Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 554 Command

The dawn in the wasteland arrives sparingly and palely.

The blizzard that had raged all night finally subsided, leaving only scattered snowflakes swirling in the cold wind, settling on the snow-covered jagged rocks and withered thorns. The sky remained a somber gray-blue, with a massive spatial rift stretching across the horizon like an unhealed scar, casting a chilling light. An eerie atmosphere permeated the camp.

Tang Zijun sat cross-legged by the embers of the campfire, taking a nap. Her calm face revealed no emotion. Scáthach remained hidden in the shadows of the rocks, like an ancient, unchanging dark boulder. Leisen, clutching his gun, huddled in the corner furthest from the "corpses," his eyes warily scanning every moving pale figure. Whenever a "corpse" made a slightly strange movement during a coordination test, such as the clumsy turn of the tree-like form, his finger would instinctively tighten on the trigger. The only one sleeping soundly was probably Yedi, curled up in the thick animal-hide blanket beside Tang Zijun. The little girl's breathing was even, her face rosy in the cold air, a reassuring smile even on her lips. For her, Tang Zijun was the safest place; of course, she would love to sleep in that soft, warm bed again. As for the agents, after a night of acclimatization, or rather, after all the commotion, their condition was noticeably better.

Although the movements still have a mechanical, sluggish feel, at least wielding weapons won't hurt your own people anymore.

At this moment, they are dispersed around the camp in standard tactical squad formations, silently conducting vigilance or basic physical training.

In this camp shrouded in cold and eerie silence, a sharp, hoarse call suddenly rang out from the short-range megaphone at Leisen's waist, shattering the morning stillness. "Shasha... Hey! Hey! Did you hear me?! Sha... Leisen! Shasha... You're still alive, right?!"

The old chimney's hoarse voice, thick with nasal tones and still shaken, was highly recognizable even amidst the noise.

"Shh... We can't stay in this godforsaken place! The snow's lessening, let's hurry! Shh... My eyelids are twitching! I feel like something's watching us! Shh... Shh... Hurry up and pack! I know a place ahead, a makeshift cellar built by smuggling crews before, it's pretty sturdy! Shh... Hurry! If we dawdle any longer, once the snow completely stops, those creatures that rely on their noses for food will come out and wade in! Shh... I don't want to be breakfast for those mutated monsters!" The old chimney's voice was filled with urgency and fear; clearly, he hadn't had a good night and desperately needed some supplies to replenish his forces. The voice from the megaphone also woke Yedi. The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes, crawled out of her warm blanket, and asked groggily, "Are we leaving?" Her little face still had the rosy glow of a good night's sleep, a stark contrast to the somber expressions of the others in the camp.

Tang Zijun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the camp. He glanced at the agents who were still trying to adapt to their "new skin," then at the tense old chimney in the distance, before finally settling on the shadows where Scáthach was hiding. He nodded slightly.

"Get ready to depart." Tang Zijun's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

At the command, the entire camp instantly began to operate like a sophisticated machine.

The silent agents immediately ceased their adaptive activities. Mantis Xiao Yue put away his scythe, Tree Man Zhang Wei stopped patrolling, and all the agents quickly and orderly organized their non-existent "equipment." Then, in standard three-on-three tactical group formations, they silently and efficiently stepped into the gray-white snowfield in the direction indicated by the old chimney.

Leisen watched as the group of "corpses" instantly transformed into an orderly array of warriors. The fear in his single eye subsided slightly, but his vigilance remained undiminished. He scooped up Yedi, still wrapped in a blanket, and gruffly replied into the communicator before carefully approaching Tang Zijun. "Wolf Rider, what... what are these things?" Tang Zijun asked casually. "These are friends I called from another world. They're all on our side. Don't worry, they're just occupying these unused bodies." "You mean..."

I'm even more worried now!

"Friends summoned from 'another world'—what world? The world after death? And they've only occupied these unused bodies? Doesn't that mean these things really are...?" Leisen shuddered, his eyes filled with surprise and bewilderment as he looked at those guys. But thinking about it, it made sense; after all, they were capable of fighting against the gods of the era, so it was normal for them to create things that were incomprehensible. "Wolf Rider, tell me straight, are you also a god?"

"How could you have such a misconception?" Tang Zijun raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "I'm not, that lady is." Upon hearing this, Leisen glanced at the shadow where Scáthach was hiding. It was now empty, with only the cold, rocky rim of the wall. He immediately looked away, no longer lingering or asking any more questions, and silently joined the retreating group.

Yedi nestled on Leisen's broad shoulder, watching curiously as the figures rummaged through the snow, especially the large tree spirit (Zhang Wei) whose branches swayed as he walked. She couldn't help but whisper, "Uncle Leisen, when did those guys come to life? Are they playing in the snow?"

Leisen:

He hoisted Yedi up onto his back, his lips twitching slightly, and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "...Yeah, right, playing in the snow." Ever since he met that wolf rider, life in this wasteland has become more and more bizarre.

Meanwhile, Tang Zijun called Xiao Yue over. "After I left, nothing happened on our end, right?"

"No," Xiao Yue replied subconsciously, then, as if remembering something, he grinned teasingly. "You want to ask about Consultant Tan, right?" "No, I want to ask about Tang Cao," Tang Zijun replied, her expression unchanged.

"Come on, do you think nobody can't tell?"

"What did you figure out?"

"Advisor Tan." Xiao Yue leaned forward. "Advisor Tan is obviously interested in you, and it's not just her. Okay, okay, I won't say anymore." "You want to ask about Tang Cao, right? That girl's talent isn't bad. I don't really understand, but my sister said that Tang Cao's cultivation is much faster than hers. Plus, with Xiao Bai as a cultivation booster, she'll probably break through to the Yellow Rank soon." "Only the Yellow Rank..." Tang Zijun frowned.

"What do you mean by 'only Yellow Level'? Don't forget how long it's been since she broke through to Orange Level. It's only been a few months since the Shadow Calamity. Her speed has already broken the records that the bureau has kept." "That's true." Tang Zijun nodded slightly, not taking it too seriously.

He hadn't intended for his sister to put herself in danger. He was already in such a predicament; if he needed her to take matters into her own hands, wouldn't he, as the older brother, be utterly incompetent? Thinking this, Tang Zijun adjusted her mindset and turned to speak. "By the way, before you came, didn't Director Shangguan tell you about your mission here?" "She gave a brief overview, like the historical process and development of this area, and the danger of this mission, but she didn't give any specific details." "Not even a team commander was assigned?"

"No, she wants us to act according to your orders. The reason she didn't assign tasks beforehand is so as not to disrupt your plans," Xiao Yue replied truthfully. Tang Zijun nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, in that case, you and Zhang Wei will be in charge of the team from now on. I want you to split into two teams, one action team and one reconnaissance team. You can discuss the specific details." Actually, Tang Zijun wasn't good at leading teams. He had always been a lone wolf and had never accumulated any experience in teamwork. Even when playing games, he was always the one who just joined the team. Back in the day, he was a lone top laner and a dedicated Yasuo player in LoL.

Therefore, he didn't ask for any command authority. Xiao Yue and Zhang Wei were already mid-level managers in the Demon Supervision Bureau, and the two were considered among the first batch of veteran cadres. Letting them lead the team would be a good way to utilize their strengths. "Yes, sir." Upon receiving Tang Zijun's order, Xiao Yue stood at attention and saluted without saying a word.

Tang Zijun ducked sharply to avoid the scythe, which whistled past his hair. He then stared at Xiao Yue speechlessly.

"I beg you to change your habits a little. You're so easily startled, I'm afraid you'll rip your own head off one day."