In the second half of the night, everyone took turns keeping watch and resting.
With the veteran, an existence of unfathomable strength, among them, Tatiana and the others actually felt much more at ease.
At the very least, they didn’t need to worry about any fish slipping through the net.
Or any other ill-intentioned recruits sneaking over.
And Aqina’s recovery ability once again amazed Vera.
By daybreak, the wound on her abdomen had stopped bleeding and had even formed a thin scab.
Although movement was still inconvenient, at least the wound wouldn’t tear open every time she moved.
“What a monster…” Vera muttered quietly while helping her change the dressing.
Aqina just smiled.
When the first rays of dawn broke, the veteran stood up.
“Time to go out; the trial is about to end.” He looked at Aqina: “Can you walk?” Aqina stood up with Tatiana’s support, tested it, and nodded: “Slowly, yes.” The veteran didn’t say much more; he shouldered the bag filled with the Scavengers’ loot and led the way out of the canyon.
Tatiana supported Aqina, Vera supported Iour, and the four of them followed behind.
The canyon entrance was still blocked by collapsed ice and snow, but the veteran seemed to have anticipated this.
He observed it for a moment, then tapped on several key locations with the back of his blade.
He then had Tatiana use her Fire element to slightly Melt some of the ice layer.
Soon, a tunnel wide enough for a person to pass through while stooping was cleared.
Passing through the gap, everyone stood once again on the open snowfield.
The cold wind, laden with snowflakes, whipped against their faces, yet Aqina felt that the wind didn’t seem as biting as it had been the previous few days.
Perhaps it was just because the coldest moments had already passed.
The road back was unusually calm.
There was no ambush at the exit as she had imagined might happen.
Nor did they encounter any other desperate recruit squads attempting a final struggle.
Even monsters were rarely seen.
Occasionally, they saw messy footprints and residual bloodstains on the snow in the distance.
This indicated that other places had not been peaceful last night either.
“It seems the cleanup work was quite effective.” The veteran, walking at the very front, said without turning his head.
Aqina understood what he meant.
They had dealt with one squad of Scavengers, and the veteran himself had certainly cleared out quite a few as well.
With these troublemakers gone, the casualties in the final moments of the trial were perhaps much lower than in previous years.
After walking for about two hours, familiar landmarks appeared ahead.
Before them lay the familiar yet strange outskirts of the training camp.
The final point of the trial had been reached.
Quite a few people had already gathered under the watchtower outside the camp.
The number of recruits who came out alive was at least one-third less than when they went in.
The remaining people were basically all wounded, their expressions weary and numb, either standing or sitting.
Waiting for the Instructor to come out and collect the nameplates.
When Aqina and her group appeared, the originally somewhat noisy grounds instantly quieted down significantly.
Countless gazes swept over them.
Shock, fear, envy, jealousy, disbelief…
All sorts of emotions intertwined on the faces of the other recruits.
They were truly too eye-catching.
Tatiana’s fiery red long hair and the Vision at her waist.
Vera’s Grass-element Vision.
Iour limping with a crutch, yet carrying a military crossbow on his back.
And the most attention-grabbing of all was Aqina.
Silver-white hair, with bandages wrapped all around her waist and abdomen.
Her face was pale, her steps unsteady, and she was supported by Tatiana.
But her eyes were bright, the nameplate bag at her waist hung heavily, clinking as she walked.
More importantly, walking in front of them was that veteran with the unique aura and a large bow on his back.
As well as that bulging, massive pack on the veteran’s back, clearly containing equipment for more than one person.
“It’s them…” “Undying Cockroach, and Tatiana; I don’t know that limping kid, but that little girl seems to have a Grass-element Vision…” “They actually got together?” “Look at that package…
their loot?” “Look at Undying Cockroach’s waist, that nameplate bag…” “I heard the Scavengers…” No one dared to discuss it loudly, but this time, the group had truly stolen the spotlight.
Aqina could feel those gazes constantly sweeping over her.
But she ignored them, simply walking calmly to an empty, sheltered spot and slowly sitting down.
Tatiana and Vera sat on her left and right, and Iour leaned against a rock.
