The complete annihilation of the bee swarm shocked all the animals fighting in the forest, who stared wide-eyed as if they were witnessing a miracle from their beast king at Fugui, the groundhog thrashing about in the lake.
If the wealthy and beautiful woman were any other animal, she wouldn't pay much attention to these looks. After all, she used to be a heartthrob in the club.
But now he's Fugui, the groundhog with a timidity buff! With so many animals watching, do they even want him to get ashore safely?!
So the groundhog could only try to paw at the wild bees on the lake surface to avoid paying attention to the animals' gazes.
These giant wild bees floating on the lake are excellent research material and highly valuable trophies. Even if he can't put them all in his pocket, taking three or four back as specimens would be quite good.
He was diligently retrieving the corpses, swimming smoothly forward and almost forgetting about the animals and the moonlight, when he heard Si Wuyai's barely suppressed excitement. Looking up, he saw Si Wuyai's eyes gleaming with excitement:
"Fugui?! Excuse me, this cute yet powerful groundhog! Are you my Fugui's employer?! Besides being bitten by a husky, you were also bitten by a groundhog?! Good heavens, how did you manage to combine the completely different genetic bloodlines of a husky, a groundhog, and a human?"
"Won't your genes collapse and cause you to explode and die under these circumstances? Or do you have some special bloodline, like those 100% fused genes described in novels?"
Gou Fugui's ability to transform into a husky already made Si Wuyai, a research maniac, quite envious. Now, seeing him seamlessly switch from a husky to a groundhog, anyone with a bit of research and exploration would definitely want to know why he could make such a change.
Therefore, his gaze was more intense than that of the animals around him, and his movements were three points faster than Xie Tianlang standing next to him.
Gou Fugui's lips twitched as he looked at his expression, confirming that the person in front of him was a pure-blooded researcher.
He pressed his hand to his chest, looking disgusted: "Don't get so close to the hamster, you'll scare my heart. Back off, back off, back off, or I'll squeak at you!"
The usually enthusiastic Si Wuyai froze for a moment when he thought of the indiscriminate group attack that had wiped out the wild bee swarm. Finally, he pushed up his glasses and returned to his original elite researcher demeanor.
Meanwhile, the animals had all arrived at the lakeside, and they all stared at the strange creature that seemed to have transformed from a husky into a groundhog.
However, animals don't spend too much time thinking about things they can't understand. As long as they are sure that the animal in front of them is not an enemy or has saved their companion, they will give it the greatest enthusiasm and recognition.
So, just as Fugui the groundhog climbed ashore and was about to have Xie Tianlang dry his fur with a big towel, the big orange cat whose paw had been stung by a wild bee squeezed over first, and then stretched out its tongue, which was almost as big as a blanket, and tried very enthusiastically to lick Fugui's fur.
The other animals, not to be outdone, crowded in, sticking out their tongues; some of the more cunning monkeys even tried to reach out with their paws to grab it—
Fugui, the groundhog who had barely managed to suppress his innate timidity and not scream when all the pets were staring at him, finally couldn't help but scream again when all the animals were sticking out their claws and tongues at him:
"Aaaaaah, don't come any closer! Aaaaah!"
"If you want to thank me, you can do it in other ways. You don't need to lick my fur and pick my lice!"
"We can accept the tongues of cattle, sheep, and deer, but don't you have any idea what the tongues of leopards, cats, and tigers look like?!"
"Xie Changgong, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and come to the rescue!"
Finally, as the animals froze, tongues lolling out, at the sound of Fugui the groundhog's shriek, Xie Tianlang, seemingly immune to such cries, swiftly scooped up the terrified, jumping groundhog. Only after holding it close did he realize with a pang of heartache that his Yuanyuan was not only soaking wet, but also…
Your cheeks are puffed up!
Saying it has protruding cheeks isn't quite accurate, but from an appearance standpoint, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.
Fugui the groundhog had a large, swollen lump on his cheek. Even with fur covering it, it couldn't hide the swelling, which looked like a peach had been forcibly stuffed into his cheek.
Xie Tianlang reached out and touched the swollen cheek with great tenderness, only to be fiercely scratched by the angry and pained groundhog, Fugui.
"Ouch! Ouch! It hurts so much! Who told you to touch my wound?! Can't you see I got stung by a wasp here?!"
