CH 139

Shu Shuishui gazed at the faint blue orb of light in his palm and reached out to poke it. Although, of course, he couldn’t touch an energical entity. The orb was an energy form, not a conventional matter like solid, liquid, or gas. It bore a striking resemblance to the substance used by Shi An’an earlier, likely some form of high-dimensional technological creation.

“What should we do with this? Would you like it, Xiao Ge Ge?” Shu Shuishui was somewhat perplexed, unsure how to handle the system.

Nan Ge shook his head. “I’m not proficient in technology, and our base has been busy with affairs lately. I don’t have much time to focus on researching the system.”

Now, the choice of the person to bind with the system became a dilemma. After all, the previous analysis indicated that the system wasn’t just pure data; it possessed its independent thoughts and judgment. If one’s strength didn’t match up, one might end up like Shi An’an sooner or later.

Furthermore, they had limited knowledge about the system. They didn’t know much about the specifics of what happened after binding, making it difficult to assess the risks of binding with the system. Despite their knowledge of seals, no one could be certain if the system had a countermove. Judging by the peculiar functional items Shi An’an possessed, it seemed the system could produce a variety of items.

While the group was still pondering over a suitable candidate, Shu Shuishui sighed. “Well, let’s forget it. Everyone, don’t bind with it. Consider this system as a pet grasshopper for now.”

The others: “…”

The system: ???

But upon closer consideration, it seemed like the most reasonable course of action for now. At least until they could determine the risks of binding, they could keep it like this.

So, on that day, the highly sought-after system for outsiders was housed in Shu Shuishui’s mini ranch, living together with a group of grasshoppers. Before being placed inside, it was warned not to eat the grasshoppers, not to bully them, not to scare them, and certainly not to bind with them. Moreover, the system had a strong intuition that the reason Shu Shuishui forbid it from binding with the grasshoppers wasn’t because he was afraid of wasting its abilities but because he was afraid the grasshoppers might traverse through time and space, which would be quite dire.

The system: “…” In the stillness of the night, the system felt the loneliness of being left behind.

But what could it do? After careful analysis, leaving it behind was the best option. Besides, this time, it didn’t want to bind haphazardly again to avoid encountering someone like Shi An’an. Without Shu Shuishui’s talisman assistance, unbinding required a substantial energy expenditure, and it might consume all the energy obtained thus far.

As for potential hosts, the system was actually quite satisfied with the people it had observed during the day. Unfortunately, all of them spoke the truth, none of them were interested, and none showed any inclination to bind with it, making communication impossible. Fortunately, the system didn’t have to stay with the grasshoppers for long. The next day, it was handed over to Xie Feng.

Of course, Xie Feng still didn’t make a contract with it. As a dignified single dog, Xie Feng asserted that he had his principles and wouldn’t make a contract just because.

However, such a powerful system couldn’t be wasted. Coincidentally, high-tech products were Xie Feng’s research direction. When faced with such a high-dimensional creation, it was impossible not to be curious. Just as Cheng Que became ecstatic upon getting a research opportunity, the same fiery spirit ran in Xie Feng’s veins. After returning home yesterday, Xie Feng dove headfirst into the laboratory, organizing vast amounts of data and conducting numerous experiments. Xie Feng felt that he might be able to attempt modifying the system.

So, on the second day, the system assumed the role of a lab rat and moved into Xie Feng’s laboratory. Like Cheng Que, Xie Feng became another Shui Jing Gong member who couldn’t be seen.

As for the other bases in the fleet, after enjoying the spectacle on the first day, they continued their dedicated journey to explore suitable living locations. After all, the conflict between the Fei Luo Base and the Shui Jing Gong was their primary concern, and their main task was their own development.

Gray Rat Company continued to work as usual and didn’t give up on their guiding duties despite the Fei Luo Base incident. This relieved all the bases, and some even voluntarily gave extra tips.

However, on this day, Shu Shuishui didn’t join the exploration mission in the Cangyu Mountains. Instead, he followed the fleet out to sea.

The covenant with the mutated creatures had been established. Powerful awakened creatures with enhanced intelligence were not in short supply, especially those who had consumed the lotus flowers from the white deer’s antlers; they were among the elite in the mountains.

One such creature was the owl that had saved the little gray rat. Although it looked silly on the outside, it was, in fact, a formidable bird of prey with a strong attack capability. Moreover, this particular owl had awakened to intelligence early on. As a lifesaving benefactor to the little gray rat, it received a warm welcome from the gray rats. They generously offered various foods they had earned and eagerly invited the owl to stay for a few days.

The owl was probably dining with so many rats at the same table for the first time, accompanied by a few humans, or rather, the rat’s roommates. This unusual scene was clearly interesting to the owl, so it chose to stay for a few days.

During its stay, the owl also joined Little Gray Rat on a few missions, helping guide others.

As for the residential area that Shu Shuishui had discovered, with Little Gray Rat’s guidance, the Shui Jing Gong team went to check it out as well. The environment there was indeed good—a rare open space in the mountains with sparse tree growth, making it easy to renovate, and the soil was fertile.

