way forward.
James knew they had been exposed.
With all his might, he climbed a little higher.
He poked his head out and looked at the group of people approaching.
Chapter 764
The mercenaries were equipped with strong weapons. Moreover, they had headlamps. Their lights shone brightly, illuminating the dark and giving off the illusion of daylight.
James knew he had to shoot. Otherwise, they would die if the enemies got close.
He aimed his gun.
Bang!
He decided to shoot.
A gunshot resounded, taking down one of the men nearby. “Seek cover!” A voice roared in the dark. The whole team quickly found cover and hid from sight.
James dared not make any rash moves after firing a shot.
He knew they were experienced mercenaries who could quickly pinpoint his location. If he fired again, he would be asking for a shower of gunfire in return.
James backed away and hid behind a rock.
He only had one chance at survival, and that was to seize the opponent’s weapon. It would be a cinch if he were healthy. However, he was not. A sense of helplessness brewed in his heart. The enemies had turned off their lights due to his earlier fire. Despite that, he could hear their approaching footsteps.
Not far away, behind another boulder…
Thea was lying flat on the ground, afraid to make even the tiniest movement. When she heard the gunshot, her body involuntarily shivered in fear. The footsteps kept getting closer, making her tremble more vigorously.
“Ahh!!!”
A drop of water dripped on her neck, and the sudden cold sensation caused her to let out a sharp cry. As soon as she screamed, Liam knew they were in trouble. At that moment, Liam quickly stood up and started running to lead the enemy away. “Over there! Quick..” A voice sounded in the dark.
The enemies immediately turned on their lights, illuminating the cavern. Liam was instantly exposed. Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of gunfire resounded.
Liam collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Not far away. James watched the scene unfold and slapped his forehead with a pained expression. “D-Don’t kill me…” Thea was frightened.
She stood up, raised her hands, and sobbed. “Don’t kill me! I don’t know anything! I don’t know anything!” “Grab her.”
The mercenaries quickly walked over and subdued Thea. Dominator walked over, looked at Thea and then at Liam’s corpse, and asked coldly, “Where’s James?”
“I- I…I don’t know!” Thea’s lips quivered. Dominator pointed his gun at Thea’s forehead and said indifferently, “I’ll ask you one more time. Where’s James?” Feeling the gun on her forehead, Thea froze. Her legs went rubbery, and she fell to the ground. Dominator grabbed her hair and lifted her off the ground. “My patience is limited. I’ll count to three. If you don’t tell me where he is, don’t blame me for what happens next.”
“One.
“Two.”
His voice echoed in the cavern.
“Let her go.”
Everyone quickly turned around.
More than twenty flashlights were pointed at James. James slowly walked down from the boulder and approached the mercenaries.
They held their weapons tightly as they slowly backed away. This was the Black Dragon, the War God of Sol.
James walked over and looked at Dominator and the other mercenaries. Then, he threw his gun to the ground. At that moment, his body was already at its limit, and he simply sat down. Dominator stretched out his hand and asked, “Where is it?” Hearing this, James frowned. ‘Are these people after the thing I’m looking for?” Thought James.
Chapter 765
“What do you mean?” James asked calmly.
“Stop playing dumb.” Dominator threw Thea aside and pointed his gun at James.
“Hand it over, James, and I’ll let you die without suffering. Otherwise, I’ll torment you till your very last breath.”
Even with a gun pointed at his head, James showed no fear.
He would not have lived this long if he were so easily intimidated.
“You can’t kill me. It’ll be hard to get your job done if you kill me now,” James said coldly.
He looked at Dominator and asked, “Was it the Emperor who sent you? I’m already a crippled man, yet he’s still wary of me. So, he’s had people constantly spying on me but doesn’t know what I’m looking for?”
“Are you not going to hand it over?”
Dominator’s face darkened, and he turned to shoot Thea.
Bang!
Thea was shot in the thigh and cried out in pain.
“Ahh!!!!
Desolate screams echoed throughout the cavern.
James sat on the ground with a terrifying expression. His eyes were squinted, and blood vessels bulged on his face.
