Chapter 161: Chapter 149: Why Are These Wolves So Troublesome?
"Who sent you?"
As soon as the voice rang out, the wolf pack fell silent.
Gu Ning heard the crunch of military boots on the ground and glanced up slightly.
The Beastmen blocking their path parted to create an opening. A Beastman walked through the gap, his expression even more grim than the sound of his footsteps. His gaze was like a heavy, sharp blade slashing toward them.
With just one look, Gu Ning knew this Beastman was not to be trifled with. She nervously buried her face back into Seth’s fur.
Seeing the newcomer, Kloer jumped down from his wolf’s back. "We’re here to find..."
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he quickly stopped himself.
They didn’t have orders from Alex. If he mentioned Alex’s name, it would give Vine leverage over them.
"I have something to report to Alex," Kloer said, changing his story.
Vine’s sharp gaze swept over him and the other few wolves behind him, pausing for a moment on Seth. "What is it?"
Kloer replied, "Sorry, I’m not at liberty to say."
Vine said coldly, "Then have him come here himself."
Kloer opened his mouth, speechless. It was obvious Vine wasn’t going to let them pass. ’We can’t just force our way through, can we? There are so many of his wolves blocking the way, and there are only a few of us. We’d never make it.’
Alex was in a communications blackout zone and couldn’t be contacted immediately. Otherwise, Kloer wouldn’t have risked bringing Gu Ning out.
He scratched his head, a headache coming on. He decided it was best to try and reason with Vine.
"We really are on urgent business, Chief Vine. Please be lenient and let us pass."
Vine retorted, "So you break the rules, and I’m the one in the wrong for not letting you pass?"
Kloer was speechless again.
"That’s not what I meant," Kloer said. "We’re not..."
Vine cut him off. "Leave the person here, and the rest of you can go."
Kloer asked, "What?"
’Leave who behind?’
He followed Vine’s gaze—
"..."
"No," Kloer refused without a second thought.
Gu Ning felt the gaze land on her and buried herself even deeper.
She tugged on Seth’s fur, urging him to leave quickly.
’If we get into a fight with this pack of Beastmen before we even see Alex, they could crush us with their numbers alone.’
Seth and his companions paced anxiously on the spot, hesitant. The scent of an alpha wolf coming from Vine put them on high alert, a natural fear of a dominant wolf welling up inside them.
Kloer saw Seth and the others with their fur on end, sighed, and said, "Let’s go."
Seth glanced back at Gu Ning on his back, then lowered his head and turned to leave with his companions.
Seeing them about to leave, the other wolves started howling again. ’Trying to slip away right under our boss’s nose? Dream on.’
A few wolves leaped nimbly down from a staircase above, blocking Seth and the others.
Gu Ning’s heart clenched. ’Why are these wolves so troublesome?’
"Chief Vine, what is the meaning of this?" Kloer’s face darkened as he turned back to look at Vine.
Vine said, "This isn’t Zone 5. You can’t just come and go as you please."
Kloer retorted, "Then what do you want?"
Vine replied, "Since you’ve violated military orders, you must accept the punishment."
Kloer gave a helpless smile. "Chief Vine, of all times, you’re still in the mood to punish us?"
Vine didn’t speak. His eyes darkened, and he placed a hand on the blade at his waist as he walked toward Kloer.
Kloer glanced at his movement. ’He’s not actually going to do it, is he?’
’There’s no reason to attack one of our own right before a battle. I haven’t even provoked them.’
’The Wolf Clan is so damn difficult.’
Kloer sighed internally.
Other than Alex’s pack, he’d rarely met a wolf he found agreeable.
Seeing the tall Beastman walking toward them, Gu Ning’s heart began to pound. She swallowed nervously.
’What is he trying to do?’
Seth and the others lowered their bodies, growling at Vine.
The atmosphere instantly became charged with tension.
Kloer stepped forward to block him. "Chief Vine..."
The sharp ring of a blade being drawn cut through the air. A flash of silver-blue light flickered before everyone’s eyes. In the blink of an eye, Vine’s blade was pressed against Kloer’s neck. "I’d like to see if Alex can show up before I chop off your head."
Gu Ning’s breath caught in her throat.
Seeing Vine make his move, Seth and the others were about to lunge forward.
Kloer raised his hands and quickly spoke to calm them. "Stay calm."
"I’ll stay. Let them go," Kloer said, seeing that Vine was serious.
The moment he finished speaking, Vine’s blade pressed a fraction closer to his neck. The longsword, forged from Crystal Stone, was incredibly sharp and easily broke his skin, drawing blood. "Did I say you could go?"
Kloer: "..."
’If the soft approach doesn’t work, then I’ll have to use force.’
Just as he was seriously considering whether to transform, a small, thin figure rushed in front of him.
Kloer stared in astonishment at the little Mixed Breed shielding him.
Gu Ning grabbed his hand and stuffed a slip of paper into it.
She didn’t know where she found the courage. From the conversation between Kloer and this Beastman named Vine, she could tell that Vine had no intention of letting them leave.
Anything more Kloer said would be useless and would only anger him further.
Gu Ning leaned against Kloer’s chest and held a glittering gold badge high for Vine to see.
By the time Kloer, Seth, and the others reacted, Vine’s blade had already moved to rest on her small head.
Now they dared not move at all.
Gu Ning was stiff all over, but she held the badge firmly, even pushing it a little closer to him.
Vine’s gaze fell on the little Mixed Breed’s face. All he could see was a pair of bright, shimmering black eyes.
Those eyes were filled with fear, yet they met his gaze without flinching, holding a kind of determination that seemed ready to fight him to the bitter end.
He was slightly surprised.
According to the temperament of a Dwarf hybrid, it should have already lunged forward to bite him, not used a badge as a shield.
The wolf pack watched with great interest as this little one dared to rush under their boss’s blade. They began to howl in a low, continuous rumble, as if egging on the confrontation.
"What’s that in its hand?"
"Looks like a badge?"
"I think I’ve seen it somewhere before..."
"It’s Cyril’s badge," a Wolf Clan Beastman said.
Hearing this, the other wolves showed expressions of displeasure.
"No way. How long has Alex been in Zone 19? Andrew is even protecting the Mixed Breed at his side."
"Protecting it is the same as protecting Alex. The General is too biased."
"Damn, these guys from Zone 5 are so annoying. Can’t they just piss off back to Zone 5? What are they doing stirring up trouble in our Military Department?"
"..."
Vine lowered his gaze to the little Mixed Breed and slowly withdrew his blade. The edge of the sword scraped against the badge, leaving a scratch on it. "What’s your name?"
When Gu Ning saw him sheathe his blade, she let out a huge sigh of relief, her legs almost giving out.
Kloer caught her by the shoulders just in time and said, "Its name is Cook."
Vine paused in the middle of sheathing his blade. He looked up at him, then his gaze shifted back to the little Mixed Breed in an instant.
The wolf pack gradually fell silent.
"What did you say its name was?" Vine asked again, his tone less cold and tinged with a hint of surprise.
"Cook," Kloer said, pulling Gu Ning back and out of Vine’s attack range. Seth and the others closed in, forming a barrier in front of the two of them.
"Cook?" Several Beastmen from behind Vine came forward to his side. "Boss, isn’t that..."
