Chương 28: Nobody Knows First Aid

Jagger's terrified shout made Valkyrie and the others stop. A rust-red shadow stepped out from behind the rocks. It kept low to the ground, eyes fixed on Barak as it moved closer one step at a time. Valkyrie's face changed.

"A Crag Lynx." The others recognized it as well. Their expressions shifted almost at once. Barak still had one hand pressed against his stomach. The pain on his face gave way to fear. Valkyrie stared at the Crag Lynx for only a few seconds before making her decision.

"Go." Mort jerked his head up.

"Boss?"

"It's after Barak," Valkyrie said coldly.

"Not us. If we leave now, we still have a chance." Barak's eyes widened. His voice shook.

"B-Boss…"

"You can't… leave me… Take me with you…" Valkyrie did not look at him. Her eyes stayed on the Crag Lynx.

"Don't blame me for being cruel."

"If you want to blame someone, blame the people who shot you." She paused, then added, "Don't worry. I'll come back and avenge you." Then she turned away. Mort and Scar stood frozen for a heartbeat. In the end, they released Barak and followed Valkyrie. Jagger was already moving. One hand still covered his eyes as he stumbled after them.

"No… don't go…" Barak dragged the heavy hammer and tried to push himself up. He barely got halfway before collapsing back onto the ground. The Crag Lynx kept coming. Slowly. Barak's voice shook harder.

"Take me with you… I don't want to die…" No one turned back. The Crag Lynx lowered itself closer to the ground, a deep growl rumbling in its throat. Barak gripped the handle of his hammer with shaking fingers. For a moment, the old arrogance returned to his face. He dragged the hammer closer, teeth clenched, and tried to raise it between himself and the Crag Lynx.

"Come on," he rasped.

"Come on, then…" The hammer moved a few inches. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Then his strength failed. The weapon dropped back into the sand with a dull thud. The Crag Lynx stopped. It did not pounce. Instead, it tilted its head slightly and watched him, as if the struggling giant in front of it had become something small and interesting. Barak tried to crawl backward. One hand clawed at the ground. His boots scraped uselessly through the dust.

The huge body that had charged at Jack like a wall of muscle now moved no faster than a wounded rat. The Crag Lynx followed. Slowly. Whenever Barak dragged himself back, it took one step forward. Not too fast. Not too close. Just enough to keep him trapped in its shadow.

"No…" Barak's voice had lost all its force.

"Stay back…" The Crag Lynx lowered its body, tail flicking once behind it. For one brief second, Barak lifted the hammer again with both hands, as if that final bit of weight could still save him. The Crag Lynx let him raise it. Then it moved. Back at the convenience store, no one knew what was happening in the distance. Blood was still seeping from Cass's leg. Jack rushed inside and reached under the checkout counter for the first-aid kit. Then the system's voice sounded in his mind.

"Emergency mission completed."

"Current raider threat to the convenience store eliminated."

"Basic supply authority: initial level unlocked."

"Please select one existing supply item inside the convenience store to convert into an unlimited supply." Jack stopped for half a second. But only half a second. Cass was still bleeding. He grabbed the first-aid kit from under the counter and ran back to the tent.

"Found it!" Jack set the kit on the table and pushed it straight toward Elias. Elias looked at the kit. Then he looked at Jack. Jack looked back. For a moment, neither of them moved. Finally, Elias asked, "Why are you looking at me?" Jack blinked.

"Aren't you doing it?" Elias was silent for a second.

"I don't know how." Jack's eyes widened.

"You don't know how?" Elias looked back at him.

"Why would I know how?" Jack had no answer. An odd silence settled under the tent. Cass sat in the chair and stared at the two of them, his face almost falling apart.

"No, seriously," he finally said.

"Can you two maybe look at me first?" Marlin had been watching from the side. This time, he could not hold back and laughed.

"All right, keep staring at each other and Cass might heal on his own." Jack and Elias both looked away. Cass looked at Elias first. Elias gave a light cough and turned his head aside. Cass looked at Jack next. Jack spread his hands honestly.

"Don't count on me. I've really never done this before." Finally, Cass looked at Vane and Reed. One looked up at the tent roof. The other looked down at the ground. Apparently, both had suddenly become very interesting. Cass understood. Not one of them was reliable. Gritting his teeth, he reached for the first-aid kit himself.

"Forget it. I'll do it myself."

"Absolutely not." Marlin rolled his eyes and pulled the first-aid kit toward himself.

"I'll do it. But I'm saying this now—I only know the basics. If it hurts, bear with it." Cass's face changed.

"That doesn't sound very reliable either." Marlin ignored him. He opened the first-aid kit, pulled out gauze, disinfectant, and hemostatic supplies, then glanced at the wound and poured the disinfectant over it.

"Hiss—!" Cass nearly shot out of the chair. Marlin did not even look up.

"Don't move."

"Could you be a little gentler?" Sweat broke out across Cass's forehead from the pain. Jack stood beside him. Hearing Cass still complain so loudly, he finally relaxed a little. Elias crouched down as well and took a look at the wound. His expression eased. Marlin pressed the gauze against the wound and said, "This is all I can do for now. Better bring Susan over. She knows more about this than we do." Elias paused.

"Susan. Right." Then he glanced at Jack, with a trace of blame in his voice.

"You threw me off. I almost forgot about her." Jack opened his mouth and pointed at himself. That was his fault too? Cass was still sucking in breaths from the pain, but he still managed to cut in.

"Can you argue after I stop bleeding?" Elias dropped the topic and looked at Vane and Reed.

"You two go back to the settlement and bring Susan here." Vane nodded and turned to leave.

"Vane," Elias called after him. Vane stopped.

"When you get there, stay at the settlement for now. We injured those raiders, so they may not dare to move right away, but we still need to be careful." Vane did not ask anything. He simply nodded. Reed stood up with him. They were about to leave when Jack suddenly remembered something.

"Wait." Vane and Reed turned back. Jack looked at the weapons in their hands.

"I'll get you something to carry on the road."