Chapter 895 - 504: Embers of the Long Night (Part 13)_2

Another battle in the afternoon, two more companies added.

Commander Su had long given up struggling with the increasing troop numbers.

Whether it’s chasing one duck or a flock, once at the division headquarters, he planned to have a good talk with Mr. He.

The ordinary yet exhilarating days passed one by one amidst the gunfire. Besides his pants, Su Huan also swapped into training gear, sporting a short buzz cut that made him indistinguishable among the soldiers. If it weren’t for occasional lightning flashes sending enemies a collective funeral, the warriors might have almost forgotten that Commander Su was an outsider.

Qin Mian and Gangdan became Su Huan’s messengers for their swift running, and Shovel Company turned into the commander’s personal guard.

They fought together daily, ate together, slept in the wilderness together, and squeezed into tents together.

Yet talks about the world outside abruptly ended, unsure if Shen Li had imposed a gag order, but no one inquired about the outside from Su Huan.

This brought him a secret sigh of relief.

If he were to tell them that the nation and home they fought with all their might to protect were already in ruins, he would be pulling away all spiritual pillars and the last hope for the warriors in Eternal Night.

Though Qin Mian and others never spoke to him about it, Su Huan knew clearly they dreamed of seeing the sun, ending this incessant battle, crawling out of this purgatory-like Eternal Night, and going home.

Yet, he was even less willing to deceive them by saying everything outside was fine and leading them to fight for a false hope, which would be too laughable and tragic.

He didn’t want these warriors’ honor to be built on a lie.

Fortunately, they didn’t ask anything.

A week had passed, and Su Huan’s forces expanded to the size of two regiments.

When he got up in the morning, the warriors were already ready for battle, with small squads occasionally returning from outside.

Su Huan frowned in confusion, "What’s up with the group in the back?"

Gangdan paused, ran in the direction Su Huan pointed, and soon, Major Shen Li followed over.

More than a hundred warriors hung their heads, following behind Shen Li, each resembling defeated roosters, with even zombies having more spirit than them.

"Deserters from other troops," Gangdan whispered.

Su Huan suddenly understood, motioning expressionlessly, "Rejoin your formations, those without assignments, have Shen Li reorganize them."

No waves were stirred by the deserter commotion.

It’s not that Su Huan wielded such a massive power to suppress such a big event with just one word, but because desertion had become common. Some persevered in the Eternal Night for two years, fighting fiercely, yet some crumbled under the endless dark and cold.

Desertion happened naturally.

However, once in the Eternal Night, there’s no way out. Regardless of how long they run, a week, two weeks, even driving for a month, they couldn’t leave its realm.

Some went mad, some committed suicide, some wandered in the wilderness.

Naturally, some chose to return.

Even within Su Huan’s synthetic brigade, many had run, but the one who ran the most did so three times but always returned.

Even some who went mad came back to continue fighting.

Everyone had become used to it.

This was Eternal Night, a world made from the living, the dead, the undead, and those whose lives are worse than death.

As Su Huan lay atop the off-road vehicle, shaking his head, allowing his body to absorb primitive Pan Energy for evolution, Qin Mian ran over, chasing after the vehicle while shouting, "Commander, there’s another communication from the division!"

Su Huan raised his eyebrows in suspicion, "What’s the trouble this time?"

Qin Mian hesitated awkwardly, "Not sure, the commander just wants you to receive the communication alone."

"Let’s take a look."

With those words, Su Huan already flipped off, and the two went to the communication vehicle behind, where everyone except a communication soldier automatically stepped back.

The communication device rang and Su Huan hesitated for a moment before connecting, "892 Brigade, Su Huan, what’s the matter?"

"It’s not a good habit to question your superiors, Commander Su." On the other end was still Commander He Wei’s sonorous voice, albeit less urgent, with a noticeable hint of joking.

Su Huan squinted, not believing the person would mistakenly remember his "temporary position;" this was clearly the weasel offering a New Year greeting to the chicken, up to no good.

"Meaning?"

He Wei cleared his throat, earnestly stating, "I issue an order in the name of the 712 Synthetic Division Commander, promoting Su Huan to commander of the 712 Synthetic Division, effective immediately to assume command, receiving all subordinates. The order has been issued throughout the division."

"Regarding the 712’s entire force and subordinates, someone will send them to you later. Once consolidated, you don’t need to come to the division, go directly to the United Command center; I’ve reported to the higher-ups, so you don’t need to follow anyone’s orders, even those of various section command centers’ commanders."

In recent days while interacting, although not gleaning much apocalyptic information, Su Huan had come to understand the military’s arrangement in the Eternal Night Zone.

Not only have troops been brought in, but the command systems from eight theaters of war have been relocated as well.

And the 712 Synthetic Division belongs to the Southern Theater Command, above which were the corps command, army group commander, etc., even He Wei had little freedom; how dare he assign it to him?

At this moment, Su Huan felt no joy in promotion, only heavy-hearted.

The division must be in trouble; hence He Wei issued such an almost-family entrustment-like command.

Su Huan asked directly, "Who is the enemy?"

The latter was silent for a moment, "I don’t know."

Su Huan’s brows tightened further.

"In the division?"

"Uncertain."

"Could it be the Evil Anomaly?"

"Uncertain."

What the heck is there to say!

Su Huan held back the urge to curse, the tone already tinged with irritation, "Then based on what did you issue this instruction?"

"Feeling."

Su Huan’s rage instantly calmed.

As an Evolver, he trusted instinct more than anyone.

Nothing was more precise than his body’s system and instruments.

"Don’t rush to decide, I’m coming."

Su Huan squinted his eyes.

"Don’t waste time; the higher-ups already know of your existence, many await to meet you at United Command, don’t you want to know the answers to all this?"

Just as Su Huan intended to listen carefully, the communication was unexpectedly cut off again!

"What secret? Dammit, tell me!"

Qin Mian saw the commander tremble with rage and his eyes darken upon entering. If not for Su Huan’s swift actions, he might have been the first person to be scared to death by the aura of a Tier Four Evolver.

...

Division headquarters.

The division command post was established in a small underground base, smaller even than the military base at Lion’s Mouth Pass, where Qiu Chong was stationed.

He Wei calmly hung up the communication before the sand table.

Dense footsteps resounded everywhere outside the command post, faint gunshots overheard, while the white incandescent light flickered like under some influence.

The adjutant beside him continued organizing files calmly.

"Stop that, none of it is important anyway," He Wei said.

He straightened his collar, took out an iron-headed pistol and inspected it closely; though the model was old, it was well-maintained.

"Haven’t used it in years."

The adjutant had finished filing, shrugged, "Indeed, you hadn’t fired a shot before coming in, said you’d practice well, but aside from the first three days, you haven’t left the command post."

He Wei glared, scolding, "Not dying yet, and you’re already exposing my flaws, huh?"

The adjutant shook his head, took out his own sidearm and began loading bullets one by one, "You just trust that outsider kid so much?"

"Trust?" He Wei frowned slightly, "I’m just seizing every opportunity."

The adjutant slammed the magazine in, chambering a round, suddenly asking.

"Can that gun of yours be relied upon? Don’t let it jam at the crucial moment."

He Wei rubbed the trusty old gun in his hand proudly, "Still sharp and deadly!"