Chapter 6: Ambush
The wasteland wind howled relentlessly.
Gusts whipped up scattered dust, battering the flimsy tents of the makeshift camp with a mournful rustle.
In the distant abandoned mine, the few wounded still capable of movement leaned against the blackened cave walls, coughing up blood while nibbling on their dwindling rations…
Even water was now rationed, sipped sparingly.
The entire camp was shrouded in the shadow of death, morale at its lowest ebb.
Lin Lan was brought back in the dead of night.
If not for the surviving guards risking their lives to retrieve her, she would likely already be carrion for the mutated vultures of the wild.
Her body was soaked in blood, looking like a corpse dragged from a pool of gore.
In her unconscious state, low whimpers escaped her throat, her voice faintly calling out a garbled name.
“Big Sis Lin!” Seeing their leader, several nurses rushed over, their faces a mix of grief and relief.
“She’s still alive! Get the medicine!”
“Use the last of the anti-inflammatories and hemostatics!”
Amid the chaos, Lin Lan was settled onto a cot in the corner, the nurses frantically tending to her wounds.
Her left arm’s injury had worsened, now swollen and purplish-black like a grotesque bun, a sight that made hearts lurch.
Her lips were split, teeth loosened, blood and saliva seeping from the corner of her mouth, dripping down her chin onto the blanket…
The bruises on her legs drew gasps from those around her.
“Big Sis Lin went to Eisenburg?” one nurse whispered.
“She charged in alone… and was thrown out by those bastards,” the guard captain said with difficulty, his eyes burning with resentment and fury.
If [Oasis] hadn’t been reduced to this barren wasteland, how could they be so humiliated now…
Lying on the cot reeking of blood and herbs, waves of searing pain from her arm and leg threatened to tear Lin Lan’s consciousness apart.
But worse than her physical wounds was the despair and confusion that scorched her heart to ashes.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, her bangs clinging to her brow, as she jolted awake from a nightmare, struggling to sit up.
“Big Sis Lin! Don’t move! Your wounds…”
“…”
Her chest heaved violently, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
“Commander… have some water…” A young guard, face still streaked with dried tears, offered a crude clay bowl, his voice hoarse as he pleaded.
Lin Lan’s bloodshot amber eyes slowly turned to the murky water, but she lacked the strength—or the desire—to reach for it.
“No… give it to—cough cough—the critically wounded…”
[Oasis] was gone…
Mili was gone…
She had lost—utterly and completely.
Seraphina’s cold, arrogant face replayed in her mind, stabbing her like a blade through her bloodied heart.
Hatred blazed in her chest, but with no outlet, it only consumed her, leaving her body and soul in tatters…
“Am I… useless?”
Her voice was dry as sandpaper, each word drawing blood from her lips.
The guard opened his mouth to offer comfort but found no words.
The camp’s atmosphere was as heavy as storm clouds, suffocating everyone within.
At that moment, a faint commotion stirred outside the tent.
A sentry on watch lifted the flap, stepping inside with an odd expression, speaking in a hushed tone:
“Commander, there’s… a woman outside.”
“She says she’s from [Purification Sanctum] and wants to see you.”
Lin Lan fell silent for a long moment.
[Purification Sanctum]
—One of the most infamous yet strangely “revered” fanatical organizations on this land.
The [Sanctum] was vast, operating under the banner of “purification” while purging dissenters and spreading fear.
Their ideals clashed irreconcilably with [Oasis]’s, making them virtual enemies.
Moreover, investigations into the near-suicidal destruction of [Oasis] had uncovered numerous clues pointing to the [Golden Wanderers] alliance—
And shadows of the [Sanctum] lurking among them…
Though solid evidence was still lacking.
“What does the Sanctum want here?” Lin Lan’s voice was icy, laced with wariness.
The sentry hesitated: “She says… her name is Murphyxia, and she’s here to… help you.”
Help?
Lin Lan sneered inwardly.
Why would the Sanctum’s jackals bother aiding a dying prey?
“Let her in.” Despite her doubts and disgust, Lin Lan decided to meet her.
She wanted to know what scheme these lunatics were plotting.
Besides, at this point…
She had nothing left to lose.
Moments later, the tent flap was lifted again.
A woman in an ornate, dark purple robe stepped gracefully inside, followed by several guards in the Sanctum’s white garb.
The robe was intricately tailored, its edges embroidered with complex silver-gray runes, jarringly out of place in the bloodied, broken camp.
Her movements sent the fabric flowing like liquid shadows, dancing elegantly in the air.
The girl’s face was so refined it seemed almost unreal, her features as if carved by divine hands—flawless and ethereally beautiful.
Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, glowing unnaturally in the dim light of the mine.
Her ash-gray hair, unique and meticulously woven into an elaborate style, was adorned with bone accessories etched with Sanctum runes, each strand swaying gently as if untouched by the mortal world.
Her violet eyes seemed to carry a compassionate sorrow for the world—pure and gentle at first glance, yet lingering too long revealed an unsettling glint that sent chills down the spine…
She cradled a heavy, ancient tome, as if it held divine prophecies, her face bearing a faint, benevolent smile, like a goddess descended to earth.
“May the Holy Light shine upon you, dear Knight of the Dawn,” Murphyxia’s voice was soft and measured, like spring rain soothing the heart, laced with a captivating allure:
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Murphyxia, Oracle Emissary of the [Purification Sanctum].”
“A lapdog of the Sanctum… what do you want here?”
“Commander Lin, how long has it been since we last met?” The girl chuckled softly, her gentle tone disarming, drawing one in unconsciously.
“It seems the fall of [Oasis] has brought you no small trouble, Lin.”
Murphyxiastepped slowly toward Lin Lan’s cot, her Sanctum guards silently forming ranks behind her.
She casually picked up a tattered medical log from the table, flipping through it, her slender fingers gliding over the pages thoughtfully…
Her gaze then swept over Lin Lan’s wounds, a trace of pity flickering in her eyes:
“Hearing of Commander Lin and [Oasis]’s plight, the Sanctum is filled with sorrow… Those who forsake the light will surely face divine retribution.”
“Sorrow?”
Lin Lan let out a scornful laugh, her voice dripping with mockery: “Hasn’t the Sanctum always marked us for elimination? Coming here to shed crocodile tears—don’t you find that hypocritical?”
Murphyxia’s smile didn’t waver, as if oblivious to the sarcasm in Lin Lan’s words.
“I know… Lin.”
“—You’re searching for the girl taken by the White Night Queen.”