Chapter 104
The Selaginella, true to its name as the resurrection plant, displayed its incredible resilience.
As its leaves continued to unfurl, almost every moment brought small changes. The children gathered around the can of spiritual water, marveling at it with endless fascination.
Even Zheng Xing couldn’t resist coming over to sense the vitality continuously radiating from the reviving Selaginella.
Initially planning to head back with the children, Su Ci decided to stay on the spaceship for a bit longer upon seeing their enthusiasm.
Watching the Selaginella regain a faint hint of green, Su Ci couldn’t help but feel gratified.
This plant might have entered a state of suspended animation before the appearance of the blood mist on the planet, which meant it hadn’t been as severely affected by the mist as the wild grass or moss.
This also indicated that once it fully recovered, it could likely be transplanted outdoors.
Of course, Su Ci, being cautious, understood that while the Selaginella was resilient, it wouldn’t thrive just anywhere. To ensure optimal growth and reproduction, it would require some research.
But for Su Ci, this wasn’t a significant issue.
“If I remember correctly, Selaginella is also a medicinal herb,” Su Ci said. “It can reduce inflammation and stop bleeding, whether applied externally or taken internally.”
Despite its name, the Selaginella isn’t a tree but a type of fern capable of surviving in extremely arid environments. In the absence of water, it curls its leaves and detaches its roots from the soil, waiting for favorable conditions to return.
Its leaves can be used to stop bleeding and serve as a key ingredient in wound-healing powders. When burned to ash and taken orally, it can also help treat internal bleeding.
Lu Jiao and Zheng Xing nodded in partial understanding, while Lang Ze’s eyes lit up with excitement.
Other young ones had become accustomed to medical sprays and healing pods—tools that could quickly mend any injury by simply lying inside. However, Lang Ze, who had grown up enduring beatings and abuse by star pirates, understood that such equipment wasn’t always available.
Without access to medical tools, one could only endure injuries on their own. Now, hearing from the caretaker that plants could heal wounds opened a whole new world for him.
He gazed at the Selaginella with eagerness. It was the first time he realized plants could be used for treating injuries!
“I wonder if there are more of these ‘immortal plants’ outside the base?”
“It’s amazing how resilient it is. Even in such harsh conditions, it managed to survive…”
As the children began discussing the Selaginella excitedly, Su Ci didn’t join their conversation. Instead, he turned and walked toward the spaceship’s exit, with A-Yan following closely behind.
Although the 244H spaceship was close to being decommissioned, its configuration was still quite advanced. For instance, its exit was equipped with a teleportation platform capable of quickly transferring people outside the ship or bringing them back onboard.
“Xiao Zhi, can the spaceship’s teleportation platform connect to the Nursery Center?” Su Ci asked.
The Nursery Center was equipped with its own teleportation platform to quickly transport young ones to their rooms in emergencies.
Su Ci wondered if it would be possible to connect the spaceship’s teleportation platform to the Nursery Center’s, which would make travel much more convenient. Unfortunately, while the idea was appealing, reality was harsh.
“No, it’s not possible,” the base AI replied curtly.
The spaceship’s teleportation platform worked on a different principle from the Nursery Center’s. It could only transport objects to areas immediately around the ship, with even slightly greater distances being out of range.
If such connectivity were possible, transporting cargo directly via teleportation between the spaceship and warehouses would be far more efficient. However, all teleportation platforms within the base had distance limitations. Otherwise, there would be no need to use spaceships for resupplying outposts.
Hearing the AI’s explanation, Su Ci chuckled softly.
Though humanity in this era had found substitutes for ancient array techniques, they were still far from matching their capabilities, with numerous limitations remaining.
Su Ci nodded, then casually pulled A-Yan over, and the two crouched by the teleportation platform, where Su Ci began inscribing a new array.
Seeing the fresh array pattern, A-Yan’s spirit lifted, and he focused all his attention on observing. As Su Ci worked on the inscriptions, he also explained the structure of this teleportation array.
This type of functional array could bring significant convenience to real-life situations. Even if A-Yan couldn’t learn how to inscribe it in the short term, he at least needed to understand how to use it.
Hearing Su Ci’s expectations, A-Yan nodded eagerly and listened even more intently.
When the array was finally completed, Su Ci didn’t demonstrate its use immediately. This puzzled A-Yan, and he blinked in confusion.
But soon, realization dawned on him.
“Su Su, this is a teleportation array, so it requires a paired counterpart to function, right?” A-Yan asked.
