Chapter 195
After noticing that the blood mist had not encroached on the area, the soldiers tasked with cleanup began to pay closer attention. To their amazement, by the next morning, the area was still completely clear!
Not only had visibility returned to pre-invasion levels, but it was even clearer than before.
The clear zone wasn’t very large, with a diameter of about 100 meters. Beyond that, the blood mist began to reappear. Nonetheless, the discovery was astounding.
The soldiers were ecstatic. Although the arrival of the mutant garlic sprout could also repel the blood mist, this development had occurred without explanation and was tangible proof of change.
The news was quickly reported up the chain of command.
Thus, the next morning, as Lang Ze and Ran Lie were having breakfast, He Qirui and Mo Lin paid them another visit.
The day before, Lang Ze had finally gotten to try the homemade ice cream from Base 26.
The base, with its sizable garrison and a well-developed plantation, enjoyed much better living conditions than Base 24 due to less financial strain. Though it was called a “base,” its scale was akin to that of a small town.
Beyond the central area of the base, there were houses built for soldiers to use during their leave, along with some entertainment facilities. Additionally, unlike Base 24, Base 26 also had a small livestock farm adjacent to its plantation.
The farm wasn’t large, housing only a dozen egg-laying chickens and a few cows and sheep. Thanks to the garlic spray provided by Base 24, a handful of chickens and a couple of cows and sheep were rescued when the blood mist invaded.
The rest, unfortunately, had succumbed to mist-induced frenzy and had to be put down by the soldiers.
As a result, the milk used to make the ice cream at Base 26 was freshly sourced.
While it couldn’t compare to the quality of A-Yan’s creations, the ingredients were fresh, and Lang Ze, who had never tasted ice cream before, ate it with delight.
The cool, creamy, and sweet taste instantly won him over. But what really sealed the deal was—
The sheer quantity!
Although the ice cream wasn’t enough to fully satisfy his hunger, compared to the small cup Little Li Hua had shown him, Lang Ze’s portion was two to three times larger!
Lang Ze ate to his heart’s content, his cravings thoroughly satisfied. He no longer clamored to leave, and in the end, Yun Zixu didn’t need to be sent back to Base 24 to fetch more ice cream.
After all, Su Su had promised that once they returned in a week, he could request anything he wanted, and A-Yan would make it for him.
Naturally, Ran Lie and Zheng Xing also benefited from this arrangement.
The three cubs were content and finally brought a sigh of relief to the people of Base 26.
Notably, the cubs’ dormitories were far more spacious than those at the nursery. They were given the option of single or shared rooms, as they pleased.
Ran Lie chose a single room without hesitation, while Lang Ze and Zheng Xing opted for a double room. However, despite having two beds, Lang Ze still ended up crawling into Zheng Xing’s bed to sleep together at night.
In a completely unfamiliar environment, even Lang Ze found it hard to fall asleep, let alone Zheng Xing.
It wasn’t until Lang Ze crawled into Zheng Xing’s bed, seeking the comfort of a familiar presence, that the two cubs finally managed to drift off, cuddled up together.
To welcome their young guests, Base 26 had prepared an especially lavish breakfast. However, after being spoiled by Yan Ya and A-Yan’s cooking, the three children found the meal rather mediocre.
Fortunately, they had side dishes prepared overnight by Yan Ya, which made the meal more palatable for them.
When He Qirui explained the purpose of his visit and his concerns, Lang Ze scratched his head.
“Maybe it’s just been purified?”
He recalled that outside the nursery, there had been several areas where the blood mist had ceased to spread, which the cubs referred to as “sacred ground.” However…
“Ran Ran, do you know how to purify things?” Lang Ze asked curiously.
Ran Lie shook his head. “No.”
“Then is it a special ability of the crimson flames?” Lang Ze guessed.
Ran Lie remained silent, his thoughts drifting to the little wooden fish that A-Yan had given him. Could it have something to do with the wooden fish? After all, before this, the crimson flames had never shown purifying properties, nor had he felt any changes in them.
Listening to the cubs’ discussion, He Qirui and the others couldn’t pinpoint a definitive answer. What they did gather, however, was that this phenomenon had also occurred near the nursery.
This meant it could be replicated!
Knowing that was enough to make their trip worthwhile.
While they would have liked to test Ran Lie’s abilities further, the ongoing crisis at the base meant that new monsters could appear at any time. Since the cubs’ energy was limited, they decided not to push the matter.
Not that Ran Lie had any intention of agreeing to their request.
After answering their questions, he shifted the conversation to the promised one-hectare greenfield, reminding them not to forget their commitment.
Otherwise, they might refuse to cooperate further.
After all, Ran Lie’s agreement to come to Base 26 wasn’t just for training—it was also because Yun Zixu had promised to help with planting.
“Don’t worry about that,” He Qirui assured him. “Grandpa has already given the orders. As long as no monsters interfere, the land will be cleared soon, and we’ll take you to see it then.”
As for the mutant plant seeds left by Su Su, the cultivation team was still studying them and hadn’t yet produced any results.
But that wasn’t important. What mattered now was keeping these cubs happy and cooperative.
Standing nearby, Mo Lin couldn’t help feeling a bit awkward as he watched He Qirui—his normally imposing superior—sweet-talking the cubs and repeatedly referring to himself as “Grandpa.”