Xie Tianlang coughed, "Sorry, sorry, I was just a little too worried. Get some medicine out and I'll apply it for you."
"However, it's better to apply it to your more easily absorbed skin rather than on your hairy cheeks."
Xie Tianlang's words were very gentle and sincere. If it weren't for the slight upward curve of his lips, the wealthy beauty would have believed him.
"Oh. No, I want to apply the medicine through the fur."
Xie Tianlang couldn't help but sigh when he heard this. He couldn't see his beloved Fugui Yuanyuan's swollen cheeks anymore.
Afterwards, Gou Fugui took out a lot of spare medicine from his pocket. While he was applying the medicine himself, he also asked Si Wuya and Song Sanchuan to apply medicine and bandage the animals that had just gone through a fierce battle.
The animals' injuries were clearly much more severe than Gou Fugui's. Even the brown bear, which was as big as a six-story building and whose wounds from the previous targeted pursuit had not fully healed and was being attacked again this time, had wounds that had become infected and venomous from repeated stings. If it did not receive effective medical treatment, it probably wouldn't last much longer.
Fortunately, this brown bear was quite lucky.
With Fugui's pocket full of supplies and medicine, the severely injured brown bear, despite its inability to neutralize the bee venom, finally looked somewhat better after its wounds were treated and medicine was applied.
After they finished healing, the animals all huddled together, looking around at the groundhog Fugui and his three groomers.
The wounds have been healed, but I feel uncomfortable all over. How about I massage and comb my fur to relax?
Si Wuyai, who had been looked at the most by the animals and his savior Ju, turned a little green.
You big, furry creatures, shut up! Don't you have any idea how big you are or how many of you there are?!
If I combed all of you through, would my hands, or even my life, still be intact?!
What's more, this isn't the time for him to be exploited and forced to work for free anymore! His comrades have all come, including a prodigy who can pull off a perfect mixed doubles match using the screams of a husky and a groundhog!
For the first time, the long-term worker Si Wuyai fearlessly pushed up his glasses and stared into the animals' enormous eyes.
However, after talking for a while, he finally couldn't resist and turned his head away. To prevent himself from softening, he quickly started a new topic.
"Hey, Little San, tell me what's going on in this world, and about the most important core fragment. I'm really eager to know what changes have occurred in the world, and where the solution to this apocalypse is."
"Also... although we won a great victory this time and wiped out all the bee swarms that came here, it is only a small part of the wild bee swarms in the mountains in the southwest of the dense forest."
"This victory can only last for ten days at most."
Si Wuyai had only intended to change the subject, but the more he spoke, the more serious and grave his expression became. If the swarm was consciously collecting fragments of the world's core, given its current power and ever-expanding territory…
That wild bee hive deep in the mountains, which has become a forbidden zone for humans, where any slightly weaker animal that enters will be completely devoured and killed, may become a place they must visit no matter what.
After that, Song Sanchuan used the simplest and clearest language and the stored computer data to finally make Si Wuyai understand the situation of this world.
Should we say he's a professional analyst?
After reviewing the existing materials, Si Wuyai directly pointed out the most critical issues.
"...Food shortages, resource competition, and the use of 'gu' (a type of insect-like creature) methods to collect core fragments may seem like self-rescue, but such self-rescue faces two huge problems:"
First, how to collect all the core fragments before the Earth's life energy is depleted.
Second, how do you get the final victor—who has absorbed all the core fragments and is highly likely to lose their mind and go on a killing spree—to obediently return the world's core to the world?
Si Wuyai tapped twice on the computer keyboard, his expression somber:
"Let's put the second question aside for now. The first question is probably... resolved."
Gou Fugui, Xie Tianlang, and Song Sanchuan listened to what he said, exchanged glances, and nodded.
"Use small but numerous groups of locusts or bees, which are highly mobile and have great destructive power when they gather together, to collect core fragments."
Song Sanchuan spoke first.
The other three nodded.
However, Xie Tianlang suddenly stroked his chin and said, "Swarms of bees and locusts can hunt and chase animals and plants with core fragments across regions and skies, so... what about the sea?"
What about in the sea?
These three words immediately made Shou Fugui, who was pretending to be thinking but was actually a drowsy groundhog, bristle and widen his eyes.
Song Sanchuan exclaimed "Holy crap!" and Si Wuyai nearly yanked a handful of fur off the giant orange cat leaning against him.
