Chapter 71

Chapter 71

"Hah... hah..."

A boy, seemingly no older than ten, huddled inside a dark, cramped cabinet. Fear made tears patter onto his arms, which, along with his legs and cheeks, were covered in scrapes. Sticky blood trickled down his face. Clenching his teeth, he pressed the back of his hand tightly against his mouth, desperately trying to stifle his sobs, his heart thundering in his ears.

He had been hiding in this dark, claustrophobic cabinet for five hours, not daring to move. The only light seeped through a narrow crack, revealing a pristine white laboratory outside. Overhead, flickering fluorescent lights cast a dull, monotonous glow.

Monsters in white lab coats shuffled aimlessly through the laboratory corridors.

Hugging his knees tightly, the boy trembled helplessly from terror and despair. Yet, even at this moment, a flicker of relief remained—relief that his older brother hadn’t entered the S-Gate with him.

I miss my brother so much...

Soon, a full day and night passed. The prolonged lack of food left him weak and dizzy, his stomach growling uncontrollably. He could only swallow his own saliva to stave off the hunger, but then—his stomach let out a loud rumble.

His heart pounded wildly as he watched in horror as a long, segmented limb reached through the gap in the cabinet.

The limb looked like rough bone encased in a thin, veinless layer of muscle, appearing unnaturally elongated and deformed.

*Creak—* The rusted cabinet door groaned under the strain.

His heart stopped.

His face went pale as his blue eyes reflected the grotesque, misshapen head of the monster. The intelligent creature had five skulls attached to its neck, each one rotating with a sickening *click-clack*. Its cloudy white eyes studied him, and its mouth—lined with sharp teeth—slowly stretched open, widening until it reached its ears.

"Hah... hah... found you..."

A nightmare.

I hate nightmares...

Luo Ci snapped awake, his heart pounding like a racing rabbit in his chest. His snowy rabbit ears were so startled that they flopped backward.

He rubbed his face with his little paws and sat up, trying to recall the nightmare he’d just had—but the memory was already slipping away.

It had felt deeply significant, yet it didn’t seem like something he had personally experienced.

Hmm...

Then...

It probably wasn’t important, right?

Important things would come back to him eventually.

The little bunny yawned and glanced around, only then realizing he was in an unfamiliar place.

It looked like a bedroom, but it was way too big—more like a luxury penthouse at the top of a skyscraper.

Wall-sized windows surrounded the space, and the furniture was sleek minimalist in monochrome. A massive wall-mounted screen took up an entire side of the room.

The air carried the zesty scent of orange blossoms.

Mmm... smells nice.

And he was sitting on a luxurious bed—so huge he could race and tumble on it to his heart’s content.

Luo Ci looked down and saw a tiny IV needle inserted into his small front paw, the thin tube connected to an IV stand by the bed.

He wondered how the doctor had even found a vein in his paw, which was barely bigger than a fingernail.

*Ding—*

The elevator doors in the distance slid open.

A Jin, spotting the little bunny’s gaze, immediately broke into a wide grin. Before Luo Ci could react, A Jin had already appeared at the bedside. "Looks like our little one’s awake! You slept for two whole days—scared me half to death!"

Two days?

He had actually slept for two whole days?

Luo Ci bolted upright, not noticing his drooping ears. The moment he tried to stand, his short legs got tangled in his overly long ears, causing him to face-plant into the mattress. Luckily, the mattress was so soft that it didn’t hurt at all.

But the already disoriented bunny was now even more confused.

The small rabbit’s blue eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, and his snow-white fur was incredibly fluffy. Whether lying down or sitting up, he looked like a perfect little ball of fluff. A Jin couldn’t help but laugh, scooping the little one into his hands and nuzzling his face against the bunny’s impossibly soft fur.

"Tsk, those healers are useless. Made our little one lie in bed for two whole days."

The healer following behind him was already used to this. A vein bulged on his forehead, but he forced a polite smile as he removed the empty IV bag. "A Jin, even the best healers can only treat physical injuries. We can’t fix malnutrition."

"Ahh..." A Jin waved him off dismissively, his attention entirely captured by the little bunny in his arms. The little ball of fluff was smaller than his palm, and he couldn’t resist gently tweaking the bunny’s stubby tail. The tail twitched in surprise, curling into a tight ball. "Didn’t you say that once he got enough nutrients, he’d turn back into a human? Why hasn’t he changed yet?"

The healer sighed. "Tests confirmed that this Arctic Hare is indeed human. However, due to the presence of beast-form genes, he’s temporarily trapped in this form. As for why he hasn’t transformed back yet... aside from nutritional deficiencies, it’s likely also related to psychological factors—lack of adaptation and trust in the new environment."

