The two people and a dog here, excitedly discussing what to eat for dinner amidst lively chatter. Though simple, it was also joyous.
On the other side, Qin Chuan was not so lucky.
Qin Chuan scrambled over rocks, dodging the unknown liquid shot by monsters. His combat suit had long turned the color of mud.
Even his face bore accidental scrapes, and his body was crisscrossed with countless scars forming red marks.
He looked utterly disheveled.
Yet, despite this, Qin Chuan's resolute eyes remained filled with determination and defiance.
"Captain, the weather is too cold. We're no match for that monster,"
As he spoke, two people flipped over a rock, taking cover in the nearby tidal flats.
Qin Chuan looked at the mud on his body, dried by the cold wind, without blinking. He scooped up more mud from the tidal flats and smeared it onto himself.
Seeing Qin Chuan's actions, the队员 beside him did not hesitate and also continued to apply mud to themselves.
Once the mud dried, it was just as Qin Chuan had said. This special mud would adhere to their clothes, and though light, it could resist the cold wind, providing temporary warmth.
"Zhou Yue, how many people do we have left?"
Qin Chuan asked in a cold voice.
"Captain, less than thirty people remain. However, about ten brothers are injured. The weather is too cold now, and they've frozen stiff, losing their combat capability."
Qin Chuan's face showed no expression. After quietly listening, he poked his head out to track the monster's movements.
The man named Zhou Yue, watching Qin Chuan's expressionless demeanor, felt the long-suppressed anger within him searching for an outlet.
"Captain! Why did you even bring those people along! It was they who caused us to be tricked by those villagers. You don't punish them, and yet you still bring these burdens, sharing our supplies and cold-weather gear with them!"
Zhou Yue's eyes were filled with fiery rage, as if capable of burning everything. While blaming Qin Chuan, he was also reprimanding him.
He couldn't understand.
On the lighthouse, they were constantly warned to do their own jobs after descending and not to be overly compassionate. Yet, it was Qin Chuan himself who was swayed by pity.
It was also Qin Chuan who, when faced with innocent civilians who couldn't even defend themselves, would open fire.
But now, after being betrayed, Qin Chuan chose to forgive the very people who had harmed everyone.
Qin Chuan, while finding opportunities to shoot at the monster's head, answered Zhou Yue's questions.
"So what?"
"What do you mean, so what?" Zhou Yue retorted, confused.
"I'm asking, after all your complaining, so what? What do you think I should do?"
"Execute those people on the spot? Or throw them to this monster, let it grow stronger by eating them, and then have them chase down the rest of us? Or do you have a better plan to deal with their presence?"
Qin Chuan's words, accompanied by the sounds of gunfire, reached Zhou Yue's ears one by one, resonating with him.
"Do you think I'm keeping them alive for some laughable brotherhood? Or do you think that because I'm your captain, I should pay for your mistakes or be loyal to you no matter what?"
"Tsk—"
Qin Chuan let out a sound of extreme disdainful mockery. "Your lives are none of my concern. Although this is your first mission with me, you should have heard of who I am."
"Bringing those people along isn't because I've lost my mind or acted out of misplaced kindness. It's simply because I don't want to leave any more food for that monster. Once we return to the lighthouse, the Judgment Court will be waiting for you all!"
Upon hearing Qin Chuan's words, Zhou Yue went from disbelief to shock.
"Us? The Judgment Court?"
Qin Chuan looked mockingly at Zhou Yue, not speaking, but using his eyes to signal the other to comprehend.
No matter how well Zhou Yue masked his emotions, Qin Chuan could still sense a long-lost sense of dissonance from him.
Just as he wondered if someone had instigated that group's sudden resistance, Qin Chuan irritably narrowed his eyes. He couldn't kill Zhou Yue at this moment when he still had use for him.
Once they returned to the lighthouse, none of these people would escape.
However, Qin Chuan hadn't anticipated that this descent would involve not only internal strife but also external threats.
Recalling the old man's instructions to be careful when he descended, he knew something was amiss when he wasn't allowed to bring his trusted troops this time and was instead assigned a hastily assembled motley crew of a hundred people.
It was just that Qin Chuan hadn't expected this.
The people on the lighthouse were using him as a "touchstone" to test which of these people were "spies" who had infiltrated the lighthouse.
Thinking of this, the already cold air grew colder, and Qin Chuan felt a chill in his heart.
He had originally thought that even if they didn't share familial affection, they at least had blood ties.
But the old man had actually sent him into such a dangerous situation.
Knowing that this team had issues, Qin Chuan had been consistently cautious.
However, he hadn't expected that on the second week of their arrival at the South Sea, a change would occur.
The indigenous villagers here had come to them for help.
At first, Qin Chuan refused.
But the villagers presented a reason that was hard to ignore: their children had been abducted by monsters.
Qin Chuan immediately thought of the synthesized monsters he had missed before.
But as Qin Chuan hesitated whether to set sail, a squad led by another person emerged from within the team. They stated they couldn't stand idly by while the villagers suffered.
Thus, they set sail with nearly half the personnel.
That person's name was Song Qi. He had previously tried to join the enforcement team on the lighthouse but was personally rejected by Qin Chuan.
He then joined the logistics department and had harbored resentment ever since.
From the moment they departed, he made sure not to miss any opportunity to oppose Qin Chuan.
The villagers, looking grief-stricken, knelt before their hastily erected tents.
Qin Chuan was busy adjusting equipment and contacting the lighthouse and paid them no mind. However, with a casual glance, he had already noticed the shifting expressions on their faces.
Just as he was about to investigate, someone reported that traces of energy had been found.
Qin Chuan led a few men who seemed honest and reliable toward a pit where energy had been discovered.
Upon their return, they heard the devastating news: the group that had gone out to sea to rescue the children had capsized, and their base had been attacked by the villagers.
The remaining dozens of people were those who survived the battle with the villagers. Each one looked disheveled, and the one leading them was Zhou Yue.
Qin Chuan wanted to turn back to retrieve their supplies, equipment, and important instruments, which were all at their temporary base.
But before they could turn back, they encountered terrifying monsters.
Qin Chuan ducked with a crouch, evading the inexplicably viscous liquid that flew towards him.
However, not everyone possessed Qin Chuan's agility. A young soldier beside him failed to dodge, and the skin on his face that came into contact with the liquid began to rapidly fester.
Amidst the furious roars of monsters, dozens of giant creatures, varying in size and resembling crocodiles with octopus heads, suddenly appeared on the tidal flats.
Their slippery heads were covered in countless mouths, and it was from these mouths that the corrosive, unknown liquid was spewed.
Qin Chuan watched as these monsters, constantly closing in on him, climbed rapidly on their thick, short legs, quickly reducing the distance between them.
Under extreme tension, a near-miraculous calm descended. Qin Chuan's mind raced at that moment.
After weighing the situation, he issued an order that saved everyone.
"All units, retreat!"