The sentries had good eyesight and hearing, so they could quickly spot intruders even if they approached silently.
In the distance, on the coast, a group of powerful sentinels were lurking quietly.
By the time they discovered them, the figures were already standing far away, blocking their retreat.
There was a very powerful guy at the bottom of the sea. At some point, he had already swam very close to the sentinels.
Shanan Bay is a crescent-shaped bay, and the figures are standing in the part of the bay that is deepest into the sea.
They were powerful and all high-ranking sentinels. Some were standing, some were crouching, their eyes gleaming coldly as they were in combat readiness.
The dark and silent shadows of the sentinel spirits were reflected in the sea water.
The veterans in the sentry posts all know that when walking in a contaminated area, sometimes the most dangerous thing is not the monsters, but the greater danger may come from their own kind.
Especially when you find the treasure and are accidentally discovered by someone.
This is a dark forest, a place where gods are silent. In this place without laws and supervision, human life seems particularly cheap.
"They are all good fighters with strong equipment." Da Hu lowered his voice to Xiao Niao, "They are different from us. They seem to have come from the White Tower."
"Especially the one that came from underwater." Dahu took off his coat, "You keep an eye on it, I'll go down and take care of it."
The sentry transformed into a ferocious tiger and dived into the water.
Xiaoniao held the gun on his waist and stared at the people by the water.
We are no match for them.
It's not just because of the pressure brought by the opponent's strong mental power, but also because of the weapons those people are equipped with.
What those people were carrying were all electronic pulse guns, which were products of different eras compared to the guns in their hands that needed to be reloaded with bullets.
Everyone agrees that the White Tower sentinels are far stronger than the local soldiers. The main reason is that they are equipped with the strongest weapons collected from all over the world under the strong economic support of the empire.
The people standing by the sea seemed far away, but considering the speed of the sentinels, they were already at a distance that they could hardly escape by running away.
With the vision of a little bird, I can see the relaxed and indifferent eyes of the people by the water, and the mocking raised corners of their mouths.
Presumably, those people could see how tense she was as if facing a powerful enemy, and could even see the cold sweat running down her forehead.
The little shepherd at the bottom of the sea was completely panicked.
When he was at the bottom of the sea, his perception became extremely sharp.
He knew that he was being targeted. Deep in the ocean, a gigantic creature was approaching him.
Silently and at an incredible speed.
In just a few breaths, it approached him, as fast as a ghost in the deep sea.
It was a sentinel. Xiaomu had seen many powerful sentinels, but it was the first time he felt such a strong one.
The overwhelming pressure from the sentry permeated the entire sea, making it almost impossible for him to even think of escaping. For the first time, he felt how young and pitiful he was.
But the sentinel's spirit is still the seal's natural enemy.
Oh my god, it turned out to be a killer whale.
The killer whale's distinctive cry came along with the surge of the waves.
Excited? His tail went limp and he almost went crazy.
There's no escape.
Being watched.
Me? Should I just beg for mercy?
It was over. He could almost see the huge dark figure.
[It's okay]
Don't be afraid
【Come on board】
The voice that occasionally echoed in his mind echoed again at this moment, like a life-saving straw, instantly soothing his panicked heart.
Xiaomu saw the bottom of the boat which was very close to him, and saw Brother Hu coming up from the water to pick him up.
The little seal regained his courage and swam towards the surface of the sea with all his strength.
Several huge and mysterious tentacles emerged from the ocean around him, surrounding him protectively and separating him from the huge shadow approaching only from the water.
Tentacles? Where did these tentacles come from?
It was a mysterious and strange creature, but Xiaomu felt a sense of security for some reason.
These creatures he had never met actually gave him a sense of security.
It was as if they had walked with him, talked to him, and chatted with him.
The young seal jumped high out of the sea and jumped into his own boat.
Lin Yuan handed him a blanket. He wrapped himself in it, regained his human form, and poked his head out from under the blanket.
Seeing that the people standing beside him were all fully armed people and Lin Yuan's calm face, he finally calmed down a little from his trembling.
The shared perspective between Lin Yuan and him had ended. He subconsciously went to look for the guide sister.
The sister was sitting on the oar, looking down at the bottom of the water, as if she knew what kind of huge creature was at the bottom of the dark sea. But she was not afraid, just a little curious.
Now that he had calmed down a little, Xiaomu finally figured out what had just happened.
The tentacles that appeared last and protected him were Sister Lin Yuan's spirit body.