However, when the Shui Jing Gong arrived, there were four or five forest wolves roaming the area. They were wounded and, upon detecting humans, immediately showed signs of hostility, glaring at the team. Obviously, the previous accident had inflicted heavy casualties on the forest wolf family. Although Little Gray Rat was rescued in time, it took nearly half an hour for the effects of the radiation drug to completely dissipate. By the time the mutated creatures regained their senses, the area had already been filled with the smell of blood. In that frenzy of battle, the forest wolf pack had lost its alpha and several powerful mutated wolves.

Team leader Liu Po didn’t rush forward but left some food and medicinal herbs on the outskirts. Little Gray Rat was responsible for translating and explaining. Then, regardless of whether the forest wolves would accept, the team left.

For the Fei Luo Base, this residential area was decent, but for the Shui Jing Gong, it fell short. As for the supplies, they were provided by Shu Shuishui before departure. After all, Liu Po himself believed in the survival of the fittest and wouldn’t think of helping forest wolves. In this species-rich mountain range, once injured, the chances of survival were very slim.

Shu Shuishui obviously understood this principle, considering he had lived in the forest before. But in this ruthless forest, there were also many warm-hearted beings. At least before he met Shu Bao, he had received a lot of help, such as the squirrel “accidentally” dropping hazelnuts outside its nest, the fox shedding its fur and delivering it as a nest-building tool, or the rainy day when a large leaf just happened to fall on his head.

While Liu Po led the team to continue exploring the residential area, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu sailed on the vast water.

The reason for going to sea today was that the dispatched team had spotted the traces of another large fleet, but they hadn’t gained the fleet’s trust yesterday. So today, Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu came personally. After all, with Gu Langu as the living trademark, the credibility of the Shui Jing Gong was guaranteed.

After sailing for a distance, it was evident that the water level had dropped. It wasn’t noticeable when walking in the forest, but it became very apparent when sailing on the exposed water surface due to the significant increase in temperature.

As the sun climbed higher, the scorching heat became increasingly relentless. Unlike the previous period of overcast, damp, and sultry weather, now it was just sweltering.

“This is the second fleet we’ve come across, and it’s even larger than the previous one. I estimate it’s one of the top three on the interception order list,” Yu Jin explained their discoveries over the past few days. Due to the interception order, all the fleets had collectively stowed away their distinctive flags, unwilling to reveal any information. However, Shui Jing Gong still flying their banner was seen as highly suspicious.

“The second one?” Shu Shuishui was slightly surprised. “What about the first one?”

Yu Jin glanced at Gu Langu, seeming to hesitate about whether to answer.

“Scared off by Mao Jin?” Shu Shuishui didn’t wait for an answer and made a guess.

Yu Jin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Impossible, they were thrilled to see me. It’s the interception order. The North Hemisphere Base has already started hunting.”

Shu Shuishui nodded. “I see, they act fast.”

“Yeah, they moved swiftly. When we found it, there were only some shipwrecks on the water’s surface. The people from the North Hemisphere Base must have taken one or two ships to transport their loot, and they left the rest of the ships completely destroyed. It won’t be long before they all sink.” What Yu Jin didn’t mention was that amidst the wreckage of the ships, there was also an intensely vivid blood-red color, staining a large part of the water, making it look like a literal sea of blood.

The attacked fleet was completely annihilated, and Yu Jin couldn’t find any survivors. From the gruesome scene, it was evident that this fleet had fought desperately, but after a long and arduous journey, their strength and resources had dwindled. So, in the end, after facing numerous dangers and traveling a great distance in search of a way to survive, they met their demise in this stretch of water.

Although he had anticipated it, when faced with the grim reality, it was still heart-wrenching and difficult to come to terms with. Yu Jin realized that their exploration on the water needed to accelerate, or they would be picked off one by one.

So, after encountering the second large fleet, Yu Jin’s excessive enthusiasm made it hard to gain trust. Both parties agreed to meet the next day, and Yu Jin had to provide his own proof.

Proof? There was no better proof than Gu Langu.

In a concealed haven from the wind, Shu Shuishui met with the representatives of the other fleet. The conversation went smoothly, and as soon as they saw Gu Langu, they were sure of Shui Jing Gong’s identity. After all, the information about intercepting Gu Langu was also recorded on the flyers for the interception order.

When they learned that Shui Jing Gong would provide shelter and access to the Cangyu Mountain Range for residence, the relief finally showed on the faces of the other party. It seemed like they had been tense for too long, and even their expressions of relief appeared slow and stiff due to the prolonged anxiety.

The harrowing journey was filled with fear and numbness, but they had to remain vigilant; survival was an arduous path. So, even if entering the Cangyu Mountain Range meant facing potential attacks from mutated creatures, they accepted it.

The alliance with the mutated creatures was not revealed for now, but if this fleet could truly integrate into the alliance, with time, they would naturally become aware of it.

In this manner, after gaining a system, the alliance also acquired a large fleet. The forces to rival the Northern Hemisphere were gradually taking shape, step by step, without panic. This was the way of the Shui Jing Gong.