Chapter 212 - 209: Hama Pi’s Fear and Unease

Chapter 212: Chapter 209: Hama Pi’s Fear and Unease

However, the Guardian troops were elites, after all. They had already noticed how some members of the Hua Country’s Special Security Team kept glancing toward a certain spot from time to time, their expressions puzzled.

However, even Lazov had no idea what the Huaguo People were up to.

He approached Tao Xingzhi and asked with a hint of bewilderment.

"Leader Tao, has your human Radar perceived something?"

With the help of a translator, Tao Xingzhi explained with a faint smile.

"Please rest assured, General Rozov. That’s not the reason at all. They are simply observing the reactions of your people."

Hearing this, Lazov thought back for a moment. It seemed that most of the gazes from the Special Security Team had indeed been on his people. It appeared his side’s reaction was what they found incomprehensible.

He had no idea what kind of act the Huaguo People were putting on.

Lazov decided not to dwell on it. Judging by Tao Xingzhi’s attitude, pressing the matter further would be fruitless anyway.

In just a few short minutes, the group reached the convoy of vehicles waiting by the side.

It was a uniform fleet of military vehicles, so comfort was out of the question. And Lazov was a man of direct action who never wasted time.

He didn’t bother asking if the Huaguo People needed to rest and adjust to the jet lag, simply ordering the convoy to drive directly to the research center.

The Special Security Team members, split among several vehicles, simply exchanged smiles and had no objections.

Riding in the same vehicle as Tao Xingzhi and Huang Jiutian were the three Dawn Members. Both when they were boarding and during the drive, the Russian Soldiers ignored the trio.

The military airport seemed to be a great distance from the Guardian base. The vehicles drove for at least two hours without reaching their destination.

Due to the time difference, the local time was not much different from when the Special Security Team had taken off from Kyoto.

"This is turning into a very long night!"

Huang Jiutian lamented.

He had only just received the Dawn Seal and awakened his Magic Power. If it weren’t for his constitution as an Evolver, he would have surely fallen unconscious for a while, just like Su Su did. Even now, he felt slightly fatigued and was slowly recovering.

Tao Xingzhi smiled at him and started to reach for the cigarettes in his pocket, but he seemed to think of the Dawn Members and stopped his hand.

"Please, go ahead, Leader Tao. We’re well aware of your personal habits. The smoke won’t affect us."

Tao Xingzhi and Huang Jiutian exchanged a look, then turned to the mysterious figure in the middle who had spoken.

"Thank you."

Without asking any questions, Tao Xingzhi gave a simple word of thanks, then deftly pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

At the same time, his heart flared up like the lighter’s flame, and he took a deep drag from the cigarette, exhaling slowly to conceal his excitement.

That simple sentence from the Dawn Member revealed a crucial piece of information: they had done their research on him and were aware of his personal habits.

’This was something you only did when you needed to establish close contact with someone, or when you considered them important. Of course, you’d do the same for an enemy.’

’But Tao Xingzhi was optimistic on that front. He believed that in their previous interactions, his side had demonstrated sufficient respect and sincerity. While he couldn’t say there was zero hostility, it surely hadn’t escalated to this point.’

’This joint operation was an even better opportunity. They had gone from chasing Dawn’s tail, to making initial contact, to seeking their help, and now, to their first official collaboration.’

’They were definitely one step closer to establishing a real dialogue.’

"We’re almost there!"

Huang Jiutian reminded everyone in the vehicle. Upon hearing this, Tao Xingzhi flicked the butt of his second cigarette out the window.

Jiutian had already perceived changes in heat sources and some unusual odors in the air.

The smaller figure on the left among the mysterious trio stared intently at Jiutian for a moment, which suddenly made Tao Xingzhi feel a swell of pride.

About ten minutes later, the convoy finally came to a stop, and everyone disembarked.

It was the Special Security Team’s first time seeing the Guardian base.

Vastly different from the Special Security Group Headquarters, this was a genuine military base. The perimeter was dotted with watchtowers and fixed gun emplacements. They even saw several high-speed, fire-control rotary cannon positions, the kind found on frigates and destroyers.

’Who knows, they probably have missile systems, maybe even nuclear-tipped ones. These old Russkies are just hardcore through and through,’ many of them muttered to themselves.

