Arc of Fire

Chapter 20

After driving on the small road for a while, Wang Zhong switched back to his normal vision to catch his breath, only to let out a huge yawn the moment he did.

Fatigue seemed to have been waiting for this exact moment, rushing in and seizing Wang Zhong's mind all at once.

Wang Zhong rubbed his face vigorously, but it didn't help him regain his alertness.

Damn it, this is exactly the time I need to rely on my cheat to warn of enemies-why am I getting sleepy now?

Yet fatigue didn't care about Wang Zhong's thoughts; it pressed down on his eyelids like a thousand-pound weight.

His consciousness drifted uncontrollably, and in a daze, Wang Zhong suddenly recalled something his father, a veteran of the Sino-Vietnamese War, once said:

"Your old man might be a bit heartless. After seeing a few comrades die, I got used to it. On the battlefield, you still gotta eat when it's time to eat and sleep when it's time to sleep."

Could it be-that I'll get used to the battlefield just as quickly?

Wang Zhong fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know how much time had passed.

When he opened his eyes again, Su Fang's face filled his entire field of view.

Only then did Wang Zhong realize he had fallen asleep leaning on Su Fang's shoulder, his drool soaking a large patch on her chest.

He hurriedly wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said apologetically, "Sorry!"

Su Fang smiled, "You're actually apologizing for this? I heard you were supposed to be a much worse noble."

Wang Zhong followed her lead and asked, "What kind of noble am I supposed to be in those rumors?"

Su Fang shrugged, "Well... just like those bad nobles, I guess. By the way, you and-sorry, are you and Lyudmila lovers?"

Wang Zhong was shocked, "Lyudmila? Why bring her up?"

"Because while you were asleep, you mumbled, 'Is Lyudmila okay?' I heard it pretty clearly," the girl said.

Wang Zhong brushed it off casually, "She's a beauty. I don't want her to be ruined by the Prossenians."

"Oh, I see," Su Fang's voice carried a hint of disappointment.

Sergei, in the driver's seat, seemed to want to say something but held back.

Wang Zhong asked again, "How long was I asleep?"

Su Fang replied, "A few hours, I think. Don't you have a watch?"

Only then did Wang Zhong remember, so he rolled up his sleeve to check his watch.

It was now 2 a.m.

At that moment, Sergei spoke up, "Count, there are headlights on the road ahead!"

Wang Zhong looked forward and indeed saw a long line of lights in the distance.

He immediately switched to Overhead Perspective, and all the vehicles on the road ahead were highlighted: they were all enemies!

As Wang Zhong observed the enemies, he felt the jolt of the brakes.

He quickly said, "Don't panic! Braking will only draw attention. Keep driving like this and stop only when we're close!"

The jolt from braking stopped.

Sergei's voice crept into Wang Zhong's ears, "Damn it, you're absolutely crazy!"

Wang Zhong ignored him and focused on observing the enemies.

Most of the vehicles on the highway were empty ones heading back, some carrying wounded soldiers and corpses.

Each vehicle had only a driver, and some had an additional mechanic onboard.

A large number of Prossenian soldiers were resting by the roadside, with many campfires lit, showing no concern about airstrikes or artillery bombardments.

Thinking about it, since the enemies were driving with their headlights on, a few campfires wouldn't make much difference.

Sergei's voice trembled, "Are we really going to drive through? These are all Prossenians!"

Wang Zhong switched back to normal vision and tapped on the window behind the driver's seat.

Yegorov's face immediately appeared on the other side of the window, "What's up?"

Wang Zhong said, "Tell the troops there's a Prossenian checkpoint ahead. Get ready. If a fight breaks out, dismount immediately. Until then, don't make any rash moves. You can only act when I fire a shot, otherwise, hold back."

"Got it."

Yegorov's face disappeared.

Wang Zhong pulled out his handgun to check it, then hid his hand in the shadow of the car door.

By now, Prossenians had appeared on both sides of the road, eating canned food around campfires, not even bothering to glance at the trucks passing by.

Wang Zhong caught the aroma of the canned food, and his stomach growled loudly.

Damn it, I should've eaten something when we were waiting for the rear logistics troops and the field hospital.

Su Fang pulled out something and said, "I've got some compressed biscuits. Want some?"

Without a word, Wang Zhong took it and stuffed it into his mouth.

At that moment, the vehicle finally reached the bustling main road, where a Prossenian sergeant with a submachine gun slung over his shoulder stood in the middle of the road, raising his right hand high.

Wang Zhong recognized the gesture. When he was a kid, traffic police used the same gesture to signal drivers to stop.

Sergei stopped the car, his breathing so loud that Wang Zhong could hear it.

Perhaps influenced by Sergei, Wang Zhong's breathing also quickened.

He stared at the Prossenian sergeant, trying not to look at the submachine gun on his waist.

However, the sergeant didn't even consider checking the people in the vehicle. He didn't even bother to shine a flashlight into the driver's cabin, simply turning around to watch the supply convoy retreating on the main road.

The enemy hadn't even considered the possibility of encountering Ante Empire soldiers riding in their own military vehicles!

Wang Zhong's gaze still followed the enemy, but he quietly turned off the safety on his handgun-if something went wrong here because of an accidental discharge, it would be incredibly unlucky.

Unlike Wang Zhong, who was starting to relax, Sergei seemed to grow more tense, his breathing as heavy as an ox.

Just as Wang Zhong worried that Sergei might not hold it together, the last supply vehicle passed through the intersection.

The sergeant directing traffic immediately turned around and made a "move along" gesture.

Wang Zhong smiled and nodded.

Sergei started the car and drove onto the main road.

He almost turned left to follow the returning convoy, but Su Fang reminded him in Prossenian, "We're heading to the front line! Turn right!"

Only then did Sergei sharply turn the steering wheel to the right.

The Prossenians at the crossroads burst into laughter, and someone shouted something Wang Zhong couldn't understand.

Only after they were far from the crossroads did Wang Zhong ask, "What did the enemy shout just now?"

"'Are you in such a hurry to go home to your mommy?'" Su Fang said, "Basically, they were mocking him."

"I just slipped!" Sergei defended himself, "My palms are all sweaty-I can barely grip the steering wheel!"

Suddenly, Sergei's voice lowered as more Prossenian soldiers appeared by the roadside.

This group of Prossenians had campfires going, eating canned food and even drinking alcohol they must have scavenged from somewhere.

Soon, the vehicle entered a small town, where there were even more Prossenian soldiers.

Wang Zhong switched to Overhead Perspective to check the road and instructed Sergei, "Keep going straight on this main road. It's clear!"

Sergei was so tense he didn't even have the spare energy to respond.

Then they drove straight into the central square of the town.

Wang Zhong vaguely saw a "mound" in the center of the square, only realizing as they got closer that it was a pile of corpses.

These bastards-did they kill all the residents of the town??

This... this is just too cruel! Wang Zhong was left speechless by the enemy's brutality.

Su Fang covered her mouth, trying hard not to scream.

Only after they left the town did the girl burst into tears.

Wang Zhong patted her shoulder. At that moment, his goal in this world quietly shifted just a little.

He wasn't from the Ante Empire, nor did he have any fondness for the emperor or nobles or any of that "feudal nonsense."

But the Prossenians slaughtering civilians like this had crossed his bottom line.

He looked forward to using his Overhead Perspective to teach the Prossenians a harsh lesson.

(End of chapter)