Anby's left hand bent at a grotesque angle, a severe fracture clearly visible at her elbow. Even though she was desperately enduring it and trying not to make a sound that might affect the others, the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead told the whole story.
"This is bad. The only one among us who knows emergency bandaging is injured," Billy said as he helped Nekomata steady Anby's posture. "How is it? Is it serious?"
"Isn't that obvious? Her arm is deformed!" Nicole's voice rose sharply. "I remember there are still some supplies in the cargo cart. There should be a set of splints for immobilization."
Ignis didn't know whether to praise this lady for being well prepared or marvel at how she really bought anything as long as it could make money. Still, in a situation like this, having medical equipment on hand was truly fortunate.
"Very good. I have some knowledge of emergency medical aid. I'll help Miss Anby stabilize the injured area first," Von Lycaon said as he rolled up his sleeves. This butler was truly versatile.
The boss of the Cunning Hares yanked open the small cargo cart, but since they hadn't sold much today, nearly half the goods were still inside. Finding an emergency aluminum splint in this pile was no easy task. She had no patience to rummage through it carefully and kicked the small unmanned vehicle over, sending the contents rolling all over the ground. Amillion, who had been anxiously hovering nearby, reacted quickly, snatched up the emergency splint, and handed it to Von Lycaon.
Von Lycaon took it and unfolded it. "Do you have a knife? The shape needs some adjustment."
"I do!" Nekomata lifted her knee guard, revealing the combat short blade forged by Ignis still lodged in her greave.
The wolf Thiren butler drew it out. The weapon had a well-balanced center of gravity and a sharp edge. Though its appearance was rough, it had been adjusted to fit the user's hand. It didn't feel particularly comfortable in his grip, but there was no better option. Using this ill-fitting short blade, he cut through the closed-cell foam padding and aluminum inner layer of the emergency splint, reshaping it to better fit Anby's arm.
Even though the interior of the splint was lined with soft foam, the intense pain from the fracture remained. During the process of fitting the splint, Anby was in such agony she nearly lost consciousness. Her already pale complexion turned ashen, like thin gold paper.
Ignis had originally wanted to try using psychic power to heal her, but he had never undergone such training. He feared that an improper realignment might leave Anby's arm permanently disabled, so he abandoned the idea.
"Nicole, do you have painkillers?" Ignis looked at Anby, both of his hearts tightening along with the corners of her tightly clenched mouth.
"Yes!" Nicole hurriedly tore open the packaging, but in her panic she was stumped by a single pill box. She was so anxious that she even tried biting it open with her teeth.
Anby was almost half-unconscious and barely able to react. Her beautiful eyes were unfocused, more glassy than ever. Nicole brought the medicine to Anby's lips, and it took quite a while before she managed to open her mouth and accept it. The worried foster mother quickly handed over a bottle of sports drink with a straw taken from a milk carton.
The white-haired girl struggled to take a sip and swallowed the pill. She tried to force a smile to reassure Nicole, but the pain radiating from her arm nearly overwhelmed her consciousness, and she let out a muffled groan despite herself.
"We need to get out of here as soon as possible," Von Lycaon said as he slid the short blade back into Nekomata's greave. "This is only a temporary measure, and she's still bleeding."
Only then did the members of the Cunning Hares notice a wound on Anby's back, blood steadily seeping out. While a fracture couldn't be fixed here, Ignis felt that an open wound like this was something he could attempt to treat.
Merciful Emperor, grant me your strength, and heal this brave and pure girl.
He silently recited the prayer. Golden psychic radiance enveloped his hand, a warmth like sunlight. As his hand rested against Anby's back, her wound closed. Ignis could feel her weakness; the intense pain was racing through her nerves, and she was enduring it with all her strength, refusing to make a sound.
Rest.
The golden light spread along her spine. Anby felt as if she were wrapped in warm water, her consciousness sinking into darkness.
"What is this?"
Von Lycaon could hardly understand what had happened. A sudden golden glow had wrapped around the giant's gauntlet, then been placed on the girl's back, and the wound simply healed. That mysterious light even seemed to ease her pain, sending her into sleep almost instantly.
"A unique technique," Ignis said, not wanting to explain further for the moment. "Nicole, Nicole!"
The distraught boss of the Cunning Hares finally snapped back to her senses, wiped the tears from her face, and looked at the Salamander.
