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In just a few minutes, the remaining armed drug dealers were all collectively slaughtered, their throats slit and their bodies left cold on the ground. Blood sprayed everywhere, soaking the fallen leaves and staining the forest floor. The thick stench of blood hung in the air, making the scene especially brutal and savage.
Finally, Colonel Hank walked over to the foreign mercenary officer who hadn't had his throat cut. He wiped the blood off his tactical knife onto the man's pale, terrified face, grinning wickedly as he said, "Heh heh—all your buddies are gone. Now it's your turn!"
As he spoke, Colonel Hank raised his tactical knife, ready to slit the man's throat. Just then, Shawn Young's voice rang out behind him: "Big Brother Hank, spare him for now. I plan to use him as our guide!"
"Oh! Fine! Heh heh—old man, looks like you got lucky! But you'd better behave, or else—hmph!" Colonel Hank paused at Shawn's words, scraping the cold blade against the foreign mercenary's neck. The chilling touch and the close brush with death nearly scared the officer to death. Realizing he'd survived by a hair, the man was so terrified he wet his pants, the smell of urine spreading beneath him!
"Heh heh—look at you, a mercenary who sells his life for cash. Aren't you supposed to be a tough guy with your head on the line? And you wet your pants?! Damn! You're making mercenaries look bad!" Colonel Hank circled the man's neck with his knife, pursed his lips in annoyance, and spoke with utter disdain.
The foreign mercenary officer was a white guy, and at Colonel Hank's words, his face turned bright red—so red it looked like a monkey's butt. He was beyond embarrassed.
At that moment, Shawn Young stared at the corpses littering the ground, all with slit throats. He felt a wave of nausea—after all, he wasn't a professional soldier like Colonel Hank. Seeing so many lives brutally snuffed out right before him was hard to stomach. The thick mist earlier had been conjured by Jade Swann's barrier, and that immobilizing white light was Shawn's own 'immobilization spell.' In a way, all these deaths were connected to him.
"What's wrong?" Jade Swann noticed Shawn's strange expression and quickly asked with concern.
"I'm... I'm fine. It's just... seeing so many people die right in front of me, and knowing I'm directly involved—it just... it just feels a bit overwhelming!" Shawn forced a smile as he replied.
"Uh—well, I've faced this hurdle before. But after seeing it enough times, you get used to it. You have to understand, that's just how brutal the laws of the battlefield are: it's either you die or I live. There's no room for mercy between enemies. Simple as that—if you don't kill them, they'll kill us! There will be even bloodier scenes in the future, so you need to learn to adapt!" Jade Swann advised calmly.
"Oh, oh! I'll... I'll try my best to get used to it!" Even though Shawn listened to Jade Swann's advice, he still found it hard to shake off the feeling after so many deaths.
Jade Swann's pretty face turned serious. She stared straight into Shawn's eyes and said bluntly, "Shawn, look at me. I'm telling you now—you don't just 'try' to adapt, you HAVE to adapt! Remember, you and I aren't ordinary people! Our fate is different from normal folks! Getting used to bloodshed is something we have to face all the time. If I, a woman, can handle it, what are you worried about as a man? Don't let me down, okay?"
"Uh—just give me some time! I... I will adapt! I promise!" Shawn looked into Jade Swann's jet-black, shining eyes, and her words stirred up his resolve. He nodded fiercely, voice determined.
"Mm-hmm, that's more like it! That's the kind of man I want—bold and loving, that's real swagger!" Jade Swann finally nodded in satisfaction.
Unexpectedly, Colonel Hank and several other Dragonsquad commandos overheard Jade Swann's words and all turned to stare at her and Shawn. Their eyes widened in surprise, faces full of odd expressions. These guys were sharp—they noticed Jade Swann was wearing Shawn's clothes, and suddenly it all clicked for them.
Especially Colonel Hank, who couldn't help blurting out, "Whoa, wait! Shawn, bro, you're really living the life?! You and Leader Swann—are you guys already at the 'dare to do, dare to love' stage?!"
"Uh—" Shawn was stunned, his face flushing red. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, not sure how to answer Colonel Hank's sudden question, and could only look helplessly at Jade Swann.
Jade Swann realized she'd let something slip. Her face turned beet red as she glared fiercely, then snapped at Colonel Hank, "Damn it, Hank, you bastard! You always act so proper, but you're as gossipy as a woman! Looking for trouble, huh? Want me to hit you with a thunder spell and give you a real thrill?!"
"Uh—no, Leader Swann, don't get me wrong! I... I was just showing some concern for Shawn, that's all! I didn't mean anything by it! Shawn's my bro, so as his big brother, I just wanted to check on him. Nothing wrong with that, right, Shawn?" Colonel Hank gulped nervously under Jade Swann's icy stare, realizing he'd messed up. He was genuinely afraid she'd zap him with a thunder spell—after all, Jade Swann's temper was legendary in both the commando squad and the paranormal team. He hurried to explain, shooting Shawn a pleading look for help.
"Hey, Jade, let it go—don't give Big Brother Hank a hard time. We've got a mission to focus on! Besides, we're bold enough to love and act, no need to hide or be sneaky, right?" Shawn finally admitted, pulling Jade Swann close by the waist to show their real relationship.
"Oh, you—fine! I won't bother with him anymore. Let's get back to business!" Jade Swann's face was flushed, but she was in a great mood. She loved men with that kind of attitude. Her anger vanished, and she playfully teased Shawn as she spoke.