Chapter 105 Rescue
Lu Mingfei stood in front of a building that had been collapsed by the earthquake. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and fully deployed the perception ability of the Word Spirit Kamaitachi.
The invisible waves of the sickle-itachi were like a huge net, quickly covering the surrounding ruins, sensing the signs of life hidden within.
It is now 2050, and it has been exactly six years since he came to this world. Although his spiritual power has not yet fully recovered to its peak, the detection field of the Kamaitachi has basically restored most of its functions.
Now he could perceive the faint and rapid heartbeats in detail, even though they were buried under thick rubble and reinforced concrete.
Lu Mingfei frowned slightly, but his expression remained calm. He quickly took out a digital map device from his waist, and his nimble fingers quickly marked the exact locations of the heartbeats on the screen. Each mark represented a possible location of a survivor.
When all the markings were completed, he sent the electronic map to the captains of other ranger teams without hesitation. The rescue mission had to race against time, and each of them knew what time meant to the lives buried under the rubble.
They are now in a small coastal city where a major earthquake has just occurred. Although drones have been launched in advance to cover the network and issue escape notices to the residents here, the scale of this earthquake is so large that many people are still buried under the rubble.
Lu Mingfei and his men were sent here to participate in the rescue operation.
"Xu Yanbo, bring your men and follow me!" Lu Mingfei turned and shouted at Xu Yanbo, his voice calm and powerful.
Xu Yanbo was already used to Lu Mingfei's leadership style. He stood aside, holding his equipment tightly in his hands. After hearing the order, he immediately nodded and waved to the team members behind him. "Everyone in Team 2, follow up! The other teams will split up to rescue, quickly!"
As the order was given, all team members instantly entered combat status. They were well-trained, moved quickly and in perfect coordination.
Lu Mingfei didn't say any more nonsense, and immediately took Xu Yanbo and the members of the second team and ran quickly towards a ruined area that had just been marked in the perception of the sickle-itachi.
They walked along the shattered streets, through the rubble and scattered debris, surrounded by a tragic post-earthquake scene.
Many buildings have completely collapsed, the ground is full of cracks, the air is filled with the smell of dust and the smell of burning after power outage. Occasionally, you can hear cries for help in the distance and the sounds of some people struggling to survive among the ruins.
"It's here!" Lu Mingfei stopped in front of a collapsed building ruin, his eyes fixed on a huge broken concrete slab in front of him.
His kamaitachi sensed several faint signs of life hiding under the deep ruins. Although the heartbeat was extremely weak, it still existed, which meant that they still had a chance of rescue.
Xu Yanbo also came over immediately, took a look at the surrounding situation, and decisively ordered: "Act quickly! Clear these rubble and concrete blocks, and be careful not to hurt the trapped people!"
Several Rangers quickly rushed forward, wearing black exoskeletons, took out demolition equipment and began to clear the huge concrete slab.
The roar of machinery instantly sounded in the ruins, and several team members, holding high-strength hydraulic cutters and drills, carefully carried out rescue operations.
Lu Mingfei stood by and continued to use the sickle-weasel to lock the specific location of the survivors to ensure that their vital signs would not be harmed again during the rescue process.
As he sensed, he tensed all his nerves and was ready to rush into the ruins at any time.
Time passed by minute by minute, sweat rolled down the rescue team members' foreheads and stuck to their skin, but no one slowed down. Every time rubble was moved, every stone was removed, they bought time to save the lives of those trapped.
Finally, after more than ten minutes of intense rescue, the broken concrete slab was removed bit by bit, revealing a small space underneath.
Lu Mingfei was the first to rush forward. He squatted down and looked inside. He could vaguely see several people trapped inside. Their faces were covered in dust and their expressions were terrified, but they still had a faint trace of consciousness.
“Found it!” Lu Mingfei shouted to the back, and then began to carefully drag the people inside out.
The trapped people were carefully rescued from the rubble one by one, and several rangers immediately performed a simple check on them, confirming that their vital signs were weak but stable.