"We need to retreat! Can you help hold Anby?" Ignis looked at her. "I'll handle security along the way. Nekomata can't hold on much longer. Billy will carry the autocannon, so we'll have to rely on you."
"Mm!" The boss of the Cunning Hares nodded heavily. "Don't worry. We're not far from the exit."
"Let me do it," Von Lycaon interrupted Nicole. "Her arm has to be positioned in a specific way, or it could cause secondary injury. I'm more familiar with this. Leave it to me."
The Wolf Thiren exchanged a glance with Billy, and the white-haired robot let him take Anby. He carefully carried the girl on his back, securing her arm firmly in place.
Relieved of her burden, Nekomata dropped to the ground with a thud. Carrying Anby all the way back had exhausted her; she was small and not exactly a strength-type fighter. She picked up a bottle of sports drink from the ground, gulped it down, and let out a long sigh.
"I almost thought we wouldn't make it back, meow. A huge group of tactical mechs suddenly activated and surrounded us. Anby got knocked flying by one of them while trying to save me," Nekomata said, full of self-reproach. "If only I'd been a bit more cautious."
"You've done more than enough," Ignis said as he knelt on one knee and patted her head. "We were all too careless."
"Still, this kind of sudden situation really can't be predicted," Von Lycaon said as he adjusted Anby's position to support her better. "Pack up. We need to evacuate quickly. Her arm injury can't be delayed, or it may leave permanent damage."
Hearing that, Nekomata sprang to her feet, but her legs trembled from exhaustion and she nearly fell again. Ignis quickly steadied her.
"Boss, pack up. We're preparing to withdraw," the Salamander said to Nicole.
"I know!" The boss of the Cunning Hares pushed the overturned cargo cart back upright and reloaded the scattered supplies. The whole process took only a few minutes. Soon, the group was reorganized and began moving toward the Hollow exit, guided by Carrot's data.
Because the C41 Hollow had entered a recession phase, its size had drastically shrunk. Its main coverage was now just the warehouse district of the Midsummer Group. They were less than ten kilometers from the edge. Even at a slow pace, it would take no more than two hours to get out. Their vehicles were parked near the boundary, and once outside, Anby could receive treatment quickly.
The white-haired girl was very quiet, appearing unconscious, but Ignis knew she was actually awake. She didn't want others to worry. Enduring the pain in her arm, she remained silent and motionless, pretending to be unconscious.
Soon, a group of Ethereals appeared ahead. Though mostly lower-tier Ethereals, the only ones still capable of full combat strength were the Salamander and Amillion. The others were in no condition to fight. Nekomata was still drained and could barely move. Von Lycaon was carrying the injured. Nicole had to carefully protect the rented cargo cart. Billy, carrying an autocannon that had run out of ammunition, could only provide limited long-range support with his pistols. I should've swapped his drum for a belt-fed box and let him cosplay an Exterminator, Ignis thought.
"Amillion, watch for any stragglers!" Ignis shouted as he issued an order to the Cunning Hares' Combat Bangboo, then charged straight toward the Ethereals.
The giant advanced with thunderous steps, crashing into the Ethereal group like a living war engine. His massive shield sent enemies flying.
"Vulkan Lives!" the Salamander roared a battle cry as arcs of the disintegration field flickered around his thunder hammer.
In truth, the bodies of these lower-tier Ethereals were fragile. They didn't even require the hammer's disintegration field; the sheer might of an Adeptus Astartes was enough to smash them into fragments. But to clear them faster, Ignis still activated the field. Like a torch brushing over fresh snow, wherever the warhammer passed, ether dissolved. Shield bashes and hammer strikes followed in close coordination. There wasn't a single foe in this small group that could last a single exchange. Their structures were vaporized or shattered by immense kinetic force, vanishing into the air.
Suddenly, several Hati leapt from the shadows, attempting to attack the Salamander from behind. These large wolf-like Ethereals sprang from holes in the walls of the adjacent storage area. The massive breach looked like it had been smashed open by Gotthardt.
Ignis intercepted one midair with his shield. The heavy shield crushed its face, the spikes on its surface destroying the core within. The Ethereal stiffened and fell, breaking into crystalline fragments.
He was about to swing his warhammer to crush the second one's skull when it was caught mid-leap by a sudden burst of fire. Amillion's small turret poured fire into it. The twin rotary guns spat at an astonishing rate, tracer rounds carving twin lines of fire through the air, shredding the Hati's throat and pulverizing the core hidden inside.
