My Notoriety Spreads Throughout the World

Chapter 576 501: Blazing July

July was scorching, Chichu Heaven, Desolate Realm.

The rolling yellow sand swept across the ground, with the wind carrying sand particles that stung the skin.

This was the desert region located in the southern border area of Chichu Heaven, a place called Tuerwala that never lacked for resilient life, whether it be the soldiers stationed here year-round or the camels tasked with transporting heavy loads. At this time each year, caravans would set off from the south and drive northward all the way, their route running through the entire Desolate Realm, connecting the supply lines from north to south.

On the barren and harsh land, a steel giant roared as it soared down a sand dune, kicking up a dust cloud that obscured the sky. Red searchlights lit up, and the steel giant broke through the dust blockade to reveal its full form, a military off-road vehicle from the Desert Pioneer series. Sand and gravel pattered against the scarred bulletproof glass, making a rustling sound.

Following the direction of the setting sun on the horizon, one could see the outline of a military base, which was the destination of this off-road vehicle.

A sky full of dust obscured the sun, and on the guard towers of the military district, soldiers accustomed to the harsh environment pulled up the dust masks around their necks, their weathered eyes sharper than the sand falcons circling above this area.

On closer inspection, one would find their cracked hands resembled eagle claws, gripping the guns in their arms firmly. This was to prevent anyone from launching a surprise attack from behind the dust to seize their weapons.

In the low-visibility environment, red lights flashed at a fixed frequency as these soldiers conducted routine checks on the passing military vehicles.

Not far ahead was the Nightmare City military district, and farther beyond was Nightmare Tower City. Almost six months had passed since the Eight-legged Spider Race had rioted, and during this period, the Insect Race launched attacks almost daily on the military district. No one knew when the next offensive would come, and everyone's spirits had been stretched to the limit by the prolonged battles.

A shrill whistle broke the silence as the military off-road vehicle halted at the base's entrance, and three people emerged from the car—or rather, two and a half, as one was stuck halfway inside, the upper body sprawled out and intimately connected with the ground, struggling to get up while cursing.

It was the woman next to him who couldn't stand by any longer, sighing lightly as she grabbed his collar and lifted him up.

"Ouch, everything hurts." Mountain Crow wailed. "Every spot you touch hurts!"

"Your hand is broken," the woman replied calmly.

"Thistle, the way you drive is too rough. Not long ago, I was just an injured person..."

"I've seen your medical report—extensive severe burns and full-body comminuted fractures. For you, these are nothing. You used this as an excuse to lay carefree in the hospital for half a year. If it weren't for Mountain Crow Tan, your subordinates would have probably brought swords to hang you on the gallows."

"I crawled back from the gates of hell!" Mountain Crow retorted angrily, "Their Patriarch almost got blown to bits. Do those guys not have the most basic empathy?"

"I treated them well usually; when I had an accident, those heartless people wouldn't even bring a fruit basket to visit me!"

"It was the Patriarch who ordered no one to approach your ward for your safety. Yet by the second month, you were walking, and by the third, you had nearly fully recovered, repeatedly making excuses."

Mountain Crow was left speechless.

The young man shut the car door, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

If possible, Yun Que didn't want to get involved with Mountain Crow either.

"The target is inside; let's go in."

Once the guards recognized the three arrivals, they widened their eyes.

Xuedong, Mountain Crow, Yun Que—the three leaders gathered together, an unusual sight even for those used to turbulent events, prompting the leading officer to step forward and salute.

"Enough with this pointless formality," Mountain Crow said impatiently, waving a hand. "Open the gate and get lost; just do your job."

The soldiers exchanged glances but did not clear a path, provoking the already uneasy Mountain Crow to spit and step forward:

"Can't you understand human speech?"

"It's a high-alert period, and we haven't received orders from above..."

"What orders from above? Are you joking? Are you saying that the faces of us three leaders are less authoritative here than a commander?"

"That's not what I mean, it's just..." the soldier quickly explained, but suddenly his tone turned solemn, "Can you prove your identity?"

"Hey." Mountain Crow was about to roll up his sleeves to prove himself but was stopped by the woman in time.

Thistle Xuedong shook her head; within the Insect Race, there were groups capable of mimicking human physiological traits, so these soldiers' vigilance was reasonable.

But what puzzled her was...

Before setting out, they had clearly informed this outpost base. Could it be that the information was intercepted en route?

Long-wavelength signals could easily be detected by the Insect Race, so such intelligence was encrypted and transmitted to the outposts, then relayed between them. When an outpost failed to transmit for any reason, it would be forwarded by other outposts in the same area. A complete communication network collapse was nearly impossible; it could only have been intentionally suppressed on one of the links.

This anomaly made Thistle Xuedong vigilant; from the moment they entered this outpost base, she found it strange that nearly all the soldiers were focused on her direction. Typically, even low-intelligence amoebas rarely dared to impersonate core figures like them — it would be too easy to expose, and this outpost base didn't appear as if it had just been attacked.

"Move aside."

Perceiving the anomaly, Yun Que's tone turned cold, and the soldiers near him felt the temperature plummet, the chill penetrating to their bones, making breathing difficult.

Just as a conflict seemed about to erupt, a figure appeared in time—a tall middle-aged man with a coarse, thick mustache and deep-set eyes from which emanated a formidable aura.

"Your Excellencies, the three leaders, please pardon us. In these special times, their nerves are taut. Please, come in."

The tense atmosphere eased only then, and the soldiers stepped aside as the gates of the outpost slowly opened. The three leaders followed the man inside as he began to update them on the recent conditions at the base.

Noticing the still-vigilant expressions of the soldiers around and the ceiling cameras that focused on them, Mountain Crow squinted.

"Major Mondeville, your words carry more weight than ours, it seems?"

"Having long been among these soldiers, I train and lead them in combat; apart from Dr. Kreif, they're accustomed to listening to me in this outpost. I apologize on their behalf for any previous offense," Major Mondeville explained.

Mountain Crow snorted, making no further comment.

Among the five families of Chichu, the Chichu Family held the military and political power, while the other four families primarily supported the main family in management, rarely intervening in military matters. Even if successive leaders intended to, they would find it difficult to insert their influence into the military zone.

"Dr. Kreif?" Yun Que caught the oddity in the man's words.

"Why should these soldiers listen to a research scholar?"

Mondeville, leading at the front, suddenly halted, his large frame freezing still as surrounding soldiers cast glances over, the air solidifying into an ominous silence.

"Because... his research improved our operational environment. Many of us owe our lives to being rescued from the clutches of the insect swarms through his innovations—it's not overstating to say he gave us new life."

"Is that so?" Yun Que's hand rested on the 'Aonomaru Yatetsu' at his waist.

The three exchanged subtle glances.

For them, this Dr. Kreif was precisely the target of their mission.