Chapter 8: Keep Striving and Complete the Side Quest!

After eliminating several enemy soldiers in succession, Jiang Bai’s constitution score had already risen to 3.9. Now, with the bonus from the Skin Fortification skill, breaking through the crucial threshold of 4 was within reach!

With this, even if he were to be struck head-on by rifle bullets, as long as the shots didn’t hit his vital points, he could endure the ferocious battle ahead.

[Activate?]

Almost without hesitation, Jiang Bai responded immediately: “Activate!”

As the clear prompt sounded, Jiang Bai’s skin hardened and, under the sunlight, shimmered with an iridescent sheen. It exuded a wild, formidable aura that sent chills down the spine—a true beast in human form.

Catching a glimpse of the officer’s saber gripped by Onogi’s corpse, Jiang Bai’s heart gave a jolt. He decided the moment was right to test his own offensive and defensive capabilities to better gauge his power.

He picked up the blade with ease and swung it down upon Onogi’s body. With a sickening sound, the corpse was cleaved in two.

Then, under the stunned gazes of soldiers from both sides, Jiang Bai unflinchingly brought the saber down upon his own arm.

With a clang and a spray of blood, the officer’s saber snapped in two, leaving only a shallow mark on Jiang Bai’s arm.

Watching the wound rapidly heal, Jiang Bai could no longer suppress his exhilaration and burst into wild laughter.

“Blood! The stench of blood spilling from the enemy is what I crave! Hahaha!”

Watching Jiang Bai mutilate himself like a madman, every Feng Faction soldier present felt a chill to their marrow.

“Damn it, what is this guy doing?!” a bodyguard whispered, eyes wide with terror. “I’m starting to think he’s not even human!”

Heads nodded in grim agreement.

Not human? What else could he be—some kind of demon?

Even Zhang Zuolin, seasoned and unflappable, turned pale at the sight. For a moment, fear clouded every face.

Thankfully, Zhang Zuolin emerged to steady the ranks: “Silence! In my eyes, he’s more like a god of the battlefield!”

“A man like this is destined to shine brilliantly in war!”

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Zuolin’s expression softened with awe. “If only I had a few more men like Jiang Bai under my command, the Autumn Begonia would soon be united under one banner.”

While the Feng Faction soldiers stood shaken by Jiang Bai’s extreme behavior, the enemy cavalry were equally cowed by his frenzied actions.

Especially when they watched Jiang Bai repeatedly smash a steel rail down onto Onogi’s mangled corpse.

One square-jawed enemy soldier, finally unable to contain his terror, shouted in a trembling voice, “He’s a demon god from hell!”

“We can’t possibly defeat—”

A gunshot cut him off. The bullet pierced his head, silencing him instantly.

“Anyone who sows panic will be executed!” snarled a scar-faced non-commissioned officer, holstering his still-smoking pistol. “Even if he’s a demon, we have the Sun Goddess’s protection! What is there to fear?”

“Warriors, it’s time to offer our lives for the Emperor! Charge with me!”

Roused by the scar-faced NCO’s words, the remaining enemy soldiers drew their bayonets and charged at Jiang Bai.

“Courage without wisdom,” Jiang Bai sneered. “It’s meaningless against me.”

Without another word, he hurled the steel rail in his hand. With a thunderous crash, two enemy soldiers were struck full on and fell lifeless to the ground.

They would not rise again.

After swiftly dispatching the remaining two enemy soldiers, a crisp chime rang in Jiang Bai’s ears:

[Ding! Nineteen enemy soldiers confirmed killed. Please continue your efforts to complete the side mission!]

Just one more to go?

Jiang Bai’s eyes lit up as he began searching the battlefield. To his annoyance, though, aside from the corpses strewn about, not a single enemy soldier remained in sight.

Ordinarily, Jiang Bai could keep a cool head. But under the influence of the Blood Aura, he found himself growing increasingly irritable.

“It’s not enough! Nowhere near enough to satisfy me!”

Suddenly, he noticed a burly enemy signalman waving flags desperately from a hilltop several hundred meters away.

Without hesitation, Jiang Bai darted forward like a hunting leopard, heading straight for the signalman’s location.

There, on that hill, was the enemy’s temporary command post!

Inside the command post at that moment, a short, dark-skinned, and scrawny figure was scanning the battlefield intently.

If not for his immaculate uniform, most would have mistaken him for an ordinary farmer rather than Togami Tetsuo, the infamous captain of the Kwantung Army.

“What’s the status of the encirclement?” he asked—a question that sent a chill through the room.

Bad news came in a rapid succession.

“Captain, sir, the infantry team at the bridge lost contact ten minutes ago! According to allies, the scene was gruesome, as if they’d been attacked by a beast!”

“Captain, sir, Onogi’s cavalry lost contact five minutes ago. We’re attempting to reestablish communications!”

“Captain, sir, the infantry at the foot of the mountain engaged the enemy a minute ago. The fighting is fierce—they urgently need reinforcements!”

As the reports continued, Togami Tetsuo’s expression grew more and more surprised.

Considering that ten minutes earlier, with their numerical advantage, they had nearly wiped out two-thirds of the enemy’s forces, he had expected to finish things swiftly. Instead, not only had they failed to eliminate the remaining soldiers quickly, but they’d lost two elite units in rapid succession.

Still, Togami Tetsuo wasn’t overly concerned. After all, the Feng Faction troops were well-trained, and cornered men were known to fight fiercely.

Checking the time, Togami Tetsuo quickly issued new orders:

“Half an hour is nearly up. By now, the Fengtian Military Police’s motorized units should be arriving.”

“In this battle, we’ve almost pinpointed Zhang Zuolin’s location.”

“Order all combat teams: abandon the defense of the command post. Send everyone to reinforce the infantry at the mountain’s base!”

“The objective is to end the battle within ten minutes!”

“Yes, sir!”

As the signalman frantically waved flags atop the hill, Togami Tetsuo’s face broke into a rare smile. He could almost see a bright future beckoning to him.

But he had no idea that it was this very order that would seal his fate.

“Suzu, wait for me. Give me just one more year, and I’ll return—”

With a thunderous crash, a boulder hurtled down from above, crushing the signalman where he stood.

Under the immense force, the signalman’s chest collapsed as if it were made of paper.

“Damn it! Where’s the signalman gone? What happened?!”

“It’s the Chinese! The Chinese are attacking! Prepare to defend—”