Chapter 103
As Su Ci searched for signs of life, Lang Ze noticed his silence and refrained from asking further questions. Instead, he stood by the riverbank with Lu Jiao, peering down at the dry riverbed.
Suddenly, Lang Ze let out a light exclamation and stepped back, looking around before leaning forward to examine the riverbed again.
“I’ve seen this place before!” he exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Jiao blinked curiously and asked, “Have you been here before?”
When did that happen?
Lang Ze shook his head. “Do you remember those two people on the bus who were talking and disturbing Su Su’s nap? The monster they mentioned—it must have appeared here.”
He vividly recalled the video of the mud monster. Such a massive creature had left a deep impression on him, especially since even giant spiders looked like toys in comparison to it.
He also remembered the location where the monster had appeared very clearly.
“That’s right, this is definitely the place!” Lang Ze said confidently, observing the surroundings of the riverbank.
“Then…” Lu Jiao glanced nervously at the muddy bottom of the riverbed, swallowing hard. “Do you think that monster might show up again?”
Lang Ze couldn’t answer. He thought back to the terrifying appearance of the monster and then looked at the thick red mist on the opposite bank. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“There’s no need to be afraid.”
A calm and reassuring voice broke through their worries. The soothing tone of A-Yan’s voice settled their nerves. “That monster has already been taken care of by Su Su.”
“Wow!” Lang Ze’s eyes lit up as he turned to where A-Yan was. “Brother A-Yan, is that true?”
In fact, he already felt that the mud monster wasn’t as scary as Su Su when he was angry that night. So…
Did that monster make Su Su angry?
A-Yan gazed at the riverbed below and said, “Do you see those three mounds of mud down there? And those smaller hills? Those are the remains of the monster’s body.”
The two children instinctively looked down at the riverbed, then back at Su Ci, imagining the battle between him and the mud monster. Both couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
If only we had been there! They wondered how Su Su had defeated that giant monster.
A-Yan continued explaining to them about the mud monsters—their characteristics, how they formed, and their weaknesses. He also shared strategies for dealing with them in case they encountered such creatures in the future.
Everything Su Ci had taught him, A-Yan now passed on to the two children without reservation.
A-Yan knew that Su Su wouldn’t remain confined to Base 24 forever. He would leave the base to cultivate more land suitable for planting.
This also meant that someday, these young ones would follow Su Su, leaving the base to transform barren lands into lush greenery. They might even venture into the blood mist and face monsters in battle.
If that was their future, then knowledge and experience in handling monsters had to be taught alongside their planting skills.
Looking at the two children, who trusted him completely, A-Yan felt a deep sense of responsibility. He didn’t want them to get hurt when fighting monsters in the future. Therefore, he resolved to help them grow stronger before that day came.
The two children listened intently.
Previously, no one had ever explained the monsters lurking within the blood mist to them. Whenever extreme weather occurred, the caretakers and nanny robots would rush them back to their rooms as quickly as possible.
There had only been a few rare occasions when they had seen monsters firsthand.
But even then, no one ever expected anything of them. They were protected, but also guarded against—no one thought they would ever have the chance to face these monsters.
Now, as they listened to Brother A-Yan’s explanations, the two children couldn’t help but feel that perhaps, in the future, they really might confront such creatures.
Were they nervous or scared? A little. But, as the saying goes, young calves aren’t afraid of tigers. Their hearts were filled more with excitement and anticipation than fear.
Especially Lang Ze. Growing up in an environment where strength was the ultimate measure, he had always been taught to gain power and become a strong warrior. Now, hearing A-Yan share combat strategies, he was utterly captivated.
If, in the past, calling A-Yan “brother” had been a tactical move—sweet talk to gain favors—now, he sincerely regarded A-Yan as a leader.
A-Yan wasn’t aware of this shift, though Su Ci noticed and was quite pleased.
Watching A-Yan give his serious lecture on combat tactics, Su Ci was content to sit back. These were topics he’d already covered before, so not having to repeat himself suited his naturally laid-back demeanor perfectly.
Thus, when A-Yan finished and glanced his way, Su Ci couldn’t help but reach out to affectionately ruffle A-Yan’s furry ears.
A-Yan squinted his eyes in happiness—after all, the two children couldn’t see him, so there was no need to maintain his “big brother” image all the time.
Once A-Yan’s lesson was over, Su Ci teleported them to the spot where he had detected signs of life.
They reappeared within the riverbed.
This location was further upstream, quite a distance from the midstream section they had been exploring earlier. Looking up, they could see the cliffs marking the river’s source.
Lang Ze and Lu Jiao eagerly took in their surroundings, their curiosity palpable. Meanwhile, Su Ci focused directly on his target.