Although He Qirui’s hair had turned white, he was still far from retirement age. A former soldier, his tall, muscular frame was evident even beneath his uniform.
Yet here he was, softening his voice and using every trick in the book to win over the cubs, making Mo Lin’s scalp tingle uncomfortably.
“Uncle, how do you pronounce your name?”
Suddenly, the wolf-eared boy’s voice interrupted his thoughts. Lang Ze was pointing at the name on his badge with a curious look.
Mo Lin tilted his head, his face instantly breaking into a warm and friendly smile. Using an exaggeratedly cheerful tone, he said, “Mo Lin, that’s Uncle’s name, okay?”
At the dining table, Li Sinian witnessed the entire scene and thought to himself: “…”
Why was everyone talking to the cubs in that tone? Did he speak to them like that too?
Then, to his horror, he realized—he probably did.
*
Base 26: New Recruits Barracks
While the cubs were having breakfast, Song Zehe quietly got out of bed.
He skillfully tidied his bedding and headed to the communal bathroom for a quick wash before stepping out onto the balcony.
His squadmates were still resting. After days of intense combat, everyone’s mental and physical reserves were completely drained. The base had even suspended daily training.
With the blood mist still engulfing the base, outdoor exercises were impossible, and pushing the soldiers further risked exhaustion. Allowing them some downtime to recover and conserve energy was a better strategy during this uneasy peace.
Song Zehe’s team had spent the previous day cleaning up after the mucus giant was defeated and had been assigned to patrol duties late into the night. They only returned to sleep in the early hours.
Knowing how fatigued his squadmates were, Song Zehe didn’t dare disturb their rest. However, he couldn’t resist checking on something he had left on the balcony the night before.
Two flower pots sat there—gifts from Su Ci.
To Song Zehe’s surprise, the sickly little sprout that had looked like a patch of wild grass had grown noticeably overnight.
Its leaves unfurled gently, exuding vigor and health, with no trace of its previous feebleness. Song Zehe even felt as though the air on the balcony had become fresher.
The star-chain fruit seedling, which had already been in good condition, seemed to have been influenced by the other plant. Its leaves had visibly grown larger overnight.
Though Song Zehe didn’t have much planting experience, he could tell that these two seedlings were growing at an unusual rate.
Since arriving on Prison Star, he’d learned plenty about environmental pollution and the devastating effects of the blood mist. Ordinary plants couldn’t survive in such conditions. Could these two seedlings be mutant plants?
The thought crossed his mind, but Song Zehe quickly dismissed it.
How could that be? There was no way Caretaker Su, would casually gift him mutant plants—they were far too precious!
Shaking his head, he watered the seedlings and left for breakfast.
After he left, other soldiers began waking up and coming to the balcony for fresh air.
Each one who stepped outside couldn’t help but comment:
“Why does the air feel so fresh out here?”
“Maybe it’s those two pots of plants Song Zehe put here?”
“No way. What kind of plants could do that? They’ll probably wither in a couple of days.”
“Poor guy. He’s going to be heartbroken. Do you think he’ll cry?”
“Hahaha, don’t say that about him! Or he really might start crying!”
Amid the soldiers’ casual chatter, the small spirit grass in the pot stretched its leaves, quietly absorbing the surrounding blood mist and converting it into nutrients for its growth. In return, it released a faint aura of spiritual energy.
The pot, however, was too small, limiting the plant’s growth. Unlike the spirit grasses flourishing expansively on the plains, this little one couldn’t grow or spread much.
Even so, it diligently played its part. The modest amount of spiritual energy it released was enough to foster the growth of the star-chain fruit seedling beside it.
By the afternoon, when a group of cubs, led by Mo Lin, was touring the new recruits’ barracks, Lang Ze suddenly remembered the two seedlings. He eagerly asked his newly dubbed “Uncle Mo” to take them to Song Zehe’s quarters.
After spending most of the day at Base 26, Lang Ze no longer felt an urgent desire to return to the nursery.
He had discovered that here, he could go wherever he wanted, and nearly every request he made was met with someone trying to fulfill it.
Lang Ze, who had never experienced such treatment before, was thoroughly enjoying himself.
To win the cubs over further, Mo Lin, taking advantage of the temporary lull in battles, personally escorted them on a tour of the barracks. He aimed to showcase Base 26’s strength in the hope of persuading the cubs to extend their stay.
The cubs were only supposed to stay at Base 26 for a week—far too short a time. After witnessing their impressive abilities, everyone at the base was eager for them to remain longer.
“Two seedlings? Do you need them transplanted to the plantation?”
When Lang Ze made his request, Mo Lin immediately took it seriously. In his mind, any place outside the plantation was hardly suitable for sustaining plant life.
“No need! I can already feel them!”
Lang Ze grinned as he sprinted toward the recruits’ balcony. The little black cat that had been quietly sitting in his pocket poked its head out, its fluffy face visibly excited and expectant.
Even Ran Lie quickened his pace.
As wonderful as Base 26 was, it severely lacked greenery. The cubs, accustomed to spending time amidst lush vegetation, desperately needed plants to ease their minds and lift their spirits.
When Mo Lin caught up to them on the balcony, he was greeted by an astonishing sight: green vines cascading down from the railing, their dense, leafy tendrils floating gently in mid-air.
