Chapter 2: Day 81 – The Operation
As the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes."
Jiang Luo had been staking out the Wall for days, repeatedly confirming it was deserted, when suddenly a young man appeared.
The young man wore an ill-fitting uniform and had a stern expression.
Today was his first day "on the job."
In this peaceful era, few were willing to become "soldiers," especially for a leisurely post like the Wall Defense Force within the Garrison Regiment; fresh blood had been rare for many years.
But this young man was different; his ambitions were grand. He wanted to become an excellent soldier, and even join the most brutal Survey Corps in the future.
However, one had to take one step at a time. His first assignment as a soldier was to guard this desolate section of the Wall.
The young man walked respectfully along the top of the Wall, while Jiang Luo slowly climbed below.
Neither knew of the other's existence.
Until the young man reached the vicinity of that solitary cannon.
Perhaps thinking that from today on, he would become a loyal combat partner with this cannon, he reached out and touched it, then gazed out at the vast grassland below.
Excellent! Not a single Titan!
However, it sounded like there was something beneath his feet?
Following the source of the sound, the young man slowly peered over...
At this very moment, Jiang Luo happened to be looking up...
Under the sunlight, their eyes met, and for a moment, they froze into a still image.
Five seconds later, Jiang Luo's heart thumped, and he finally reacted.
"Holy crap! Bro! It's me!" He instinctively shouted, but only guttural roars came from his mouth.
The young man had never seen such a sight. His legs gave out, he fell backward, struggled to get up, and then bolted.
The person suddenly disappeared. Jiang Luo hung on the Wall for a moment, but there was still no movement. He understood: "That kid got scared off. I need to get up there quickly; he might go call for help!"
Time was short. Jiang Luo forced himself to muster his strength and quickened his pace. He had to climb into the Wall before a large group of people arrived.
The system said that as long as he could enter Maria Wall, he would be guaranteed not to die.
Now, the arrow was on the string; it had to be fired.
"Ah ah ah ah ah!"
With a roar increasing his output, he suddenly took a huge step.
But before he could stabilize himself, there was a sudden loud noise near his ear.
He instinctively looked up, only to see an iron ball flying towards him.
"Holy crap!" With agile dodging, the iron ball whizzed past his ear, landing with a thunderous crash and creating a huge crater below.
It was a cannon!
Beside that solitary cannon, a scrawny figure stood. His fierce gaze, along with the dark cannon muzzle, aimed precisely at Jiang Luo.
That young man, who had been scared out of his wits, was back!
He held the cannon, forcing his trembling hands, and fired another shot at the stunned Jiang Luo.
Boom!
Jiang Luo immediately turned sideways. The fireball grazed past him, hitting the pointed hammer stone beneath his right foot squarely. The sharp stone shattered, leaving a small crater on Maria Wall.
It's over!
One of the three stones was gone, meaning he had lost a foothold. He couldn't climb any further; his path was blocked!
All that effort for nothing!
He roared in his heart, glaring fiercely at the slender figure on the Wall.
"You son of a gun! I'll kill you!" His roar transformed into the terrifying beastly growl of a Titan, soaring into the sky, but what answered him was still a merciless fireball.
Boom!
Another perfectly aimed cannon shot, targeting his head.
There was no avoiding it!
The sharp stone beneath his feet loosened, and the stone in his hand could no longer bear his weight. Jiang Luo had nowhere to gain purchase and plummeted to the ground with a crash.
His agile figure slammed onto the ground, his left hand hitting first.
He felt a numbness in his left hand, instantly losing all sensation; it was likely already useless.
However, before he could stand firm, flames soared above his head, and amidst the smell of gunpowder, the cannon boomed incessantly.
Jiang Luo rolled left and right, dragging his left hand, dodging one cannon shot after another.
"Damn it, you think you can hit me? I'm a master of evasive maneuvers..."
As soon as he finished speaking, with a roll, he grabbed a fallen sharp stone, twisted his waist, and, using the momentum, raised the stone high in his hand.
He was going to throw it!
"Die, you bastard!"
Consumed by rage, Jiang Luo released the sharp stone from his hand.
The stone traced a perfect parabola, flying towards the solitary cannon platform.
Unfortunately, his aim was off, and it didn't hit the cannon. The stone flew over Maria Wall, whizzing and disappearing from sight.
"Damn it!" Jiang Luo was overcome with anger and a strong urge to kill. He picked up the last remaining sharp stone, aimed briefly, and prepared to throw it again.
This stone was only palm-sized to Jiang Luo, but to the young man on the Wall, it was as huge as his own body.
If this hit accurately, this young life would surely perish.
Jiang Luo swung his arm in a full circle, pouring all his strength into it. The stone left his hand again, carrying the breath of death, engulfing the life on the Wall.
Suddenly, he froze.
Because he clearly saw the young man on the Wall; his face was pale, he was slumped beside the cannon, and more importantly, his pants were wet.
He had wet himself from fear.
Facing the ferocious Titan, this new recruit, who had just started his job one day ago, finally broke down psychologically.
The stone, signifying death, flew past, grazing the new recruit's clothes.
The strong wind it carried ruffled his hair, leaving behind a face contorted with extreme terror.
His aim was still off by just a little!
In fact, his psychological state had already collapsed the first time he saw Jiang Luo, but his sense of responsibility drove him to return and man the cannon, single-handedly blocking the Titan's advance.
However, this bravery crumbled again in the face of the thrown boulder.
For some reason, seeing such a scene, Jiang Luo's killing intent gradually faded, and there were no more usable stones around him.
"Forget it." Jiang Luo thought, "I should retreat quickly!"
The plan had failed, so he should run away quickly. If he attracted a large group of people, he might perish there.
Jiang Luo turned and began to flee.
However, he hadn't run two steps when he suddenly heard a young yet loud voice from behind him.
"Dedicate your hearts!"
He turned sharply, only to see that the young man had somehow overcome his fear again. His previously limp body straightened once more, his hands on the cannon, aiming at Jiang Luo again.
"Holy crap! Madman!" Jiang Luo quickly dashed away.
A thunderous roar erupted behind him. Perhaps due to shaky hands, the aim was poor this time and didn't hit Jiang Luo. Amidst the cannon fire, Jiang Luo fled in disarray.
It wasn't until he plunged into the dense forest that the cannon fire finally ceased completely.
The surroundings became quiet, and he lay in the forest, panting.
The cannon fire was intense, and even though he was incredibly agile, he still suffered many injuries.
Steam rose from his wounds, especially his already torn left arm, which looked as if boiling water was bubbling.
They were self-repairing.
The operation to enter the Wall on the eighty-first day failed.