17 13. Fight to the End (2 in 1)

Over time, the battle situation rapidly intensified.

Skeleton Hounds slowed down the speed of the reconnaissance squad's retreat, while the vast Skeleton Ocean surrounded them, trapping the squad in a fierce battle with the fearless undead spirit and deadly Bone Swords.

Noland Lee, as a Sin Soldier, stood at the forefront of the squad against the enemy.

On his left and right sides were Imperial Soldiers, behind him was an endless stone staircase, and in front of him were Skeleton Warriors with hollow, soulless eyes and eerie purple lights radiating from their skulls.

Not only did he have to maintain the steady line and slowly retreat upward, but he also had to be vigilant against the attacks of the Skeleton Warriors and Skeleton Hounds.

It could be said that he was multitasking and operating with his hands and feet all the time, with no room for mistakes.

One second, he swung his Engineering Hammer, smashing the head of a Skeleton Warrior.

The next second, he had to thrust the handle of the hammer to block the bite of a Skeleton Hound.

If he wasn't careful enough to keep up with the enemy's attack rhythm, his legs, arms, and abdomen would be cut by sharp bone swords, spilling his blood onto the ground and walls.

Blood seeped out of the narrow wounds, staining his Sin Soldier uniform, flowing down his clothes and trouser legs, filling his shoes, soaking his socks and the soles of his shoes.

The problem that came with it was slippery feet and unstable weight.

As for the dizziness and tinnitus caused by blood loss, it seemed like the death knell ringing in his head, echoing, echoing, until death.

Noland Lee couldn't remember how many times he had swung his Engineering Hammer, nor could he estimate how much blood he had shed.

His vision began to blur, beads of sweat hung on his eyelids, and waves of blood loss-induced daze attacked him.

He kept swinging his Engineering Hammer in a low growl, responding to the enemy's aggression with his body's instinct to survive, allowing the pain of torn wounds to accumulate in every corner of his body.

He felt as if he was on a vast, boundless battlefield, surrounded by endless enemies on all sides.

He was like a flatboat sailing on a vast ocean: either grip the oars and fight for survival or, float along with the waves and leave everything to fate.

I can't die here, my journey as a Traveler has just begun.

Noland Lee shouted in his heart, forcing himself to be more mindful, but within three or five seconds, he fell into a state of spiritual collapse due to excessive blood loss and exhaustion.

"Hold on! Support is coming!"

Corporal Mars used the butt of his gun to deflect the blade in front of Noland, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back from the edge of falling.

"Chief Officer, there are too many enemies! We need to do something!"

A soldier in the team called out:

"Sin Soldier No. 888 did a great job of awakening the undead and killing some of them with us... but after all, he's just a Sin Soldier... I mean... it's time for Sin Soldier No. 888 to respond to the call of the Empire and accept the mission bestowed upon him by the Empire!"

Hearing this, Noland suddenly felt uneasy.

The so-called "mission" was nothing more than throwing him to the Skeleton Warriors. He would use the large amount of Biochemical Bait on his body to hold back the enemy and ensure the safe withdrawal of the reconnaissance squad.

If this scenario were to happen, Noland felt there was no chance of survival, and he would undoubtedly become a puddle of mud torn apart by the Skeleton Warriors.

He struggled to raise his engineering hammer and hit it on a Skeleton Warrior's skull to prove that he still had the ability to fight.

However, due to excessive weakness, his hammer only made the Skeleton Warrior stagger a little, without flying the skull.

Noland felt the feedback from his touch and knew his attack was unsuccessful.

His attempt to prove himself had already failed, leaving a trace of desolation spreading in his heart.

Corporal Mars suddenly tightened his grip on Noland's arm and conveyed a firm conviction:

"No! Soldier! I reject your proposal!

"The Empire raised us to adulthood, taught us patience, struggle, perseverance, and fight. When the sacred mission arrives, we will naturally accept the glory bestowed upon us by the Empire...

"But not now!

"Sin Soldier No. 888 has already proven his commitment to battle. If he is destined to face his fate here, I hope he can fight to the last moment."

Corporal Mars's voice exploded in Noland's ear:

"Did you hear that, Jarvis? Fight, keep fighting! Let the flame of the Empire burn in your heart, lighting your path, until your body turns to ashes in the flames!"

As for concepts like mission, destiny, glory, and Empire... Noland had little concept in his heart.

He was a Traveler, not a native-born Empire person.

He didn't have the time to delve into the memories of the Original Master, feel his growth journey, or understand how the Empire took care of its people.

But he was very clear that fighting with all his strength was his only chance to survive.

Alas, what a miserable beginning, why wasn't the system I got a super powerful one?

In the end, I still have to rely on myself...

Noland raised his head to look at Corporal Mars and nodded heavily in his bright eyes before grabbing his engineering hammer and swinging it at the Skeleton Warriors.

His attacks were weak and powerless, but he was still fighting.

As if the surrounding soldiers saw the flames of the Empire burning on him, they deeply felt how firm this Sin Soldier's fighting beliefs were.

Who would refuse a wounded man who still had the courage to continue fighting?