He looked down at a particular spot on the cliffside, about a meter off the ground. It was partially concealed by a cluster of rocks, but a faint gap was visible.
Instead of moving the rocks himself, Su Ci called Lang Ze over and instructed him to clear the stones.
For the energetic wolf cub, this was hardly a challenge. In fact, it was a good opportunity for some exercise. Without hesitation, he rushed over to start moving the rocks.
Lu Jiao wanted to help too, but his strength was insufficient. The stones Lang Ze easily shifted barely budged even with all of his effort.
Seeing this, A-Yan secretly gave it a try. The experience gave him a stark understanding of the difference in their strength.
Thinking back to Su Su’s effortless feat of lifting a spider leg, A-Yan fell silent. After a moment, he comforted himself: at least he was stronger than Lu Jiao. He wasn’t the weakest of the group and still had plenty of room for improvement.
Once the rocks were completely cleared, Lang Ze leaned against the cliffside, peering into the narrow gap.
The crevice was about ten centimeters wide, and inside was damp mud. Something seemed to be curled up within it—a withered yellowish object blending almost entirely with the surrounding muck.
Lang Ze couldn’t tell what it was. He turned to Su Ci and asked, “Su Su, is this the thing you’re looking for?”
Su Ci nodded and instructed Lang Ze to scoop out the entire clump of mud. He transferred it into an empty can and poured some spiritual water into it.
As the mud dissolved, the plant encased within was revealed in its entirety.
The plant was no bigger than a baby’s fist, with its leaves curled tightly inward. Its entire form was withered and yellow, devoid of even the faintest hint of green. It looked less like a living plant and more like a dried specimen.
Even A-Yan, let alone Lang Ze and Lu Jiao, couldn’t tell it was a plant.
“Su Su, what is this thing?” Lang Ze asked.
“A Selaginella,” Su Ci replied.
“Selaginella?” Lu Jiao repeated the name and guessed, “Is it a type of plant?”
“That’s correct,” Su Ci confirmed with a nod.
“A plant? But aren’t plants supposed to be green?” Lang Ze asked in surprise. “Hasn’t it already died?”
Looking at the shriveled yellow clump, he couldn’t associate it with plants at all. Moreover, he couldn’t sense any sign of life from it.
Su Ci sighed inwardly. The life force of this Selaginella was even weaker than that of the small wild grass he had found the day before—almost imperceptible. Even Su Ci wasn’t sure if this Selaginella could be revived.
However…
“Selaginella, also known as the resurrection plant,” Su Ci explained. “In ancient times, it was called the nine-death resurrection herb because, even after wilting, it could revive as long as conditions were favorable. Its resilience is exceptionally rare.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!” Lang Ze exclaimed in awe.
Su Ci nodded. Looking at the withered plant floating in the spiritual water can, he could only hope it would indeed regain its vitality.
He entrusted the can to the two children for safekeeping and once again activated his spiritual awareness to search the dry riverbed.
The discovery of the Selaginella invigorated Su Ci. Even if no other plants were found in this section of the river, he was confident that Earth’s native lifeforms still existed elsewhere.
This realization also meant he needed to quicken his pace. These lifeforms were likely clinging to the brink of survival, and every moment counted in finding and saving them.
Eventually, Su Ci discovered a few tiny red mosses in a muddy lowland. They were clustered together, each smaller than a fingernail.
Had it not been for Su Ci’s meticulous search, these mosses might have gone unnoticed.
Afterward, no matter how thoroughly Su Ci scoured the riverbed, he could find no further traces of life.
Su Ci wasn’t discouraged. Finding even these three types of plants was a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune, and there was no need to demand more.
He handed the small patch of moss to the young ones for safekeeping and then led them to the center of the riverbed. Staring down at the ground beneath his feet, Su Ci appeared deep in thought.
A-Yan had a vague idea of what Su Ci intended to do, but the two children were clueless. Each held a can of spiritual water in their hands, watching him curiously.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Lang Ze opened his mouth to ask—but before he could say anything, Su Ci suddenly raised his foot and stomped hard on the riverbed.
“Crack! Crack!”
The dry, hardened riverbed fractured instantly under the force of his stomp, splitting apart in all directions into deep, seemingly endless crevices.
One such crack appeared right beneath their feet.
Lang Ze and Lu Jiao jumped in fright, thinking they might fall into the fissure. They instinctively let out cries of alarm, but the sensation of falling never came.
They were hovering mid-air, standing securely as if something invisible was holding them up.
Realizing this, the two children were filled with amazement.
Their fear subsided, and with careful hands holding their spiritual water cans, they peered down into the deep fissures beneath them. The cracking sound continued, as if the fractures were spreading ever deeper into the ground.
