“Second squad, cut off their retreat. We can’t let these Infected and the Wendigo’s Guerrillas rendezvous.”

At the commander’s order, the shieldguard, vanguards, and battle mages began to move towards the other side of the village.

Talulah hid behind cover; as soon as she exposed herself, countless arrows and Originium Arts would fly towards her.

However, constantly hiding would not save her from the fate of death.

In the sky, the artillery hub controlled by Ursus mages constantly observed the ground. Once a target was found, it would call for Ursus artillery from further away to bombard it.

“Damn it! Didn’t they say it was only the Infected Control Squad! Why are there regular Ursus troops!”

Talulah complained bitterly. From another cover, a Reunion Movement soldier shouted to her.

“Talulah, you need to find a way to leave quickly. We’ll distract them.”

Talulah did not treat these Infected forces, which she had painstakingly gathered, as subordinates or tools, but rather as friends.

“No, you go first, I’ll cover you.”

With that, she drew her sword and unleashed her scorching flames at the artillery hub in the sky.

But these weak flames could not effectively harm the heavily armored drone.

At this moment, a whisper echoed in her ear again, urging her to abandon resistance and embrace its power.

“You (Ursus expletive)!”

She cursed, but the problem was they were still surrounded by the Ursus army.

After a Reunion Movement member was spotted by the drone high in the sky, several large-caliber Originium shells rained down.

The battle line formed by the shieldguard and vanguards was getting closer and closer. Talulah knew that if she didn’t leave now, she really wouldn’t be able to.

“Leader, please leave quickly. As long as you are still here, the Reunion Movement will not disappear.”

“Yes, it’s too late if you don’t go now.”

“We’ll hold them off for you. Hurry and find Alina. Don’t forget to avenge us then.”

With that, to prevent Talulah from staying for them, the remaining Reunion Movement members raised their crude weapons and charged towards the Ursus army formation.

Talulah no longer hesitated, immediately conjuring a wall of fire to separate herself from the Ursus army formation.

As she ran towards the mountain forest, the Ursus people began to cover it with burning spells.

They ultimately did not dare to directly enter the mountain forest.

“Phew, Alina, I hope you’re alright.”

This forest was much larger than the others, with several villages surrounding it.

She and the Reunion Movement were engaging the enemy here, Patriot and the Guerrillas were fighting on the other side, and Alina’s side had almost no armed forces, so nothing should have happened, right?

Thinking this, Talulah quickly ran towards the village where Alina was exchanging supplies.

The heat of the flames was gradually left behind, but the closer she moved towards the village, the stronger the faint scent of blood became.

Finally, under a tree, Talulah found a dying Aelafia.

“What happened?” Talulah pulled away Alina’s hand covering her wound, revealing a bottomless gash and dried blood.

“It’s nothing, I just accidentally…”

Alina knew there was something dark within Talulah. To prevent her from being completely consumed, she chose to bear everything herself.

The fact that she was injured by an Infected could not be spoken now.

“No, this isn’t a wound that can be caused by a mistake,” Talulah wasn’t foolish; with the physique of a Terra person, everyday dangers were unlikely to cause fatal injuries, “Ursus army weapon… no… that’s not it.”

“…It was an Infected…”

An unknown rage rose from the depths of her heart. Why had she been soft-hearted and let those Infected go back then?

“All Infected deserve to die!” The Black Snake’s voice echoed again.

“You shut up!” Talulah cursed at herself.

“Alina, don’t move yet. I’ll carry you. I’ll take you to a doctor.”

“No, Talulah, you should leave quickly, I’m already…”

“No… no, no… it’s fine, you’ll live, we’ll all live, we’ll achieve our wishes together…”

Talulah’s rationality told her that with such a severe wound and massive blood loss, Alina was beyond saving.

But looking at her dearest friend, who still had a breath left, her emotions wouldn't allow her to give up.

As long as the failure wasn't a reality, there might still be a chance to salvage everything.

As long as there was a sliver of hope, she would make Alina live.

Talulah carried Alina on her back, carefully walking through the snow-covered mountain forest.

The Ursus army couldn't completely block off the entire forest. She chose a direction different from all three attack sites, hoping to try her luck.

“Talulah, I’m tired. Let me rest for a bit, okay…?”

“No, hold on, don’t fall asleep…”

Feeling the gradually fading body temperature of the girl on her back, Talulah gritted her teeth and quickened her pace, trying to minimize shaking.

“Listen… Talulah… I don’t want… you to be consumed… by hatred… you must… be yourself…”

Alina on her back gradually became still. Talulah just ran forward in silence.

At this moment, she felt movement not far from the mountain forest.

An Ursus blockade squad?

Talulah drew her long sword, but only three people appeared.

One Ursus, one Sarkaz, and a man whose race she couldn't discern.

The man seemed to have noticed her too, pointing at her and shouting something in an unknown language to the Sarkaz woman.

She couldn't understand, but Talulah wouldn't allow anyone to block her and Alina.

She drew her sword, ignited flames with Originium Arts, and took a fighting stance.

The man whose race she couldn't discern seemed anxious, frantically shouting at her in an incomprehensible language.

The Sarkaz woman also seemed tense, and then she made an unexpected move.

She grabbed the man by his collar and threw him directly at her.

What the hell? What was the relationship between that man and the Sarkaz?

In a moment of distraction, the man’s face collided with hers, then he was sent flying.

Losing her support, Alina’s body slid down the hillside like a rolling stone, landing next to the Sarkaz.

The Sarkaz bent down and placed her hand on Alina’s nose.

She seemed to detect no breath, then conjured a white sword out of thin air and stabbed Alina’s body.

Then, the Sarkaz raised her hand and plunged it directly into Alina’s chest, seemingly grasping something.

“Let go of Alina!” Talulah threw the man aside, preparing to take up her sword and fight the Ursus and Sarkaz.

“Quickly bring Xing Chen over! She can still be saved!” Theresa shouted loudly in Gaulish.