Su Ci nodded and reached out to ruffle A-Yan’s fluffy ear. “Good insight. Keep it up.”
A-Yan grinned, his cheeks flushing faintly red from the head pat.
Afterward, Su Ci led him back to the cabin, where the three other children were still gathered around the Selaginella.
The plant’s leaves had fully unfurled and now floated gently in the spiritual water. What had started as faint hints of green had begun spreading vibrantly outward.
It seemed the Selaginella might fully recover even before the next day.
Su Ci was quite satisfied. Seeing that it was getting late, he finally ignored the pleading looks from the young ones and prepared to leave. He ushered them off the spaceship and back onto an empty hover bus.
When the bus arrived at the Nursery Center’s stop, Su Ci disembarked with the children. The sight left Xun Xiaoyu and her teammates, stationed outside the Nursery Center, exchanging bewildered looks.
Hadn’t they been told the caretaker and the young ones weren’t on the hover bus? How, then, were they getting off now?
After receiving reports that the caretaker had taken three children out alone, the operations team naturally had to monitor the situation for safety reasons.
But despite searching for an entire afternoon, none of the four teams had been able to locate the caretaker or the children anywhere within the base.
If it weren’t for the fact that the outside of the base was fraught with danger and heavily guarded with layers of approval required for anyone to leave, they might have suspected that the caretaker had abducted the children.
What made the situation even stranger was that after reporting the matter to Captain Yan, his response was to have them withdraw their teams and cease any further investigation—a very unusual order.
Though Xun Xiaoyu followed the directive and recalled her team, she still couldn’t shake her unease. This was why she chose to station herself outside the Nursery Center.
If night fell and the caretaker and the young ones still hadn’t returned, Xun Xiaoyu had resolved not to let the matter go. But unexpectedly, just as the last light of day faded, the caretaker finally appeared—with the children in tow.
And they returned via hover bus.
Xun Xiaoyu, leading her team, approached them. She was just about to speak when the wolf cub, hopping excitedly at the front, cheerfully called out, “Big Sister Xun!”
The sudden greeting caught Xun Xiaoyu so off guard that her foot slipped, and she nearly stumbled to the ground.
“W-what did you just call me?” Xun Xiaoyu stared at the boy in shock.
Standing before her was the young wolf cub, unmistakable with his gray-black hair, green eyes, wolf ears, and a fluffy tail behind him. This was undoubtedly Number Eight.
There was no way she could have mistaken him. So… had she misheard?
Although being called “Big Sister” wasn’t exactly the most flattering title, hearing it from Number Eight, of all people, felt almost like an honor.
But Xun Xiaoyu’s reaction left the wolf cub confused. He scratched his head, glanced back at Su Ci for reassurance, and then looked helplessly at the white deer.
He hadn’t forgotten one of the new rules at the Nursery Center: Be polite! And with Su Ci present, he certainly wouldn’t dare break it. But…
Why was the action team’s “Big Sister” reacting so strangely? Did he address her incorrectly?
Was he supposed to call her “Auntie” instead?
Before the wolf cub could change his greeting to “Auntie,” the white deer stepped in.
Standing beside him, the little white deer looked at Xun Xiaoyu with his clear gaze and softly, sweetly called out, “Hello, Sister Xiaoyu.”
That tender, slightly sugary voice carried a kind of healing warmth. Xun Xiaoyu, for her part, felt her heart utterly melt.
She instinctively looked at the white deer, her voice unconsciously softening into the kind of coaxing tone one uses with children. Smiling brightly, she replied, “Hello, Number Seven.”
Only after responding did she finally take a good look at the white deer and realize— What the—! This was the same Number Seven, whose sharp tongue could leave people utterly speechless!
Meanwhile, the wolf cub failed to notice the shock in Xun Xiaoyu’s eyes. What he did see was her smile and the subtle change in her demeanor toward the white deer.
Ah, so that’s it! He thought he had figured it out.
Feeling enlightened, the wolf cub quickly adjusted his approach and echoed, “Hello, Sister Xiaoyu!”
Xun Xiaoyu turned her gaze to him, her expression as if she’d seen a ghost.
The wolf cub couldn’t help feeling wronged.
It’s the same greeting. Why is her attitude toward me so different?
Fortunately, by the time Su Ci sauntered over with Zheng Xing in his arms, Xun Xiaoyu had regained control of her expression. She tucked away her shock—and even awe—and gave the wolf cub a warm smile.
