Chapter 80
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After a rough night, many students woke up feeling like their limbs had just been replaced, unwilling to move.
“Don’t we have the anti–magnetic device? We survived the storm; what other dangers could there be?” Some couldn’t help but complain.
Stanley wanted to stay lying down too, but as soon as he heard someone badmouth Quinlyn, he sprang up and retorted, “Don’t complain just because you got lucky. If you don’t want to leave, then stay here! We’ll go on without you!” With that, he strode confidently out of the cave.
Quinlyn watched his crab–like gait and couldn’t help but smile slightly before following. The other students had no choice but to suck it up and leave with them.
Once outside, they were greeted by a landscape of dark scorched earth washed over by rain. It felt like they had stepped into an apocalyptic world.
–
Everyone swallowed hard, holding the anti–magnetic devices tighter. Without them, they might not have made it through the night.
The path was slick after the rain, and with recent lightning strikes, the risk of landslides had increased. Quinlyn and Michael took the lead, moving cautiously.
“Quinlyn, are you worried about something?” Michael asked, glancing sideways at her.
Since entering the mountains, her every action seemed urgent. Even after finding Stanley, she remained tense and on high alert, refusing to wait for rescue at sunrise.
“Considering Mr. Ramirez’s efficiency, Squad 901 should be entering the mountains by now,” Michael added, trying to
reassure her.
Quinlyn’s eyes remained fixed ahead as she spoke softly, “I think the artifact thief is nearby.”
Michael paused, nearly losing his footing. In a flash, he recalled that map. “Is it the training destination? Has th compromised system set up the criminals‘ hideout as the objective?”
“Exactly,” Quinlyn nodded, her expression calm.
A storm of anxiety stirred inside Michael. “Last night, this area turned into a lightning zone. Those guys must be affected as well. If they weren’t killed by the lightning, they would have to come out to escape. If that happens…”
He couldn’t finish his thought. Quinlyn stepped in, completing his sentence, “We’ll run into them.”
Michael gasped at the revelation, his steps faltering. Looking back at Quinlyn, he couldn’t help but admire her composure.
If he had been in her position, he probably would have bolted down the mountain, rain or not. Yet, she had remained alert and vigilant throughout the night.
As they walked alone at the front, Quinlyn lowered her voice, clearly trying to prevent mass panic among the group. Her strong composure and mental fortitude put him to shame.
Feeling her steady influence, Michael gradually calmed down and picked up his pace.
But the muddy path and the aches all over their bodies slowed the other students down. With a gentle nudge, their frustration only grew. Finally, someone couldn’t take it anymore and plopped down on a nearby rock.
“You guys can go on without me; I’m not moving anymore,” they huffed. Soon, a few other students followed suit, sinking to the ground one by one, tapping out of the trek.
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Warren felt a cramp in his calves and desperately wanted to rest, but seeing Quinlyn’s determined figure, he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Instead, he turned to persuade a few high school students. “Just hang in there a little longer. We’ll be at the
bottom soon.”
“Mr. Sullivan, we really can’t go on. We’ve been in here for three days, barely eating and even fainting! The fact we made it this far is impressive enough. We can’t just let Quinlyn’s words push us to our limits,” one student complained, frustration leaking through his voice. “She hasn’t been through this; of course, she can keep going. We’re not the same.”
Warren didn’t like hearing that. He scowled and said firmly, “Quinlyn was the first to realize you were in danger and called for help. She’s been here since yesterday, risking her life to test the anti–magnetic device, and she stood guard over all of you through the night. She’s put in the most effort, so you shouldn’t speak about her like that.”
Having witnessed everything, Warren knew how every decision was tied to their safety and lives. Quinlyn carried a heavy burden that went far beyond physical exhaustion. Besides, it had been her guiding them through the entire ordeal.
The students fell silent, caught off guard. “I’m not blaming her…” one stammered.
They were just too exhausted and venting their frustrations. Quinlyn, being a quiet child, seemed easier to lash out at, and realizing this dark impulse made several of them flush and lower their heads.
Just then, a soft sound cut through the tension.
Quinlyn spun around and dashed towards Michael. “Get down!”
Something hit the nearby rocks, sending a faint scent of gunpowder into the air.
While the students were still dazed, the Hill family members already jumped into action, ushering them down and covering their mouths.
Quinlyn rushed to Stanley and Larry, pulling them behind a large rock for cover.
“What was that? Was that… gunfire?” Stanley asked, shaken, still unable to believe he heard a gun in real life. He only thought he’d hear such things in video games.
“Yes,” Quinlyn confirmed, ignoring the mud coating her clothes as she pulled out the walkie–talkie from her po spotted the criminals.”
“We’ve
The word “criminals” froze everyone nearby. A few high schoolers quickly realized what had just happened and their legs. turned to jelly.
“Sounds like they’ve got silencers. They’re probably trying to eliminate witnesses,” Michael said, pulling a gun from his pack. After a moment’s thought, he handed a second one to Quinlyn.
Quinlyn looked confused for a second, shaking her head. “I don’t know how to use one.”
Michael instinctively thought she could do anything, surprised by her refusal. But then he remembered how strange it would be for a ten–year–old to know how to handle a gun.
So, he retracted the gun, chambered a round, and pressed his hand against the trigger. “You take them and run as soon as you hear gunfire. They’re wearing anti–magnetic suits, so they shouldn’t be able to catch up to you.”
When he noticed Quinlyn hadn’t moved, he turned to see a flicker of worry in her eyes.
“Don’t worry; I’m a pretty good shot,” Michael said, ruffling her hair while giving her his usual calm, reassuring smile. “Promise me you’ll get Larry out safely.”
Larry was his father’s pride and the Hill family’s hope.
Quinlyn understood the weight behind his words, clenched her fist, and moments later, decisively pulled Larry and Stanley
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toward a nearby slope.
I’m not leaving, Uncle! Larry protested.
The group stumbled forward in a chaotic dash, grateful for the long slope that creded um dome Wits the dude of death looming over them, no one stopped this time. Puit Larry repeatedly tried to look back, his hand caught festyn Quinlyn’s grip.
Ten minutes later, a thunderous bang echoed through the air, reminiscent of lost it’s findersor Larry suddenly halted, turning back to look at the slope, his eyes welling up with tears.
AD
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