It turns out that guides also have spiritual bodies that are so powerful that they can make people feel at ease.
In his mind, he had always thought that guides could only have soft, cute little animals.
No, Sister Lin Yuan’s spiritual bodies... are also very soft and cute, just a little bit bigger.
Xiaomu actually knew this, as he had watched many advertisements and film and television works about guides that were frequently broadcast in the Empire.
He knew that the Guide's spirit could soothe the Sentinels, but it did not have much combat capability.
As a sentinel of the Empire, he was told from a young age that it was the sentinel's responsibility to protect the weak.
Unexpectedly, today he was protected by a guide from the White Tower.
Thinking of how he was trembling with fear in the sea, the young boy with a strong sense of self-esteem blushed with shame.
But he had to admit that at that moment, when he was suppressed by the powerful Sentinels and almost wanted to surrender, the strength of the huge mysterious tentacles helped him.
The way they swayed in the water and pointed toward the enemy gave him an infinite sense of security.
Fortunately, the killer whale stopped at the end.
Strange, why did that powerful killer whale stop and not attack us?
…
On the seabed, the starlight from the sky shines through the sea surface, interweaving finely on the black back of the killer whale.
Ni Ji saw a small seal while diving in the sea.
He wasn't even an official sentry, just a little boy of about ten years old.
Although it is still very far away, his perception ability is unmatched in the seabed.
He didn't even need to enhance his vision to perceive that the boy came out of the cruise ship with a wooden box in his arms, swinging his thick seal tail fin and swimming happily.
"Kill him and get what the teacher wants." Tan Shu's voice came from the diving headset, "We will deal with his companions."
Things were a little bit troublesome. The box in the boy's arms might be the thing that Cao Junmin had asked them to come all the way from the White Pagoda to find.
The wreck of the Mary was discovered in Contaminated Area 5.
The things carried in this old Japanese ship that had been sleeping on the seabed for many years seemed to have been looted by the expedition team.
But the most valuable thing it really carried has not been discovered yet. It is a box of ancient and rare energy stones, which is kept in a very secret place in the captain's bedroom. Currently, only a few people in the upper floors of the White Tower know this information.
No one wanted to report this news to the empire. Everyone's little idea? To use their own magic to quietly put these rare treasures into their own pockets.
Cao Junmin wanted to use this to establish a good image in front of his new backer. He was determined to get the things in the box. He almost sent out his best fighters.
Just by chance, someone was one step ahead of them.
Unfortunately, these people didn't have time to escape.
Ni Ji knows that there are many unfair things in this world, but now he has become indifferent to them and is no longer the passionate and impulsive young man on campus. But there are some things that he will never touch if he doesn't want to touch them.
For example, using a boy's life to pave the way for Cao Junmin's promotion.
Just scare them a little and get the stuff over.
Just when he was about to get closer, the sea water surged around the panicked little seal, and in the undercurrent of the sea, a familiar feeling suddenly appeared that surprised Ni Ji.
It was like a flower suddenly blooming in the dark night, or like ghosts and gods reaching out their hands from a hidden place.
The tentacles suddenly appeared and protected the panicked little seal in a protective posture.
They were huge, powerful, and all facing his direction in a warning posture.
Is it her? The guide.
Ni Ji slowly stopped in the sea.
Such a coincidence?
Just two days ago, he and she were fighting side by side in the sea of clouds.
But now, the tentacles that had been guarding him at that time were protecting another sentry, with their sharp tips pointing towards him.
He was in an attacking posture towards himself.
This is actually a very normal thing.
It was not uncommon for Ni Ji to find that his former friends had suddenly become his enemies.
Tan Shu was once his brother who had fought side by side with him. But now Tan Shu was plotting to kill him. Ni Ji didn't feel anything about this, he just felt a little disgusted.
What's more, he and the girl had never had any real friendship. They had never even had a complete conversation.
It's just that the tentacles were lurking on the seabed, pointing at him sternly, as if they were an enemy.
For some reason, a feeling of sadness welled up in Ni Ji's heart.
It was like there was a very soft place in his heart that was pricked by the sharp tip of the tentacles, and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He originally thought that there was no such place in his heart.