Dominator said with a wicked smile, “What’s wrong? Are you mad? If you don’t want her to suffer, listen to us and hand it over. I won’t torture either of you, and I’ll put you out quickly.
“Are you handing it over or not?”
Bang!
Dominator fired another shot at Thea.
She fell to the ground, sobbing in pain.
James took a deep breath to suppress the anger in his heart and said, “Alright. I’ll give it to you.”
Then, he stood up slowly.
Seeing him get up, the mercenaries immediately took a few steps back. They were on high vigilance, each of them afraid to even breathe.
They had heard about James’ legendary accomplishments.
Even an army of a hundred thousand men was incapable of taking him down.
Although he was crippled and not armed with a weapon, they were still wary of him.
Dominator pointed his gun at James. However, despite having the upper hand, he was terrified of James. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his throat was dry. He could not help but swallow his saliva.
James pointed to a boulder nearby and said, “It’s in the crack over there. Get it yourself.”
Dominator flashed his light over and saw something inside the crevice of the stone. He gestured to two men behind him and said, “Go get it.”
His two subordinates quickly ran over, retrieved the chest that James had stuck into the boulder, and handed it to him.
Dominator inspected it carefully.
It was a small chest about the size of a book but more than ten centimeters thick.
He tried to open it but to no avail. “What is this?” He asked. James shrugged and replied, “How would I know?” Although he was exhausted, he was secretly saving up his strength. To make it out alive, he would have to kill all the enemies in an instant.
However, in his current condition, he was powerless against these experienced mercenaries. If he failed, he would simply be inviting death.
Yet, if he did not attack, he would also die.
On top of that, Thea had been shot twice, and he did not know where she sustained the injuries. Every second delayed would decrease her chances of survival. “Are you toying with me?”
Dominator pointed his gun at James again and demanded coldly, “Show me how to open it right now.”
“The thing has to be…”
James took a few steps forward.
“Don’t move!”
James stopped in his tracks and looked at Dominator, saying weakly, “How am I going to open it for you without moving?”
Dominator threw the chest to the ground and took a few steps back. He pointed to the ground and said, “Open it.”
James was not expecting Dominator to be so cautious.
He crouched down and observed the chest.
At the same time, he noticed plenty of small stones on the ground.
This was his chance.
The mercenaries were not going to shoot until the chest was open.
He only had one opportunity to take them down.
Chapter 766
It was a dangerous gamble.
One that would cost him his and Thea’s life if he lost.
James crouched down to pick up the chest. At the same time, he secretly picked up a few small stones.
He slowly got up, his eyes fixed on Dominator all the while. The man stood about two meters away from him. With a smile, he said, “You’d better watch closely or you’ll miss it. This is how you should open the chest…”
Dominator’s eyes were fixed on the chest in James’ hands as he tried to watch him open the chest. Naturally, everyone else’s eyes were also drawn toward the chest.
Suddenly, James’ hands trembled, and he dropped the chest to the ground.
“Aghh…” James let out a frustrated cry.
Looking back up weakly, he said, “I-I’ve no strength left, and my hands aren’t steady. I need someone to help me hold it.”
Dominator looked at one of his men and used his head to gesture in James’ direction. “You, go help him.” One of the mercenaries quickly walked over and picked up the chest. Like lightning, James immediately pounced on the opening he had hoped for and flicked his hands.
The stones he had been holding onto immediately flew out.
Right after, he quickly seized the mercenary that was picking up the chest and gave his head a sharp twist.
Crack!
The crisp sound echoed in the cavern as if announcing the man’s sudden death.
Without a second’s pause, James quickly grabbed his weapon and rolled away.
He did all this in the time it’d take a person to blink.
Dominator and the other mercenaries had their eyes glued on the chest and did not notice what James had just done. By the time they processed what had happened, it was already too late.
“Ahh!!!”
Dominator covered his head and roared furiously, “Kill him!”
Bang! Bang!
The sound of gunshots resounded inside the cavern.
The person responsible for the heavy gunfire was actually James and not the mercenaries. James opened fire while snatching the guns from downed men. He barraged the enemy
constantly as he rolled around nimbly to avoid their shots.
