Chapter 69
After that night, Carlo underwent a very noticeable change, becoming much more attentive to Chenxi, whether it was catching more and better food or personally taking care of everything related to Chenxi.
For several days in a row, Carlo had been seen picking the sweet-tasting but hard-to-obtain Gem Fruit by the campfire. Carlo's companions exchanged glances, looking like they knew what was going on.
Fang inwardly scoffed at the sight. Carlo's behavior was so obvious; did he think no one could hide it? Tsk, he'd only said one wrong thing that night, and he'd been forced to apologize to his little darling. What bad luck. But oh well, considering Carlo's behavior during this special time, he decided not to cause him any trouble.
While everyone else was tacitly aware of the situation, Chenxi, who was at the center of the incident, felt that Carlo had become much more enthusiastic, but she couldn't figure out why.
After all, just a few nights ago he had talked to Carlo all night about his partner, how much he missed him, how wonderful his partner was, and how much they loved each other. Who would have thought that Carlo's thought process was different from ordinary people? Not only did he generously ignore his partner, but he was even ambitious enough to want to replace him.
In Chenxi's mind, Carlo had always been a helpful person, so although she felt a little strange, she didn't think much of it. She simply assumed that after she and Carlo opened up to each other and talked about their innermost thoughts all night, their relationship had become closer.
Yes, once Jin Yi finds him, she must thank Carlo properly.
...
After being thrown to this place by spatial fluctuations, Chenxi has gradually found her rhythm of life here after the initial period of adjustment.
Aside from the tense escape, my daily life consists of trying my best to eat and sleep well within my capabilities, maintaining enough energy to cope with unexpected situations.
Chenxi has always done a good job in this regard, and with Carlo's help, he even feels that he is living too well.
During her time on this strange planet, Chenxi not only became very familiar with Carlo and Carlo's companions, but also got to know some other people. In short, she completely integrated into this large, mixed group of races.
During another camping trip, an unexpected guest appeared by Carlo's campfire: a boy who looked to be only a teenager, carrying a small baby on his back.
After scanning the crowd, the boy walked straight up to Chen Xi, holding a bundle wrapped in leaves, and handed it to her.
"You are..." Chen Xi was confused for a moment by the sudden appearance of the strange boy, until she saw the baby on the boy's back and suddenly remembered something, "You are the one I met that day."
"Yes, thank you for helping me that day. This is for you." The boy had seemed very calm before, but a slight blush rose on his face when he spoke to Chen Xi.
Carlo, who was watching from a short distance away, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"Ah, no, no, I already picked too much that day," Chen Xi quickly refused. At the same time, he remembered the situation that day. He was collecting food as usual, and because of the scanner, it went very smoothly. He returned with a full load. On the way back, he saw a boy carrying a baby on his back, frowning as he searched for food. Seeing the few unripe fruits in the boy's hands and the baby on his back, he felt a pang of pity and shared some of the food he had picked with him.
Chenxi forgot about it after she finished doing it, but the boy actually remembered it and came to give her something to thank her.
Hearing Chen Xi's refusal, the boy stubbornly pursed his lips, unwilling to take back what he had handed over. Just as the situation became somewhat tense, the baby behind the boy let out a giggle, and at the same time, the tender little hand happily reached towards Chen Xi.
Chen Xi was instantly drawn to the baby. It was such an adorable little one, with fair skin, big, round eyes, and an angelic smile on its face. The baby was reaching out its tiny hands towards her, and Chen Xi was instantly captivated. "He's so cute!"
Hearing the baby's voice behind him, the boy's gaze softened immediately. At the same time, he realized something. His little brother was such an adorable creature. The boy immediately turned slightly to the side so that Chen Xi could see the baby on his back more clearly and said, "This is my little brother. His name is Martha. Do you want to hold him?"
Seeing the boy shamelessly begin to exploit his younger brother, Carlo, who had been watching them closely, couldn't help but sneer.
After hesitating for a long time, Chen Xi still did not agree to the boy's suggestion. After all, he had not come out of the protective sphere since he arrived here, and the mechanical arm that came with the protective sphere was obviously not suitable for holding a delicate baby.
Even so, Chenxi stayed by the boy's side and teased little Masha for a while. Seeing Masha's giggles, he couldn't help but laugh for a long time himself.
In the end, Chenxi accepted the boy's gift, but he also took a few roasted, sweet, and soft fruits suitable for babies from his own food and gave them to the boy, saying they were for Masha.
The boy did not refuse.
Watching the boy happily walk away, Fang sidled up to Carlo and winked, saying, "Looks like your little cutie has quite a few people on her mind."
Carlo scoffed, "Him? He's not even fully grown yet."