“Hello, Number Eight.”
Her smile carried an unmistakable hint of relief and affection.
Xun Xiaoyu’s Squad Four was mainly responsible for guarding the nursery. Whenever something happened there, she was the one to handle it.
It could be said that she had practically watched these cubs grow up. Saying she had no feelings for them would be untrue—after all, she was the one who gave Number Five that little red flower hair clip.
In her heart, she hoped these children could improve day by day. She understood they weren’t inherently bad; it was mostly the influence of their bloodline powers that caused their personalities to worsen over time. When they first arrived at the nursery, these cubs had been rather well-behaved.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she wished. All she could do was watch helplessly as they suffered under the torment of their bloodline powers, growing more aggressive. She was filled with deep sympathy and powerlessness.
But then…
What had she just witnessed?
Number Eight, who was always irritable and arrogant, had actually greeted her voluntarily, even calling her “Sis”? And Number Seven, who was known for her sharp tongue, sweetly addressed her as “Sister Xiaoyu”?
Moreover, weren’t Number Seven and Number Eight usually like water and fire? How could they seem so harmonious today?
Of course, Xun Xiaoyu knew this wasn’t a dream. It was something that had truly happened before her eyes. How could she not feel both gratified and excited?
Even Lang Ze, who had been feeling a bit aggrieved and dissatisfied, was left defenseless under Xun Xiaoyu’s gaze.
He couldn’t quite understand the look in her eyes but suddenly felt deeply embarrassed. He turned his head away to look at the caretaker instead.
Surely Su Su would like how polite he had been just now, right?
Lang Ze’s desire for praise was so obvious that even Su Ci couldn’t ignore it. However, such polite behavior was indeed deserving of encouragement.
To suppress and control the power of the bloodline, easing emotions and cultivating inner peace were crucial. And being kind to others was also a form of self-discipline, wasn’t it?
As Su Ci approached, he patted Lang Ze’s head, gently ruffling the fur on his wolf ears before greeting Xun Xiaoyu. “Captain Xun.”
“Caretaker Su,” Xun Xiaoyu replied.
She sized up the caretaker standing before her, who appeared far too thin and frail in her opinion. Her assessment of him had changed entirely.
After all, the transformations in Number Seven and Number Eight were obvious to anyone. And the only person who could bring about such changes was this caretaker, Su Ci. Their affectionate interactions just now made that clear.
While Xun Xiaoyu was shocked, she also felt delighted. At last, the nursery had welcomed a reliable caretaker.
Although Number Seven and Number Eight were less severely affected by their bloodline powers than some of the other cubs, the improvements they had shown were already remarkable.
As for the more challenging cases—Number Two, Number Four, and Number Six—Xun Xiaoyu didn’t have high expectations. Still, perhaps, in some small way, this caretaker could bring a bit of positive change for them too?
However…
When Xun Xiaoyu thought about how this caretaker, Su Ci, had dared to take three cubs out of the nursery on his own without requesting the company of guards or the action team, she frowned slightly in disapproval.
Although Captain Yan had told her not to interfere with Su Ci’s matters—hinting that he had some significant background—when it came to the safety of the cubs, she couldn’t just turn a blind eye.
Just as Xun Xiaoyu was about to ask Su Ci where he had taken the cubs today and remind him to notify the operations team in advance next time…
“B-Big Sister Xiaoyu, hello.”
A soft, sweet little voice, like a mochi rolled in powdered sugar, quietly but unmistakably reached Xun Xiaoyu’s ears.
She froze, completely forgetting what she had intended to say. Looking down, she saw a small boy peeking out from behind Su Ci, with only half his face visible.
Number Three, a boy with visual impairment and autism, always kept quietly to himself, immersed in his own world. Among the nursery’s cubs, he was the least noticeable presence.
Just moments ago, Xun Xiaoyu had subconsciously overlooked him.
Now, she stood there, stunned, with one thought reverberating in her mind: What? Number Three can talk? Since when?
And the key point… He’s so cute!
Although her expression was blank, her emotional response was lively and warm. Sensing her enthusiasm, Zheng Xing, quickly shrank back, hiding completely behind Su Ci.
Unfortunately for him, the caretaker had no intention of remaining his shield. While Xun Xiaoyu was still in shock, Su Ci said, “If there’s nothing else, we’ll head back to eat.”
Then he walked past Xun Xiaoyu, exposing the little Zheng Xing who had been hiding behind him.
