Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Yan Bubu noticed he couldn't see Wang Suizi's quantum beast and pushed up the helmet sliding down his eyes, "Wang Suizi, where's your koala? I haven’t seen it."

Chen Wen's short-tailed crocodile was also attacking the sand dune bugs, but he hadn’t seen the koala either.

Wang Suizi replied, "It's still behind."

Yan Bubu ducked to avoid a strand of sand dune bug silk, "Hasn’t it run out of the cornfield yet?"

"Hmm."

"How much longer does it have to run?"

"...Probably about ten minutes."

Both remained silent, darting left and right to sort out their respective sentinels. Yan Bubu eventually couldn’t hold back, "Then why don’t you keep it in your psychic realm and carry it with you? Release it once you get here. It's better than letting it run through the cornfield by itself."

Earlier on the truck, the instructor had asked everyone to release their quantum beasts. Although Wang Suizi's koala came out a little later, it only took about six or seven minutes.

Wang Suizi opened her mouth, then closed it, and after a moment, she explained with difficulty, "Actually, when we heard the alarm in the lecture hall, I was already releasing it from my psychic realm."

Yan Bubu recalled the time it took to release the koala from the psychic realm and suddenly understood.

With Yan Bubu's assistance, Feng Chen’s psychic power was fully unleashed, not only annihilating the sand dune bugs on his entire line but also aiding other sentinels.

The arrival of the guide trainees greatly relieved the pressure on the guide soldiers. Yan Bubu didn’t need to guide other sentinels and focused solely on Feng Chen, just applying psychic restraints on the sand dune bugs.

On Yan Bubu's left, Zhao Cui's shrieks were incessant, while Wang Suizi on the right was quiet, only Chen Wen’s irritable voice occasionally broke through.

"Why the hell are you running? If you run to the far right, how am I supposed to guide you? Do I need to get a car to chase you...?"

As the sand dune bugs continuously spat silk at the crowd, Yan Bubu dodged several strands flying towards him, watching them land on the ground where the broken cornstalks hissed and turned into charred ash.

Occasionally, a trainee would cry out in pain, and a medic would rush over with a barrel of alcohol, pouring it directly on the areas where the silk had adhered.

Yan Bubu noticed that the combat suits of the sentinels ahead were all tattered. Feng Chen's combat suit had several rips and was soaked with alcohol, indicating he too had been hit by the silk. Yan Bubu's heart ached at the thought.

Feng Chen, after jointly eliminating a sand dune bug with a nearby sentinel, noticed someone standing beside him. Glancing out of the corner of his eye and seeing it was Yan Bubu, he quickly ordered, "Get back, don't stand here."

"It's okay, I won't be in trouble," Yan Bubu reassured, reaching to embrace his waist. "Have you forgotten about the conscious imagery in my mind?"

"Does conscious imagery mean no mistakes?" Feng Chen fired a shot forward. "Get back, don't get in the way here."

"There won't be any mistakes," Yan Bubu insisted, tightening his hold around Feng Chen's waist instead of retreating, "This way."

Feng Chen moved half a step to the left following his lead, and several strands of sand dune bug silk fell beside them, sizzling as they melted into the sand.

"Two steps to that side... step back... one step this way..."

Feng Chen followed Yan Bubu's directions, skillfully avoiding the incoming strands of sand dune bug silk.

After ejecting the empty magazine and clicking a new one into place, he shot at an approaching sand dune bug, asking, "Didn’t you know left from right? Why 'this side, that side' now?"

Yan Bubu countered, "Step back two steps... Thinking about left and right takes a moment, isn't 'this side, that side' more convenient?"

With Yan Bubu's assistance, Feng Chen didn’t have to split his focus to dodge the bug silk, concentrating solely on combating the sand dune bugs.

The fight was still intense elsewhere, but on their line, the sand dune bugs had almost been wiped out. The remaining bugs no longer charged their way, instead attacking other areas, so the pair moved to support nearby sentinel-guides.

A tall, skinny middle-aged man in a combat suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, approached from the other side, followed by two instructors. He spoke to them as he walked, and they nodded frequently.