More than 20 mercenaries were turned into swiss cheese without even getting the opportunity to retaliate.
After dispatching all his enemies, James felt his strength leave his body and crumpled to the floor.
Despite being weakened and ill, he fought with everything he had to survive.
He was completely spent. There was not a single iota of strength left in him. He did not even have the strength to stand up and check on Thea’s injuries.
He lay on the ground helplessly and like a fish out of water, he gasped for air.
James barely managed a shout, “T-Thea! Are…are you alright?”
Despite mustering all his strength to project his voice, it was barely audible. It was not even worthy of being considered a whisper. He could barely hear himself.
“Honey…I-I’m hurt…” Thea’s soft voice responded a short distance away from him.
“Don’t…Don’t be scared. I’m here…”
James crawled over to her.
It was only a few meters away, but it felt as if it took an eternity to reach her.
After some time, he finally got close enough to Thea to take her hands in his.
He was dizzy, and the world around him felt like it was spinning.
“I…guess this is it.”
James struggled to keep his eyes open, staring blankly at the dark stone walls.
“Thea, I’m sorry. I’m can’t make it up to you…” James felt his conscience rapidly slipping
away.
He was almost certain he was already at death’s door.
“I’m not going to make it. I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I’m not sure how much time I have left but if you make it out alive, forget about me…and live a good…
Before James could finish speaking, his world had gone black.
He had exhausted all his strength in the fight.
“H-Honey! James…”
Thea’s cries echoed in the dark.
No matter how hard she called out, no one answered her.
She felt her arms slowly losing their strength.
“Don’t leave me…!! ”
Her shrill cries were the only thing that could be heard in the dark of the cavern.
Still wailing, she tried to stand up and carry the unconscious James. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and cried, “D-Don’t worry. 1-I’ll get you out of here… I promise.”
Chapter 767
Thea had two gunshot wounds in her leg She attempted to carry James out of the cavern, but her wounds were still bleeding. Every step she took caused more blood to run down her leg. In addition to that, every step also caused her nothing less than agonizing pain. Thea felt like she was about to pass out from the intensity of the pain as well as the blood loss.
Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, tears kept rolling down her cheeks. She could not move anymore, let alone drag a full-grown man with her. Holding James tightly, she leaned against his unconscious body.
After receiving Quincy’s call for help, the Blithe King immediately dispatched troops to where James and Thea were.
In less than an hour, the army had turned up at Mount Dragon Treasure.
Helicopters flocked the skies.
In a brief moment, legions of fully armed soldiers descended from the skies.
The battlefield at the riverbank had been cleared away, with the corpses already piled together on one side. A few of the mercenaries looked at Daniel, who was on the brink of death.
“G-Guys, there…there’s an army…!” An alarmed voice announced to the rest of the men.
Hearing this, everyone raised their heads.
Seeing the countless helicopters and the fully-armed soldiers jumping out of them, the mercenaries were utterly floored. The leader took a deep breath, held up his gun, and pointed his barrel at Daniel who was lying on the ground motionlessly.
They deliberately kept Daniel as a hostage to prevent Quincy from calling the cops.
They were not expecting the army to send their reinforcements so quickly. When he saw the approaching soldiers, his hands trembled so much that he was unable to hold his gun steadily
Bang!
Gunshots were fired.
The mercenaries around the riverbank were killed in an instant.
Daniel heaved a weak sigh of relief when he saw the army. Soon, the area was filled with military personnel. The Blithe King alighted the helicopter and walked over to Daniel.
“Commander…” Daniel’s face was ghastly pale. He pointed to the river in front of them and said weakly, “J James went underwater. They’re in the underground cavern, and the enemy was pursuing them closely. Hurry… We need to send people to help him.” The Blithe King quickly delivered his orders, “Get into the water immediately and look for James.”
“Yes, sir!”
Thousands of soldiers immediately jumped into the water to commence James’ rescue operation.
Quincy, who had been hiding in the woods all this time, saw the army helicopters and was finally at ease.
She looked extremely grubby. Her clothes were ragged, her face covered in scratches from tree branches, and her hair was a mess.
The people who were hunting her down were soon chased away by the Blithe army.
