Chapter 197
When Mo Lin came to his senses, the three cubs had already planted all the small seedlings.
After all, the cluster of spirit grass wasn’t large, and only about a dozen seedlings could be separated in the end. It was still uncertain whether they would survive.
Speaking of which…
Mo Lin lowered his head to find the little wolf cub had somehow snuck up next to him. With a serious expression, the cub stared at him. When their eyes met, Mo Lin was immediately subjected to a round of stern “criticism.”
“These little grasses cannot be sprayed with garlic mist,” Lang Ze emphasized again, clearly worried the adults might meddle when they weren’t looking.
Mo Lin’s eyes flickered. He glanced at the dirt pits in the corner, then at Lang Ze, and asked, “Why not? Does this plant have any special characteristics?”
In response, Lang Ze earnestly replied, “I don’t know. Xing Xing said so, so we just follow his instructions!”
Mo Lin: “…”
Lang Ze continued, “Uncle Mo, can these metal plates be removed using a machine? I remember Uncle Camel had a device that could quickly collect these metal plates with a swoosh.”
Although crimson flames could burn through anything, Lang Ze still preferred the idea of using a tool if possible.
After all, under the new rules of the nursery, cubs weren’t allowed to destroy things at will. Having followed these rules for a while, the cubs had become naturally inclined to protect their environment, even outside Base 24.
Hearing this, Mo Lin hesitated. Should he remove all the protective plates, not just in the corner but throughout the area? While the safety of the base was no longer dependent on these plates, dismantling them entirely seemed… excessive.
Just as Mo Lin was mulling over how to dissuade Lang Ze from the idea, the base’s alarm suddenly blared.
Another monster had appeared within the base!
Mo Lin’s expression hardened. He instinctively wanted to order the cubs to retreat to a safe place. However, the wolf cub standing before him jumped up in excitement.
“Lie Lie! Time to fight!”
Before Mo Lin could react, Lang Ze had already pulled out a small flying disc from his spatial bag—a gift from their “Grandpa He” during the morning tour of the base. Without hesitation, the cub hopped onto the disc and zipped out of the camp with the black kitten in tow.
Ran Lie wasn’t far behind. As soon as the alarm rang, he retrieved his own disc and followed closely behind Lang Ze.
Having regained his strength, Li Sinian wasn’t left behind this time. He used his mastery of levitation to take to the air, chasing after the cubs as they disappeared into the blood mist.
Mo Lin, left staring after them, could only hurry to board a hovercar with the other soldiers and give chase.
Fortunately, he wasn’t the only commander at Base 26. When the alarm sounded, another officer had already started organizing the defense. Mo Lin didn’t need to rush back to the command center and instead decided to follow the cubs to the battlefield.
Inside the hovercar, he accessed his commander privileges to review the monster data captured by the base’s AI. His mind raced as he analyzed the strength of the defensive forces in that region and formulated a response plan.
Thanks to the cubs, the soldiers had enjoyed a day and night of rest after the defeat of the slime monster. Their combat readiness should be much better now. This, combined with the presence of the cubs, meant they might handle this battle with much greater ease.
Because the flying discs were more agile and faster than the hovercar, Mo Lin’s group arrived at the battlefield a little later. And when they did…
They were greeted by the familiar sound of a wooden fish being struck.
Mo Lin, still piecing together his battle plan, froze in confusion. He quickly jumped out of the hovercar and looked toward the battlefield ahead.
There, amidst the blood mist and chaos, the rhythmic tok-tok-tok of the wooden fish reverberated across the battlefield, accompanied by a golden, otherworldly glow.
Two towering monsters, each about seven or eight meters tall, lay on the ground, engulfed in crimson flames. Despite their agonized struggles, they were firmly restrained in place, enduring the searing heat.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground nearby was a red-haired boy with tiger ears. His eyes were closed as he struck a wooden fish rhythmically, softly chanting under his breath.
Mo Lin stared at the scene in stunned silence.
He had been analyzing the monsters’ characteristics to formulate a battle strategy, and yet… the fight was already over?
For the first time in his battle-hardened career, the experienced commander found himself in a dazed stupor on the battlefield.
To be fair, this wasn’t exactly a “battlefield” in the traditional sense. The cubs had arrived so swiftly that they were just moments behind the soldiers stationed in the area. This meant the monsters hadn’t had a chance to wreak any havoc before being subdued, leaving the scene far less chaotic than the previous day.
Mo Lin, struggling to process what he was seeing, moved forward. But when he was about ten steps away from Ran Lie, he was intercepted by Lang Ze.
“Uncle Mo, you can’t go any closer!” the little wolf cub declared.
This time, Lang Ze hadn’t played a major role in the fight. Initially, he had used his sound illusions to briefly control the two monsters, but once Li Sinian arrived, his involvement became unnecessary.
As the youngest and most formidable marshal of the Tes Empire, Li Sinian’s combat prowess was undoubtedly exceptional. The two monsters, now writhing in pain under the crimson flames, were securely held in place by his telekinetic powers, unable to break free no matter how they struggled.