"...The most important thing is cooperation. You're the chief instructor, so when you go back, emphasize this to the class instructors. The medics must take good care of them; we can't have any accidents..." The middle-aged man, eyes fixed on the fiercest part of the battlefield, slowly stopped, his voice trailing off.

The chief instructor, following his gaze, saw two sentinel trainees each dealing with a sand dune bug. One of them... his waist was embraced by a guide trainee, and the two moved together as if they were conjoined twins.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! At a time like this... this..." The chief instructor turned to the instructor beside him, whose expression turned stern: "They're not from my class."

The trio watched the pair, akin to conjoined twins, swiftly eliminate the sand dune bug in front of them and then simultaneously dodge several strands of bug silk coming from the left. The sentinel, while moving, also turned his gun to assist another nearby, taking down two more sand dune bugs.

With all the surrounding sand dune bugs killed, the two still didn’t separate. The sentinel, holding a gun in one hand, embraced the guide's shoulder with the other, and together they ran towards another battlefield to the left.

"What's this stickiness? They're on a battlefield, after all—"

"That sentinel's reflexes and judgment are very strong. Look at the clear space on the left; all the sand dune bugs there have been eliminated," the middle-aged man interrupted the chief instructor, turning his head to ask, "Do you know who he is?"

"...I've never seen him before," the chief instructor also looked towards the left sand area, his expression turning to astonishment, "He really wiped out all the sand dune bugs in this area!"

Another class instructor commented, "They must be the two new trainees recently sent to the academy by the Eastern Alliance Army."

The middle-aged man nodded and continued walking forward, instructing the chief instructor, "Find their class and have their class instructor take them for a test, a level assessment."

"Yes, Dean Kong."

Feng Chen and Yan Bubu assisted another sentinel trainee in killing a sand dune bug, then headed towards another fiercely contested area. The sentinel watched their retreating figures for a while, then, while catching his breath, turned to look at his guide standing a few meters behind.

"What?" The guide felt uneasy under his gaze.

The sentinel gestured a motion of embracing around the waist, "Should we do the same? It seems more effective."

The guide said nothing, just coldly stared at him, and the sentinel sheepishly turned his head back.

By seven in the evening, four hours had passed since this group of sentinel and guide trainees had engaged in battle. The sand dune bugs were almost completely annihilated. They no longer charged forward, instead burrowing into the sand and fleeing into the distance.

"The sand dune bugs are running, we finally drove them off..."

The tattered sentinel-guides cheered, tossing their helmets into the air and embracing each other, celebrating another successful defense of the plantation.

Overwhelmed by the victory, Yan Bubu also screamed and turned to embrace Feng Chen.

"Brother, my heart is beating so fast..." He listened to the cheers around them, feeling warmth in his eyes and his heart pounding rapidly.

Feng Chen smiled and patted him, his eyes also twinkling with joy.

Yan Bubu looked past Feng Chen's shoulder and saw Zhao Cui embracing each young sentinel one by one, her face beaming with a toothy grin.

"Hugs... we won, we won again... come, let Sister hug you..."

An older-looking sentinel squeezed through the crowd, arms open towards Zhao Cui, who immediately retracted her smile and sternly walked away. Her large white goose, which had been hesitantly hovering around without attacking the sand dune bugs, now bravely pecked at an old sentinel's yellow dog beside him, sending it fleeing in a flurry.

"Let's head back, everyone gather and return to the academy," the chief commander's voice boomed through the loudspeaker, "Everyone performed exceptionally today, helping the military defend the plantation. I've already spoken to the canteen, there will be extra meals for everyone tonight!"

"Yay... extra meals..."

"Let's have something good tonight, I want corn, just looking at these stalks is making me drool."

"The corn isn't ripe yet, what are you going to eat?"

"Commander, what's for the extra meal tonight?"

"The commander said, 'There are sandworm carcasses everywhere. Don't let them go to waste. We'll have sandworm meat for our extra meal.'"

"No way! I'd rather starve than eat sandworm meat."

