I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 397: 397: A bump

The drainage channel saved Squad Seventeen almost fifteen minutes compared to the alternate route printed on their map, but Antony quickly discovered that the Academy was perfectly capable of finding new ways to steal those minutes back.

Their communication device became almost useless first.

The interference that had begun shortly after the collapsed bridge worsened as they travelled deeper into the wilderness sector.

Every few minutes Gareth attempted a communications check, and every few minutes the result became less encouraging.

At first command had answered through heavy static. Then only fragments of words came through. Eventually Gareth could transmit but couldn’t tell whether anyone was receiving him.

He stopped beside a tree and raised the device again.

”Academy Command, this is Squad Seventeen. Communications check. Do you copy?”

Static answered.

Gareth waited.

”Academy Command, Squad Seventeen requesting communications check.”

Something crackled.

”...venteen... contin...”

Then silence.

He lowered the device.

Antony walked beside him.

”I think they said they love us and wish us good luck.”

Gareth looked at him.

”They said something ending in ’continue.’”

”That’s significantly less affectionate. This is harrowing.”

Rebecca came up behind them with her spear resting against one shoulder. ”Whether this is deliberate or not, we should assume we’re operating without reliable communication from this point. If something serious happens, we might still get an emergency transmission through, but I wouldn’t plan around command answering questions for us.”

Mira nodded while studying the physical map. ”The interference is getting worse the farther east we travel. I don’t think the device itself is broken. If it were damaged, the signal wouldn’t improve whenever we reach higher ground.”

Antony glanced around at the trees.

”So either the academy deliberately put interference in the training zone, or they knowingly sent us somewhere with poor communications.”

Leon adjusted the emergency medical kit on his back. ”Does the difference matter?”

Antony considered that.

”Not really.”

”Then assume we have no command.”

Gareth nodded. ”That’s what we’re doing. The mission hasn’t changed. Observation Post Four, retrieve the data unit, return before fourteen hundred. We don’t need someone holding our hands.”

Antony smiled.

”That sounded very leader-like.”

Gareth started walking.

”I’m regretting not fighting the beast.”

”You say that now, but when I save your life later, you’ll appreciate me.”

”If you save my life later, I’ll reconsider.”

”I want that witnessed.”

Rebecca sighed.

”I witnessed it. Now both of you keep moving.”

They continued.

The terrain gradually changed from dense forest into a mixture of rocky hills and old service roads that had probably been used by academy or military vehicles before vegetation began reclaiming them.

Mira remained near the front with Gareth, frequently stopping to listen before allowing the group forward. Her ability was subtle. She would simply become very still, draw power from her core and listen.

Sometimes she heard nothing. Sometimes she raised a hand before anyone else noticed danger.

Forty minutes after leaving the drainage channel, her hand rose.

Everyone stopped.

Antony immediately brought the rifle into a ready position.

Gareth lowered his voice. ”Beast?”

She frowned.

”No. I hear something mechanical.”

”Vehicle?”

”Maybe.” She concentrated longer. ”There’s an engine, but it’s irregular. It might be damaged. I also hear someone moving.”

Gareth checked the map.

”There shouldn’t be an academy position here.”

Antony leaned closer.

”According to the same map that tried to send us across a nonexistent bridge.”

Gareth gave him a look.

”I haven’t forgotten.”

”Just checking.”

Rebecca pointed toward the trees. ”We should approach carefully. Whether it’s part of the examination or not, standing here debating won’t tell us anything.”

Gareth nodded.

”Leon and I forward. Rebecca behind us. Antony, keep the rifle ready but don’t fire unless we confirm a threat. Mira stays center.”

Nobody objected.

They advanced.

The smell reached them first, burned fuel, then they saw the vehicle.

A military patrol transport sat partially off an old service road with its front end driven into a tree. Smoke rose lightly from beneath the hood, although there was no visible fire.

Someone sat against the rear wheel in an academy uniform.

Antony’s expression changed.

The man had one leg extended awkwardly, blood covering the fabric around his thigh.

”Help!”

Gareth immediately raised a hand, stopping the squad.

The soldier saw them.

”Candidates! I need assistance!”

Antony looked around. There were no beasts or obvious ambush.

Gareth didn’t move.

The soldier became frustrated.

”My leg is injured. I need medical assistance.”

Leon whispered, ”Could be part of the test.”

Antony looked at him.

”Obviously.”

The soldier apparently heard.

”Does it matter?”

Antony’s eyebrows rose. It was a fair question. Gareth studied the area before approaching.

”Mira?”

She closed her eyes.

”I don’t hear anything else nearby. No large movement. No second person around the vehicle.”

He finally lowered his sword.

”Move.”

They approached the vehicle. The injury looked very convincing. There was a lot of blood, torn uniform, even swelling.

Antony crouched.

”Is that real?”

The soldier looked at him.

”Would you like to touch it?”

”No, thank you.”

”Then treat it as real.”

Leon already had the medical kit open.

He knelt beside the injured leg.

”What happened?”

”Vehicle lost control after a beast crossed the road. Hit the tree. Something in the cabin tore into my leg.”

Leon examined the wound.

”Deep laceration. Bleeding isn’t severe now.”

Rebecca looked toward the damaged transport.

”Can the vehicle move?”

”No.”

”Communication?”

The soldier pointed toward the cabin.

”Dead.”

Antony glanced toward Gareth’s device.

”Join the club.”

Gareth ignored him.

”Where do you need to go?”

The soldier pointed east.

”Emergency collection point. Approximately one kilometer.”

Gareth’s face changed slightly. It was the completely wrong direction, the observation Post Four lay northeast.

Mira immediately checked the map.

”If we take him there and return to our route, we’ll lose at least twenty minutes. More if we have to carry him.”

The soldier said nothing. He didn’t plead, encourage them or explain what they were supposed to do.

Antony noticed that immediately.

This was absolutely part of the examination.

Gareth stood.

”We can’t carry him a kilometer.”

The soldier looked up.

”Then what are you proposing?”

He frowned.

Leon spoke while applying a compression dressing. ”His injury isn’t immediately life-threatening. We can stabilize him here.”

Rebecca nodded. ”If we can transmit his position, academy personnel can collect him.”

Gareth raised the communication device.

”With what signal?”

Static crackled.

Mira looked around.

”The service road continues toward higher terrain about four hundred meters north. Signal might improve there.”

Antony glanced between them.

”So stabilize him, move him somewhere safe, send his position once we get signal and continue.”

The soldier looked at Antony.

”You’d leave an injured soldier alone?”

Antony met his eyes.

”If you’re asking whether I’m going to carry you a kilometer in the opposite direction while five candidates abandon their assigned mission, then yes, I’d leave you somewhere safe after making sure you weren’t dying.”

The soldier’s expression remained unreadable.

”What if recovery personnel don’t receive your transmission?”

Antony paused.

That was less comfortable.

Gareth folded his arms.

”Then we’d have abandoned someone requiring assistance.”

Rebecca looked toward the road.

”But carrying him could cause all five of us to fail the mission.”

Mira spoke quietly. ”And if this were real rather than an examination, the data unit could be more important than one injured soldier.”