But no matter how straightforward he was, Lazov still arranged for food and refreshments for the Special Security Team. After a long journey late into the night, nobody was a robot. The Evolvers among them normally had a huge appetite, even if they could also withstand hunger better than most.

In the ground-floor cafeteria of the research center, the Guardians’ elite soldiers on duty for the night and the members of the Special Security Team collected food together from the serving window.

The Special Security Team members noticed once again that in the cafeteria, two of the mysterious figures remained still, while the smaller one joined the line to get food.

The cafeteria staff served him food as if it were routine, and even the Soldiers in line with him left a one-person gap, yet no one seemed to "notice" him.

The small Dawn Member collected enough food for several people before returning to a table to eat by himself, only passing a drink to each of his two companions.

The meal lasted half an hour. Once everyone was finished and cleaned up, Lazov got them straight to the point.

...

Hama Pi had discovered something. Ever since it threw a tantrum about the food last time, its captors seemed to have quickly realized the reason for its outburst.

Since then, they had constantly changed up the selection of cooked meals and desserts they delivered, and the flavors were all excellent.

And whenever it threw another fit, they would change the menu or increase the amount of food.

This discovery made Hama Pi ecstatic.

The intelligence of this world’s sapient species clearly exceeded its expectations, and the food they made was exceptionally delicious.

Before this, the most delicious thing Hama Pi had ever eaten was an Elf Cookie it had acquired by chance.

However, while the cookie was tasty and nutritious, its flavor was actually a result of the Elf Baker’s own Magic Power influencing it. It wasn’t a purely natural flavor, but rather a deceptive one.

But here, it was different. The deliciousness of all the food was derived from the interactions between physical ingredients, a taste that truly captivated Hama Pi.

For the better part of the day, it had been frequently "throwing fits" to get them to change its meals, even losing interest in communicating with the old scholar.

Right now, it was tackling three large plates of salad and two plates of roasted meat on the table, its mouth glistening with grease as it ate.

’If I could enslave some of this species, whether to cook for me or to sell them, business would be booming!!’

Hama Pi felt no shame in biting the hand that fed it and was already contemplating this vile scheme.

It blissfully gulped down a mouthful of red wine; this beverage was also quite excellent.

It let out a contented, wicked laugh.

But in the next instant, its body suddenly froze stiff.

In its spiritual perception, its Magic Perception, and even its physical senses, it felt as if it were standing in a hazy light, while from the darkness behind it, a boundless and terrifying pressure was closing in.

It was a pressure that felt like countless tentacles, like scorching flames in the pitch-black dark.

An intense sense of danger and fear consumed its entire being.

Hama Pi sensed a powerful and bizarre Magic Power approaching. Compared to its own pathetic Magic Power, it felt like a guttering candle in a storm, swaying amidst crashing waves.

"GULP~"

It swallowed the meat and vegetables stuffed in its cheeks in one go. Its tiny throat bulged to a terrifying size before the food shot down into its stomach.

It stopped its hands, stopped its mouth, but lacked the courage to turn around. It didn’t even dare to move a muscle!

’No Magic Creatures in this world?’

’I was so naive and trusting before. No wonder I always failed in business!’

The entity hadn’t even arrived yet, but just by standing here, Hama Pi felt a searing pain in its Magic Power and soul, and it could also sense a terrifying, predatory desire.

It was the precognitive intuition of its own Magic Power, warning it of the crisis.

Inside the monitoring room and on the other side of the ultra-strong, one-way glass, the Russian experts and Soldiers were completely baffled.

One moment, the little monster with the voracious appetite was eating nonstop; the next, it was standing stock-still, looking as if it had seen a ghost.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP...

Around the corridor corner, Lazov led Tao Xingzhi and the others toward the containment cell, with the three mysterious figures from Dawn following slightly behind.

A smile was already spreading uncontrollably across Qin Xiaoxia’s lips.

’That thing’s Magic Power isn’t particularly strong, about on par with the recently awakened Huang Jiutian. Of course, compared to Doudou... hmm, Doudou really is a weakling!’

’Then again, if a creature like a Mischievous Elf were born with powerful Magic Power, what would that be like?’

’Mischievous Elves would probably end up ruling the world. What a terrifying thought that is.’

"Salute~~"

"General!" "General!" "General!"...

The Soldiers along the corridor saluted General Rozov and the Special Security Team in unison.

PS: Second Chapter for Monday.