Chapter 160
Base 26.
Dragging his injured right leg and carrying a wounded teammate on his back, Song Zehe hobbled into the Medical Purification Center.
Since yesterday, Base 26 had endured no fewer than ten battles due to the massive influx of blood mist and monsters. Injuries among the garrison and operations teams were mounting, and the supply of hover stretchers was already running low.
Thankfully, no fatalities had occurred so far.
This was largely thanks to the garlic-scented spray sent by Base 24.
Unfortunately, the supply was limited, and the soldiers used it sparingly, reserving it for moments of absolute necessity. Even so, after a full day and night of fighting, the spray was nearly depleted.
What they would do next, no one knew…
Song Zehe handed off his severely injured teammate to a medical robot. Sitting down in one of the corridor chairs, he used the base’s smart system to queue for registration. Then, he decided to get some water.
With a disposable cup in hand, he filled it at the dispenser and was about to head back when he saw another teammate walk in from outside.
Thankfully, this one didn’t appear to be seriously injured.
“Brother Mo, how’s the situation outside?” Song Zehe handed his water to him and limped back to get another cup for himself.
Mo He glanced at the water cup he’d been given, then at Song Zehe’s limping figure. He opened his mouth slightly as if to say something but ended up drinking the water in silence.
After finishing, he finally replied, “Things are quiet for now, but who knows if more monsters will show up later.”
Song Zehe sat down beside him, drinking his water tiredly.
“Do you regret coming to Prison Star?” Mo He suddenly asked, looking at him.
Song Zehe paused, then replied, “Not really. Even if I went to the frontlines of the interstellar battlefield, I’d still have to fight.”
At least coming to Prison Star had forced him to grow rapidly in a short amount of time.
Mo He shook his head, got up to refill his cup, and asked as he returned, “By the way, don’t you have a friend at Base 24? I remember you mentioned sending him something last time.”
“Yeah.”
At the mention of Su Ci, Song Zehe couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. “Given the situation now, do you think someone like him—a caretaker—can hold out?”
Mo He didn’t respond directly, only patted Song Zehe on the shoulder. His meaning was clear.
Song Zehe’s expression turned grim.
He wasn’t particularly close to Su Ci. They’d only met on the way to Prison Star and shared a room for a while.
Su Ci…
He had always been reserved and distant. Even on the ship, he’d only become slightly more familiar with Song Zehe. Yet, for some reason, Song Zehe felt a strange sense of closeness to him—a gut feeling he couldn’t quite explain.
Sure, Su Ci was good-looking, but that wasn’t the main reason. There was just something about him that Song Zehe found comforting.
In the end, he simply wanted to be Su Ci’s friend.
“Ah…” Song Zehe sighed. Just then, his communicator buzzed.
Seeing that it was Captain Chai Yue calling, his expression turned serious as he quickly answered, thinking there might be another battle underway. But instead—
“Xiao Song, are you still at the Medical Center?”
“Yes, Captain Chai. Do you need reinforcements?” Song Zehe asked nervously.
“It’s not about a battle; don’t worry,” Chai Yue said. “The task force that went to Base 24 is back, and they brought a batch of garlic-scented spray and new smoke bombs. That should hold us for a while.”
Song Zehe blinked. If that was the case…
“Once you’ve healed, come to the barracks. Someone from Base 24 sent something for you.”
Hearing this, Song Zehe was stunned. The only person he knew at Base 24 was…
“Su Ci? Is he okay?” he asked excitedly.
“Yes, he’s fine,” Chai Yue replied, his expression complicated. “He also sent you 5 kilos of super S-grade Star-chain Fruit.”
Now, not only was Song Zehe in shock, but Mo He, sitting nearby, also froze. Leaning closer to the communicator, he exclaimed, “Boss, are you serious? How could there be super S-grade fruit on Prison Star—and ten pounds of it?!”
Even in the interstellar markets, super S-grade fruit wasn’t something money alone could buy.