With the ambushers eliminated, Ignis turned back to the remaining lower-tier Ethereals. Shield and warhammer worked in perfect tandem, and within seconds, the rest were wiped out.
Just as he was about to catch his breath and signal the others to move on, his ears caught the sound of cannon fire. The shots came from the flank. He immediately raised his shield to defend, his eyes already locking onto the enemy.
Autonomous mechs. An astonishing number of them, more than a dozen, were breaking through the outer wall.
Damn it! Cold sweat broke out instantly. Behind that group, he could see many more—forty or fifty in total.
Perhaps this area's autonomous mechs had been better preserved. Their small-caliber cannons were still operational, and dense firepower rained down on the Salamander.
The Iron Halo flared to life. A deflection field formed in front of him, disrupting the small-caliber rounds and sending them veering off course.
The Space Marine's Lyman's Ear picked up continuous explosions behind him, mixed with the thunderous footfalls of a giant charging forward.
Facing such dense firepower, the Iron Halo's deflection field would soon fail. In just a few seconds, the giant plunged into the midst of the tactical mechs. The thunder hammer roared through the air as he unleashed multiple strikes in a single second, each blow precisely smashing the logic cores hidden beneath thick chest armor.
As the first wave of enemies went inert, Ignis noticed how thin their armor plating was. He released his shield, tore a five-kilogram charge from his chest—a grenade packed with steel pellets—and hurled it above his head.
The steel rain sprayed by the fragmentation grenade riddled countless mechs. Ignis had upgraded its formula, replacing the steel pellets with a lighter yet harder special ether alloy instead of ordinary steel. This was originally meant for dealing with Chaos daemons that had basic armor. Now these mechs were the ones enjoying it.
After that, Ignis reached out and grabbed his still-upright shield, blocking the impact drill of a charging mech. He shoved it aside, then slammed the shield's spike into the enemy, destroying its logic core.
Ignis knew he had to eliminate these enemies quickly, or the noise of battle would draw even more targets. In fact, his Lyman's Ear was already picking up large numbers converging on his position, including one set of footsteps that was incredibly heavy—likely some kind of super-large tactical mech.
He was growing anxious. Anby's condition couldn't be delayed, and the others weren't in good shape either. As the only one with full combat capability remaining, the Salamander had to end this fast.
Yet another group of tactical mechs appeared at the edge of his vision.
Damn it, this never ends.
The Salamander braced his shield. Small-caliber cannons hammered against it, the force of the explosions placing immense pressure on him. Still, it couldn't stop him. The giant charged once more, the humanoid war engine crashing into them again.
He roared, dismantling one autonomous mech after another with his warhammer, but the massive footsteps were drawing closer, and his agitation grew.
"For the Emperor!" he bellowed. Golden radiance wrapped around his body, destructive golden flames coiling around the warhammer.
"For Terra!" a voice answered him. Several energy beams struck around him, precisely destroying autonomous mechs without harming him.
A Leviathan Dreadnought plunged into melee, its power claws effortlessly tearing the Men of Iron apart.
"Perfect timing!" Phaethon's Bangboo jumped down from the Leviathan Dreadnought. "We've been tracking your signal forever and finally found you. Come on, I'll lead you out."
Ignis glanced at the people from Belobog Heavy Industries and Victoria Housekeeping who followed behind and realized that he wasn't the only one driven to the brink by sudden events.
"That's great. Anby is injured. We need medical assistance," the Salamander said, lifting his hammer and pointing toward the rest of the Cunning Hares.
"Mm, I've already had my brother notify the hospital. There will be people waiting when we exit the Hollow," Belle's voice came from within Eous. "Right now, we need to move quickly. The C41 Hollow is rapidly activating. A large number of Ethereals will be generated soon."
"Thank you so much for coming to our rescue in time."
After regrouping, everyone expressed their thanks to the Proxies. It turned out that all of them had been attacked. Even Belobog Heavy Industries, the strongest among them, had encountered spatial distortion and been trapped in the same area. Fortunately, Eous found them in time, guided them outward, and searched for other signals along the way, eventually finding Rina, Ellen, and Corin. Wise had been calling the Cunning Hares nonstop but couldn't get through at all.
So, they moved toward the warehouse area smashed open by the Cunning Hares, searching for signals, and ultimately completed the rescue.
"Let's go. Whatever needs to be said can wait until we're out of the Hollow," Belle said as she looked at the group and turned to lead the way.
===BREAK===
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