As for the arrow in his chest, it was safer to leave it there for the time being. Pulling it out might cause severe bleeding, which would only complicate matters.
After recovering some of his strength, Luo Chuan made an effort to stand up. He then began searching the trenches for usable equipment, holding his rifle at the ready. The debris created by the explosion had covered much of the area, burying many of his comrades in the trenches.
Naturally, Luo Chuan could not afford to be concerned about them at the moment. Now, he had to find enough supplies and make his way on foot to the Otherworld Gate to regroup with the main force.
Their artillery position was roughly fifty to sixty kilometers away from the Otherworld Gate across a mostly flat terrain. By foot, he should be able to reach the gate by midnight. The Otherworld Allied Army did not typically fight at night, providing him an opportunity to slip through their encirclement.
As he searched the trenches, Luo Chuan suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps, followed by a figure that hastily jumped into the trench, rolling over painfully.
Luo Chuan nervously trained his gun on the figure, realizing with surprise that it was the Elf who had originally left. Her face was filled with fear, and she rushed towards him, apparently undeterred by the rifle in his hand.
With considerable restraint, Luo Chuan did not fire his weapon. Once the Elf reached him, she immediately hid behind him, trembling violently.
"You..." Luo Chuan was momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in roles. After all, despite not having any deep-seated
animosity, they were still enemies. The fact that she sought protection from him left Luo Chuan stunned for a while.
"What are you trying to do?" Whirling around rapidly to put some distance between him and the Elf, his rifle now aimed at her, Luo Chuan asked with furrowed brows.
Seeing the dark muzzle of his gun, the Elf huddled up on the ground, trembling incessantly. She pointed outside the trench with a fearful expression, seemingly unintelligible to Luo Chuan’s question.
Following her pointing, Luo Chuan saw a group of towering, ugly men appearing about a hundred metres away. They had ferocious faces, beast-like appearances, crude iron armor, and rough weapons in their hands. They were searching for war spoils and gradually approaching them.
Witnessing the Elf warrior’s terrified expression, trembling behind him—an enemy until a moment ago—Luo Chuan hesitated for a while, then managed to ask her in rough Elvish, "Are you scared?"
Hearing his question, the Elf lifted her head to look at him incredulously, hesitating before she shakily nodded her head.
Luo Chuan straightened up and looked at the Beastman warriors in the distance, who were rudely rifling through the shattered remains, looking for interesting spoils of war. Of course, they would be even happier if they found a living being.
During the interrogation of the Otherworld Allied Army who invaded Australia, Luo Chuan heard of the Beastman Race’s rampant and brutal behaviour. Regardless of whether the survivors on battlefield were friend or foe, they would become their slaves. There were even instances in the war where Beastmen captured females of other races for their amusement.
Luo Chuan wasn’t sure about the truth in these stories, but considering the terror evident on the face of the Elf beside him, there was likely some truth to these rumors.
"Hey, you... Follow me, understand?"
Amidst the language barrier, Luo Chuan decided to resort to sign language. He pointed at her, then himself, crudely trying to convey his intentions.
Not knowing if she understood, the Elf paused before nodding her head hesitantly.
Luo Chuan took a deep breath, grabbed her arm with one hand, replacing the magazine of his 03 rifle with a new one with the other. After checking the safety catch and chamber, he cautiously navigated through the chaotic trench, clutching the Elf’s arm.
The Beastman squad in the distance didn’t notice them. Grumbling to each other, they searched for spoils and living beings. One Beastman picked up a blurry piece of flesh, sniffed it, and chewed on it without hesitation. Witnessing this, not only Luo Chuan, but the Elf as well, couldn’t help but retch.
After crossing the heavily scarred battlefield, the two slowly reached the edge. Even though it wasn’t far, they were both panting heavily. Luo Chuan sat down tiredly in the dirty tunnels, struggling to remove his heavy bulletproof vest. The half arrow shot by the Elf was still embedded in his chest. Fortunately, it had missed his vital organs. Although he had lost quite a bit of blood, his life was not in danger.
Carefully removing his clothes, Luo Chuan looked at the half arrow stuck in his chest, then glanced at the Elf. Realizing that she was the one who had shot the arrow, she retreated suspiciously. Her large, green eyes remained fixed on him, as if she feared sudden retaliation.
Sighing, Luo Chuan retrieved a piece of gauze and alcohol from his first aid kit. He poured the alcohol directly on his wound. The intense pain made him grunt, his body felt as if all the strength had been drained from it. Lifting his head, he noticed the Elf was watching him intently. He thought for a moment, took out his military dagger and threw it to her. He used gestures and eye signals to tell her to watch out for the Beastman search party.