Chapter 61: What Kind of Beasts Are Flying Birds and Fish?

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: What Kind of Beasts Are Flying Birds and Fish?

It wasn’t a god-like opponent you had to fear, but a pig-headed teammate. No matter how well Gali had hidden himself, he still fell at the hands of Dass, his pig-headed teammate. And no matter how formidable Liang He was, even she had to admire Hoder’s knack for reveling in the chaos without caring about the fallout.

"Don’t spout nonsense. I’m not, and I didn’t." Liang He quickly left the scene of the crime, tossing the remaining mess entirely to Hoder.

"Why do I get the feeling that Liang He is beating a hasty retreat?" Hoder muttered, stroking his stubble-covered chin as he gazed profoundly at her retreating back.

The threat of the undercover spy and the reserve’s potential crisis had finally been safely resolved. Although some suffered minor injuries, the results of the battle were highly favorable. As the curtains fell on the reserve’s side, Huo An and Kerry also successfully eliminated the Fierce Beasts. Unfortunately, sensing that the situation had turned against him, Valken fled Sky Shining Star with his remaining men, and the captured Law Enforcers could not be rescued.

"I just spoke with the squad. They also went through a fierce battle. The mines the Rebel Army planted in the reserve have been completely cleared," Kerry said. He sat opposite Huo An, his face gloomy. His fists were clenched tightly, resting on his knees in deep frustration.

In contrast, Huo An was much quieter. His eyes were tightly shut, and his face was pale, looking utterly exhausted. Just moments ago, he had transformed into his beast form to lure away the Fierce Beasts. By unleashing the abilities he gained after his evolution, he had swept up the Fierce Beast Army with the power of a raging storm, single-handedly reversing the crisis.

"Hey, what do you think Governor Huo’s beast form actually is? I’ve never seen it before."

With the crisis resolved, the Law Enforcers sitting in the back row of the aircraft began to gossip in low voices about Huo An’s beast form.

"I don’t know either. It looks like a fish, but it has wings. And those wings are massive! With just a gentle flap, I felt like I was going to be blown away."

"Why do I feel like Governor Huo resembles a giant bird? It’s just that his tail looks a bit like a fish’s tail, and those wings were formed from fins!"

"Shh... keep your voice down. Do you want Governor Huo to toss you into a storm and shred you to pieces?"

The Law Enforcers, who believed they were whispering secretly, had no idea that Huo An, an SSS-level Beastman, could hear them loud and clear. In truth, Huo An himself didn’t know what his beast form was. With a bird’s head and wings combined with a fish’s tail, his colossal size was enough to blot out the sky and cover the sun. Compared to other Beastmen, he was an absolute anomaly. Back then, the reason he refused to go to the battlefield—choosing instead to isolate himself in a remote corner as the governor of the reserve—was precisely because he didn’t want others to treat him like a monster.

"What are you all muttering about back there? Sit properly!" Kerry scolded. Although he couldn’t hear his team’s discussion, he could guess with his toes that they were talking about Huo An, so he immediately shut it down. "Look at how panicked and helpless you all acted today! And you! Disobeying orders and acting on your own! Go back and write a self-reflection!" he added, calling out the Law Enforcer who had ignored commands and secretly followed him upstairs to take out the sniper.

"Yes, sir..."

"Look at how weak and lifeless you sound! No wonder you let the Rebel Army escape. You’re all doing extra training when we get back!"

"Yes, sir!"

After lecturing his team, Kerry looked back at the pale-faced Huo An opposite him. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they keep their mouths shut about your situation."

Although he didn’t know why Huo An was hiding the fact that he was an SSS-level Beastman, he figured the man had his reasons. Kerry didn’t mind helping him out.

Hearing this, Huo An finally opened his eyes. "Thank you."

Meanwhile, Valken, who had fled in defeat, sat furiously aboard his Starship. He gritted his teeth as he glared at his disheveled subordinates standing before him.

"Every single one of you is useless trash! And Gali is the biggest idiot of all! To not even know that Huo An is an SSS-level Beastman while acting as a spy... What an absolute joke!"