如果我?非要和你對着幹，你又能怎樣？
倪霁眯起眼睛，心底莫名升起一點怒氣?，知道沒必要，卻沒能控制住情緒。
手背某一處的皮膚莫名地?癢了起來。
如果是和那個人……
他意識到如果自己那樣做，那個人可能會狠狠地?給自己來那麽一下，和上次一樣，這回?不一定是抽在手背。
巨大的虎鯨停住身軀。
他沒再繼續前進。半身化為人形，向上游去，浮出?水面，在波濤起伏的海面上，露出?了半個腦袋。
波紋湧動的大海上，他看到了那個向導。
那人坐在一艘小船上，在漫天的星光底下，在離自己不遠的海面上。
她被好幾位哨兵小心地?護在中間，好像剛剛才發現自己，臉上露出?了一點點驚訝的神色。
……
林苑看見了浮出?水面的那個哨兵。
原來是那個人，這麽的巧。
哨兵從海底浮出?水面，濕漉漉的頭發，水珠子?越過下颚的線條，沿着喉結往下流。
海面上，只露出?他的腦袋，透過海水隐隐約約地?可以看見一點身軀上的黑色斑紋。
但是莫名其妙的，林苑有一種很熟悉的感覺，好像根本?不用看，她就知道海面下看不見的部分是什麽，那裏有漂亮的黑背，流暢的線條，和一條光潔的尾巴。
也不知道為什麽，莫名這樣地?熟悉，就像是曾經親手撫摸過一樣。
這個哨兵很奇怪，每一次見到他，林苑都會有一種既新奇又親切的感覺。
明明他們甚至沒有正式說過一句話呢。
但好像又已經彼此很熟悉了。
上一次的時候，也就是在兩天前，在天空中的那艘飛艇上，林苑聽?見過這個人張狂的笑聲。
他哈哈笑着從高?空直接跳下去，一刀切開怪物巨大的頭顱，是一個當之無愧的強者。
那時候那樣的笑聲讓人愉悅。
這一次見面的時候，他卻從海底幽幽游上來，也不打招呼，遠遠地?看着自己。
林苑隐約覺得?自己探索到了一種古怪的情緒，一種名為“幽怨”的人類複雜情感。
就好像是一個被王子?辜負了的人魚公主?，看着王子?所在的船委屈地?快要哭了。
林苑覺得?一定是自己搞錯了。觸手們最近有點不靈敏，時常給她帶來點她理解不了的東西。
“你們剛才欺負他了？”林苑悄悄問自己的精神體。
【沒有】
【是你下達了第一指令，保護海豹】
【我?們執行第一指令，都沒來得?及注意大魚】
【啊，是大魚】
【大魚，讓我?看看。】
【我?直接一個嗨】
【小魚好像心情不好】
【沒事，一會就撸得?他……啊呸，是誰捂老子?的嘴。】
林苑的觸手們吵吵鬧鬧的時候，哨兵們的小船已經靠到岸邊。
對他們來說，如果要戰鬥，陸地?是更好的選擇。
那位浮在水中，異常強大，但偏偏既不逼近又一直陰恻恻地?看着他們的那個家夥，實在有些令人害怕。
“居然能在污染區遇到向導，這還真?是一件稀罕事。”守在岸邊的譚樹朝着下船的哨兵們露出?一個笑容，“沒必要這麽緊張。看在白塔裏出?來的向導份上，我?們也不會幹什麽。”
他笑起來的時候，很有一點上流社會酒宴上那些講究禮儀的貴族模樣。面帶微笑，斯文有禮，像一個願意講道理的人。
但小鳥他們一點都不買賬，他們一個個按着武器，如臨大敵。
這個人臉上笑着，他的人卻四散開來，踩的點都很狠，把所有退路都封死了。
他們手上脈沖槍的保險都是開着的，槍身上滿格的能量條亮着晦澀的熒光。随時可以幹出?殺人滅口的事情來。
“我?不會對一位向導失禮的。”譚樹微彎腰，向林苑伸出?手，“只要這位向導小姐，你願意把那個盒子?給我?。”
林苑不太?願意，噘着嘴抱緊懷裏小牧好不容易帶回?來的木盒子?。
盒子?很破舊，看起來毫無價值。只是盒子?微微裂開的口裏，卻亮着動人心魄的彩色光澤。
小鳥腦子?裏飛快刷過一種又一種逃亡計劃。沒有一個能行得?通。
