Chapter 252
In the open space behind the Medical Purification Department building, a dozen or so cages were lined up, each containing a ferocious beast tightly bound with thick metal chains. Despite these restraints, the beasts exuded an oppressive aura of savagery and aggression, creating a scene of intense visual impact.
Even Lang Ze, who was usually fearless, instinctively stepped back when he first rushed onto the field.
A black panther suddenly leaping against its cage startled him into adopting a defensive posture.
But to everyone’s surprise, the deafening roars ceased within seconds.
The black panther, which had been snarling ferociously, froze mid-roar. Its wide-open mouth hung awkwardly, as if someone had hit a mute button.
For a moment, it seemed even embarrassed, though the dominant emotions were fear and unease.
The panther’s gaze traveled past the group of cubs to the slender figure standing behind them. When that person’s indifferent eyes landed on it, the panther couldn’t help but tuck its tail between its legs, lower its head, and slowly retreat.
Eventually, the panther, like the other beasts, lay quietly in its cage, no longer daring to cause trouble.
“Lang Ze, are you okay?” Lu Jiao stepped forward, asking the dazed wolf cub.
Lang Ze snapped out of it and shook his head.
He didn’t speak but stared at the caged beasts. The excitement and joy of coming out to play were suddenly gone.
Why are they locked up like this?
The sight reminded him of his past self. The chains, in particular, struck a nerve.
But as his eyes fell on the black panther that had just lunged at him, Lang Ze understood why they were confined. They were too dangerous, and this was to prevent them from hurting others.
Even so, it didn’t stop him from feeling a pang of sadness as he looked at them.
The other cubs also observed the beasts in their cages.
Moments ago, these fearsome creatures had been roaring and clawing ferociously. Now, their claws were retracted, their tails tucked tightly, and the most timid ones had retreated to the corners of their cages, trembling with their backs turned.
Knowing why the beasts had suddenly quieted, some of the cubs couldn’t help but glance at Su Ci.
Is Su Su really that scary?
Recalling that unforgettable night when he’d lost his temper, the cubs gulped and quickly averted their gazes.
“You… this place…”
The guard who had chased them looked around at the now-docile beasts, utterly dumbfounded. His words, initially meant as a scolding, turned into incoherent stammering.
He was soon saved by another voice.
“Caretaker Su?”
Gu Qingchen’s voice came from the other side of the field. He was equally shocked by the beasts’ sudden change but quickly lit up with delight upon seeing Su Ci and the cubs.
After dismissing the guard, he approached with a smile. “What brings you here?”
“Just checking things out,” Su Ci replied, stopping in front of the first cage to examine the black panther.
Even lying on the ground, the panther’s size was imposing. Its large frame and skeletal build suggested poor health, with its fur dull and its body gaunt, almost emaciated.
Gu Qingchen hesitated, then began to explain.
When the beasts first arrived, he had drafted a recovery plan. The main reason these beast-blood warriors had lost their sanity was due to pollution exposure.
Now that the base was free of pollutants thanks to the purifying plants, the root cause had been eliminated. All that remained was to purify the contaminants within the warriors’ bodies to restore them to their human forms.
The problem, however, was that these beast-blood warriors, in their current beast forms, were too ferocious.
Gu Qingchen couldn’t even approach their cages, let alone touch them. Fortunately, after learning purification techniques from Su Ci, he had mastered casting them remotely.
However, the cages were constructed with tight, sturdy metal mesh, making it difficult to direct his purification spells effectively.
As a result, progress had been painstakingly slow over the past week.
He hadn’t dared to bother Su Ci for help, but now the expert had shown up on his own—and with a single appearance, silenced all the beasts!
Gu Qingchen speculated that Su Ci must have felt sympathy for the warriors and had come to help.
Before he could say more, Su Ci said, “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Gu Qingchen opened his mouth, then closed it, nodding. “Understood. If you need anything, just call me.”
He then headed to another part of the field, with the cubs following curiously behind.
Gu Qingchen stopped in front of a cage containing a black-gray bear.
Unlike the cute and docile panda-blooded warriors, this black bear looked anything but friendly. It had a sharp horn protruding from its head, making it seem even more menacing.
“Dr. Gu, what kind of beast is that?” Lu Jiao asked curiously.
“This is a Thunderhorn Bear,” Gu Qingchen explained. “Its horn is razor-sharp, capable of piercing a mech’s metal shell, and it can summon lightning to attack.”
Though it sounded terrifying, this particular bear was the most docile of all the beasts. It remained still, bound by chains, without struggling or attempting to harm Gu Qingchen.
This bear had been Gu Qingchen’s primary focus for purification over the past week, and its improved demeanor reflected his efforts.
His purification technique had gradually begun to show results. At least this big black bear, now sitting dejectedly in its cage, looked oddly… human-like in its hopeless demeanor.
“Will they be kept locked up like this forever?” Lang Ze couldn’t help but ask, his tone a little sullen.