Let alone on Prison Star, a place where nothing had successfully grown for a century.
“That’s what Base 24 managed to grow,” Chai Yue said flatly. He’d already processed his own shock earlier and could now calmly relay the information.
“No way!”
Mo He was about to question how a backwater like Base 24 could grow super S-grade fruit, but remembering the garlic-scented spray, he swallowed his words.
Base 24 was clearly no longer the same as before, though the situation still seemed incredible.
“Even if Base 24’s plantation has become this advanced, what does that have to do with a caretaker? If I’m not mistaken, Su Ci is still in his probationary period, isn’t he?”
If Su Ci had any significant background or connections, he wouldn’t be on Prison Star working as a nursery caretaker in the first place.
Mo He’s face was full of confusion.
“How does someone like him have enough influence to get the plantation to send 5 kilos of super S-grade fruit as a gift? Did he save the world or something?”
Chai Yue glanced at him, tempted to say, You guessed it right.
That caretaker hadn’t quite saved the world, but clearing out over a hundred monsters single-handedly was pretty close.
However, due to confidentiality protocols, Chai Yue couldn’t divulge the truth. Instead, he replied, “Why do you care? This is a gift from Su Ci to Song Zehe. It has nothing to do with you!”
Mo He shut his mouth, sensing something unusual in Chai Yue’s tone. Song Zehe, however, didn’t pick up on it.
Coming back to his senses, Song Zehe shook his head repeatedly. “5 kilos of super S-grade fruit? That’s way too much! I can’t accept it!”
All he’d sent Su Ci was a stick of sausage and a box of canned food. That wasn’t worth even a fraction of this gift—especially not super S-grade fruit, something he’d never even tasted despite coming from a well-off family.
“If Su Ci told you to accept it, then just accept it,” Chai Yue said, though he quickly caught himself and cleared his throat. “Get your injuries treated first, then come see me. I need to talk to you.”
With that, Chai Yue ended the call.
Turning to the man standing beside him, who had been listening in, Chai Yue said, “Captain Yun, once Song Zehe has recovered, I’ll bring him to meet you.”
“Good,” Yun Zixu nodded, his gaze drifting to the fruit crate on Chai Yue’s desk. Even he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy.
Super S-grade fruits were incredibly rare, something Yun Zixu himself had never tasted in his lifetime. And yet Song Zehe—after giving Caretaker Su just a small token gift—had received such an abundant reward in return.
Why hadn’t he tried to get closer to Su Ci while he was at Base 24?
At least Yan Ping had been generous enough to give him one of the fruits before they left—also super S-grade—which he still hadn’t dared to eat.
Staring at the crate of fruits in front of him, Yun Zixu struggled to tear his gaze away.
Forget it. He still needed Song Zehe for his plan to recruit Su Ci. It wouldn’t be worth jeopardizing that over a bit of food. If Su Ci found out and got a worse impression of him, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble.
“Make sure to keep a close eye on this crate of fruits and deliver it safely to Song Zehe,” Yun Zixu instructed.
Chai Yue nodded firmly in agreement, and only then did Yun Zixu turn and leave.
*
Base 24
Su Ci’s meeting with Guo Hui went smoothly.
He hadn’t planned to leave Base 24—or Prison Star, for that matter—and didn’t care much about whether he became a permanent staff member. But if the human authorities valued such formalities, he didn’t mind going along with it.
His only request was simple: no one should disturb him.
Whether it was teaching the cubs or handling other matters, he didn’t want anyone interfering or giving unsolicited advice.
Guo Hui was tempted to ask what exactly these “other matters” referred to. But looking at the young man’s tired and languid demeanor, as though he might fall asleep at any moment, she decided not to waste his time.
“Rest assured, no one will disturb you in the future.”
After all, after this latest battle, it was unlikely anyone at the base would dare approach Su Ci casually.
Respecting the strong was a principle ingrained in all interstellar humans from birth, especially in the military.
