Chapter 207
The journey from Base 16 to Base 17 would take about an hour. After finalizing arrangements with Yun Zixu, the 244H began its journey toward Base 17. Yun Zixu’s ship followed closely behind, tasked with escorting the cubs. Despite Caretaker Su’s presence, they didn’t forget their responsibilities.
However, as they looked at the outdated appearance of the 244H ahead, even the pilot couldn’t help but mutter.
“Is Base 24 not taking Caretaker Su seriously? How could they send out this ancient relic?”
They could immediately recognize the model of the ship ahead. At their base, such outdated machines had long been decommissioned and scrapped. It was unheard of for such a ship to be sent out on missions, especially considering the dangerous environment of Prison Star.
With extreme weather conditions common, inadequate equipment could lead to catastrophic consequences, such as shipwrecks and loss of life. This was why the bases were always stringent about the quality of their spacecraft.
“I heard that Caretaker Su rejected offers from our base and chose to stay loyal to Base 24,” someone chimed in, sympathizing with Su Ci.
In just two or three days, the cubs had completely changed their perception of combat. Nearly everyone at Base 26 had become fans of the cubs.
After all, who could resist such adorable, impressive beast-eared cubs with extraordinary strength?
Among the female soldiers, Ran Lie and Lang Ze had especially high popularity, quickly garnering a group of “mom fans.” Of course, there were plenty of “dad fans” as well.
Even Zheng Xing, despite spending most of his time in kitten form and with his strength not as directly visible, had won over many admirers.
When people learned the cubs would only stay at Base 26 for a week, there were protests. Some even suggested establishing a branch of the nursery at Base 26. One particularly passionate protestor went so far as to petition Yun Zixu, earning themselves a stern reprimand.
Now, seeing what they perceived as neglect from Base 24 toward Su Ci and the cubs, those from Base 26 couldn’t help but feel tempted to take action.
But what happened next left them dumbfounded.
As soon as they left Base 16, the 244H vanished from sight in the blink of an eye. Neither their instruments nor the naked eye could detect how the ship had seemingly disappeared into thin air.
Prison Star’s environment was notoriously complex, and upon receiving this news, Yun Zixu, worried something had gone wrong, immediately tried to contact Su Ci. The response he got, however, was unexpected—
“The 244H is just cloaked,” Su Ci replied calmly.
When the ship disengaged its cloaking system, those aboard the Base 26 vessel realized it had been traveling alongside them all along, maintaining a parallel position just one ship-length away.
So, this old relic had been modified with an advanced cloaking system?
The crew of the Base 26 ship was baffled. Even if the ship had been upgraded, adding a cloaking system to such an outdated model seemed like a waste of resources. How much could its performance truly improve? It felt like a poor use of technology.
They couldn’t understand it, but there was little they could say. Still, they couldn’t help feeling competitive.
They decided to slightly increase their speed, intending to demonstrate the superior equipment of Base 26 to Su Ci and the cubs.
What happened next, however, left them utterly terrified—
No matter how much they increased the speed of their ship, the outdated 244H kept up effortlessly.
What was originally a one-hour journey was cut in half thanks to the increased speed. By the end, the Base 26 ship was operating at its maximum capacity, yet the 244H remained right behind them!
This was simply unbelievable. If a ship as old as the 244H could be modified to perform like this, then how much more could their newest ships improve with similar modifications?
Upon arriving at Base 17, they immediately reported this discovery back to their base.
Base 24 had become highly sought after, and if such modification projects were indeed available, they’d need to book in advance!
Meanwhile, as the 244H headed toward Base 17, soldiers from Base 21 and Base 16, who had finally caught their breath, began uploading more videos to their shared Prison Star alumni chat groups.
The reputation of the cub squad soared even higher.
In these two missions assisting other bases, the time it took from the cubs’ arrival to the end of the battles was just over an hour for Base 21 and less than 30 minutes for Base 16. Each battle was shorter than the last and increasingly awe-inspiring.
Unlike the videos from the other two bases, the footage released by Base 16 featured a new cub.
[That kid holding the sword is so cool! What’s his ability? He sliced that monster in half from such a distance!]
[I know about that one-eyed monster! It uses psychic attacks. Thankfully, our base has powerful psychics to counter it, but even then, it was a tough fight and they suffered serious injuries. I can’t believe these kids took it down!]
[Base 16 was really unlucky. Without strong psychic warriors, almost everyone who could fight was controlled by the monster. If those kids hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been disastrous.]
[So when are Little Ran Lie and Little Lang Ze coming to our base? Requesting support!]
[Looks like the next stop is Base 17, right?]
*
Base 17
Commander Zhu Chenggong read through the group chat, exhaling deeply. Mo Lin had really come through for him this time. He’d definitely treat him to a meal when he got the chance!