“No, they won’t,” Gu Qingchen replied, shaking his head. “They aren’t truly wild beasts. They’re beast-blood warriors who lost their sanity and fully beastified. I’m purifying them now. Once they regain their reason, they’ll be free.”
“Oh, I see!”
Lang Ze felt much better upon hearing this and quickly offered encouragement. “Then, Dr. Gu, you’ve got this! Keep it up!”
Gu Qingchen gave a wry smile but nodded nonetheless.
The cubs wandered from cage to cage, observing the adult beasts with a mix of curiosity and awe. For Rong Heng and Ran Lie, however—two cubs who had once experienced the deepest levels of beastification—their feelings were much more complicated.
If they hadn’t met Su Su or trained under him, would they have ended up as mindless beasts like these?
Thankfully, Su Su had come into their lives. The spirit of this planet had saved them!
Lang Ze, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking so deeply. His mind was focused on helping these beasts regain their freedom as soon as possible. He hovered around Gu Qingchen, watching how he purified the black bear.
Finally, Lang Ze couldn’t hold back and said, “Dr. Gu, why don’t you open the cage? I think it’d be faster if you worked inside!”
Gu Qingchen: “…”
Does he mean I’d die faster too?
But seeing the child’s earnest expression, Gu Qingchen could only awkwardly reply, “It’s… too dangerous.”
“Dr. Gu, you’re such a scaredy-cat!” Lang Ze teased. “They look so well-behaved!”
Gu Qingchen silently agreed that the beasts were indeed unusually docile today, but he still wasn’t willing to take any risks. Desperate, he cast a pleading look toward Su Ci.
To his dismay, Su Ci met his gaze and calmly said, “If you want to go in, then go ahead.”
“…”
That’s not what I meant!
But Gu Qingchen quickly processed Su Ci’s words and hesitantly asked, “Caretaker Su, are you saying I can really go inside?”
Su Ci, seeing his nervous expression, finally nodded.
With that, Gu Qingchen felt a surge of courage.
With Caretaker Su here, what’s there to fear?
Since Su Ci had given his approval, how could he not give it a try? If he could work at close range, his efficiency would greatly improve!
Without further hesitation, Gu Qingchen asked the cubs to step back to avoid any accidents. After thoroughly verifying and unlocking the cage, he slowly opened the door.
The moment the cage door creaked open, the big black bear, previously slumped in a corner, suddenly raised its head and looked in his direction.
The air seemed to freeze.
Gu Qingchen felt the bear’s gaze on him and couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle. He forced himself to stay calm, waiting nervously until…
The bear casually turned its head away and resumed its slumped position, unmoving.
Safe!
Gu Qingchen exhaled deeply, his relief palpable. He then carefully approached the bear, stopping about a meter away from its massive paws before casting his purification technique.
After a minute, Gu Qingchen slowly withdrew his ability.
Realizing that the big black bear hadn’t attacked him, he felt a wave of relief. But before he could fully relax, a glance at the neighboring cage nearly made him scream.
The adjacent cage was open—he didn’t know when it had happened—and Lu Jiao, Rong Heng, and a blue-haired boy he didn’t recognize had entered it!
Inside that cage was a snow fox.
Of course, after years of living in the blood mist, its fur was no longer sleek and glossy but dirty and matted, its original color obscured. One of its eyes was visibly injured, with prominent claw marks scarring its face.
Its condition was poor, making it appear pitiful, but it was still undeniably a ferocious beast!
In fact, its injuries had only made it more aggressive.
Although the cubs had formed a squad and achieved impressive feats, Gu Qingchen still saw them as children who needed protection.
He immediately abandoned the big black bear and rushed out of its cage, intent on getting the cubs out of the snow fox’s enclosure.
But the situation wasn’t as he expected.
The snow fox was clearly in a state of heightened alert. While Su Ci’s presence had kept it from acting rashly, it still displayed aggression as the cubs approached.
It crouched low, baring its teeth, a deep growl rumbling from its throat.
“Ika,” Rong Heng called softly, gripping his small sword.
Gu Qingchen, who had just reached the cage door, watched in shock as the blue-haired boy extended his hands. A faint, glowing orb appeared in his palms, and with a gentle motion, he tossed it toward the one-eyed snow fox.
The aura of hostility surrounding the snow fox seemed to waver. Its eyes flickered with confusion, and slowly, it eased out of its aggressive stance.
Gu Qingchen froze in place.
This blue-haired boy… is he a purifier too? Why haven’t I seen him before?
As he stood there, stunned and overwhelmed, the big black bear in the adjacent cage began to move. Quietly, it rose to its feet and nudged its way through the improperly secured cage door.
But just as its head emerged, it met Su Ci’s faintly amused gaze.
“…”
The big black bear immediately stepped back, pawed at the cage door with a loud clang, and carefully shut it again.