"That's disgusting. I feel like throwing up."

"Is this what they call an extra meal? More like a punishment."

"The regular troops had already departed. The soldiers, walking away, couldn't help but laugh at the noisy group of trainees."

The commander's voice also carried a hint of laughter: "How about wild boar meat then? Accompanied by stir-fried greens and mushroom soup?"

"Wow, stir-fried greens! Great, we have vegetables to eat."

"I can't believe they're willing to let us eat the greens from the plantation. That's fantastic."

……

"The trainees walked back through the cornfield. Though their clothes were tattered and torn, their spirits were high, filling the cornfield with laughter and chatter."

"Yan Bubu followed behind Feng Chen. Suddenly, he heard Wang Suizi calling his name. Both turned around to see Wang Suizi approaching with a sentinel in combat gear."

"Despite being covered in rags and her face smeared with grime, it was still evident that the sentinel was a woman of fine appearance."

"Yan Bubu, now 175 cm tall, was slightly shorter than the female sentinel, who stood around 178 cm. With both hands resting on the gun slung across her shoulder, she adjusted her position subtly after getting a clear view of Yan Bubu's face, her eyes sparkling with recognition."

"Feng Chen, who had been expressionless, now narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed her."

"Fan Renjing, do you remember me?" The female sentinel, ignoring Feng Chen, asked Yan Bubu in a slightly husky mezzo-soprano.

Yan Bubu stared at her, then, recalling what Wang Suizi had mentioned about Ji Yi being at the academy, blurted out, "You are Ji Yi!"

Before the sentinel could respond, Yan Bubu excitedly confirmed, "You really are Ji Yi, the senior who often came to our junior class to train us."

Ji Yi's expression stiffened momentarily, then she broke into a smile, lifting her hand to remove her steel helmet, tossing her long black hair to the side.

A peacock appeared at her feet, its eyes fixed on Yan Bubu, slowly spreading its fan-like tail feathers, rustling continuously.

"Yes, I'm Ji Yi. We studied together on the Hive Ship. Fan Renjing, I remember you. Your singing voice used to drift into our classroom." Ji Yi, with her left hand holding her rifle and her right hand in her pocket, tilted her mouth slightly.

Yan Bubu laughed foolishly a few times.

Ji Yi opened her arms, gesturing for a hug. He moved his arms too, but as he did, Feng Chen grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him aside.

Only then did Ji Yi turn to Feng Chen, "And who might this be...?"

"My brother. You remember him? He used to be called Qin Shen," Yan Bubu proudly said, mentioning Feng Chen, "You must have seen him. He was on stage with me during the commendation ceremony for killing the Kanze lizard."

"Nice to meet you, brother," Ji Yi quickly stood straight to greet Feng Chen.

Feng Chen just nodded slightly, then took hold of Yan Bubu, "Let's go."

"Okay," Yan Bubu waved to Ji Yi and Wang Suizi, signaling he was leaving first.

Watching Yan Bubu's retreating figure, Ji Yi nudged Wang Suizi, "Does Fan Renjing have a sentinel?"

Wang Suizi glanced at her, "I don't know."

"Can you find out for me?" asked Ji Yi.

Wang Suizi smiled wryly, "You should ask his brother. He would know."

Ji Yi rasped, "But I'm currently pursuing a junior named Wang Xue-something... Does this make me seem fickle?"

Wang Suizi chuckled, tucking the koala on her lap into her mental realm, and strode forward.

The truck for transporting students was parked outside the plantation. Once all the students were aboard, it departed towards the central city.

Back at the academy, Yan Bubu and his companion took a shower, changed into clean uniforms, and headed to the cafeteria for a meal. Black Lion and Binunu didn't join them, playing on the lawn outside the building instead.

Yan Bubu had just filled his plate when he turned and saw Wang Suizi waving at him from a large round table, with Chen Wenchao sitting beside her.

"Brother, Wang Suizi is calling us over to eat," Yan Bubu said.

Feng Chen glanced around the cafeteria and, seeing most tables occupied, replied, "Then let's go."