Meanwhile, James had already been unconscious for some time.
It did not take long for Thea to also pass out from blood loss.
Fortunately, the Blithe army came to their rescue in the nick of time The soldiers found both of them in the underground cavern, quickly extricated them, and sent them straight to the military hospital.
After being unconscious for some time, James finally woke up.
He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a white ceiling with glaring fluorescent lights.
“A-am I dead?” He murmured quietly.
At that moment, he realized that there was an oxygen mask over his face.
“James…”
A voice called out to him.
James tried turning his neck to the side the voice came from.
A beautiful woman dressed in casual clothing was sitting beside his bed.
He wanted to sit up but could not find the strength to do so. Moving was impossible for him given the state he was in.
“Q-Quincy…” he responded weakly. Quincy removed the mask covering his face, adjusted the bed, and propped him up.
She held tightly onto James’ ice-cold hands and rubbed them in an effort to warm him up.
“H- How long have I been unconscious?” A feeble voice escaped James’ throat. “T-Three days.”
Chapter 768
“I was out for that long?”
James was surprised to find out he was unconscious for three whole days.
“How’d it go? Is… everyone okay?”
Hearing his question, Quincy went silent. Her lips were drawn into a taut line.
“Answer me.”
It took some time for Quincy to form a reply. “Thea’s fine, but because she sustained two gunshot wounds and lost a lot of blood, she’s still in the ICU. General Highsmith was also severely injured, but he’s being treated as we speak. As for the rest, they…didn’t make it…’
She choked on her words as they left her mouth.
James’ mind went blank when the news hit him.
Leaning back on the hospital bed, he looked at the white wall in front of him, and the soldiers’ faces flashed in his mind.
His eyes suddenly became moist, and tears began cascading down his face uncontrollably.
“N-none of them survived?”
He could not believe it.
Dozens of soldiers laid down their lives for him.
“James…”
Seeing James’ shell-shocked state, Quincy held his hand and attempted to comfort him. “Y You shouldn’t blame yourself. They did it so you could survive.”
James turned to Quincy and asked, “Have the funerals been held?”
“Mhm.”
Quincy nodded and said, “The Blithe King gave them all military funeral honors.”
“B-Bring me there.”
“But how… H-How are you going to go like this?”
James pulled out the IV line in his hand and turned around to get out of bed.
Quincy immediately jumped to her feet to assist him.
“I-I’ll bring you there! You shouldn’t move! I’ll go get the wheelchair.”
“Okay,” James replied weakly and leaned back onto the bed.
Quincy quickly left the ward and bumped into the Blithe King who was right outside the room. dressed in military uniform.
“What’s the matter, Ms. Xenos? Why’re you in such a hurry?”
Quincy looked at the Blithe King and answered, “J-James just woke up and wants to pay respect to the soldiers who died in the battle. I’m going to get a wheelchair for him.”
“Alright, go.”
The Blithe king waved her off and walked into the ward.
He walked inside and saw James lying despondently on the bed. He walked over and asked with a smile, “Are you awake?”
James tilted his head and looked on as the Blithe King approached him.
“You want one?” The Blithe King took out a cigarette and offered it to James.
James gently shook his head and refused. “I-I quit smoking.” Ever since being poisoned with Gu, he would feel nauseated whenever he smoked and kept feeling like he was on the verge of vomiting. “Is General Highsmith okay?”
“Yeah, he’s still alive but he’ll be in recovery for quite some time.”
“It’s all my fault…” James blamed himself.
The Blithe King interrupted James. “Every soldier is ready to give their life for their country. You’re a soldier yourself and should be familiar with the resolve they had when they stepped into battle.”
As a commander, the Blithe king was used to bereavement.
His heart ached for his lost subordinates, but it was something he had to accept.
Soon, Quincy returned with a wheelchair.
She wheeled James out of the military hospital and took him directly to the Military Cemetery.
There were dozens of newly erected headstones in the cemetery. James stood up from his wheelchair and looked at the headstones in front of him. Raising his right hand to his eyebrow, he gave them a respectful military salute.
They were true soldiers and heroes.
