Chapter 52: Medical Assistance Required

Kaiden seemed different, no longer himself.

His outward appearance remained the same, but his thought process had shifted.

Throughout the march back, he cast mistrustful glances at Zack, but eventually, he focused on something else.

'0.5 Praeter, that's $500,' Kaiden thought, gazing melancholically at the distant sapphire-blue sun, illuminating the bluish ground.

'So much money...'

Kaiden clenched his fist, appearing slightly angry yet happy.

'If only all of this had existed earlier...'

He ran his blood-stained hand through his flawless blonde hair.

'Soon, I'll be rich... I mean we'll be rich...'

***

Six distinct footsteps resonated within a grand tent.

It was them, Team 6, returning after a considerable time. Everything felt surreal again; the previously loud explosions, battle cries, and the stench of death had almost vanished.

Only distant explosions remained audible, albeit faintly.

"Ah, it's so nice to be back home!"

Elly, who carried almost no blood, ran first into the washing area, followed by Mary, whose silver hair was now stained red with blood.

"Wait, how do we wash now?"

Mark asked, puzzled, addressing the group of young men.

They couldn't just barge into the private affairs of two young ladies, tempting though it may be.

Max appeared tense, his shoulders stiff, ears alert, and his face tense.

Shortly after, he was shoved and received a light punch on his bloody shoulder, which bore a corrosive wound.

A faint cry of pain, not too loud, escaped the young brown-haired man, followed by a soft exclamation from Zack.

"She is my sister bro!..."

"...Sorry," Mark followed, touching his open wound with his swelling blue finger.

Again, he let out a soft cry from his slightly reddened lips. Unlike Kaiden and Zack, Ren looked somewhat concerned. Then followed an action where Ren placed his hand on Mark's forehead, which was burning hot.

Mark was indeed not in the best condition, as he wasn't a direct combatant, and since he couldn't use his ability in the fight against the Sulxe, he had to fight almost without an advantage, resulting in him receiving the most damage. His external condition seemed normal at first glance.

The shoulder was slightly injured, the hand swollen, and a few bloody wounds, but it seemed something must have become infected. This wasn't surprising, as they were fighting in the tropics, where all sorts of small insects or bacteria existed.

Mark's hand trembled slightly, especially his fingers, which had turned blue. His shoulder revealed flesh and a burn-like wound from his grayish uniform. Lastly, there were many cuts on his upper arms, which still looked fairly okay. His lips were no longer vibrantly red but faded with his skin color.

A slight tinge of blue surrounded him everywhere, combined with a burst of cold sweat. Ren's eyes widened, brows furrowed, staring at Mark somewhat imploringly.

"We need antibiotics, preferably a doctor!"

Zack seemed now as concerned as before; without treatment in such an area, due to such impairments, one could miserably perish.

However, in contrast, Kaiden remained calm. While he also had his worries about him, their relationship was by no means as pronounced as the others, and he currently had other thoughts and concerns.

But Kaiden also had his principles, which is why he internally scolded himself.

'Mark is important to the team, you idiot, we need him!'

Kaiden wasn't interested in Mark as a person, but rather in his ability of invisibility, which could often be useful.

Sighing, he spoke a word.

"I'll go find a doctor, and you, help him stabilize for now so his circulation stays steady, understood?"

Nods came from the three. Ren, then, said hurriedly to Mark, "You're not supposed to nod!..."

But Kaiden was already over the hills, searching for a doctor or at least someone with antibiotics suitable for Mark.

As Kaiden ran and ran further, he heard explosions again and again. Eventually, he saw in the distance huge robot-like figures, slowly disappearing into the distance.

"So surreal," Kaiden couldn't understand why he was even here.

Everything seemed so unbelievable to him. Once, he was a normal student with good prospects for a well-paying job, as he was quite clever, but now he earned his bread by fighting extraterrestrial beings.

At the same time, he was quite well paid for this kind of current job.

"Damn, just like that, $500 in a few hours," he still couldn't believe it; no wonder his brother could cover the fees for everything in the hospital.

"Wait, does my brother even need money? Does he need me?"

What silly questions he was asking himself; of course, he needed him, they were siblings.

"No, the more money, the better. My brother probably wants to marry someday, buy properties, or drive nice cars, everyone wants to be rich!"

But with this statement, he asked himself whether he even wanted to be rich.

"Damn it, of course, I do! Who doesn't!?"

Indeed, the question was quite stupid, but the question is, what costs would this wealth entail?

A few deaths?

Or dozens?

What sacrifices would have to be made, and would Kaiden enjoy this life?

However, his eyes twitched as he felt a sharp pain in his nose. Tears streamed from his glands as he touched his nose, which felt oddly wobbly.

"Did I just run without noticing it?"

But as he opened his slightly covered eyes from darkness, he realized that a colossal figure stood before him, turning the bluish light of the sun into deep darkness.

A gaze like a solar eclipse, yet more frighteningly, Kaiden found the gaze of the figure familiar.

It was that of a sunburnt tall man in a snow-white uniform.

"Reo?"