Among ability users, there was a special subset known as shapeshifters. Their offspring had a chance of inheriting their animal forms, but their physical abilities, senses, and overall constitution didn’t reach the level of true ability users. They merely inherited the animal form—they weren’t considered full-fledged ability users.

A Jin latched onto the main point, lifting the little bunny up in both hands. The small snowball stared back at him with round, blue eyes, completely clueless. "So what you’re saying is, I just need to spend more time bonding with him."

"...You could put it that way."

The little bunny blinked in confusion as the young man waved a hand, whipping up a gust of wind that sent the healer straight out the door. Then, A Jin proceeded to cover him in kisses and nuzzles. Luo Ci didn’t understand what kind of world he was in, nor why he had turned into a tiny bunny, but he could sense that this scruffy-haired young man meant him no harm.

Having used the healer and promptly discarded him, A Jin cradled the little bunny in his palms, planning to take advantage of the others’ absence to strengthen their bond.

The bunny’s blue eyes were like crystal-clear glass marbles—clear, sparkling, and breathtakingly beautiful. A Jin thought that if he ever saw such pretty marbles in a store, he’d buy them without hesitation. Smiling, he gently stroked the bunny’s fur and coaxed, "Do you know who I am, little one? I’m your A Jin brother. Can you talk? Say ‘brother’ for me."

Luo Ci blinked his big eyes, one fluffy ear perking up as he tilted his head. He tried to make a sound: "Mmmph."

"Nope, it’s ‘brother’." A Jin lightly tapped the bunny’s pink nose. Luo Ci’s ears twitched, his nose tickling, and he let out a tiny sneeze: "Achoo!"

"Say ‘brother’."

"Gah..."

Just as A Jin was thoroughly enjoying teasing the little bunny, a pair of slender, pale hands reached over and scooped up the little bunny from his grasp. A Jin snapped his head around, his goofy grin vanishing instantly. "Roland?! What are you doing here?!"

"Today’s experiments are finished."

Roland’s voice was flat and quiet.

The little bunny looked up. He remembered the scent of this embrace. The young man before him had fine, pale features, his irises a faint lilac hue—wide but vacant. His long lashes cast soft shadows, giving him a quiet, sad beauty reminiscent of classical paintings.

If only he would smile—he’d surely be stunning.

Luo Ci’s round eyes widened as he stared into those mysterious, hypnotic eyes. The longer he looked, the more it felt like he was being pulled in.

Roland’s hand gently stroked his back, and Luo Ci couldn’t help but close his eyes in contentment, his little tail twitching happily behind him.

Roland carefully touched the little one's mouth, unsure if it was dry from playing the back-and-forth game with A Jin for too long. "The little one's thirsty."

"I'll grab some water!" A Jin smacked his forehead.

As a wind-type sentinel, A Jin moved with astonishing speed. Luo Ci watched in amazement as the young man zipped to the living room, operated the control panel, and filled a glass with hot water—all in less than two seconds.

Just as A Jin was about to hand the glass directly to the baby, a sigh came from nowhere.

The shadows in the corner seemed to come alive as a man dressed impeccably, his hair neatly combed back and wire-frame glasses perched on his nose, stepped out. "Are you really planning to give the baby water like this?"

A Jin looked puzzled. "Why not?"

"Boiling water will scald the baby's throat."

Zhong Shijin extended his hand, and A Jin obediently handed him the glass.

A curl of icy mist drifted from Zhong Shijin's palm, rapidly cooling the hot water. After checking the temp with the back of his hand, he passed it to Roland and turned to A Jin. "We are sentinels—our bodies are heavily reinforced. We could drink lye without issue, but a baby's stomach can't handle it."

It clicked for A Jin.

He had been identified as a sentinel at birth, possessing freakish physical strength. His upbringing had revolved around sentinel training, leaving him with little understanding of the differences in physical resilience.

Roland fed the water to the little furball, his gaze distant yet soft. The tiny creature was so fragile that he couldn't help murmuring, "So delicate... so weak yet so adorable..."

Weak... warm...

It tugged at his protective side.

Zhong Shijin shook his head, remembering that the baby hadn't eaten in two days. He turned and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge stocked daily with fresh ingredients by the logistics department.

Considering they were now caring for an Arctic Hare baby, he carefully selected the freshest carrots and crispest greens, intending to make a veggie mash.

Though Zhong Shijin wasn't one to follow recipes, he was used to taking care of himself. Before missions or battles, he always cooked his own breakfast.

Confident in his culinary skills, he lifted the lid half an hour later—only to reveal a bowl of sludgy black mush.

He tasted it, finding no difference from usual, and scooped a portion into a small bowl.

