Chapter 167: Chapter 155: Alex’s Little Mixed Breed?
Kloer had never seen Alex so furious. He stammered, "I-It was Lanuo. He said there was a Mimic Mixed Species with you, so we thought she was..."
Upon hearing Lanuo’s name, the reprimand and fury in Alex’s eyes were instantly overwhelmed by vexation and self-reproach.
"I didn’t believe it, which is why I wanted to come and confirm it with you," Kloer said. "I just didn’t expect that she really is..."
Alex had no time to explain. He released Kloer, turned, and shifted into his beast form. Sniffing the air, he threw his head back and let out a long howl. After hearing the pack’s response, he bolted forward without a second glance.
Kloer shouted, "Boss, where are you going?!"
At a critical juncture like this, if Alex handed command over to Vine, everything he had worked for recently would be for nothing.
In the blink of an eye, Alex vanished into the morning mist.
Kloer slapped himself, cursing himself for being more of a hindrance than a help. As he started walking back, he saw Vine toss the Mixed Breed he was carrying to the ground, roll up his sleeves, and prepare to beat the creature senseless.
"..."
「Zone A」
Philinos approached Andrew, holding Gu Ning in his arms.
Andrew asked, "What is it you wanted to show me?"
Philinos’s gaze swept over the two rows of Beastman soldiers nearby.
Understanding, Andrew instructed Cyril, "Take them up front to stand guard."
Cyril nodded. As he walked past Philinos, he glanced at the little one in his arms.
Gu Ning listened to their conversation, using her gun to lift the edge of her cape. When she saw the surrounding soldiers withdraw, her panic subsided somewhat.
Her mind raced as she pondered Philinos’s objective, sensing that she might have a chance to explain who she was.
’In this situation, there’s no longer any need to hide that I’m a female.’
’With a face like mine, people will either think I’m a Mimic Mixed Species or a female. I don’t have many choices.’
’But how do I explain? I have no idea where the pen and paper I was carrying went, so I’ll have to use my words.’
She had a decent vocabulary in the Beastman language, but she still couldn’t manage to speak a few coherent sentences smoothly.
Gu Ning was mentally rehearsing how to state in the simplest, clearest way that she was not a Mimic Mixed Species, when Philinos set her down in front of Andrew and pulled the cape from her head.
Gu Ning was speechless. ’Couldn’t you have given me some warning?!’
Gu Ning tilted her head up, meeting Andrew’s gaze for a moment. Her hands moved faster than her mouth.
Clasping the silver pistol in both hands, she raised it and aimed it at Andrew.
Andrew lowered his eyes, studying her face for a moment before grasping the muzzle of her gun. He chuckled, "Alex’s little Mixed Breed? What are you doing all the way up here to play?"
His words were like a window being carved into a dark, sealed room. Sunlight poured in, fresh air rushed in, and she could finally breathe again.
In an instant, the shadows clouding Gu Ning’s heart were mostly swept away.
The words she was about to say got tangled in her throat. All she could do was nod. "Yes, that’s me."
Andrew looked at her and thought, ’So that’s how it is. No wonder Alex guards her like she’s the apple of his eye.’
Gu Ning stammered, "I... I’m not a Mimic Mixed Species."
Hearing the tearful quaver in the little one’s voice, Andrew released the muzzle, gently cupped her chin to lift it, and then quickly let go to pat her head. "Of course you aren’t. Who played such a joke on you? I’ll teach them a lesson for you later."
His easygoing, paternal tone dissolved the last of Gu Ning’s gloom. His words made what had felt like a world-ending disaster shrink into something very, very small.
The thought that she had nearly been used as bait to feed Mutant Species made Gu Ning’s knees feel weak.
Only now did she feel her body, frozen stiff. A blast of cold, high-altitude wind made her sway.
Andrew reached out to steady her, but Gu Ning still didn’t dare to trust him completely. She staggered backward, not daring to lower the gun in her hand.
A hand reached out from behind her, pressing against her back to steady her.