With that, Guo Hui took her leave, and Su Ci officially shed his “trainee” title, becoming a full-fledged caretaker.
When the cubs heard the news, they couldn’t help but cheer. Of course, after Su Ci gave them a single glance, they quickly returned to their assignments and finished their homework for the day.
Later, Su Ci stood by the pool, looking at the water demon at the bottom. Its aura was weak, clearly still recovering from its injuries.
With a flick of his hand, the water demon turned into a ball of water and floated into his palm.
“Blub…”
The water demon let out a pitiful, feeble sound.
Su Ci frowned, but after listening to A-Yan’s explanation, he understood what had happened.
This water demon was far too unruly. Letting it suffer a bit of punishment wasn’t a bad idea—so long as it didn’t end up accidentally killing itself in the process.
So, Su Ci casually tossed the water demon back into the pool and temporarily halted the purification array at the bottom, giving the water demon some time to recover.
“It’s up to you now,” Su Ci said to A-Yan.
“Got it,” A-Yan replied with a nod.
Noticing Su Ci’s hands were damp from handling the water demon, A-Yan stepped forward, gently took Su Ci’s hands in his own, and carefully dried them with a handkerchief.
His actions were tender and meticulous, and his expression carried a hint of joy, as if he genuinely enjoyed doing this.
Su Ci glanced at him but didn’t stop him.
Turning his gaze to Ran Lie, who was meditating nearby, Su Ci noticed the spiritual storage pouch at the boy’s waist. “You gave that to him?” he asked.
A-Yan followed Su Ci’s gaze and nodded. “Yes.”
Then he looked back at Su Ci and asked, “Is that okay?”
The pouch had been a gift from Su Ci, and giving it to Ran Lie without asking wasn’t entirely proper.
But Su Ci only nodded, lost in thought.
A-Yan had finished drying Su Ci’s hands but was reluctant to let go. Seeing that Su Ci didn’t pull away and seemed preoccupied, A-Yan continued holding his hand, feeling quietly content.
When Su Ci finally looked at him, A-Yan, pretending to act nonchalant, regretfully released his hand and asked, “Su Su, what were you just thinking about?”
“I was thinking about giving each of them a storage pouch,” Su Ci replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“Them?” A-Yan tilted his head. “You mean the other kids?”
“Yes,” Su Ci said.
Currently, only Ran Lie and Xue Wei had storage pouches. For now, the others didn’t really need one while they were living in the nursery.
However, it was clear that these children would eventually leave the nursery and venture into the wider world. Having a storage pouch would make their lives significantly easier, no matter what they ended up doing.
Since there were still plenty of materials left for making storage pouches, and resources weren’t an issue, Su Ci decided to be generous.
“It’s settled,” he said. “Let’s head back and make some storage pouches.” Looking at A-Yan, he added, “You should start learning how to craft items too.”
Faced with Su Ci’s slightly stern gaze, A-Yan couldn’t help but smile.
He realized that Su Ci had changed quite a bit too.
“Alright, I’ll work hard to learn,” A-Yan replied. “If it’s something you teach me, I’ll put my heart and soul into it.”
Caught off guard by A-Yan’s intense and sincere gaze, Su Ci hesitated for a moment before averting his eyes. “Let’s go.”
Back in their dormitory, Su Ci and A-Yan began crafting storage pouches. The cubs continued their training and studies in the greenery, maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in the nursery.
But Base 24 itself was far from calm.
At the plantation, the spiritual garlic was in the critical phase of splitting. With another blessing from the Earth Spirit, the process was proceeding exceptionally smoothly.
The garlic had already split into four new cloves, and in a short time, these would grow into four new mutated garlic plants.
However, whether the new garlic’s scent would retain its mist-dispersing properties still needed further observation.
Meanwhile, due to the ongoing blood mist invasion across various bases, garlic-scented sprays had been delivered via drones to several bases near Base 24, in addition to Base 26.