As a commander, his words carried significant weight. After watching the cubs’ combat videos, he quickly reached out to Base 26 and secured this opportunity for support.
After skimming the chat messages and confirming that the cubs were indeed en route, Zhu Chenggong refocused on directing the battle.
At the same time, he shared the good news with his exhausted soldiers, boosting their morale.
Unlike other bases, he went a step further by posting the cubs’ combat records on the public channel. The simple, clear data allowed everyone to see the cubs’ strength at a glance.
Even those who still harbored doubts were invigorated by the news of reinforcements. It gave the soldiers renewed determination, helping them fight with even greater resilience.
When the outdated-looking 244H appeared in the skies above their base, and the group of cubs with their adorable beast ears and tails descended to eliminate every last monster, the soldiers finally understood—
The seemingly exaggerated battle records on the public channel turned out to be entirely true!
The monsters that had pushed the defenders to the brink of despair were quickly subdued and eliminated, one by one. Finally, they dissolved into faint smoke, dispersing the blood mist that hung over the area.
After an initial moment of disbelief, the soldiers of Base 17 erupted into cheers, celebrating their survival.
The cubs were equally thrilled!
Except for Qian Qian, who had transformed into a panda cub and didn’t participate, all the other cubs left the ship and joined the battle.
This time, not only did Ran Lie’s crimson flames prove to be incredibly powerful, but Rong Heng’s sword energy from his Sword Qi also played a significant role.
However, since Rong Heng had only recently started practicing the Sword Qi, his ability to generate sword energy—impressive as it was—still reflected his lack of experience. Despite his extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, he lagged behind Ran Lie in many aspects.
When the cubs’ small spaceship returned to the main ship, Rong Heng deliberately lingered behind.
He knew Ran Lie preferred solitude and disliked crowds, and sure enough, after everyone else left, the two of them were the only ones left aboard.
Ran Lie frowned and was about to leave when Rong Heng said, “You’ve grown a lot stronger. Your crimson flames… they’re amazing.”
Ran Lie stopped in his tracks, looking at Rong Heng in mild surprise but didn’t respond.
Rong Heng continued, “I’ll catch up to you.”
With that, Rong Heng was the first to leave the ship. He saw Little Li Hua and Li Sinian waiting at the rear hatch, hesitated briefly, then casually walked forward and took Little Li Hua’s hand, leaving with her.
Ran Lie watched them leave, clenching his fists tightly.
It was true—his crimson flames were powerful. As his mastery over them deepened, their strength had grown. However…
The battle against the one-eyed monster had been a wake-up call, cooling his once fiery temperament.
He realized that aside from the crimson flames, he had no other assets. Without them, he was no different from a defenseless lamb awaiting slaughter.
But Rong Heng was different. His swordsmanship was something he had cultivated through his own efforts—a power that truly belonged to him.
Thinking of this, Ran Lie lowered his gaze to his hands.
If Rong Heng had swordsmanship, then he had palm techniques. Once this training mission was over, he resolved to focus on honing his Golden Steel Palm.
No matter what, he wouldn’t let Rong Heng surpass him!
Thus, over the next month, the old 244H ship traveled between bases, rescuing soldiers trapped in dire situations.
In this atmosphere of competition and mutual encouragement, the cubs’ strength and teamwork improved rapidly through the constant challenges.
Since it was a training mission, it wasn’t without its share of situations they couldn’t handle.
Soon, the soldiers across the bases discovered that the cubs weren’t invincible. They, too, encountered monsters they couldn’t defeat—and if the cubs couldn’t handle them, the soldiers stood no chance.
But whenever the cubs faced life-or-death situations, brilliant beams of light would descend from the old ship in the sky.
Where the light touched, the monsters vanished without a trace.
And just like that, the crises were resolved.
At that moment, everyone was reminded of the caretaker whose unparalleled purification techniques had wiped out hundreds of monsters in one go.
Across the galaxy, many were keeping an eye on the situation on Prison Star.
The news of Wen Yan traveling to Prison Star with her daughter to seek assistance was not a secret. After all, both her application as a caretaker and her journey with her daughter had required numerous formal procedures.
After her daughter’s condition stabilized, Wen Yan didn’t keep it a secret from her relatives. Moreover, the cub squad’s remarkable achievements, even on a highly classified planet like Prison Star, were still being noticed by some.
*
Mu Pa Pa Star
A metallic door slowly slid open as Mu Yuncheng entered the family’s restricted area. Passing through multiple layers of security, he eventually reached a vast valley.
The valley was enormous, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Looking up, one could see a towering tree so large that it seemed to blot out the sky, dwarfing even the surrounding peaks.
Mu Yuncheng approached the tree and bowed respectfully.
Before he could speak, a voice, ancient and weathered with age, echoed from deep within the valley:
“Child, has the homeworld… been found?”
