Chapter 127: Rescue

After retracting his combat dagger, a surge of pain washed over David. During the heat of the battle, his body had been flooded with adrenaline, which had suppressed the agony. Now that the fight was over, the pain rushed back in full force.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed aside Kush’s corpse. As the body fell backward, the exoskeleton, deprived of its internal power, crashed heavily onto the ground like a slab of iron. David slowly pried his body out of the steel wall; the friction against his fractured bones caused sweat to pour down his entire body.

When he attempted to disengage his own exoskeleton, the damage it had sustained caused the system to malfunction, forcing him to crawl out of the suit in a disheveled state. Looking at his Land Lion exoskeleton—now scarred and riddled with severe impact damage—David felt a pain in his heart that surpassed the agony in his body. This was his first exoskeleton, and currently the only one he had at his disposal. He had worn it for less than a day, and it was already in such a state.

He checked his identity bracelet for Master Girard’s location, but it still showed nothing; he was clearly still being blocked. Although his battle with Kush had been intense, only five minutes had passed. It seemed unlikely that anyone would come to his rescue soon, so he would have to save himself.

His primary injuries were still his ribs, which caused sharp, stabbing pain with every movement—the most difficult injuries to recover from. As for the trauma to his internal organs and muscles, most of it had healed when he absorbed the two Constitution talent light orbs earlier. Without the assistance of an exoskeleton, he would be unable to get out on his own.

His gaze fell upon the exoskeleton worn by Kush’s corpse. It was a police-grade model, likely acquired by Kush from the Keya City police system. David retrieved the K2-type military electronic warfare module from his wrecked Land Lion exoskeleton. Fortunately, military-grade gear was robust; unless specifically targeted for destruction, it was difficult to damage. He tapped his fingers rapidly across the module, inputting lines of code.

Two minutes later, the police exoskeleton on Kush’s corpse emitted a chime and quickly detached, reverting to a standby state. David pulled the body away, a movement that sent fresh waves of pain through his ribs. Enduring it, he stepped into the police exoskeleton, which wrapped around his body from the feet up. It was a standard-issue model with built-in size adjustment, and it automatically conformed to his frame.

With the police exoskeleton protecting his chest, the suit would automatically stabilize his injuries as long as he avoided strenuous activity. He also discovered anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medication in the suit’s medical bay. He injected a dose, and his mind felt instantly refreshed. The pain subsided rapidly, and his injuries began a slow recovery. His Land Lion exoskeleton had been brand new and lacked such consumables; the military had no way of knowing when he would break through to become a Master, and these items had expiration dates. Only the police-issue suit, which Kush had likely customized, would be equipped with such premium medicine—it was David’s gain.

He flexed his limbs; the police exoskeleton felt similar to his own. He gathered his weapons; it was his thorough preparation that had allowed for the one-hit kill. He had brought a Grade 2 spear, a Grade 2 longsword, and a Grade 1 combat dagger. He hadn’t been able to draw the longsword from his back while pinned to the wall, so he had been lucky to have the dagger to finish Kush off.

The police exoskeleton featured a rear mounting slot designed for a Grade 2 greatsword, which fit his weapon perfectly. He retrieved his spear, shouldered his damaged Land Lion exoskeleton, and dragged Kush’s body along the corridor toward the exit.

Just as he pushed open the iron door of a ventilation shaft and emerged onto the surface, he saw Master Girard rushing toward him.

"Brother David, you..." Since David hadn’t lowered his visor, Girard recognized him as soon as he approached. He was so stunned that he didn’t know what to ask.

David looked at the scars covering Girard’s own Land Lion exoskeleton and could imagine the intensity of the battle he had fought to reach him. The original plan had been for the Freedom Blade mercenary group to stall the eleven military Masters for thirty minutes, but Girard and the ten other military Masters had fought like demons. The ten Masters had engaged the six superior mercenary Masters in a desperate struggle, all to give Girard the chance to break away and rescue David. After a grueling fight, Girard had finally found an opening and used David’s coordinates to track him down.

"Girard, thank you!" David said, feeling truly grateful.

"Brother David, I’m late. If you’re alright, I need to go back and help the others. They are facing some of the most powerful mercenary Masters in disguise!" Girard said urgently, seeing that David was no longer in immediate danger.

"Girard, can you take me to the nearest long-range sniper cannon? Please apply for access for me; I can still do my part!" David didn’t mention his injuries, his voice firm.

"No problem, I’ll take you right now!" Girard’s eyes lit up. If there was one thing David was truly terrifying at, it was sitting in the operator’s chair of a long-range sniper cannon.

David’s Land Tiger armored vehicle flew over, and they boarded. David stowed the corpse, his weapons, and his wrecked exoskeleton inside, dismantling the spear to fit it in as well. Girard looked at the battered Land Lion exoskeleton, wanting to say something, but the thought of his brothers stopped him. He knew David couldn’t possibly be as fine as he appeared—not with an exoskeleton in such a state. He asked no questions—not about how David had become a Master, nor the origins of the corpse or the details of the fight—and simply operated his identity bracelet.

Soon, David’s bracelet received authorization from Lieutenant Eaton, along with a message: "David, Jim and Daily are safe. I’ve granted you access to the sniper cannon. Make sure you kill every mercenary Master who dares to provoke the military!"

There wasn’t a single word of thanks in the message, but that was precisely why it carried the weight of Lieutenant Eaton’s genuine gratitude; it meant the debt was too great to be expressed in mere words.

The Land Tiger pushed its speed to the limit, sanctioned by the Lieutenant’s military operation order. Within two minutes, they reached the city wall. David jumped out, the impact causing him to wince. He commanded the police exoskeleton to run a diagnostic. It scanned his ribs and fired several fixation pins into his body. Throughout the process, he followed Girard, gritting his teeth against the pain. He didn’t want to waste a second; he would make these lawless mercenaries pay.

"I’ve received orders to hand over control of the No. 35 long-range sniper cannon!" A sniper in a sergeant’s uniform stood at the entrance of the control room. Seeing Girard and David, he spoke loudly, his voice devoid of any resentment, replaced instead by a look of intense admiration.

When the order had reached him, it stated that David was taking over his station. If anyone else had come to seize his post, he would have been furious, but this was David—the man who had destroyed over a hundred Grade 1 insects and three Grade 2 insects with three sniper cannons, the winner of the Silver Star Medal.