Chapter 154: Chapter 142: You Will Need Someone to Share the Burden
Gu Ning stared at the massive wolf’s head before her and swallowed.
This black wolf had helped them drive away the other wolf pack, so he must be a member of Alex’s pack.
Seeing it draw near and nuzzle against her affectionately, Gu Ning reached out a trembling hand to pet it.
She repeatedly reassured herself, ’He’s friendly, he’s friendly...’
But he was just too big. Standing up, he was a whole head taller than Seth. Combined with his majestic and powerful aura, he was genuinely terrifying to look at.
Sensing her fear, the black wolf stuck out his tongue and gave her cold hand a reassuring lick.
The black wolf’s gentle, almost cautious, movements allowed Gu Ning’s frayed nerves to finally relax.
The warm, soft, and thick texture of his tongue stirred a familiar feeling within her. A thought struck Gu Ning, and she met the black wolf’s clear, cold eyes.
’Those eyes... I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before...’
In a flash of inspiration, it hit her. ’This is... Alex?’
As if hearing her thoughts, the black wolf responded by licking her face.
Noticing several gazes, some overt and some subtle, sizing up Gu Ning, Alex’s eyes swept over them sharply. He dropped his affectionate posture with Gu Ning, took a step back, and turned his head to look at Kloer.
Kloer snapped back to his senses and hurried over to lift Gu Ning off of Seth’s back.
"Little Gu Ning, what are you doing here?" Kloer asked in surprise, patting Gu Ning’s head. "This isn’t a place for you to..."
He paused, then said with a smile, "Don’t tell me you missed us?"
Gu Ning let out a long sigh of relief at the sight of Kloer. She wanted to say something, but for a moment, she didn’t know where to begin.
She didn’t really understand the situation herself.
Barto had come back from outside saying there was danger, and then she was brought here in a mad dash by Seth, Jite, and the others.
She had no idea if the danger came from a wolf faction hostile to Alex, from Mutant Species, or from something else entirely...
Thinking of Barto, Gu Ning looked back.
Behind her, there was only Seth, lying on the ground and panting. She couldn’t see Barto or Cook anywhere.
’Haven’t they caught up yet? Or were they stopped at the gate?’
A deep sense of unease grew in Gu Ning’s heart.
"Alex, have your little wolves gotten into a conflict with the Wolf Team?"
Gu Ning heard the voice and turned to look.
Two Beastmen in military uniforms were walking toward her, one in front of the other. They stopped about two meters away, and the one closest to her cast a gentle, steady gaze in her direction.
Gu Ning didn’t recognize this Beastman, but standing beside him was a certain rather familiar adjutant.
Cyril gave Gu Ning a polite smile. "We meet again."
Gu Ning avoided his gaze and hid behind Kloer.
Cyril’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the smile on his lips deepened.
’This little Mixed Breed... she actually used my status to get out of the construction site that day. That’s not something a Mixed Breed with a regressed intellect should be able to do.’
"Philinos?"
A member of the Bird Team saw Philinos standing motionless, staring at something behind them. "Aren’t you coming?" he asked.
Another team member followed his gaze and said, "Is something wrong?"
Philinos’s brow furrowed slightly. He stared at the small, slender figure until a wolf’s shadow blocked his view, at which point he looked away. "It’s nothing. Let’s go."
Meanwhile, Alex had quickly gotten the full story from Seth. He walked over to Gu Ning and let out a low rumble at Kloer, signaling for him to take Gu Ning to rest.
Jite and the others were probably in a standoff with the Wolf Team members. He had to go deal with it.
Just then, Andrew spoke again. "Alex, it’s not convenient for you to rest or work with this little one around. Cyril, take it to play somewhere."
Cyril replied, "Yes."
He had just taken a single step when Alex blocked his path, giving him a warning look.
Cyril didn’t argue with a transformed Beastman and retreated to Andrew’s side.
Andrew took a long look at the little Mixed Breed, then said good-naturedly to Alex, "Things are still busy here at the West Wall. You’re going to need someone to share the load."
Alex pondered for a moment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He gave Gu Ning a gentle nudge with his snout, pushing her into Kloer’s arms.
Kloer placed a hand on Gu Ning’s shoulder. "Little Gu Ning, I’ll take you to get some rest."
Gu Ning was in no mood to think about resting. She hadn’t seen Cook or Barto for a while and was extremely anxious. She wanted to say something to Alex, but seeing all the unfamiliar Beastmen around, she decided to write him a note instead.
After reading what she wrote, Alex threw his head back and let out a howl.
Immediately, a chorus of answering howls rose from below the wall.
Hearing the response, Alex licked Gu Ning, then turned and dashed toward the base of the wall.
Gu Ning took two steps to follow, but Kloer reached out, grabbed her by the shoulder, and stopped her.
Although he wasn’t sure what had happened, seeing Alex in his beast form told him it was probably serious. He comforted Gu Ning, "Don’t worry. The wolves are more reasonable than the pups. They won’t just start a fight for no reason. The boss will handle it."
Gu Ning furrowed her brow and nodded, her heart full of worry, as she followed him toward the rest area of the West Wall construction site.
Seth and the other few young wolves followed behind, forming a tight, protective circle around them.
Kloer led Gu Ning down from the wall. Just as they were about to enter the building, several wolf-like shadows emerged from all around them.
Seeing them, Kloer cursed under his breath. ’These young wolves are always looking for trouble the second they’re idle. With the boss gone, this is going to be a pain.’
Seth and the others saw the approaching pack and immediately moved to shield Gu Ning, taking an attack stance.
Gu Ning had thought it was Jite and his group, but as the wolves drew closer, she realized their builds and fur colors didn’t match.
"What do you want?" Kloer demanded, pulling Gu Ning behind him. "I’m warning you, don’t start anything."
Seth lunged forward, baring his teeth and letting out a low growl, warning them not to come any closer.
The surrounding pack also bared their teeth with ferocious expressions, circling them and looking ready to pounce at any moment.
Watching the scene unfold, Gu Ning nervously clutched the hem of Kloer’s clothes. ’The West Wall isn’t any safer than the East Wall. Alex must be constrained here somehow too. Otherwise, why would these wolves come looking for trouble the moment he left?’
"I’ll say it one more time." Kloer glanced back at Gu Ning, tugged at his collar, and his expression turned serious. "Either get lost now, or get your asses kicked."
As he spoke, he began to take off his clothes.
"The cleanup isn’t finished. Does the Wolf Team have nothing better to do?"
A clear, smooth voice came from behind them.
Gu Ning and Kloer turned to see the adjutant in his black military uniform, a conspicuous figure against the snow.
They had no idea when he had followed them.
As if he had known all along they would run into this situation, Cyril took a long stride and walked straight through the wolf pack, clearing a path for them.
"Come with me." He turned to the side, raised a hand, and fixed his gaze on Gu Ning, his calm demeanor making it seem as if he were inviting her to a banquet rather than leading her out of a pack of wolves.