Feeling Xun Xiaoyu’s gaze again, Zheng Xing clutched the metal ball in his arms and hurriedly sped ahead with his short legs, running to catch up with the wolf cub, Lang Ze. He reached out his small hand toward him.
“Tired?”
Lang Ze, assuming Zheng Xing had grown weary from walking, instinctively bent down and hoisted him onto his back.
Zheng Xing clung to his back, burying his little face into Lang Ze’s shoulder, as though hiding his face would make him invisible.
“Let’s go eat!” Lang Ze, who had been starving for a while, couldn’t hold back any longer after hearing Su Ci mention food. With Zheng Xing on his back, he dashed ahead at full speed.
Watching them, Lu Jiao hesitated and then turned to Su Ci, who was walking at a slower pace.
Seeing his uncertainty, Su Ci shrugged and said, “Go ahead.”
Hearing this, Lu Jiao broke into a grin. “Alright, I’ll catch up with them then.” He then shouted after his friends, who had run ahead, “Lang Ze, Xing Xing, wait for me!”
This time, the wolf cub, who had already reached the nursery gate, stopped at Lu Jiao’s call and turned back. “Hurry up, Youyou!”
“Coming, coming!”
Since they hadn’t done much physical activity that afternoon, Lu Jiao quickly caught up, racing to Lang Ze’s side. The three cubs ran into the nursery building together.
From a distance, Xun Xiaoyu watched the scene unfold. Then her gaze shifted to Su Ci’s figure under the streetlights as he gradually walked away. She opened her mouth to say something but ultimately stayed silent.
Forget it. The cubs were rarely this happy; why dampen their spirits? After all, they had returned safely, without any incidents.
Still, she thought to herself, it would be better if Su Ci notified them next time before taking the cubs out.
After all, if it were Number Two or Number Four going out, Su Ci definitely wouldn’t be able to handle them alone. Those two cubs were like walking powder kegs—regular people wouldn’t stand a chance against them.
Because of these concerns, Xun Xiaoyu ultimately decided to take action.
She summoned the base’s AI and instructed, “Next time, if Caretaker Su takes the cubs out, make sure to notify me immediately.”
The moment Su Ci stepped back into the nursery and confirmed that Xun Xiaoyu hadn’t followed, he slipped into his dormitory with A-Yan.
While A-Yan went to prepare dinner, Su Ci sat down and received a notification from the base AI about Xun Xiaoyu’s directive. As the captain of the operations squad responsible for nursery security, she had the authority to track the movements of caretakers and cubs.
Su Ci nodded and said, “If I leave the nursery through normal means, feel free to tell her.”
The base AI inquired, “Understood. Could you clarify what constitutes non-normal means of leaving the nursery?”
Su Ci shrugged. “That could be a lot of things.”
Leaving through the main gate or using transportation would certainly count as normal means.
Speaking of transportation…
Su Ci thought about the flying saucers used by the operations team and couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. While he could fly through the air himself, it consumed his soul energy.
Not to mention, when flying this way, he also had to use an invisibility spell, which doubled the energy cost.
Still, after checking the points required to redeem a flying saucer, Su Ci decided to put off the idea for now. Of course, it was just temporary. Once the Star-chain fruit in his field ripened, he wouldn’t have to worry about points anymore.
With that thought, Su Ci went to the living room and began sketching a teleportation array on the floor. This way, traveling between the nursery and his ship would become much faster and easier.
Tomorrow, he planned to draw another array by the river and connect all three arrays. Once linked, they would allow seamless transportation between locations.
The nursery had remained peaceful during their afternoon away. Number Two and Number Six were still in hibernation, while the lion siblings…
After finishing the array, Su Ci “looked” in on the nursery and saw Little Li Hua still bent over her desk, carefully writing her name stroke by stroke. He lit a candle for her in his heart before withdrawing his spiritual sense.
He then walked into the living room and looked at the small wild grass plant.
The plant, which had two dry, reddish leaves when he first saw it, had now revived. The once-withered leaves were full of life again, and the plant’s vitality had grown exponentially compared to when he first encountered it.
Simply planting it in regular soil and watering it with spiritual water brought about such significant changes in such a short time, which was a testament to its extraordinary vitality.
Of course, until its leaves fully turned green again, Su Ci wasn’t planning to plant it in the ground.
He took out the resurrection fern and replaced its spiritual water with fresh, clean water. As for the few withered red mosses, he also created a moist environment suitable for their growth.