"Let's quickly send them to the temporary medical station!" Xu Yanbo said, and some team members had already prepared a stretcher.
However, just when Lu Mingfei had dragged out the last survivor, the ground suddenly began to shake again. Although the amplitude of the vibration was not large, the cleared passage began to collapse unsteadily, and the concrete slab tilted downward again, making a chilling cracking sound.
"Brother Lu!" Xu Yanbo's voice was filled with fear as he watched the concrete slab collapse towards Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingfei did not have time to think and reacted instantly. His body instinctively tensed up and he almost subconsciously hugged the survivor, ready to protect him with his body. At this moment, the ruins began to collapse rapidly, and huge and heavy concrete blocks hit them mercilessly.
"Everyone, hurry up! We must rescue Brother Lu! We can all die! But the commander must be the last one to die!" Xu Yanbo exclaimed, and led the team members to frantically dig up the concrete blocks that had just collapsed. Their hands were almost worn out by the rough concrete blocks, but no one cared about that. Everyone's heart was in their throat, and they were extremely anxious.
But soon he saw that the broken cement blocks began to shake, and a man, steaming all over, walked out of the cement blocks holding another person.
Word Spirit Bronze Throne
At the last moment, he used the bronze throne to block the ruins that were about to collapse, protecting himself and the survivors.
Lu Mingfei's face was pale and his breathing was a little rapid, but his eyes were still sharp and steady. He had already put on black contact lenses and did not reveal the existence of his golden pupils.
He gently placed the victim in his arms on the ground. The medical team members next to him immediately came forward to check on him, while Lu Mingfei took a deep breath and tried to calm his breathing.
"Brother Lu, are you okay?" Xu Yanbo rushed over and asked anxiously, his eyes constantly looking at Lu Mingfei, fearing that he was injured.
"It's okay, keep moving, don't stop." He whispered, glancing around at the several rescued survivors, but he didn't feel too relaxed in his heart. The aftershock just now must have affected the other survivors who were still alive.
In every earthquake, especially one of this magnitude, the secondary damage caused by aftershocks is often the most deadly. If he had hesitated for a second or failed to use the bronze throne in time, he and the trapped person might have died.
"Brother Lu, are you really okay?" Xu Yanbo walked forward, still a little anxious. Although he had seen Lu Mingfei face life-and-death dangers many times, the scene just now still made him feel scared.
"I'm fine." Lu Mingfei replied in a deep voice, his voice was a little tired, but still firm. "Now is not the time to worry about me, continue the search and rescue, the people who are still buried may not be able to hold on for much longer."
After saying that, he closed his eyes again, concentrated his mind, and released the perception ability of the Word Spirit Kamaitachi. The perception of the Kamaitachi quickly expanded like an invisible tide, penetrating through the rubble, sweeping across every broken wall, every broken steel bar, and the mountains of rubble.
As the kamaitachi detected, Lu Mingfei caught a few faint heartbeats again. They were the survivors buried deeper. Their vitality was gradually disappearing. If rescue was not carried out quickly, they would probably disappear forever in the ruins.
"There are a few faint signs of life on the east side, where there is a collapsed office building." Lu Mingfei opened his eyes and quickly marked the new location on the electronic map, then turned to Xu Yanbo and said, "Take the team members and prepare the demolition equipment. Hurry up."
"Understood!" Xu Yanbo reacted immediately and called on the team members to act quickly. Several people quickly carried the demolition tools and prepared to rush to the new search and rescue point.
Lu Mingfei did not stop and continued to develop the kamaitachi's perception. His attention was highly concentrated, and his whole body seemed to merge into the ruins. He tried his best to capture and mark every heartbeat he sensed, no matter how faint it was, to ensure that he would not miss any sign of life.
Every rescue operation is like a race against time. The threat of aftershocks is always looming, the ruins may collapse again at any time, and the life of every survivor hangs on a thread.