“Every one of you sacrificed yourselves so that I could live. Rest in peace, my brothers. I promise I’ll watch over your families for as long as I live.”
Once again, tears rolled down James’ face.
Standing beside him, Quincy and the Blithe king silently watched him. After a while, Quincy walked over and gently reminded him, “James, it’s chilly outside. Your body is weak now. We should head back inside.”
James took a deep breath and sat back in the wheelchair, allowing Quincy to take him away.
The Blithe king followed after them and informed James, “The chest you’ve been looking for is in the cabinet next to your hospital bed.”
“Alright.” James nodded.
He would never have asked these soldiers for assistance if he knew he would lead them to their dernise.
The Blithe King added on. “After this incident, I’ve sent orders to the five armies to strengthen the security. In the future, it’ll be difficult for these kinds of international mercenaries to infiltrate Cansington again.”
Chapter 769
After James paid his respects to the soldiers that had fallen in battle, he returned to the military hospital.
James was wracked with guilt over the dozens of lives that had sacrificed themselves for him. He was determined to continue to live life to the fullest in honor of the men that had perished. After everything had happened, it also further strengthened his resolve to devote his body to his homeland.
Inside the military hospital…
James took out the chest he found in the underground cavern from the cabinet.
The outer surface was black and had mysterious patterns carved on it.
The chest was sealed but it lacked a keyhole. Only under careful inspection would one notice. the numerous tiny pinholes dotted all over it.
James had discovered it in the cavern but did not get a chance to take a closer look due to the appearance of the mercenaries.
As he stared at the black chest, the Blithe King asked, “What’s this thing that you went through so much trouble to find?”
James shook his head. “I’m not sure either. I’ll have to open it to find out.”
The Blithe King said, “When you were unconscious, I tried to inspect it but couldn’t get it to open.”
Suddenly, a wire slid out of James’ sleeve.
James held onto the wire, and it immediately fell apart into numerous tiny silver needles.
He picked up one of the needles and gently inserted it into one of the pinholes on the chest.
The size was just right and the needle fit completely into the hole.
James picked up the rest of the needles and slowly inserted them into the pinholes, one after another.
The Crucifier had the exact amount of needles needed to fill all the holes on the chest.
Finally, James inserted the last needle.
Click!
The chest popped open. Inside the chest was a thick book.
The Blithe King and Quincy could not hide their curiosity as they peered together at the book’s
contents.
It was a yellowed book, and its cover had several ancient words etched on it.
It was an ancient language from thousands of years ago. These words were indecipherable to anyone who had not learned the language before.
Fortunately, James knew how to read it.
Medical Book Volume Two.
When he read the words on the cover, James’ heart began pounding in excitement.
“Medical Book Volume Two?” His voice trembled.
Back then, he acquired the medical book that recorded countless forgotten medical techniques that were lost to time.
However, the first medical book mainly focused on the human body’s ability to heal itself. Never did he expect there to be a second volume of the same medical book.
He picked up the book and quickly slipped to the first page. James carefully scanned the densely packed words on the page.
Everything was written in ancient text. Although he learned the language from his grandfather when he was a child, reading dense blocks filled with specialized medical terms was a whole new ball game. If he had trouble reading it, then understanding it would be another monumental task.
The Blithe King glanced at it and found that he could not make heads or tails of it. Opting to conserve his energy for things he could do, he sat aside. He would wait for James to finish going through it.
Quincy was also as curious.
“Is this an Internal Martial Arts cultivation method?”
After reading the whole page, James took a deep breath.
Quincy could not help but pry. “What is it, James? Is this what you were looking for?” James lightly shook his head. “No.”
“Huh?”
Quincy jumped up and exclaimed loudly, “We went through so much trouble to get this stupid thing. So many people died for it, but it isn’t what you were looking for?” A smile crept onto James’ face. Something that had not been seen on his long, pale face in quite some time. “It’s better than what I actually needed.”
“What?” Quincy was confused.
The Blithe King huffed in mild irritation, “Alright, stop beating around the bush. What exactly did you find?”