Looking at the three plants before him, sensing the life energy that was entirely native to this land, Su Ci couldn’t help but curl his lips into a small smile. His mood lifted.
Things would only get better from here.
Perhaps because of his good mood, Su Ci ate noticeably more than usual that evening, which left A-Yan slightly worried.
The spider meat in the cold storage would only last for another three days, and even counting the giant black beetle, they would only have food for about five days at most.
So, perhaps it was time to put the monster-hunting plan back on the agenda?
Although eager to hunt, A-Yan knew he was still too weak at the moment. After dinner, he threw himself back into studying arrays with great focus.
By now, he had essentially adapted the structures of some commonly used arrays into new forms.
Before bedtime, A-Yan gave Su Ci a surprise—
He had successfully drawn and activated the first array he’d ever encountered: a water purification array.
Su Ci looked at the functioning array, then at A-Yan, who was nervously awaiting his evaluation. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Although A-Yan, as a rule-based spirit, was naturally gifted with arrays, his progress was astonishingly fast. This level of talent was almost too much.
How much time had passed since they started? Su Ci had initially planned to teach him over the course of a year or more.
Oh well, this was a good thing.
Su Ci reached out and ruffled A-Yan’s hair vigorously, offering unreserved praise. “Excellent work!”
With this, some of the tasks could be delegated to A-Yan…
As Su Ci contemplated this, A-Yan, still not entirely satisfied with just head pats, suddenly changed the topic. Instead of continuing about the arrays, he asked, “Su Su, what kind of tail do you… like?”
The soft and clear voice of a young boy, though synthesized, carried an inexplicable emotion. For a moment, Su Ci, who had been somewhat distracted, felt a little dazed.
It was as if he could see an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth, fully grown, gazing at him with fervent yet shy eyes, asking him this very question.
Su Ci blinked, and the vision disappeared. Yet, somehow, it left an impression in his heart.
What kind of tail did he like?
In the blink of an eye, the vision of the youth before him faded, replaced by a miniature version of A-Yan.
With a pair of thick, round ears on his head and bright, sparkling eyes looking up at him, A-Yan appeared particularly cute and innocent. Su Ci couldn’t resist reaching out again, giving his head a vigorous rub.
As for A-Yan’s earlier question…
“As long as it’s fluffy and feels good to touch, it’s fine.” Su Ci shrugged, making no attempt to hide his fondness for fluffy things.
A-Yan furrowed his small brows. That was a broad preference. After all, every cub in the nursery had fluffy tails.
But his current advantage was—
He could transform!
Although A-Yan couldn’t make Su Su like only him, he could have all sorts of fluffy tails, ensuring Su Su would like him the most.
With this realization, A-Yan’s furrowed brows relaxed. He said confidently, “I understand now.”
Su Ci, hearing his earnest response, glanced at the little one’s back but ultimately let his sleepiness win. Without overthinking A-Yan’s little schemes, he pulled the child closer, using him as a pillow, and closed his eyes.
A-Yan closed his eyes too, leaning into Su Ci’s embrace, enjoying the tranquility of the moment.
Once the sound of steady breathing filled the room, indicating Su Ci had fallen asleep, A-Yan opened his eyes again. In the darkness, he watched Su Ci’s sleeping face for a while before carefully getting up and teleporting to the living room.
Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, A-Yan closed his eyes and began meditating.
After a while, the miniature work manual on the coffee table glimmered faintly.
The nascent book spirit observed A-Yan in secret.
Is the child cultivating? They were both rule-based spirits, and since A-Yan could absorb its rule power, maybe his cultivation method could work for it too?
With this thought, the nascent book spirit continued to observe, hoping to learn something.
Time ticked by.
A-Yan remained cross-legged, showing no visible changes.
After watching for a long time and seeing nothing unusual, the nascent book spirit was about to give up when the child finally moved—
A tail, the same platinum color as his ears, slowly grew out from behind him. At first, it looked like a round stick, but soon, fine and soft fur began to sprout.
Eventually, the tail became large and fluffy, like a cloud of cotton candy that anyone would want to cuddle. At that moment, the child opened his eyes.
He turned to look at his new tail and seemed very pleased. Wagging it a few times, he broke into a joyful and expectant smile.
After admiring his tail for a while, the child returned to the small desk and resumed studying arrays.
???
The nascent book spirit was utterly baffled.
What kind of profound cultivation technique is this? Why grow a tail—and why does this child seem so happy about it?
Wait… Could it be that I’m so weak because I don’t have a human form, ears, or a tail?!
