Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared-Chapter 1675: What is the Intention?

After surviving a brush with death in battle, the Resistance Army soldiers dragged their exhausted steps across the desolate land, heading to their next secret base—Base No. 2.

Apart from the Headquarters, the Resistance Army had seven secret bases. The manpower at these locations differed little, with the only distinction being that the Headquarters could formulate battle plans and had numerous personnel to command operations.

As the saying goes, "An army of thousands is easy to come by, but a great general is hard to find." The importance of an outstanding commander cannot be overstated. Whether it be those formulating plans above or executing them below, a single error in any link could lead to catastrophic consequences.

The Resistance Army had just endured its grimmest battle yet. The command structure had suffered heavy casualties, leaving only ten surviving officers. This loss weighed heavily on Jie’s heart, as if it were bleeding.

Gu Fan tried to comfort Jie, saying, "This is a long and arduous struggle. Since we’ve chosen this path, sacrifices are inevitable. But no matter what, we cannot give up. We must pull ourselves together. The enemy isn’t going to give us the time to wallow in sorrow."

As reasonable as this sounded, someone questioned the ease with which Gu Fan spoke. "Does he even realize who the enemy is? That’s the Demon King we’re dealing with!"

"Wait a minute," someone suddenly remarked, "Isn’t Gu Fan the Demon King himself?"

Time ticked by, and everyone’s pace grew slower. The formation stretched thinner, and those with weaker stamina lagged behind.

Left with no choice, Jie ordered a rest, hoping the enemy’s scouts wouldn’t detect them.

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers immediately sat or lay down on the ground, gasping for breath.

Throughout the entire journey, the Big Boss remained silent, his eyes sharp and radiating immense killing intent. This aura made everyone too afraid to approach and talk to him.

Gu Fan also considered approaching the Big Boss for a conversation, but the traumatic beating he previously endured left him hesitant. He feared saying the wrong thing and being beaten again.

Yet everyone looked at Gu Fan with encouraging gazes, as though he were the only one who could mend relations with the Big Boss.

Though the Big Boss had now joined the Resistance Army as a comrade-in-arms, in reality, everyone knew the truth: once a fight broke out, no one could control his actions. His intimidating demeanor was like walking around with a ticking time bomb.

Having no other choice, Gu Fan stiffened his resolve and approached to greet him. "Big Boss, first of all, on behalf of everyone, welcome to the Resistance Army. Secondly, we’re an organized and disciplined group. You previously mentioned that you’d follow my orders, so..."

"Don’t waste words," the Big Boss said bluntly. "I already said I’d listen to your orders, as long as it helps us defeat the Demon King." His candid reply left Gu Fan feeling awkward.

Gu Fan then blurted out an inappropriate question: "I’m curious, how large exactly is the gap between you and the Demon King in terms of strength?"

As soon as he asked this, the Big Boss’s face darkened with displeasure, as though the question stirred up unpleasant memories.

The Big Boss shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "To be honest, I was defeated by him with extraordinary ease. Even I couldn’t believe it."

Gu Fan frowned in confusion. "That doesn’t make sense. I remember a long time ago, during the attack on the Dark City controlled by the Organization X, you fought the Mysterious Masked Man. The difference in strength wasn’t very large. Later, when I acquired immortality, even you and the Hunter working together couldn’t defeat me."

"I don’t know either. If, back then, my battle with the Mysterious Masked Man was evenly matched, then I shouldn’t have lost to the Demon King so easily." Saying this, the Big Boss looked dejected. He had trained arduously for years, thinking he’d narrowed the gap with the Demon King, only to find the gap had widened even further.

Gu Fan ventured a guess: perhaps during the Big Boss’s initial fight with the Mysterious Masked Man, the Masked Man had been holding back.

In response to this speculation, the Big Boss dismissed it, saying it didn’t matter. "Forget it. All you need to know is that the Demon King is incredibly strong, nearly impossible to defeat. He’s like a more enhanced version of you, Gu Fan."

Additionally, the Big Boss revealed that when he was captured and detained at the Demon Refining Island Base, he uncovered an important secret: the artificial volcano built there harbored a crucial mystery.

Apparently, some vital relic from an ancient Super Civilization lay buried deep underground, and the volcano on Demon Refining Island was the perfect entrance to it.

This intel was invaluable. Everyone agreed that they must return to Demon Refining Island—not necessarily for the artifact itself but to thwart the Demon King’s plans.

Gu Fan also thought it worthwhile to return, curious about the true purpose of Demon Refining Island Base. He didn’t believe it was simply about creating an artificial volcano.

However, there was a puzzling element: why had the Demon King captured Leng Feng and detained him at Demon Refining Island Base? It seemed almost intentional, as if he wanted Gu Fan to rescue Leng Feng, along with the Big Boss and Lord Xiong.

Leng Feng speculated that it was a trap the Demon King had set. By giving Gu Fan the chance to rescue the Big Boss and Lord Xiong, he could track them back to the Resistance Army Headquarters and eradicate its elite forces in one blow.

Gu Fan shook his head, dismissing the idea. "That doesn’t make sense. If the Big Boss knows some key secrets about Demon Refining Island Base, the enemy would never allow him to escape. They wouldn’t risk letting such knowledge fall into my hands, as it would cause them no end of trouble."

Furthermore, rescuing the Big Boss and Lord Xiong turned them into immensely dangerous enemies of the X Legion. Even if the X Legion managed to wipe out the Resistance Army’s elite afterward, the cost of gaining two such adversaries would make it a Pyrrhic victory.

Also, the enemy would have surely accounted for Gu Fan’s ability to orchestrate miraculous escapes for the Resistance Army’s elite. After all, the Demon King was Gu Fan, and Gu Fan was the Demon King—no one understood his own abilities better.

Though Gu Fan’s reasoning sounded logical, it all felt excessively complex to the others.

In short, things had reached a point where there were too many irrational elements and too many mistakes on the Demon King’s part, which felt entirely out of character for Gu Fan.

Seeing Gu Fan so preoccupied, Lu Yi quipped with a lighthearted joke: "Don’t overthink it. Maybe it’s not as complicated as you think. Could it be that the Demon King is kind-hearted enough to orchestrate all this just to let you uncover Demon Refining Island Base’s secret?"

Startled, Gu Fan stared at Lu Yi. It was as if her words had sparked a sudden realization in him.

Just then, the sound of engines roared to life. In the desolate wasteland, headlights appeared—it was a support team from another Resistance Army base, responding to Jie’s orders to provide transportation.

Excited, everyone’s morale lifted. With vehicles, they no longer had to rely on their weary legs, and Gu Fan’s prior concerns faded into the background.

Gu Fan glanced up at the pitch-black night sky, his heart weighed down by a heavy sense of foreboding. The clues all pointed to one conclusion—things were far more complicated than they seemed.

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