After thoughtfully cooling it, he brought it to the baby.

Luo Ci's little belly had been growling with hunger for a while. When he saw Zhong Shijin approaching with the bowl, his head perked up eagerly—until he caught sight of the black, unidentifiable lump inside. His drooping ear shot up in alarm.

Zhong Shijin adjusted his glasses. "Try it. It tastes good."

"...Gurgle."

Clutching his empty belly with tiny paws, the little furball sniffed the scorched smell wafting from the spoon Roland held out. Tentatively, he stuck out his pink tongue.

Roland's gaze lingered on that tiny tongue for half a second before bringing the spoon closer.

One small lick later, a wave of sour, salty, and bitter flavors assaulted the baby's senses. Tears instantly welled up in his eyes.

He had never tasted anything so pungent and bizarre.

You liar. This is awful.

With tears brimming, the little furball turned his face away, refusing another bite.

A Jin pointed at Zhong Shijin, Pfft—hahaha! laughing and slapping his knee. "Looks like your cooking isn't that great either!"

Zhong Shijin: "..."

He had always thought it was passable.

Could it be that sentinels' taste buds were different from others'?

In the end, Zhong Shijin contacted the logistics department to prepare real food for the baby.

Within fifteen minutes, four staff in uniforms wheeled a food cart out of the elevator.

Luo Ci didn't hide his curiosity. The staff wore matching uniforms, pushing a luxurious cart laden with dishes of various cuisines.

They arranged the food on the table with practiced efficiency.

When the lids were lifted, Luo Ci sighed in relief. He had started to think all food in this world was strange—but apparently, some was normal.

His belly flat from hunger, the baby obediently ate every carrot cube offered, no matter who fed him. He didn’t usually like carrots, but perhaps because he was now an Arctic Hare, they tasted sweet.

Roland held a carrot cube while the little furball rested his paws on his wrist, munching happily, chubby cheeks puffing with each bite.

Mid-carrot feast, Luo Ci suddenly felt something else pressed to his lips—a piece of broccoli drenched in salad dressing. "...Huh?"

A Jin watched expectantly.

Testing a nibble, the little furball lifted his paws and hugged the broccoli like a prize.

Zhong Shijin stepped onto the balcony to take a call. When he returned, he found Roland and A Jin in a feeding war—one feeding carrots, the other broccoli. "The Guide Department sent a reminder," he said. "Don’t forget your routine soothing session before 5 PM."

A Jin, utterly absorbed in watching the little rabbit eat, didn’t even look up. The broccoli leaf in his palm disappeared bite by bite. "Yeah, yeah."

Before long, Luo Ci’s belly was nice and plump. He yawned contentedly, making his already plump form even rounder. A soft smile touched Roland’s lips.

He let Roland carefully wipe his mouth before burying his little paws under his belly and resting his head against Roland’s hand.

His little stomach rose and fell with each breath.

Belly full, he was ready for a nap.

Meanwhile, Roland and A Jin had to head to the Guide Department for their soothing session.

Though reluctant to leave, the routine check was mandatory.

Tansapa regulations required all sentinels—especially core S-class sentinels—to undergo soothing sessions with the Guide Department every two weeks.

While A-class Guides’ soothing had limited effect on them (they usually relied on Soothing Liquid to stabilize their levels), it was better safe than sorry and served as a regular check-up.

Generally, stability levels needed to remain above 60%. Falling below meant getting benched from missions.

"What a drag," A Jin grumbled, hands behind his head. "Why do the higher-ups get to skip this while we have to follow it?"

Roland replied flatly, "You could suggest that to the Chairman."

A Jin rubbed his nose. "Yeah, no thanks."

The Guide Department’s hall was bright and spotless. Through the windows, he saw an ashen-faced B-class sentinel—eyes flickering with unstable gold—being hauled into a room, only to emerge later looking perfectly calm.

Ah, only at times like this does he envy these lower-rank sentinels.

Getting treatment from a matched-rank guide, easily cured—that must feel amazing.

Unlike the Soothing Liquid, which tastes as bitter and disgusting as asphalt, and is hard to find to boot.

A Jin drank two bottles of Soothing Liquid after returning from the SS Gate, and his readings hovered around 70%, easily passing inspection. He noticed Roland's readings on the screen were actually at 85%.

That was a very safe level.

But Roland was even more careless about his health than he was, usually only chugging two bottles of Soothing Liquid when he was at his limit.

Previous checks showed his readings lower than A Jin's.

What was going on?

A Jin was usually reckless, but at crucial moments, he was razor-sharp: "Did you receive soothing after returning from the SS Gate?"

Roland was puzzled: "No."

A Jin recalled recent events, his expression gradually turning serious: "That's weird. Unless..."