Taking a deep breath, James slowly started to explain, “Ten years ago, I discovered that cavern by chance and obtained the first volume of this medical book along with the Crucifer. The book was instrumental to developing my medical skills.”
James closed the chest and placed it on the table.
The moment it shut, all the silver needles inserted in it immediately popped out.
Then, James picked a single needle up at random.
As soon as he raised it, the other silver needles flew toward it and connected to each other to form a small wire.
“This is the Crucifier. I never knew the function of these silver needles and previously only used them as a weapon to kill. As it turns out, I’ve actually not been utilizing its full potential.”
Chapter 770
“Wait, what?”
Both of them looked at James with their mouths agape.
James continued to elaborate on his earlier point, “The medical skills I learned ten years ago were from the first volume, and this book is the second volume of the same series. It has records on how to use the Crucifier in its full capacity.”
The second volume of the Medical Book was beyond anything James could imagine.
Not only did it have texts on cultivation methods and how to use True Energy, but it also explained further applications of the Crucifier.
The first volume of the medical book was akin to a book on the letters of the alphabet, while the second volume taught one how to combine said letters to form different words.
Once she realized the implications of James’ words, her eyes lit up. “So, you’re not going to die?”
“Mhm.”
James responded affirmatively and said, “I can learn how to cultivate True Energy with this book. The venom in my body will naturally dissipate when I cultivate True Energy.”
“That’s such amazing news!” Quincy was thrilled.
“I never expected you to have already reached the threshold of cultivating energy.”
The Blithe King looked at James, surprise clearly written on his face.
James’ strength exceeded anything he ever expected.
“What?”
James turned to the Blithe King and asked, “Do you possibly also know that grandmasters exist?”
“Yeah.” The Blithe King nodded.
Shortly after, he quickly excused himself, “Since you seem to be alright, I’ll just get back to work”
The Blithe King did not explain himself and left after having said that.
James frowned as he watched the Blithe King walk away.
He had only recently learned about all this. He never expected the Blithe King to have prior knowledge on this topic. On top of that, the Blithe King seemed to have a lot on his mind at
that moment.
Despite his suspicions, James did not bother dwelling on it.
Quincy gently tapped his shoulder. “James, are you hungry?”
“Yes. I’m a little bit hungry.” James nodded lightly.
Quincy quickly left to get him some food.
Meanwhile, James continued lying in the hospital bed with the thick book in his hands.
The book’s first chapter introduced the concept of True Energy, the cultivation method behind it, and how to circulate it throughout his body.
What exactly was True Energy? Energy is a human’s foundation. According to the Medical Book, everyone’s body contains energy. This energy comes in three forms, blood, essence, and spirit. The stronger the body’s energy, the stronger its self-healing abilities. When the energy within one’s body reaches a certain level, he can disperse and condense said energy. This allows him to exert a terrifying burst of strength in situations that require it.
“Meditation, concentration, and perception.”
“From head to toe, one’s thoughts must be unified.”
James carefully reviewed the Medical Book Volume Two and slowly ruminated on the information about the book’s owner’s understanding of True Energy.
The words were profound but not hard to understand.
James followed the steps listed in the book.
He slowly steadied his heart, relaxing his mind bit by bit, and clearing his mind of erroneous thoughts.
Through this method, he began to sense the energy within his body. Slowly from his brain all the way down to his toes, he could feel the flow of blood and a rush of energy flowing through his veins. It was barely there, but he could feel it nonetheless. “James…”
A voice suddenly interrupted his meditation. James’ consciousness was also pulled back to reality. The small, well of energy in his body also dissipated in an instant.
“It’s time to eat.”
James turned to Quincy, who had brought him food. He put down the medical book he was holding
After meditating for a short while, he could immediately sense that his mental state had improved
“Your complexion looks a lot better now.” Quincy put the food on the table and mentioned it after she saw that some color had returned to James’ face which had been as pale as death.
“Mhm.”
James agreed with her. “The Medical Book’s second volume is incredible. It describes meditation methods that quickly expel fatigue and speed up circulation. It says that blood is a human’s core and as long as one had a healthy blood flow, any sickness is curable.” “I don’t understand.” Quincy shook her head. The things James was explaining were too profound.