Gu Ning jumped away as if shocked, whirling to aim her gun at the person behind her.
Philinos’s hand froze in midair. His mouth hung slightly open, and it took him a long moment to ask, "Still want to play?"
Gu Ning’s lips thinned into a line. She aimed the muzzle at his feet and pulled the trigger.
It didn’t budge.
Gu Ning was furious. ’What a piece of junk!’
Just then, a heavy coat was draped over her. Gu Ning looked up. Andrew put a loose arm around her, took hold of her gun hand, and helped her flip off the safety.
"Try again," he said, steadying her wrist.
Gu Ning hesitated for a second before pulling the trigger. This time, a muffled bang erupted from the muzzle. The bullet struck the wall beside Philinos, blasting a large hole in the hard surface. The recoil sent her stumbling back into Andrew’s chest.
Andrew steadied her by the shoulders. Seeing her struggle with the weapon’s weight, he said, "I’ll find you a lighter gun to play with later."
The pent-up frustration in Gu Ning’s chest dissipated with that shot.
Still, she fired another shot at Philinos’s feet to vent her frustration.
Philinos stood his ground, watching the furious... female. He wanted to say something more to her, but a gust of wind brought a dangerous signal.
Catching a scent on the air, Philinos and Andrew simultaneously turned to look east.
"The King Seed is here," Philinos said gravely.
"Go," Andrew said to Philinos, glancing down at the young female. "Alex’s unit has likely been thrown into confusion. Go and get them under control."
Philinos nodded and took a step toward Gu Ning. Seeing him approach, she immediately retreated.
Andrew was standing right behind her, and her retreat sent her bumping into his chest.
Andrew gripped her shoulders to steady her and said to Philinos, "Go do what you need to do first."
Philinos gave Gu Ning one last, steady look before spreading his wings and soaring into the sky.
Once he was gone, only Gu Ning and Andrew remained, facing each other.
Gu Ning silently edged to the side.
"Are you cold?" Andrew asked Gu Ning softly.
Gu Ning tugged at the heavy coat on her shoulders and gave a slight shake of her head.
Hearing a voice from his earpiece, Andrew said, "Just a moment."
Gu Ning remained silent, leaning against a supply crate by the wall to catch her breath. With no one staring at her, she could finally relax.
Gu Ning swung her legs and rotated her aching wrists.
’This gun is a real pain. It’s powerful, but too heavy. The two Barto gave me were much easier to handle.’
Gu Ning shifted the gun from one hand to the other, still not daring to set it down.
After the whole ordeal, she was mentally and physically exhausted and just wanted to rest for a while.
But the thought that Cook and Barto’s situation was still unresolved made her straighten her spine and look toward Andrew.
Andrew was turned to the side, his hand pressed to the communicator at his ear, speaking to someone.
The moment she looked over, he lowered his hand and met her gaze. "Is there something you want to say to me?"
Gu Ning was silent for a moment, then said, "Admiral."
Hearing her halting use of the common tongue, Andrew smiled. "My name is Andrew."
"Admiral Andrew," Gu Ning said.
Andrew raised an eyebrow slightly and waited patiently for her to continue.
"Please... help," Gu Ning said, choosing her words carefully.
"It’s alright, take your time." Andrew sat down on a nearby supply crate, lowering himself to put the young female at ease.
"What do you need help with?" Andrew asked. "I’m afraid Alex will be busy for a while, so you won’t be seeing him just yet. You can tell me whatever you need."
Hearing this, Gu Ning changed what she was about to say. Slowly, but clearly, she asked, "Save my friends. Can you do that?"
Hearing her struggle to communicate, Andrew cut straight to the point. "Do you know where your friends are?"
Gu Ning nodded vigorously.
Andrew glanced up and saw Cyril approaching. He stood and pulled her cape back over her head. "I’ll give you a team. You can take them to rescue your friends. However, Zone 19 isn’t safe, so we can’t let too many people see you for now, alright?"