As for why Lang Ze stopped Mo Lin…
He didn’t really know himself. But Xing Xing had said that it was best not to disturb Ran Lie.
And if Xing Xing said it, it must be true!
So, Lang Ze dutifully stood guard, blocking anyone who attempted to approach, including Mo Lin.
Faced with the little wolf cub’s determination, Mo Lin didn’t push further. His instincts as a commander kicked in, helping him shake off the shock and focus on gathering and analyzing information.
His most pressing question was this:
Was the absence of blood mist on yesterday’s battlefield, even now, a mere coincidence… or was it connected to Ran Lie’s abilities?
He scrutinized the two monsters being consumed by the flames. Was it just his imagination, or did the crimson fire contain faint traces of gold?
To confirm his observation, he pulled over a nearby soldier and asked. However, the soldier’s response was vague and inconclusive—after all, the golden hue was so faint that it was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.
Just then—
“Warning, warning—unknown entity detected…” The battle wasn’t even fully resolved, and yet another monster had entered Base 26!
By now, the soldiers of Base 26 were well-accustomed to such a high frequency of engagements. Realizing the immediate crisis had been neutralized, they swiftly set aside their astonishment, regrouped, and hurried to the new battlefield.
Ran Lie ceased striking the wooden fish.
He opened his eyes, his brow furrowed, as if about to say something. But before he could, Lang Ze, already back on his flying disc, zipped over and grinned mischievously.
“I’ll handle this one first! Catch up when you’re ready!” he called out.
The little black cat nestled in Lang Ze’s collar poked its head out and let out a soft meow in Ran Lie’s direction—a brief greeting before the two disappeared into the mist.
Then, Lang Ze piloted his flying disc and zipped off once again.
Ran Lie watched them leave. After hesitating for a moment, he collected his thoughts and resumed striking the wooden fish.
Mo Lin observed everything silently, a hint of suspicion forming in his mind. However, he didn’t linger. Instead, he assigned a soldier to stay near Ran Lie and ensure no one approached him.
*
At Another Battlefield.
Although there was no crimson flame from Ran Lie to instantly destroy the monster, once Lang Ze’s flute began playing, this battlefield quickly came under control.
The monster exhibited the same goofy smile as the mucus giant before it, ceasing its attack on the soldiers defending the base. Instead, it sat in place, grinning happily, as if mesmerized by something only it could see.
Mo Lin had previously asked Lang Ze about his ability. After learning that Lang Ze’s music could construct illusions to control monsters, Mo Lin curiously inquired about the specific illusions Lang Ze had created for the mucus giant.
He believed that one must have a certain level of understanding of the monster to craft an illusion so alluring that the creature willingly succumbed to it.
Lang Ze was brimming with confidence when he answered.
The illusions he created were based on his own experiences, focusing on the most impactful and cherished moments of his life.
The “paradise” Lang Ze created for the monsters was, in fact, his own paradise.
Using the lush greenery of the nursery as the foundation, it was filled with flowers, trees, birds, beasts, insects, and fish. Most importantly, there were also all kinds of delicious food!
Lang Ze firmly believed that no one could resist such an illusion!
And so far, no monster had ever broken free from the fantasy world he constructed.
Therefore…
“Everyone who’s seen it, loves it!” Lang Ze proclaimed with confidence.
Perhaps it was this unwavering faith that strengthened his illusions. More likely, however, it was the sheer appeal of such a paradise to the tormented souls of monsters shaped by an apocalyptic world.
Under Lang Ze’s control, this section of the battlefield allowed soldiers enough time to evacuate civilians and establish effective defensive lines.
When the troops finally launched their counterattack, Ran Lie arrived to assist.
As they watched the monster burn to ashes under Ran Lie’s crimson flames, the soldiers found themselves dumbfounded once again.
It seemed like… there wasn’t much left for them to do here?
What exactly was their role now?
For the first time, the seasoned soldiers of Base 26 felt a profound sense of redundancy on the battlefield. They could only stand as spectators, witnessing the cubs repeatedly turn each battlefield into their personal “showcase.”
Indeed, that day, Base 26 experienced a total of five battles.
The invading monsters ranged in strength and size, some large, some small. The fastest battle was resolved in under five minutes, while the slowest took less than half an hour.
Moreover, the cubs fought with ease. Sometimes, you could even see the wolf-eared boy, with a small black cat tucked into the collar of his shirt and a big fluffy tail trailing behind him, leisurely snacking while sitting on his flying disc.
The red-haired boy who controlled fire, after setting the monsters ablaze, would stop to strike a round, wooden object.
Surprisingly, though the sound was initially jarring, the more you listened, the more it seemed to calm every irritation in your heart.
That day marked the highest number of monster incursions Base 26 had faced in such a short time. Yet, it was also the most relaxed series of battles the soldiers of Base 26 had ever experienced.
As night fell, everyone still felt as though they were in a dream.
Of course, this time, the cubs’ incredible achievements and the massive role they played in combating the monsters could no longer be kept a secret!