As for the garlic-scented smoke bombs newly developed by the research institute, their effectiveness would need to be evaluated based on feedback from Base 26.
Since Caretaker Su cleared out the wave of monsters, Base 24 had been unusually peaceful. Apart from the dense blood mist that still required vigilance, not a single monster had been sighted.
One of the newly mutated garlic plants had already been reserved by Base 26, while the fate of the remaining plants was still under discussion.
Meanwhile, the flourishing green space to the east of the base could no longer remain a secret after the task force conducted a thorough investigation.
Even Yan Ping, upon visiting the area, was left speechless with shock as he gazed at the ever-flowing river, the lush greenery lining its banks, and the vibrant array of flowers, fruits, and vegetables growing in abundance.
When one of his team members tried to pick a fruit from the Star-chain Fruit tree, Yan Ping stopped them just in time.
He then revealed the truth:
This “orchard” was the result of Caretaker Su’s efforts, and no one could harvest its produce without his permission.
As the team stood there, jaws dropping in disbelief, Yan Ping himself felt conflicted.
“Boss, isn’t Caretaker Su supposed to be a purifier?” Guan Zhishu couldn’t help but ask. “Using purification to improve the soil for planting—that makes sense. But how do you explain this river?”
Not to mention, how had Su managed to evade the base’s surveillance, task force patrols, and guards to reach a spot several kilometers outside the base and create this miracle?
“And how are you so sure purification is his only ability?” Yan Ping shrugged before leading the team away.
Meanwhile, across the river, a giant panda hidden in the dense bamboo forest had been about to step out but slowly retreated instead, shrinking itself back to its smaller form.
Sitting quietly among the bamboo, it idly scratched its foot before resuming its meal of bamboo shoots.
Back when it was roaming through the blood mist, every day had been a struggle to find food—running around, barely scraping by, with hunger a constant companion.
But now, life was completely different: wake up, eat, sleep, repeat. There was nothing to worry about.
It was like a dream.
Yet the sweet taste of the bamboo shoots in its mouth reminded the panda that this was no dream.
As it chewed on the tender shoots, it glanced in the direction of the base before lifting its gaze to the sky. It had often done this back when it lived in the blood mist.
But back then, it had been far too busy to linger. Now, it had all the time in the world to stare at the heavens.
But what exactly was it looking at?
The panda struggled to recall but couldn’t grasp the memory, leaving it with a vague sense of loss.
*
Out in the vast cosmos, a warship emerged from a wormhole and entered a stretch of starry space.
Yan Ya sat in her seat, gazing at the dazzling and beautiful starfield outside, yet unable to muster any interest.
She couldn’t help but ask her husband, “When will we arrive at Prison Star?”
Now that they had exited the warp tunnel, communication signals were restored. Li Sinian, her husband, was checking messages on his communicator with a grave expression.
“The Star Alliance has approved our request—they’ve granted permission for our warship to land on Prison Star,” he said.
Yan Ya was initially thrilled but quickly sensed something was off. “So soon?”
“Mm. It seems there’s been some kind of incident on Prison Star.”
“An incident? Is Wei Wei in danger?”
Li Sinian quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, she’s safe for now. But we still need to hurry and get there.”
He unbuckled his safety harness and told Yan Ya to stay in the cabin while he headed to the control room to ask the pilot if they could increase their speed.
“We’re already at maximum speed,” the pilot said reluctantly. “If we go any faster, there might be safety risks.”
Li Sinian had no choice but to accept this, instructing the pilot to push the speed as much as safely possible. Just as he was about to return to the cabin, he received a call from the Star Alliance.
He immediately answered. On the holographic screen, the liaison officer appeared. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the officer got to the point:
“Admiral Li, on your route to Prison Star, you will pass near Monda Star. There’s a young cub with the bloodline of an iron-eating beast who needs to be transferred to the nursery on Prison Star. Could you pick her up along the way?”