大虎的臉漲得?通紅，死死咬住牙。
“林苑姐姐。”小牧輕輕拉林苑的衣角。
他們都感到一種深切的屈辱，但沒有任何辦法。
他們知道在這樣的強敵面前，自己此刻沒有輕舉妄動的資本?。
在無可奈何的時候，性命當然比完成?任務更為重?要。
林苑咬着牙瞪着眼前的譚樹，一臉又羞又怒的表情。
最終，仿佛在極度無可奈何之下，不得?不忍着屈辱，憤怒地?将手裏那個木頭盒子?朝着譚樹的方向丢出?去。
她是一個向導，手臂沒多少力氣?，又是在憤怒的情況下，盒子?砸到了地?上。
盒子?裏那些五色光澤，珍貴無比的能量石骨碌碌滾在金色的沙灘中。黃沙也掩不住那些明亮誘人的光澤。
那個裝着寶石的破舊木頭盒子?，在沙灘上蹦跶了幾下，遠遠摔到了一邊，敞開着空無一物的口子?。
譚樹攤攤手，表示理解一位嬌滴滴的向導在憤怒時候的表現，不和林苑計較。
他打開自己的背包，把那些漂亮的能量石，一個不漏地?撿進包裏裝好。
當然，沒有特?意去拿那個摔遠了的，沒有東西的破木頭盒子?。或許腦子?裏微微想過，但有什麽不明的生物在這時悄悄游過，勾走了那個念頭。
“怎麽樣。我?學得?像不像？”林苑在心底問。
【很像了，有一點人樣，人類生氣?的樣子?】
【不是很像，牙咬應該咬得?更緊一點，腮幫鼓起來】
【眉頭要皺，眉心皺起來】
【太?難了，這得?控制多少塊肌肉】
【你看小鳥。照着她抄表情】
【管它呢，計劃通就行了。】
譚樹收好能量石，拍拍手，轉身向後走去。
仿佛真?的準備遵守承諾，拿了東西就離開。
在所有人心裏都微微放松的那一刻。譚樹背着小鳥等人，冷笑了一下，在身前比了一個拇指向下的手勢。
衆所周知，這是一個趕盡殺絕的手勢。
只是他的拇指尖還未轉到垂直，手腕就被一只帶着濕潤海水的手掌從旁抓住了。
“倪霁！”譚樹咬牙切齒，低聲呵斥，“你幹什麽？”
“讓他們走。”倪霁淡淡地?說。
又來了，這家夥又來了。譚樹暴躁地?想。
他總是這樣，突然地?就發瘋。
想怎麽做，就怎麽做。
一丁點都不把我?這個隊長放在眼裏。
譚樹想掙脫倪霁的手，但那只箍在他手腕上的手掌像鐵鉗一樣，無論他如何使勁力氣?，那手都穩如磐石，不可撼動。
他的臉上一陣青，一陣白。那種僞裝出?來的淺薄風度，早就蕩然無存。
而身邊的倪霁掐着他的手腕，挑着眉頭，嘴角還帶着點游刃有餘笑，“我?說，讓他們走。隊長。”
他剛剛從海裏上來，一身都是水，光着腿，一手抓着圍在腰上的浴巾，用一只手就鉗制住了譚樹。
這家夥本?就是這樣的一個人，不論平時僞裝得?多麽乖巧，但當他确定要做一件事的時候，很少給人商量的餘地?。
譚樹知道如果在這裏打起來，他是打不過倪霁的，甚至有可能都甩不脫倪霁鉗制自己這只手。
他丢不起這個人。
只能咬着牙，揮手收隊，領着隊伍離開，心中把殺了倪霁的計劃想了一遍又一遍。
倪霁走在整個隊伍的最後。
他一眼都沒有看留在沙灘上那幾個人。
赤着腳往前走的時候，他踩到了陷在沙子?中一個木盒子?。
他遲疑了一下，一只小小的觸手從陰影裏鑽出?來，勾着他赤果的月卻踝往上爬，觸手尖尖輕輕貼着那沾了沙粒的皮膚勾了勾。
倪霁的整個身體就頓住了。
很不願意承認。
但他有一點悲哀地?發現，自己竟然一直在渴望着這個。
等那個人給出?一點小小的暗示，和自己悄悄打一個招呼。整顆灰暗的心就高?興了起來。
原來，她真?正想要的是這個木盒子?。
倪霁腳下微微用力，把那個盒子?踩進松軟的沙堆中，替那個人掩蓋住。
他不再停頓，也沒有回?頭看上一眼，擡起沾着沙粒的腳，跟上前方的人。
細細的觸手從他的小月退踝上滑走，潛入了黃沙中，卷住那個小小的木盒。