As the rescue operation progressed, the atmosphere around became increasingly tense. The rangers moved swiftly and coordinated well. Although the danger in the ruins could erupt at any time, they never slowed down for a moment, racing against time to clear the rubble and search for survivors.
"There's a heartbeat here!" a team member holding a detector shouted under a collapsed wall.
Lu Mingfei immediately rushed over and squatted down to check the situation. He sensed the faint signs of life of a survivor behind the wall. Although he was pressed by heavy bricks and steel bars, his heartbeat was still there. "Use the hydraulic press to pry open these steel bars. Be careful not to hurt the trapped people." Lu Mingfei calmly gave the order.
Several team members quickly cooperated and used hydraulic equipment to start clearing the heavy objects that were pressing on the survivor. After several minutes of intense operation, they finally rescued the trapped person from the rubble.
He was a middle-aged man, his face covered in dust and his eyes were blurry, but he still had a desire to survive. Lu Mingfei and his team members carefully carried him to a stretcher at the side, and a medical team member immediately gave him a preliminary examination.
"His vital signs are still stable." A medical team member breathed a sigh of relief, and after a simple treatment, he asked several rescuers to send him to a temporary medical station.
Seeing the survivor being sent away safely, Lu Mingfei did not show much emotion. He was used to staying calm in such high-intensity rescue missions.
But at this moment Xu Yanbo shouted anxiously beside him.
“Brother Lu! The higher-ups said there’s a tsunami coming here, and notified us to evacuate. Drones have already started to cover the network and send out emergency notifications! But it’s too late! There are still people who haven’t been rescued! Damn it, there’s both an earthquake and a tsunami!”
Lu Mingfei raised his head suddenly and looked at the distant sea horizon. There, a huge wave tens of meters high was approaching rapidly, and the crest of the wave rose above the skyline, like a giant beast opening its bloody mouth, rushing towards the city unstoppably. The temperature in the air suddenly dropped, and the wind mixed with the humid smell of sea water blew violently on everyone's face.
He took a deep breath, frowning, and quickly assessed the situation in his mind.
"How many people have not been rescued?" he asked again in a deep voice. His tone was more urgent than before, but his eyes were still calm.
"There should be a few survivors!" Xu Yanbo's terminal screen showed the situation in the rescue area, and his voice was filled with anxiety. "But that location is closer to the coastline. It is estimated that the tsunami will arrive in less than ten minutes!"
The rangers around also stopped their work, their faces full of tension. The danger of aftershocks was already deadly enough, and now they had to face a tsunami that was enough to engulf the entire city. Evacuation seemed to be the only option.
But Lu Mingfei knew that if he retreated now, the survivors still buried in the rubble would lose the chance of survival forever.
He turned his head sharply to look at the team members who were ready to evacuate, and said in a cold and firm voice: "We can't retreat! There are still people who haven't been rescued!"
The team members were stunned. Although they were ready to retreat in their hearts, they did not waver in Lu Mingfei's order. They all knew that as the commander, Lu Mingfei's decision should be the most rational. But he chose to go against the current, chose the most difficult path, race against time, and race against the tsunami.
"Xu Yanbo, take Team 1 and go with me to the last rescue point!" Lu Mingfei quickly gave the order, "Teams 2 and 3 are responsible for escorting the wounded to evacuate and ensure the safety of the rescue team members and the wounded!"
"But, Brother Lu, tsunami..." Xu Yanbo looked at the waves in the distance nervously, his voice trembling a little. He had never seen such a huge wave and faced the threat of nature at such a close distance. Even though he had experienced countless battles, he could not suppress the fear in his heart at this moment.
“Stop talking nonsense!” Lu Mingfei growled, a flash of anger in his eyes, “There are still people waiting for us! Hurry!”
At that moment, Xu Yanbo was stunned by Lu Mingfei's aura. He saw the determination in Lu Mingfei's eyes, which left no room for doubt and no hesitation. Even if there was death ahead, Lu Mingfei would walk forward without hesitation.