The veteran walked alone to a spot not far away, leaned against a wooden pillar of the watchtower, and closed his eyes to rest, as if isolated from everything around him.
Soon, the Instructor appeared with several formal soldiers.
They began to count the headcount, collect the nameplates, and prepare for registration.
The line was very long, but Aqina and her group were near the front.
When it was Aqina’s turn, the Instructor looked at the more than thirty nameplates poured out and his eye twitched violently.
He then looked at the large package that the veteran had silently placed on the ground.
Opening it, inside were six sets of blood-stained gray-white camouflage uniforms, and a pile of high-quality weapons and equipment.
Aqina also handed him the six wolf-head badges seized from the Scavengers.
The Instructor’s expression changed completely.
He looked up sharply at the veteran.
The veteran just nodded slightly.
The Instructor took a deep breath, said nothing, and solemnly put those items away separately.
Then, in the record book, he drew an eye-catching star mark in red pen next to the name of Aqina’s squad.
The gasps around them grew louder.
Aqina could even hear the sound of someone’s teeth chattering.
The registration lasted for over an hour.
In the end, out of five hundred recruits, only three hundred and seven walked out of the Frost Burial Valley alive.
Among them, two hundred and twenty-one met the graduation requirement for the number of nameplates.
Aqina’s squad, all four members met the standard.
Moreover, their total number of nameplates and that special package ensured that their scores occupied the top few spots without any suspense.
“Assemble!” The Instructor’s roar suppressed all the noise.
The surviving recruits lined up crookedly.
Everyone was covered in wounds, carrying exhaustion, the bewilderment of having survived a disaster, and a hint of suppressed excitement.
The Instructor stood in front of the formation, his gaze sweeping over these young faces that had experienced the baptism of life and death, and he was silent for a moment.
Then, he spoke in a deep voice: “The recruit trial is over.” “Congratulations, you survived.” “From today on, you are no longer reserves, but formal soldiers of the Fatui.” “Tomorrow, the graduation ceremony will be held in the square.” “At that time, high-ranking officers will come to observe the ceremony and announce the assignments on the spot.” His gaze seemed to linger, intentionally or unintentionally, for a moment in the direction of Aqina’s squad.
“Now, dismissed!” “Go to the Medical Division to treat your wounds, then roll back to the barracks to rest.
Don’t die before the ceremony and embarrass me!” The formation scattered with a roar.
The recruits supported each other and walked towards the camp area.
Aqina, supported by Tatiana and Vera, also slowly walked toward the Medical Division tent.
When passing by the veteran, she stopped.
The veteran was still leaning against the pillar, eyes not even opened.
“Senior,” Aqina said softly, “Thank you.” The corner of the veteran’s mouth seemed to curve slightly, very faintly.
“Just mutual benefit.” He paused, finally opened his eyes, and looked at Aqina.
That gaze was very deep, as if it could see through many things.
“The path is chosen by yourself, and you must bear the consequences.” “Good luck, Undying Cockroach.” After speaking, he closed his eyes again, as if he had fallen asleep.
Aqina looked at him for two seconds, nodded, and turned to leave.
On the way to the Medical Division, she heard recruits whispering behind her: “I heard that for tomorrow’s ceremony, more than one Harbinger will be coming…” “It seems [The Captain] will be there, but I heard [The Signora] might come too.” “The Signora will really come?
Isn’t she usually away all year round?” “Who knows?
It is said that The Signora has been in a bad mood recently and came back to reorganize her subordinates…” Aqina’s steps did not falter.
She looked up at the gray, hazy sky.
Rosalyne…
Rosalyne…
Rosalyne.
A series of thoughts about Rosalyne rolled through her mind.
Finally, her mind settled on that pair of eyes she had seen through the screen in the game— On those light blue eyes.
She thought she probably knew how to choose.
Even if…
she still had to return to her old trade.
“At least this time…” She whispered to herself, the corner of her mouth curling into a slightly bitter but helpless smile.
“The boss is a beautiful and powerful mature woman, not that Mediterranean-haired skinflint from my past life.
The workplace might also change at any time from Snezhnaya to the warm and free Mondstadt, and besides…” “I’ll be able to see the Traveler, and little Paimon, that emergency food.” “Not a bad deal.”