Finally, Lang Ze noticed something and exclaimed, “Something’s coming up!”
Something was surging upward from deep underground. At last, when it reached the peak of the fissure, it burst forth—
It was underground river water!
Lang Ze and Lu Jiao instinctively closed their eyes, bracing for the spray. However, the water didn’t touch their faces. Despite its powerful force, the rushing water couldn’t penetrate the protective barrier enveloping them.
Opening their eyes, they stared in wonder at the gushing water as it flooded the dry riverbed. The water level rose steadily, eventually submerging them entirely.
Of course, not a single drop of water breached their barrier.
Suspended in the water, they leaned against the protective shield and watched the surrounding currents swirl. Although the murky water obscured their vision, their excitement wasn’t dampened in the slightest.
This was a completely new experience for them, far more thrilling than anything at the Nursery Center!
As the water grew increasingly muddy and turbid, Su Ci lost interest in staying submerged. He teleported the group to the riverbank.
Now, looking down from the bank, the barren riverbed had been transformed into a genuine, rushing river.
Lang Ze and Lu Jiao gazed at the surging waters in awe. The magnitude of the transformation was far more impactful than anything they had seen in images or videos.
Looking at the mighty river created by Su Ci’s single stomp, their admiration and reverence for him deepened.
Could they one day achieve such power?
The river water flowed steadily to both sides, filling the thousand-meter-long channel. However, before reaching the downstream waterfall, the flow was obstructed by accumulated silt and insufficient force, preventing it from cascading down.
Su Ci noticed this but, after some thought, decided against intervening.
One step at a time. It was better to focus on cultivating the land along this thousand-meter stretch of the river before expanding further. With a stable water source, this area’s vitality would soon flourish.
As evening approached, Su Ci decided it was time to return.
Lang Ze and Lu Jiao were reluctant to leave but didn’t protest after Su Ci spoke. They could only look forward to the next outing.
Each still holding their can of spiritual water, they followed Su Ci back to the 244H spaceship.
When they returned, Zheng Xing was already awake.
He had only woken up a short while ago. The deep sleep had restored most of his drained abilities, leaving him refreshed and no longer fatigued. However…
As Zheng Xing took in the unfamiliar surroundings and analyzed the information provided by his mental perception, he couldn’t help but feel a little confused.
He vaguely remembered feeling very tired, then being carried by Lang Ze on his back. After that, he must have fallen asleep. And then… Zheng Xing’s memory clicked.
It was the caretaker who had brought him here.
Realizing this, he calmed down, clutching his metal sphere in his arms for comfort.
Once he felt secure, he began to notice something else. His eyes widened slightly in surprise as he realized he was inside something… enormous.
Hugging his metal sphere, Zheng Xing shifted on the soft chair, inching around—it turned out the chair he had been sleeping in was actually the pilot’s seat.
He wriggled half his small body out of the chair, his short legs dangling in midair. Stretching his arms forward as far as he could…
There was nothing in front of him, nothing he could touch—his arms were simply too short.
Frowning slightly, Zheng Xing didn’t give up.
He pulled his hands back and placed them on the armrests of the pilot’s seat. After examining it briefly with his mental energy, a faint bluish glow appeared in his palms.
As the glow brightened, the previously stationary chair began to move on its own.
First, it lifted upward, then slid forward, adjusting itself to the perfect height and distance. Once the pilot’s seat stopped shifting, Zheng Xing reluctantly withdrew his glowing hand.
This was so much fun!
Just like how he enjoyed transforming his metal sphere, the pilot’s seat now felt like a much larger version of his favorite toy. His little face lit up with joy and excitement.
Then, his small, fidgety hands landed on the control panel.
Gently stroking the console, he let his mental energy seep into it, scanning and probing its mechanisms to gather more detailed information.
Zheng Xing quickly confirmed that he was inside a machine even larger than a hover bus. Something of this scale…
The only thing that came to mind was a battleship.
Having limited exposure, Zheng Xing didn’t know the difference between a battleship and a spaceship. However, he thought this machine must be similar to a battleship, especially since…
It could also fly.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Zheng Xing turned his small head, letting his mental energy sweep through the cockpit and then the entire cabin. He confirmed one thing—
The caretaker wasn’t here!
Though he didn’t know where they had gone or why they had left him here, Zheng Xing didn’t feel sad at all.
He enjoyed being alone. This sense of solitude made him feel entirely at ease.
Turning back to the control panel, he wiggled his small feet in rare excitement. Placing both hands on the console, a faint glow emanated from his palms.