The werewolf who raised the question showed absolutely no overreaction; he simply spoke with a very calm and deep voice:
“There will definitely be an extremely powerful, amphibious apex predator emerging in the sea.”
This way, the core fragments in the sea can be gathered together by this top hunter, while the core fragments on land will most likely appear in their Huazhou swarm.
Fugui the groundhog rubbed his cheeks and scratched the fur on his head, saying, "You'd better shut up! Daddy doesn't want to hear such terrible news!"
Xie Tianlang readily agreed and shut his mouth.
The atmosphere became quite quiet for a moment, until Song Sanchuan's computer notification sound finally broke the silence.
The sound was similar to a telephone ringing.
Song Sanchuan was taken aback: "It must be one of the three major bases that took the initiative to contact us... wait, it's the Sixth City Security Base."
As Song Sanchuan spoke, he turned to Xie Tianlang and Gou Fugui, asking if they should answer the call.
Xie Tianlang and Groundhog Fugui both nodded, and Si Wuyai pushed up his glasses beside them: "Don't waste time. Maybe the base has some important information to share with us. Let's hear what they have to say."
Song Sanchuan reached out and opened the communication, and then the face of an old man with an overly serious expression appeared on the computer screen.
The moment the video call connected, he immediately frowned and asked, "Is this Gou Fugui, Xie Tianlang, and Song Sanchuan, the three elites? I heard from the General that you left the Second City Safe Base two days ago. Since you have the Giant Rabbit for transportation, you should all have arrived in our Sixth City by now. I wonder if something important has delayed you on the way?"
The old man emphasized the words "important things" a bit, causing Fugui, the groundhog rubbing his face, to roll over and lie on Xie Tianlang's lap to watch the video.
Xie Tianlang reached out and stroked the fur of the groundhog Fugui.
With a blank expression, he replied, "There are important things to do, involving lives and partners, so of course they have to be prioritized."
The administrator of the Sixth City had not expected such a tough response, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his overly stern face.
But he held back in the end, paused for a moment and asked, "When will the three of you arrive at the Sixth City? My people and I are waiting for your arrival. We all hope that you can save us from this disaster... This is our earnest expectation, and it concerns the lives of more than three million people in our Sixth City."
"I hope the three of you will keep this in mind."
The groundhog lying on Xie Tianlang's lap immediately glared at the nagging old man with sharp eyes, its gaze filled with hostility.
He wanted to scream at the old man or give him a good scolding with his husky mouth, but Xie Tianlang chuckled beside him:
"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."
"We never said we could save the more than three million people in the Sixth City. Everyone's life is their own. Only someone who's out of their mind would entrust their life to someone else, right?"
"You're the administrator of the Sixth City! Instead of leading the people to fight the swarm or migrate quickly, the Supreme Commander just stays in the city waiting to be rescued. Isn't your job as administrator a bit too easy?"
The old man in the video changed his expression drastically upon hearing this, but before he could speak, his secretary and attendants behind him slammed their fists on the table in anger!
"Watch your words!"
"Do you know what you're saying, young man! You're just trying to save your own life. How could you possibly know how much effort and sacrifice the Chief Administrator has put into our Sixth City Security Base?!"
"How can you bunch of guys who just wander between the three bases and run away when you can't win compare to the young master of the management team who's determined to defend the base no matter what?!"
The attendant who was speaking seemed extremely angry; he had even squeezed next to the old manager.
"Just now! Mr. An Riyao, the only son of the manager and the captain of the most powerful elite hunting team in the Sixth City Security Base, has been captured by the swarm of bees while protecting an ordinary gathering team that mistakenly left the city gate!!"
"If it weren't for protecting the Sixth City, and for the safety of its inhabitants, An Riyao was a mutant elite with over 70% mutation ability! How could he have died?!"
These words were spoken with force and conviction, and the attendant in the video glared fiercely at Xie Tianlang, seemingly wanting him to feel ashamed.
But when has Xie Langren ever felt ashamed? No one is more arrogant and self-satisfied than him.
"But isn't it the duty of the chief's son, the captain of the hunting party, to protect the people?"
Captain Xie, who had risked his life countless times to protect the country, couldn't understand: "It's just my duty. I was arrested because I wasn't capable enough. What's there to brag about?"
Attendants: !!!
I never imagined this person could be so cold-blooded and ruthless!
