Chapter 89: Chapter 87: Are the Puppies Protesting Again?

The rain poured.

The battle on the high wall raged on. Gu Ning lay face-up on the ground, submerged in icy rainwater and the blood of Mutant Species corpses.

The world around her was a cacophony of chaos, a grotesque spectacle. Amid the colossal Mutant Species, her tiny figure seemed utterly insignificant.

"Is she dead?"

The Bird Clan squad that had just cleared the area gathered around.

Their attention wasn’t on the Dwarf hybrid lying on the ground, but on their captain, Philinos, who stood before the little Mixed Breed.

As for the little Mixed Breed, whose fate was unknown, their question was merely an afterthought.

Just moments ago, a dozen or so Mutant Species had surrounded this spot. If this little Mixed Breed was still alive after that, they’d have to be cautious.

In fact, the little Mixed Breed was still alive.

Philinos stared at the little Mixed Breed on the ground, his brow furrowed slightly. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

’He’d thought she was a Mixed Breed on the verge of transforming into a high-level Mutant Species. Turns out she wasn’t?’

Just then, other members of the squad also detected the little Mixed Breed’s faint aura. One of them stepped forward, about to kick it to check its condition, when a figure charged over, shoved him aside, and roared, "Get away! Don’t touch her!"

The squad member stumbled back from the immense force. Philinos reached out, steadying him from behind.

Kloer cradled Gu Ning halfway up from the ground, calling her name anxiously, "Little Gu Ning, Little Gu Ning! Wake up!"

"Let’s go," Philinos said. He figured the little Mixed Breed must be related to this Beastman; it had been the Beastman’s whistle that drew them here earlier.

He gave his disgruntled squad member a push. But just as he was about to turn and leave, he saw two Beastmen approaching.

The two Beastmen didn’t even give them a glance, walking straight past them and hurrying over to the little Mixed Breed. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Kloer, how is she?!"

Hearing the anxiety in their voices, Philinos couldn’t help but glance back.

He saw the Beastman called Kloer just as he was about to remove the little Mixed Breed’s mask.

"Kloer, give her to me." One of the Beastmen took the little Mixed Breed from him, interrupting Kloer’s movement. Her small frame vanished into the Beastman’s embrace.

The Beastmen’s protectiveness over the little Mixed Breed struck Philinos as odd, but the shrieks of the Mutant Species didn’t allow him time to dwell on irrelevant matters.

Philinos averted his gaze, spread his wings, and followed his squad into the night sky. The special longsword forged from Crystal Stone in his hand traced arcs of silver-blue light through the air.

...

...

Southern Defense Fortification Base.

War Room.

The chief of Zone 19, high-ranking officers from the Military Department, and the management of Zone 19’s defensive fortifications were all gathered in the conference room. They methodically discussed upcoming battle plans against the Mutant Species, troop deployment, and other matters.

This was an annual affair, so the meeting lacked any real sense of urgency.

Alex sat in a corner at the far end of the conference table, head bowed as he listened to the reports from the other departments.

"Winter came early this year, and the Mutant Species population is up by a third compared to last year. How are the military’s preparations coming along?"

"We worked ourselves to the bone to finish the defensive fortifications ahead of schedule. They’re not just for show. You military types need to get in here, and fast. The Mutant Species have already started their assault."

We can’t deploy our weapons until the military enters Zone 19. Otherwise, we risk friendly fire and slowing their advance.

"Our troops are held up far behind the lines," an officer said. "According to frontline recon, the Mutant Species swarm has several more King Seeds this time around."

Mutant Species swarms led by a King Seed are far more intelligent; they use tactics to outmaneuver their enemies.

Upon hearing there were more King Seeds, everyone in the conference room began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Gentlemen, there’s no need to worry." A deep, resonant voice cut through the chatter.

The speaker was the military’s highest representative, Admiral Andrew. "We’ve already dispatched an advance force. They’ll be more than enough to protect Zone 19’s beautiful high walls."

Alex looked up at the admiral.

"An advance force?" one of the Zone 19 officials asked. "Bird Clan soldiers?"

In previous years, under various circumstances, the military’s advance forces had usually been the Bird Team.

"Correct," Andrew said. "This unit is our ace in the hole. Every soldier is an elite, handpicked from the various Bird Team squads. They excel at both air and ground combat."

This news immediately put everyone’s minds at ease.

The greatest threats to Zone 19’s high walls are the flying Mutant Species and the ones that excel at burrowing.

The ground-based ones were manageable, but those in the sky were far more trouble.

Especially in the initial stages, the flying Mutant Species would launch sporadic, harassing attacks, specifically targeting the defensive installations and weaponry on the walls.

Such clear-cut objectives were a clear sign that a King Seed was in command.

Andrew continued, "To counter the Mutant Species’ penchant for burrowing, we’ve also dispatched a subterranean advance team to protect the fortification personnel from attack."

"Very thorough, Admiral," Alex said.

Andrew clasped his hands and looked over at him, smiling. "Your work this year has been very satisfactory. The Military Department is naturally inclined to contribute more as a result."

Alex was about to say something more when several messages popped up on his terminal in quick succession. He glanced down at the screen...

Seeing the look of appreciation Andrew gave Alex, the Zone 19 chief at his side immediately chimed in. "Alex was sent from the Upper District. The reason our defensive fortifications were completed so well this year is all thanks to the importance the higher-ups placed on the project..."

Before he could finish, Alex suddenly shot to his feet. His chair scraped harshly against the floor, and everyone in the room turned to look at him.

The chief, thinking Alex was about to attack him out of displeasure with his words, instinctively shied away.

But instead, Alex turned and strode out of the room. Before anyone could react, he had vanished from sight.

Seeing Alex leave the conference room in such a hurry, Andrew raised an eyebrow. He glanced at the chief next to him and asked, "What was that about?"

The chief gave an awkward laugh. "Young people from the Upper District just have short fuses..."

Just then, Andrew’s aide-de-camp stepped forward. "Admiral, the eastern defensive fortifications are under attack by a wave of flying Mutant Species."

Andrew ignored the chief’s rambling. He glanced at Alex’s empty seat and asked his aide, "Where are our men?"

The aide replied, "The Bird Team is already on their way. They should have it resolved shortly."

Andrew nodded. After a moment of thought, he said, "Notify the subterranean unit. Tell them to be on alert. It’s probably not just an aerial wave."

The aide complied.

The thought of having to communicate with the Dog Team already gave him a headache.

"What is it?" Andrew asked, catching his aide’s subtle expression. "Are the puppies protesting again?"

The aide cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "They’re a bit temperamental—might be all the digging. Plus, this new formation combined units from two different military regions. There’s a lot of friction. The Dog Team and the Wolf Team are always at each other’s throats."

Andrew chuckled. "Don’t worry about it. A few more days of digging, and they won’t have the energy to stir up trouble."