By the time Su Ci returned to the spaceship with A-Yan and the others, a notification from the base’s AI popped up urgently:
[Warning! Spaceship No. 244H is in the process of being activated. The detected pilot is a minor. Caretaker, please proceed immediately to prevent further action!]
Seeing the lights in the cabin automatically turn on, Su Ci didn’t seem particularly concerned. Instead, he asked curiously, “Can’t you stop it?”
The spaceship’s systems were connected to the base’s AI. Within the base’s range, the AI should theoretically be able to handle basic operations like stopping a launch.
The base AI responded, “Infant Number Three has gained access to the permissions for spaceship 244H.”
Although the mechanical voice was emotionless, A-Yan couldn’t help but feel it carried a tinge of… frustration?
Su Ci pretended not to notice and nodded in mild admiration.
His own mechanical manipulation abilities came from Zheng Xing. That the child could achieve this much wasn’t surprising. But for someone so young to wield such powerful abilities was truly extraordinary.
If this talent were to explode during his bloodline’s berserk phase, it could have catastrophic consequences for a society so reliant on machines like the modern human race.
It wasn’t hard to see why Zheng Xing had been sent to the Nursery Center. What remained uncertain was whether anyone truly understood the terrifying scope of his abilities.
Probably not. Otherwise, with humanity’s dependency on technology, no one would have been so at ease leaving Zheng Xing at the Nursery Center without any guidance or control.
As Su Ci conversed with the AI, the spaceship began to tremble. Dust that had accumulated on its exterior for years fell away in a cloud.
If he didn’t intervene soon, this long-abandoned machine might actually take off again.
Whether it would fall apart mid-launch, though—that was anyone’s guess.
Su Ci teleported directly to the cockpit and, as expected, found the young boy in the pilot’s seat, fully awake. His small hands were placed on the control console, and his adorable face was flushed with excitement and focus.
Zheng Xing didn’t seem to notice Su Ci’s arrival—or rather, piloting the spaceship was far too challenging for him at his current level, leaving no room to spare attention elsewhere.
Facing the holographic display, data flickered rapidly across the screen, casting glowing reflections onto the boy’s small, concentrated face.
At this moment, Zheng Xing was brimming with confidence, showing not even a hint of fear or hesitation. It was almost hard to interrupt him—you’d just want to let him play a little longer.
But eventually, Su Ci stepped forward and placed his hand on the control console.
The glow in Zheng Xing’s hands faded, and the spaceship, which had been fully prepped and ready for launch, lost its power and settled back onto the ground.
All anomalies ceased.
Zheng Xing froze slightly. It was then that he felt a faint ache in his head, and his world once again plunged into dark nothingness—his mental energy had been overextended, and he could no longer sense his surroundings.
Thankfully, Su Ci had intervened just in time, leaving him only at the brink of exhaustion, sparing him from passing out from the pain.
Zheng Xing slowly turned his face toward where Su Ci stood. Though he couldn’t use his mental energy to gather information, he could sense the caretaker’s presence and gaze.
The child withdrew his hands, nervously lowering his head.
Watching Zheng Xing, Su Ci shook his head with a mix of exasperation and amusement. As expected, none of these kids could ever let him relax.
Still, he had no intention of scolding Zheng Xing. Acting as though nothing had happened, he asked, “Awake?”
Zheng Xing fiddled with his fingers and gave a small nod. “Mm.”
Su Ci’s nonchalant response only made the boy more uneasy. He lowered his head so far it almost touched his chest before murmuring in his soft, childish voice, “S-sorry…”
“No need to apologize,” Su Ci replied, placing his hand on the boy’s head and ruffling it firmly. Then, with a serious tone, he added, “If you want to play, you can. But you need to understand your limits.”
“What happened just now was dangerous. I don’t want to see it happen again.”
Overextending mental energy and abilities not only harms the body but could also trigger a bloodline power outburst, which is highly dangerous. That’s why Su Ci’s tone was particularly stern.
“Got it?” he asked to confirm.
Realizing the caretaker wasn’t angry, Zheng Xing let out a small sigh of relief. Gathering his courage, he raised his head slightly and gave a soft nod. “Okay…”
Satisfied, Su Ci withdrew his hand and lifted the boy down from the pilot’s seat. “Come on, let’s go see the new plants we found.”
As Su Ci led Zheng Xing out of the cockpit, they were greeted by Lang Ze’s excited shout. “Su Su! Come look at this!”
Su Ci quickened his steps and met Lang Ze halfway. The boy’s face was lit with disbelief as he held the can of spiritual water like a treasure, eagerly showing it to Su Ci.
Inside the can, the previously shriveled and curled-up Selaginella had, in just a short period of time, unfurled its dried, curled leaves in the water, radiating a renewed vitality.