"Understood!" Xu Yanbo gritted his teeth and nodded heavily, "Team One, follow me!"
The team members immediately adjusted their mindset and followed Lu Mingfei's footsteps. They acted quickly and ran towards the last rescue point.
Lu Mingfei took the lead and rushed to the most dangerous area. His heartbeat rang rapidly in his ears, but he still held on to those few weak life signals. The perception of the sickle-weasel made him clearly feel that there were still lives waiting for rescue under the ruins ahead.
He has to be fast.
Along the way, they stepped on rubble that had been stained with sea water. The ground beneath their feet had begun to tremble with the momentum of the huge waves, and the sense of oppression in the air became stronger and stronger.
"Brother Lu, we're almost there!" Xu Yanbo shouted anxiously while running and staring at the locator in his hand.
Lu Mingfei nodded, and they soon arrived at the ruins of the collapsed building. He immediately stopped, opened up the sickle-weasel's perception again, closed his eyes, and carefully captured every possible sign of life.
After a few seconds, he opened his eyes suddenly: "It's right here! Quick, start demolishing it!"
Xu Yanbo and other team members took action immediately. Regardless of the approaching waves behind them, they began to clear the rubble as quickly as possible. The roar of demolition tools once again resounded throughout the ruins.
Every second was crucial. Lu Mingfei did not dare to pause for a moment. He stared closely at the situation under the ruins, and his sickle-weasel's perception continued to expand to ensure that no sign of life would be missed.
In the distance, huge waves were sweeping in, almost swallowing up the entire city. The waves rolled up high, like a giant palm about to fall, crushing with unparalleled force.
Xu Yanbo's hands were covered in sweat and dirt, his heartbeat accelerated violently, and his breathing became rapid. Despite this, he still did not stop. The demolition equipment in his hand pried open the steel bars and cement again and again at an incredibly fast speed.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Xu Yanbo gritted his teeth and shouted loudly. Sweat had soaked his forehead, but he didn't care.
Thanks to their efforts, a narrow hole was finally revealed in the ruins, and Lu Mingfei immediately leaned over to check.
"There are two people inside!" he shouted loudly, then quickly dived into the ruins and dragged out the survivors one by one.
It was a mother and her child. The mother held the child tightly, her face covered with dust and blood, but she was still alive, and the child was still breathing weakly.
"Quick! Take them away!" Lu Mingfei quickly handed them over to other team members, looked up at the huge waves that were already close at hand, his eyes calm and determined.
"Evacuate!" He gave the order and the team members immediately took action, carrying the survivors towards the nearest high ground.
Xu Yanbo ran at the front of the team and looked back at Lu Mingfei with worry in his eyes: "Brother Lu, hurry up!"
Lu Mingfei confirmed for the last time that there were no other signs of life around before he turned around and ran in the direction of evacuation with the team.
The huge waves roared towards the city like wild beasts, the waves splashed in the air, and the tide rolled, as if to swallow up every inch of land behind them.
Lu Mingfei's heartbeat was intertwined with the roar of the waves. The tsunami was approaching, and it seemed that they had no way to escape to the nearby high ground.
Lu Mingfei looked at the backs of the team members in front of him and made a decision. These people followed him because of his orders, so he had the responsibility to ensure that they returned alive.
The chanting sound came out of Lu Mingfei's mouth, and the wind began to gather behind him.
Word Spirit: Eyes of the Wind King
As Lu Mingfei chanted, a huge tornado quickly formed. The air flow swirled and grew rapidly. The wind howled like an angry dragon and rushed towards the approaching waves. The tornado blocked the waves and instantly started a head-on battle with them.
The oppressive feeling in the air made it almost impossible to breathe. Although the tornado was powerful, it still seemed weak in front of the tsunami. The water splashed by the waves hit the wind wall, making a thunderous sound and water vapor splashing everywhere. The whole world seemed to have entered a fierce confrontation at this moment.
(End of this chapter)
