Chapter 23: "I Got It."
????After the last of the bamboo-pole Ghostbeasts were cut down within the Camp, the relentless waves of monsters finally subsided.
??That eerie, grating laughter faded into silence.
??Yet beyond the reach of the Ghostfire, in the shrouded darkness, the restless rustling never truly ceased. Whether the Ghostbeasts were prowling the Camp’s periter in disgust, or simply lying in wait—gathering strength for another assault—no one could say for certain.
??...
??Chen Fan narrowed his eyes, peering from atop the battlents at the scattered corpses of Ghostbeasts strewn outside the Wall. Among those twisted bodies, sothing caught his eye—a small object radiating a pure, white light.
??A Unique Treasure.
??It had been so ti since he’d seen one drop.
??If it was the sort of Unique Treasure that could bolster their imdiate fighting strength, then his odds of surviving the night would rise—if only a little.
??But...
??Ghostbeasts were far swifter than any human.
??If one of those creatures charged while soone was retrieving the Unique Treasure, that person’s chances of survival would plumt.
??And if the Ghostbeasts pressed too close, opening the gate to let the retriever back in would be impossible—if they did, the monsters would flood through, rendering the entire Wall aningless.
??"Young Master."
??Crippled Monkey stood at his side, gripping the Godslayer Spear. His gaze never left the white-glowing object beside the Ghostbeast’s corpse. "Let
go. My leg’s bad, but when it cos to running, I’m not much slower than anyone else."
??"The Ghostbeasts won’t rush us again for now. This is our chance."
??...
??Chen Fan didn’t turn. He had to admit: those with crippled bodies often had sharper minds. He hadn’t said a word, yet Crippled Monkey had already guessed his thoughts.
??But before he could respond, Xiao Qiu—standing on the other side—blurted out, "Station Master, let
go! I’m healthy, in my pri, and I’m the fastest here."
??Xiao Qiu was one of Wang Kui’s n.
??He’d entered the Camp alongside Wang Kui. If they survived the Rainy Season, he had no intention of returning to the Wang Clan—he’d rather follow Chen Fan.
??Tonight made it clear: Chen Fan was grooming a few Station Masters for real authority. The rest, the rank-and-file, were little more than background props. The Camp was still weak—if he didn’t seize this chance to prove himself, he’d spend his days as Wang Kui’s lackey.
??Not that Wang Kui had treated him poorly.
??But...
??Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to climb higher?
??Besides, the Ghostbeast’s corpse lay only seven or eight ters from the Wall. It didn’t seem that dangerous.
??The opportunity was here. Xiao Qiu was ready to gamble.
??"Alright, you go."
??Chen Fan didn’t hesitate. He glanced at Zhou Mo, who seed about to speak, and cut him off. Without another word, he opened a section of the Wall, clapped Xiao Qiu on the shoulder, and said in a low, steady voice, "Be careful."
??There was no ti to waste.
??This wasn’t the mont for debate—no one knew when the Ghostbeasts might charge again.
??He could see Zhou Mo wanted to volunteer as well. As a Level 2 Practitioner, Zhou Mo was in better shape than any of them, trained in martial arts since childhood—on paper, the best candidate.
??But Chen Fan had to admit his own selfishness.
??This was a suicide mission. If soone had to die, better it be Xiao Qiu than Zhou Mo. In his eyes, Zhou Mo was simply more valuable.
??...
??On the Wall, Wang Kui watched Xiao Qiu’s silhouette dart into the rain, his expression unreadable. He had no intention of volunteering—he was too old, too slow.
??Still, Xiao Qiu’s boldness caught him off guard. Usually, the kid just lazed around the Camp with him, waiting for als and the next day. He’d never shown this kind of backbone before.
??...
??Inside the Camp.
??Xiao Qiu leapt down from the Wall, weaving through the fallen Ghostbeast corpses at full speed. He snatched up the gleaming Unique Treasure, spun around, and glanced up at the Wall, grinning with excitent.
??"I got it!"
??But—
??A heartbeat later, he saw the faces on the Wall twist in alarm, their expressions suddenly grim. In that instant, ti seed to slow to a crawl.
??The torrential rain itself felt frozen.
??He could just make out the Station Master screaming sothing, face taut with panic. But the words were warped and sluggish, like a nightmare—he couldn’t make out a thing, and his mind went utterly blank.
??A crossbow bolt whistled past, so close it grazed his scalp.
??Shit.
??That was his last coherent thought. He didn’t even have ti to look back—all he felt was a chill surging up from his tailbone, racing along his spine to the crown of his head. The hair on his back bristled, as if a swarm of icy insects were crawling across his skin.
??Run!
??They say your life flashes before your eyes when death is near.
??He pumped his legs, sprinting with everything he had. mories flooded his mind—his parents slaughtered by Ghostbeasts, years of servitude to the Wang Clan, drifting through life in a daze—as he ran for his life.
??The gate was still open.
??But...
??He was seven or eight ters from the Wall. The Ghostbeast was only two or three ters behind.
??Ghostbeasts were so much faster.
??He’d never reach the Wall before it caught him. Worse, he might let the monster inside, dooming the entire Camp.
??That realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. He didn’t even bother to wipe the rain from his face. Feeling the murderous wind at his back, he bellowed with every ounce of strength left in his lungs: "Close the gate!"
??He didn’t hesitate.
??He skidded to a stop, then dove into a desperate, clumsy roll to dodge the Ghostbeast’s strike. Scrambling, eyes bloodshot, he clawed his way toward the Farmland on the left—he knew there were traps there. It was his only chance at survival.
??He’d never run this fast in his life.
??Crossbow bolts whistled past—fired from the Arrow Towers atop the Wall. He had no idea how many Ghostbeasts were chasing him; he didn’t dare look back. After a few frantic steps, he saw the line of Groundspike traps ahead.
??Nearly a hundred neat, hollow pits, row upon row.
??Like a carp leaping the dragon gate, he roared and hurled himself forward, all limbs pumping, vaulting over the traps and crashing into the Farmland.
??The rain-soaked earth left him splattered and filthy.
??But—
??Click!
??The chanism of the trap snapped shut behind him, and Xiao Qiu couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
??Sitting up in the muddy field, he wiped the rain from his face and looked back. Two Ghostbeasts—shorter than the rest, with mantis-like blade arms—had triggered the trap. Dozens of thick, black wooden spikes shot up, impaling them instantly. They died on the spot.
??No more Ghostbeasts stood within the Camp.
??The ground was littered with even more mantis-like corpses.
??He laughed again, louder this ti. The adrenaline, the wild relief of survival, made him giddy. He raised the Unique Treasure high and shouted up at Chen Fan atop the Wall, his voice hoarse with triumph: "I got it!"
??"Quit laughing, damn it! I know you got it! Now get your ass back inside—move!"
??As the gate swung open, Chen Fan’s curses rang down from the Wall, carried by the rain.
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