Valken had thought victory was completely within his grasp and foolproof. He never expected the biggest variables to be Huo An and, oh, that Liang He!

"And what is the deal with Liang He? How is her Combat Power so high? Damn it!"

The person he had assumed to be the weakest and easiest target had suddenly transformed into a formidable opponent. It was an incredibly unpleasant realization. After pointing fingers and cursing out anyone his gaze landed on, Valken finally remembered his partner. "Where is Elias?"

"I heard he got beaten to a pulp by Liang He and ran away," a subordinate replied, carefully sneaking a glance at Valken, terrified that the leader’s anger toward Elias would be taken out on them.

"Trash! Trash! You are all completely useless trash!" Valken roared. He had thought Elias was incredibly capable given how many airs he put on, but it turned out he was just useless dead weight!

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Valken, who had angrily swept everything off his desk onto the floor, was suddenly yanked back to his senses by the beeping of his Light Brain. The moment he saw the caller ID, cold sweat immediately poured down his back.

"Ge... General Nick," he stammered.

In the Rebel Army, the highest authority was the Leader, followed by the four Military Commanders. The stronghold on Sky Shining Star reported directly to Nick.

"I heard you launched a surprise attack on Huo An and the reserve. Not only did you abandon your armor and flee, but you also lost a large number of Fierce Beasts." Nick’s deep voice was like a devil’s sound piercing his ears, making Valken shiver uncontrollably.

"General Nick, please listen to my explanation..."

"Enough. I don’t want to hear your excuses. Tell me your reasoning for doing this."

As Valken’s superior, Nick had a fair understanding of his capabilities. He lacked true competence but was incredibly glory-hungry. If it weren’t for the fact that Valken had malicious intentions but lacked the guts to act out of line—rendering him reasonably obedient—he never would have been assigned the post on Sky Shining Star.

"It was Liang He! That Liang He who can make Evolutionary Beastmen actively seek intimacy with her!"

"Oh? There’s actually someone like that? Why didn’t you report this earlier?" Nick was clearly intrigued, pausing his reprimand. This gave Valken a boost of confidence.

"We weren’t certain before. Later, I wanted to capture her to present to you as a gift, General. But I never expected this Liang He to be far from simple. I was careless."

As mentioned before, Nick knew Valken was a man desperate for glory, so this excuse was quite believable.

"Far from simple?"

"Yes. The fundamental reason our raid failed this time lies with her and Huo An." Valken then recounted everything he knew in full detail.

After listening, Nick pondered for a long while before finally speaking. "I will report this matter to the Leader. For now, go to the nearest branch and standby."

"Understood!"

Having finally escaped disaster, Valken hung up the call. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and leaned back against his chair in exhaustion, his heart still endlessly cursing Elias for giving him such a lousy scheme.

"ACHOO!"

Hiding deep within the old-growth forests of the Uninhabited Zone, Elias let out a violent sneeze.

The reserve was under martial law. Not only were the borders heavily guarded, but high-voltage power grids and infrared sensors had also been activated, making it entirely impossible for him to leave.

"I really got screwed over by Valken. My head almost got smashed to pieces," Elias muttered. He touched a swollen lump on his skull and hissed in pain. "I don’t know what the hell that Liang He was wearing on her hands, but her punches were so hard that even my scales almost couldn’t block them."

If he hadn’t retreated in time, he would probably be sitting in a cell right now, just like Gali. Elias looked out at the vast, desolate landscape covered in heavy snow. There wasn’t a single soul in sight, leaving him deeply worried.

"If I stay here any longer, I’ll probably freeze into an ice sculpture before they even catch me." He felt like he was exhaling a thick cloud of white mist with every word he spoke. "Why don’t I... try to play the helpless victim?"

This was a reserve, after all. If he transformed into an animal and sought protection, that would be completely normal, right?

Elias tossed his long, curly black hair, a flash of slyness crossing his ink-black eyes.

"Being my Breeder is your honor, Liang He."