Chapter 64: Short legs

What kind of guidance session needs to last that long?

Xander could also smell the dense, unmistakable scent of Bunny clinging to his good brother’s body.

That was definitely not an aroma that could be picked up from simple, casual contact.

He had always believed Tyr was stagnant water that held no interest in anything and could not stir even the slightest ripple—like a self-enclosed island. Looking at him now, that might not be the case.

Even a brother who had only recently wished him good luck could still be quietly making moves behind his back.

How did that saying go again? Bros before hoes? Obviously not for Tyr.

Xander’s sharp gaze made Tyr feel guilty for a moment. But on second thought, why should he feel guilty?

He had only asked the guide for a hug. He had not done anything offensive.

Xander smiled and casually slung an arm over Tyr’s shoulder. "Looking forward to that drink with you."

Only then did Tyr relax. He knew Xander’s possessiveness was just as twisted as Cryus’s.

After Tyr left, Rin floated out from somewhere unknown. Staring at the pink-haired man’s retreating back, he remarked lightly:

"He seems to be very ill."

Curious, Bunny asked, "You can even detect that?"

Rin listed a long string of complex data she could not understand. "The neurotransmitter pathways in his brain have remained at an extremely suppressed level for a long time. If this continues, it will develop toward the opposite extreme—mania."

She was not a psychologist, yet Xander’s words suddenly echoed in her mind again:

"For sentinels, the guide is their shrink."

"Rin, I’m leaving the base tomorrow. If anything unexpected happens, contact me through the radio."

Rin immediately looked dejected. "I want to go with you."

She shot him a flat look. "Your crystal radiation range is limited. Stay here and watch the house."

"But Rin has never seen the outside world."

That single sentence left her speechless. She wondered—did virtual beings also possess a subjective desire to explore the unknown?

Until now, she had always assumed that the only instructions their creators had programmed into them were to provide emotional value to their owners.

"There will be chances in the future."

A third-generation expansion crystal was extremely expensive. She simply could not afford one.

Wearing that face that looked as though it had stepped straight out of a two-dimensional world, Rin asked excitedly, "Really?"

She gave a soft hum of agreement. In any case, he was only a virtual being—if she shut him down, he would never know.

Rin suddenly imitated Tyr’s earlier posture and nestled into her arms. The red teardrop mole at the outer corner of his eye seemed to grow even more alluring from happiness. "Bunny, you’re so kind."

He was happy, even though there was no actual sense of physical touch.

***

The next morning, Bunny’s squad assembled early, fully equipped and ready to depart.

This was her first time following them out on a mission, and she was a little excited. After being locked inside the sentinel tower for so long, she had nearly started growing mushrooms.

She put on the full set of nano combat suit, tactical vest, multi-function tactical belt, holster, knee pads... as well as an explosion-proof military helmet equipped with a communication radar and night-vision device.

The tactical vest alone was nearly heavy enough to crush her. It was loaded with magazines, grenades, a radio, light sticks, a first-aid kit, hemostatic agents...

If not for the hellish training she had been undergoing during this period, her previous physique would have been crushed flat under the weight.

Standing together with the sentinels on the wind-swept helipad, Cyrus began the roll call.

Starting with Xander: "One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

...

When it was Bunny’s turn, she also shouted loudly, "Eleven!"

In that moment, every gaze landed on the short figure of Bunny. Standing right beside her, Astin mocked her without the slightest courtesy:

"Shorty, don’t start crying when an alien snatches you away later."

She glared at him. This foul-mouthed green-haired guy was truly detestable. She was already thinking of ways to deal with him.

A magical verbal duel was unrealistic—his tongue was vicious to the extreme.

She had it with him.

"I believe you’ll definitely protect me well. After all, with strength as powerful as yours, you certainly won’t let me be carried off by an alien."

Astin’s expression immediately twisted. For a moment, he could not figure out what this woman was trying to do.

"Don’t pull that crap with me."

Guides were all poisonous poppies. Apart from wanting sentinels to willingly become their dogs and torment them, they had no sincerity at all.

Bunny repaid malice with kindness. "Astin, don’t worry. I won’t let your spiritual sea suffer any erosion."

He shot her a suspicious glance. Had this woman taken the wrong medicine?

Everyone boarded the aircraft one after another. When Hilan and his group saw Bunny accompanying the 616 squad into combat, they were thoroughly shocked.

How could they bear to let the guide go?

Just yesterday they had been protecting her like a precious treasure, biting like mad dogs the moment anyone mentioned the guide.

Completely incomprehensible.

Two supersonic combat shuttles quickly rose into the air, blue flames flickering from the engine nozzles as they shot straight into the sky.

From the sentinel tower to the oil refinery required nearly eight hours.

Illai and Orion were piloting the shuttles; the two of them had always shared the best tacit understanding.

Cyrus studied the holographic map on his tablet while Xander and the other members adjusted their firearms. Bunny grew drowsy from sitting and simply rested her head on Liam’s shoulder to sleep.

A guide’s breathing was very quiet, yet a sentinel’s hearing was extremely sharp. Liam temporarily removed her helmet, and the others consciously lowered their volume as well.

In truth, whether Bunny went or not made little difference to them. With their strength, wiping out the nest was not a difficult task.

She had simply grown too restless from being cooped up and had insisted on coming out, so they had brought her along to play for a while.

At the same time, it also served to prove to Hilan and the others that the 616 squad possessed both the strength and the confidence to protect their guide.

Eight hours later, the shuttles landed at a concealed point. They would need to walk to the sand dunes near the oil refinery to avoid alerting the enemy.

Bunny was placed in the middle of the formation as they advanced. On the scorching sand, a series of footprints of varying depths were left behind.

Her legs were short. For every step the others took, she had to take two. She quickly became soaked in sweat from the effort.

Why were these damn sentinels’ legs so long? Couldn’t they share a little with her?