Chapter 134: The Night of the Eighth Day

On the eighth night, Kevin and Stuart sat facing each other, each leaning against the rocky wall. Between them lay Gray’s body, draped with the military flag. The cave was damp, and water droplets occasionally fell from the ceiling, their sound piercing the stillness of the night.

It was their final night. With Gray gone, their system of rotating rest was broken. If no miracle happened, tomorrow would be their death sentence.

Yet, paradoxically, neither of them could sleep. They had no appetite, only staring blankly into space, lost in thought and haze.

“Can you tell me the truth now?” Stuart asked.

Kevin replied, “What do you want to know?”

“Will anyone come to rescue us?”

“To be honest, my parrot, the ‘Little Sister,’ is dead too,” Kevin said with a grim expression. “We have no way to contact the outside world. No reinforcements will come unless someone happens to pass by.”

“How did it come to this?”

“There might be a trap,” Kevin answered. “We’re at the bottom, unaware of a lot.”

Stuart’s eyes flickered. “That’s what I thought when we were deployed. Why was Sain left behind? Now it seems that was the right call.”

Kevin nodded. “Yes, it was deliberate. Unfortunately, Gray never realized it. When he left, he mocked Sain, saying he was off to earn glory. Now… sigh.”

“Let’s not dwell on the general for now. Did no one else come to our aid?” Stuart was incredulous. “What about your readers? The little assassin? You’ve gone silent here for so long—didn’t anyone suspect?”

“Sorry, I often delay updates, so they probably didn’t notice,” Kevin said helplessly. “If one day I suddenly post two updates, it just means I missed some before.”

Stuart was speechless.

“Damn it!” Stuart finally burst out. “A bard who wastes time all day long. You’ve indirectly caused our deaths! Now do you understand the importance of updating?”

Kevin was quiet.

“This time, it’s clear the general wanted you dead,” Stuart ranted. “I warned you repeatedly to keep a low profile, not to antagonize the officers. Did you listen?”

“No! You and Sain kept clashing from the start. Sain lost face during the drills. When the Knights of Thunder came to discipline you, you pulled him into night training. Sain became your subordinate, and you thought too highly of yourself—targeting the general’s son with brutal drills. I told you to tone it down, but you gave me a whole lecture on ideals,” Stuart vented long-suppressed anger.

“You think your words are unbeatable? Then use them now! Go mouth off to the bandits! See if they get scared!” Stuart cursed. “You don’t know how to be low-key, don’t know how to endure. The general can send you to your death anytime; isn’t that easy? Is this the outcome you wanted?”

Kevin felt anger rise too. “Oh? So you’re the expert in discretion and patience. Aren’t you just like me?”

“Hmph!” Stuart retorted fiercely. “No one knows everything, but my way of handling things is right. Don’t bother with sophistry—it’s pointless.”

“Oh?” Kevin sneered. “Then why don’t you try being low-key and patient with the bandits?”

“Do you think I haven’t thought of that?” Stuart replied.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” Kevin saw through him. “We’ve killed and wounded so many bandits. These idiots won’t let us go, surrender won’t work. If you don’t believe me, go try!”

Stuart fell silent.

“Then why not run away now?” Stuart shifted tactics. “These bandits never attack at night. Maybe if we leave at night, they won’t even know.”

“I can tell you for sure—impossible!” Kevin pounded his chest. “Maybe you can get off this hill. Our range is bigger than I thought. But I’m certain we can’t escape the Caludia Hills.”

“Why?” Stuart was unconvinced. “Isn’t that a glimmer of hope?”

“You need to understand who we’re up against,” Kevin said. “Ninety-nine percent are experts from the Ryan Empire. Why do they go to such lengths? Because of this catapult. What’s so special about it? In drills, I used it to kill two regiments. They want to capture it and study it. Now we’re isolated; this rare chance—do you think they’ll just let it go?”

“That’s why I never had such hopes,” Kevin replied. “The reason we’ve held out so long is terrain advantage. Outside, we have none. We’re half dead as it is; we’d be dead within a kilometer.”

“Sigh,” Stuart sighed deeply. “But we have to try. Either way, it’s death.”

“If you want to leave, then go,” Kevin stopped insisting. “I’ll stay.”

“Why?” Stuart was puzzled. “Want to play the martyr? Or blow up the equipment and take them down with you? Does this machine have a self-destruct?”

“I said I’ll stay because my chance of survival is higher. Even if I’m alone,” Kevin asked.

Stuart hesitated. “Are you trying to trick me into staying?”

“Believe it or not, I’m not ordering you anymore. If you trust me, stay. If you don’t, leave,” Kevin answered calmly. “Honestly, I’m just avoiding my guilt. Little Sister died following my orders. Gray too. I don’t want to get you killed.”

Stuart eyed him suspiciously but didn’t move.

“But I’ll tell you the truth: if I survive and you die, when I return I’ll spread the word that you were a deserter.”

“Damn it!” Stuart cursed.

“If I die and you live, tell everyone I was a hero,” Kevin finished.

Stuart smiled wryly. “Are those words really so important?”

“Do you remember how our father died?” Kevin asked.

Stuart was silent for a long time before asking, “So, you’ve been joking this whole time?”

“Everyone dies, it’s just…” Kevin began.

“Enough with the feel-good nonsense!” Stuart cut him off. “It’s all crap!”

“Sometimes heroes are great, sometimes heroes are... cheap,” Kevin said differently. “Like Gray. Was he a hero? If I survive, I’ll brag about him. How he sacrificed for his country, bravely and wisely, fighting to build the Tower’s nation.”