The four of them sat together to eat. Wang Suizi and Yan Bubu chatted while eating, Chen Wenchao sat tense, not daring to glance at Feng Chen.

Feng Chen, on the other hand, ate quietly, not engaging in their conversation.

"Feng-ge, Bubu!" Suddenly, someone called out nearby, their voice carrying a hint of uncertainty. Yan Bubu and Feng Chen turned to see Ding Hongsheng and Cai Tao standing beside them with their plates.

"It is you guys! I knew you looked familiar. Old Ding doubted it!" exclaimed Cai Tao in surprise, "When did you get here? We had no idea."

Seeing familiar faces, Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi shifted to make space, allowing Cai Tao and Ding Hongsheng to sit down, joining the meal.

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Cai Tao, and this is Old Ding, Ding Hongsheng." Cai Tao extended his hand, seeing the two guides at the table.

"I'm Wang Suizi, and this is Chen Wenchao," Wang Suizi and Chen Wenchao shook hands with them in turn.

Ding Hongsheng laughed, "Cai Tao and I were planning to visit you guys at the resettlement site this weekend, but here we are, meeting you now."

"We just entered the academy last night, so we didn’t have time to look for you," Feng Chen responded.

Cai Tao quickly followed up, "So, have you joined the Eastern or Western Alliance Army?"

"We were sent by the Eastern Alliance," Yan Bubu mumbled, his mouth full of greens.

Cai Tao immediately high-fived Ding Hongsheng, while Wang Suizi asked in shock, "You didn't join the Western Alliance?" Even Chen Wenchao, who had been quietly eating, looked up at them.

Yan Bubu shook his head, and Feng Chen calmly added, "The Eastern Alliance approached us first, so we joined them."

"But, but..." Wang Suizi opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.

A flicker of realization crossed Chen Wenchao's eyes before he resumed eating.

Yan Bubu knew they misunderstood, thinking he and Feng Chen still harbored resentment about not being taken aboard the ship as children, hence their reluctance to join the Western Alliance, but he chose not to clarify and remained silent.

Cai Tao and Ding Hongsheng, however, were delighted and began asking about their class and if Feng Chen needed help getting settled, wondering which floor of the Sentinel Tower he lived on.

Yan Bubu, biting the end of his chopsticks, said, "My brother doesn't live in the Sentinel Tower. He stays with me."

"Together?"

"Yes, we live in that small building over there," Yan Bubu said, pointing towards the door.

"Ah... you already, already... but I can't sense it," Cai Tao said in shock, pointing his finger, while the others' gazes shifted back and forth between Yan Bubu and Feng Chen.

"What about us? Sense what?" Yan Bubu asked, puzzled.

Feng Chen glanced at Cai Tao and explained, "Due to some special circumstances, it's inconvenient for us to stay in the dormitory, so Colonel Chen allowed us to move in there temporarily."

"Oh, I see..."

While they were talking, a low mezzo-soprano voice suddenly came from not far away, "Little brother, do you have a map?"

"What map?"

The mezzo-soprano continued, "I got lost in your eyes, so I need a map."

Everyone except Feng Chen and Chen Wenchao, who continued eating, looked towards the source of the voice. Ji Yi was leaning casually against the doorframe, blocking the way of a junior guide.

"Tell your sister, which class are you from?"

The junior guide, cheeks flushed, pushed away Ji Yi's arm and hurriedly walked forward. Ji Yi, undisturbed, watched him leave before turning her head, spotting Yan Bubu instantly.

"Jingjing," Ji Yi mouthed to Yan Bubu, winking her right eye at him.

Unsure how to respond, Yan Bubu was a bit dazed. Feng Chen tapped his plate with his chopsticks, "Eat your meal and stop looking around."

"Oh," Yan Bubu nodded at Ji Yi and turned back to his meal.

Ji Yi glanced at Wang Suizi beside Yan Bubu, about to smile, but Wang Suizi rolled her eyes, muttering, "Greasy."

Undeterred, Ji Yi cheerfully went to the window to get her plate of food.