Chapter 361

"Quick! Grab the medical kit!" Dr. Wei snatched the emergency bag, and five female medics swiftly followed the local guide. Two armed soldiers trailed behind, scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

The mountain path was rougher than expected. The damp air reeked of decaying vegetation, and the muddy ground was slippery underfoot. Venomous snakes occasionally slithered from the underbrush, only to be deftly flicked away by the guide's wooden stick.

"Almost there!" The guide wiped his sweat and pointed toward a cluster of thatched huts barely visible in the distance. The ramshackle dwellings leaned precariously against one another, their walls bearing faded slogans of patriotism.

The moment they entered the village, a heart-wrenching scream shattered the silence.

"Help! Xia is dying!" The midwife stumbled out, her hands stained crimson.

Luna White's stomach clenched as she rushed into the dimly lit hut behind Dr. Wei. The metallic stench of blood hit her like a wave, making her gag.

On the crude wooden bed, the laboring woman was deathly pale, the straw mat beneath her soaked in blood. The midwife stood frozen, muttering, "Feet first... what do we do..."

"Move!" Dr. Wei shoved the midwife aside and snapped on gloves. Her expression darkened. "Breech birth. Immediate surgery!"

The medics sprang into action—unrolling sterile sheets, prepping instruments. The cramped hut left no room to turn.

"Luna!" Dr. Wei looked up sharply. "Her blood pressure's too low for anesthesia."

All eyes locked onto Luna. She took a deep breath, pulling a half-melted chocolate bar from her pocket. The sticky sweetness coated her tongue as silver needles gleamed between her fingers.

"Hold her down." Luna's voice was eerily calm.

The first needle pierced the laboring woman's scalp. The near-lifeless body convulsed violently. The midwife collapsed, whispering prayers to the heavens.

"Don't stop!" Dr. Wei pinned the thrashing legs. "Continue!"

Beads of sweat dotted Luna's forehead. Second needle. Third. By the seventh, the woman's struggles ceased miraculously.

"BP stabilizing!" a nurse cried.

Dr. Wei grabbed a scalpel. "Prep for delivery!"

Outside, rain hammered the thatched roof in a deafening drumroll. Luna gazed at the storm-blurred mountains, the needles in her hand burning with warmth.

She knew the real trial had just begun.