"That's our manager's only son!!"
Xie Tianlang clicked his tongue: "What's so great about being an only child? I'm one too."
The attendant, pale-faced, clutched his chest and turned to walk away from the screen.
The manager's expression was also very unpleasant, but when he saw the screen on the computer and the lake in the distance with the corpses of swarms of bees floating on it, his eyes lit up instantly:
"Is that lake the Fallen Spirit Lake of Qinshan?! Have you already reached the outskirts of the Sixth City? That's great! The three of you don't need to rush into the city anymore. Could you go to the Wild Bee Gathering Grounds and bring back my son and the other elite hunter who was captured along with us and made many contributions to the base?!"
"Although it's dangerous there, the Sixth City is willing to cooperate and provide any supplies! Please, everyone, save my son! I don't know why my son is always being chased by swarms of bees, but please have some understanding of this old man who has lost all his relatives and only has one son left."
"You all have the ability, courage, and wisdom; please help us!"
As they were talking, the old man on the other end of the video call had tears welling up in his eyes and even shed a few tears. He looked extremely pitiful.
Groundhog Fugui, being soft-hearted, couldn't quite resist, but Xie Tianlang remained expressionless from beginning to end.
However, they ultimately agreed to the Sixth City Administrator's request.
Anyway... after their analysis and discussion, they decided they absolutely had to go to the bee colony's gathering place deep in the mountains.
On the one hand, it is necessary to investigate the size of the bee swarm and whether it is the most likely to become the dominant race that has gathered all the core fragments on land.
On the other hand, if possible, given the known existence of astonishing core fragments within the bee colony, they would venture into anything, not just the bee colony's gathering place, but even a dragon's den or a tiger's lair.
However, in the end, only Xie Tianlang, who can transform into a wolf, and... Honey Badger Fugui were able to go.
Yes, it's our toxic, durable, high-attack, high-defense, high-health guy with a natural advantage against bees—the short-tempered, white-haired, rich guy!
It really has no flaws except for being a little small.
Song Sanchuan and Si Wuyai were responsible for providing assistance and cover from the outside at any time and place—with a controllable bionic bird camera and self-destruct bombs, as well as various side-effect agents that could be carried and detonated by the bird at any time.
Led by the mountain monkey, who was most familiar with the terrain, Honey Badger Fugui and Xie Langlang arrived at the edge of the last safe zone, the closest to the bee swarm and where they would not be actively attacked by the bees. Then, looking at the mountain path and dense forest ahead, they walked in without hesitation.
This trip turned into two dangerous days.
As Honey Badger Fugui and Werewolf went further, they encountered more and more frequent and intense swarms of wild bees.
If Xie Langren and Honey Badger Fugui hadn't been so adept at hiding and lurking, and hadn't been able to use various tools in their pockets to conceal themselves and attract attention in the nick of time, they would probably have been stung to death by the swarm of bees on the road long ago.
However, even after two days of intense vigilance, the honey badger Fugui and Xie Langren's mental state had deteriorated somewhat.
When they reached the central area where the bee swarm was most concentrated, and saw the enormous beehives hanging from the trees, almost the size of human villas, at varying heights, and wild bees about the size of humans going in and out of the hives, a terrifying sense of crisis and an inexplicable sense of horror and shock pressed down on Gou Fugui's heart—
This place is like a huge, terrifying "city of bees" deep in the forest.
Humans are forbidden here, but the upright-flying swarms of bees, each performing its own function, resemble a combat legion that is even colder and more brutal than a human army!
While Honey Badger Fugui and Xie Tianlang were hiding in the dug-out burrow, looking at the huge beehives, with at least hundreds of thousands, millions, or even more wild bees, they were seriously contemplating whether they should become bumblebees like those in "The Handbook of Weird and Cute Creatures," infiltrate the hives, try to start as worker bees, and then sneak up to the queen bee to carry out assassinations.
A gentle breeze blew by, and he suddenly smelled a captivating fragrance that sent shivers down his spine.
Xie Tianlang instantly grabbed his wrist.
"Don't waste this last chance, take another look. See what else is in the very center of the hive."
While Xie Tianlang and Honey Badger Fugui were still observing their surroundings at the cave entrance, they did not notice that the flowers of the light purple vines that entwined the trunks of the trees around their hiding place were slowly blooming.
It attracts the arrival of bee swarms.
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