Stuart looked down at the body, silent for a long while.

“In truth, he wasn’t that great. But I have to glorify him. Will you expose me? Heroes need a bit of artistic license. Even a polished hero is still a hero.”

Stuart stood and pulled a book from the side of the machine, tossing it to Kevin. “Here, this is Gray’s last book.”

Kevin glanced at the title, *The Invincible Gray*. He wanted to laugh but couldn’t, then began reading. The protagonist was clearly Gray himself, chronicling his life after retirement. Gray had learned many things. A man named Kevin and another named Stuart played the role of his chamber pot, secretly helping him often. One day, Gray met a wealthy man who looked down on him, chin raised. Angered, Gray used the "Farmer’s Three Punches" Kevin taught him, smashing the man under his opponent’s incredulous gaze… Then the wealthy man’s father came… Got beaten too… A beautiful noblewoman was harassed by thugs by the roadside… Gray rescued her… She fell in love with him…

“You probably find it lowbrow, huh?” Stuart said casually. “Gray never dared show it to you because you’re so picky.”

Kevin flipped through the pages, finishing the story with tears in his eyes. “This is my first time reading a cliché story and crying over it.”

“There’s nothing to be sad about,” Stuart sighed. “Soon, we’ll join him.”

“Do you believe in heaven?” Kevin asked.

“To be honest, not really,” Stuart shook his head.

“Me neither. If there were a heaven, why would nobles fear death? Death is just another form of existence,” Kevin said. “We don’t even know what the afterlife looks like or if it exists. Since the war of gods and demons, no gods or demons have appeared. It’s all hearsay. Mages were once condemned by the Church of Light as charlatans—wasn’t the Church itself a kind of fraud?”

Stuart nodded. “If you say these things out loud, you’ll meet the same fate as your father.”

“Necromancy was banned after the Second Holy War. Summoning a skeleton is forbidden magic. I don’t get it—if necromancy can really bring back the dead, why ban it?” Kevin said what he usually dared not. “I want to see my father again, just once more. Nobles have lost family too; don’t they want that?”

Stuart pondered. “Maybe it needs a cruel sacrifice?”

“Nowadays, criminals are everywhere. Drag in a few death-row convicts; wouldn’t that work?” Kevin couldn’t comprehend. “Rules are broken one by one. Maybe magic can find substitutes for sacrifices. Wouldn’t everyone be happy then?”

Stuart was silent. “Your ideas are dangerous.”

“Heh, I’m not as dangerous as my king,” Kevin laughed. “He wants to build heaven together. I just want to make gentlemen.”

“Sigh.” They fell into silence again. Checking the time, it was midnight—the ninth day had arrived.

“There’s something I have to apologize for,” Kevin said. “I lied to you.”

“What?”

“Remember when you were suddenly transferred to my catapult unit? I said it was because the general noticed you. That wasn’t true,” Kevin shook his head. “It was because I noticed you.”

Stuart’s face darkened. “I wondered how the general would know me.”

“They were supposed to give me ten new recruits, but you know, the ones sent then were rejects. I couldn’t train a bunch of garbage, so I refused. I suggested swapping for a junior officer, citing the technical complexity of the catapult as reason to bring you over,” Kevin said awkwardly.

Stuart recalled the day. “If I weren’t so tired now, I’d punch you!”

“Sorry.”

“I always said I’m low-key; how did I end up here?” Stuart ground his teeth. “Turns out it’s bad company!”

“I think the general isn’t that petty,” Kevin changed tone. “If he were, I’d be dead already.”

“You said the mastermind is a foreign power. Does that mean the general colluded with them?” Stuart’s mind raced.

“‘Collusion’ might not be the right word,” Kevin answered. “But there’s definitely some secret deal. Still, I can’t believe the general would send 180 elite soldiers to die for a deal—that’s a third of the Knights of Thunder. Maybe the deal went sour; what was supposed to be a show turned deadly.”

“The Knights would claim victory afterwards to save face, or their leaders would lose their heads. So even if my parrot managed to contact them, I doubt rescue would come,” Kevin sighed. “We were probably pawns from the start. Sain’s absence is the clearest proof.”

There was also the crow’s warning, but Kevin had orders and had to obey despite danger.

“What kind of deal requires such sacrifice?” Stuart was furious.

“I guess factional struggle,” Kevin said. “The general is conservative, unwilling to accept new tech; the 213rd commander is a reformist. They supposedly haven’t interacted for a long time. I visited them once, bringing Sain. They later visited us—maybe I broke the ice. Then the general dined with them; I don’t know what happened.”

“What I do know is that after that, the general gave me new recruits and pulled you over. Then he took my crow and replaced it with a parrot. We set out, and Sain was ordered to stay behind,” Kevin shrugged. “Also, a retired general from the Ryan Empire lectured our unit. Who knows what deals were made then?”

Stuart said nothing.

“We’re just foot soldiers,” Kevin smiled bitterly. “A bunch of generals and sword saints scheming us—it’s worth it somehow.”

“Time’s about right; I’m going to wash up,” Kevin stood.

Stuart blinked. “Wash up?”

“Even if we die tomorrow, let’s die with style,” Kevin said, grabbing a towel to wipe his face.

“Don’t keep secrets. If you have a plan, say it,” Stuart stood up. Hope excites you, even if it’s slim.

“I have one last desperate plan,” Kevin said. “A gamble that they’re all fools.”

“But they all have protagonist auras,” Stuart said, almost excited.

“Then I’ll bet my protagonist aura is stronger!” (To be continued.)