Chapter 745
A figure was making a hasty getaway across the desert with two helicopters in hot pursuit. The helicopters trained their
searchlights on the ground, attempting to track his movements.
Two firearms discharged and fired rounds into the night sky. The bullets struck the ground near Hossom's footsteps, leaving
visible marks on the surface.
“F*ck you! Don't let me run into you again, or the day we meet shall be the day you meet your doom!” Hossom hollered into the
sky.
Clearly, he was hurling curses at Jonathan.
Hossom couldn't bring himself to toss the magical item away.
The spiritual energy Jonathan funneled into the staff only made it burn for dozens of seconds, but that was enough for the
trained West Region Army to lock on to Hossom.
Hossom was in the Grandmaster Realm and could use the sand dunes to his advantage, concealing himself from sight.
However, the West Region Army quickly reacted by sending two armed helicopters after him.
Their searchlights were trained on him, leaving Hossom with nowhere to hide. He was a moving target in the vast desert, making
it nearly impossible to evade the helicopters.
Judging from the circumstances, he could either wait until the soldiers exhausted their bullets or the armed helicopters ran out of
fuel. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to escape.
However, there was no telling how long that would take.
He knew he would most probably die of exhaustion before they were to run out of bullets.
Thus, he had no choice but to run ahead at full tilt.
Hossom was running with all his might when a gunshot sounded behind him.
Thud!
After the sound of the gunshot, one of the armed helicopters began to veer off course. Hossom looked back and noticed a dark
silhouette tumbling out of the helicopter and crashing onto the sand.
Both helicopters swiftly parted ways, flying in opposite directions.
Now that the searchlights weren't trained on him, Hossom quickly darted behind a sand dune. He noticed a man sitting above a
sand dune around three hundred meters away, holding a sniper rifle.
Crack!
Hossom heard another gunshot echo through the night, and he spun around just in time to see the searchlight shatter into
pieces, plunging the desert into darkness once again.
“Nice shot!” Hossom yelled at Jonathan as he grabbed a fistful of sand.
He looked so excited, seemingly forgetting that Jonathan was the reason he had to run in the first place.
He looked so excited, seemingly forgetting that Jonathan was the reason he had to run in the first place.
Following his shout, three armed helicopters took flight from the West Region Army's base, heading toward him.
That wasn't all, for the gate to the base was wide open, allowing armored tanks to head to Hossom.
There were dozens of tanks, judging from the lights.
“Stop staring! Run!”
Jonathan flew past Hossom in a blur. The pole in Hossom's hand also vanished along with him.
“Hey!” Hossom yelled, his cheeks flushing red in anger as he stared at his empty hands. “Hensom, you promised to give the
magical item to me after what I've been through!”
Around fifty kilometers away from the West Region Army's base, Jonathan and Hossom lay beneath a sand dune, panting
heavily.
Fifty kilometers was neither close nor far.
Under normal circumstances, the journey would take around half an hour. However, if someone were to travel at full speed, they
could cover fifty kilometers in just twenty minutes.
However, both of them ran for over an hour to escape from the West Region Army. In the end, Jonathan had to use his evasive
technique to slip through the soldiers.
“Hensom, shouldn't you give me that magical item?” Hossom asked weakly.
During their escape, Hossom was injured by the impact of a cannonball, sustaining multiple injuries on his left side. However, as
a cultivator, he was able to use his spirit shield to protect himself, preventing any damage to his organs and minimizing his
injuries to superficial wounds.
Jonathan retrieved two cans of beer from his storage ring and tossed one to Hossom.
“You want me to be reasonable, right? I'll be reasonable. Back when I entered the West Army's base, I did promise to give you
that magical item. However, it was supposed to be a reward if you successfully diverted the West Army's attention.”
“Didn't I do that?” Hossom sat up, confused. “I was chased by two armed helicopters and hundreds of soldiers for over ten
minutes. I nearly died there!”
Jonathan sat up and responded, “Yes, you did manage to catch their attention. However, let's not forget that you nearly died, and
I was the one who saved you. It's only fair that I take this magical item as a reward for being your savior.”
Hossom was taken aback to hear that.
“Wait, what kind of logic is that? I was in danger as I helped you divert their attention! What about me? Won't I get anything in
return?”
“You got a can of beer, didn't you?” Jonathan answered cheerfully as he opened the beer.
“We survived the ordeal together, so there's no need to be petty,” he added.
He then clinked his beer can with Hossom's.
An ugly scowl crept up Hossom's face.
“I'll die soon if I continue being partners with you,” he remarked unhappily.
Even so, Hossom raised the beer can and chugged it down.
It was already past four in the morning.
Jonathan sat on the sand dune, sipping on his beer while gazing toward the east where the sun was beginning to rise.
He was staring in Chanaea's direction.
“Are you thinking about how to trick me again?” Hossom asked with an icy snort.
Jonathan shook his head. “I was thinking about the West Region Army's unusual actions.”
“The West Region Army? Did they act unusual?” Hossom was confused.
Jonathan turned to look at Hossom. He seemed to ponder briefly before explaining, “The most valuable aspect of the Saosa
Desert lies in the minerals concealed beneath its surface. However, the only feasible means of acquiring these resources
involves instigating a conflict between the northwest region of Chanaea and the West Region's Doveston. While petroleum
represents a useful commodity, its extraction in a desert environment remains difficult, and the volume of available resources
remains uncertain. Consequently, the West Region Army has been unwilling to initiate a war over such an uncertain prospect.
For centuries, the West Region and Chanaea have contested the border between them, but this issue has not resulted in major
confrontations when compared to other borders. Initially, each side had only deployed one Grandmaster and approximately one
hundred thousand troops at their respective border regions. However, the West Region has since replenished its forces and
stationed four Grandmasters among their one hundred thousand soldiers. If a war were to begin, they possess the capacity to
destroy the entire Saosa Desert. Nevertheless, the question remains: why have they refrained from taking any action?”
“Why does war concern you?” Hossom sneered. “They have military power, so it is up to them whether they fight or not. That's
none of your business!”