Seeing that Carlo didn't seem to be furious, Fang was a little disappointed. But thinking about it, it made sense. Carlo was a top expert among the younger generation of the Bone Clan and one of the strongest warriors in their group of escapees, while the boy was just an unknown teenager. The difference between them was too great, and there was no comparison. No wonder Carlo didn't care at all.
As Fang was thinking this, he saw Carlo walk away.
Carlo walked straight to Chenxi's side. At that moment, Chenxi was opening the leaf package that the boy had given her and looking at the bright red fruit inside.
Carlo looked at the fruit and said to Chen Xi, "These are red grapes. They're quite sour, and they don't taste very good when eaten directly. I'll use them to flavor the fruit."
Upon hearing Carlo's words, Chen Xi immediately abandoned his original idea of whether or not to try it. In addition, he had been eating a lot of food and was not hungry at all. He immediately handed the bag of fruit in his hand to Carlo.
After Carlo took the bag of fruit, he poured it into the soup pot that was cooking by the campfire, stirred it a few times with a stone ladle, and then distributed the soup to several big eaters in the group. In less than two minutes, the red grapes that represented the boy's good intentions were gone, not even a peel was left.
I watched the whole thing with fangs... Damn it, the red grapes were sour and tasted awful.
If he hadn't eaten it himself, he almost would have believed it.
...
...
Behind them, billowing smoke and dust filled the sky; ahead, screaming creatures fled—another endless mass exodus.
This time, the red tide worms have gone mad for some reason, chasing us exceptionally closely and haven't stopped to occupy the area for several days. The fleeing army has barely rested in the past few days, except for a few brief stops to eat some dry food.
Under this almost frenzied pursuit, the original fleeing force was further reduced, with many dying from exhaustion or weaker racial strength.
Chen Xi was thankful countless times that his protective sphere was also a means of transportation, so he didn't have to run on his own. Otherwise, with the weak physical strength of earthlings, he would definitely be the first one to be fed to the insects.
Even with a means of transportation, Chenxi's face still looked much more haggard these past few days. The reason was simple: under the relentless pursuit of the Red Tide Worms, he had barely slept for the past few days.
When Carlo saw Chenxi's listless little face inside the protective shell, a pang of heartache flashed through his heart. He encouraged Chenxi, saying, "Hang in there a little longer. The red tide worms won't keep chasing you like this."
But after he opened his mouth, Carlo realized that his voice was unusually hoarse, a hoarseness born of exhaustion.
Chenxi silently used the robotic arm to bring Carlo a glass of water.
"Thank you." Carlo felt a warmth in his heart, took the drink, and downed it in one gulp.
This was a rare moment of respite and food in the past few days. Everyone else was making the most of their time to eat their dry rations. As Carlo handed some dry rations to Chen Xi, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
Seeing that Chenxi was already obediently eating her dry rations, Carlo also picked up a piece of dry rations and wolfed it down. After finishing the piece of dry rations and drinking the cup of water earlier, the exhausted Carlo finally felt a little more refreshed and his mind became clearer.
With only a little time left, Carlo quickly observed his surroundings and studied the escape route.
But after drawing a few lines on the ground with a twig, he couldn't help but frown and mutter, "Something's not right."
Fang heard Carlo's mutterings and leaned closer to look. "Is something wrong?"
Carlo looked up, his expression grave as he gazed at Fang. "Don't you think the Red Tide is deliberately driving us this way?"
Hearing Carlo's words, Fang's heart skipped a beat. Red Tide Worms do possess intelligence, even if it's rudimentary, enough to hunt their prey. Countless ancestors, in their battles against Red Tide Worms, had long ago discovered that they would consciously lure their prey into traps or drive them into a dead end, then enjoy a feast when the prey had nowhere to escape.
This usually happens when the red tide wants to completely devour its prey and no longer intends to chase after it.
Fang's face was a little pale, but after looking at the route map drawn by Carlo, he stubbornly refused to admit it, saying, "It shouldn't be, right? We've scouted the escape route ahead; it's not a dead end."
After hearing Fang's words, Carlo fell silent for a moment. Yes, they had carefully explored the escape route ahead. It wasn't a dead end; there were at least several directions to escape in. It would be difficult for the Red Tide Worms to completely block it. Perhaps he was overthinking it.
However, for some reason, that faint sense of unease still lingered in his heart, and Carlo could only say in the end, "Anyway, be careful."
"Hmm." This time, Fang didn't say anything, but just nodded heavily.
After thinking for a moment, Carlo came to Chenxi's side and said to the little cutie in the protective shell, "Stay close to me on the way. No matter what happens, don't leave my side."
Although Chenxi didn't understand what had happened, and Carlo looked so serious, she still obediently nodded.
Seeing the adorable little creature inside the protective shell looking at him so sweetly, Carlo's heart melted instantly. No matter what, he would protect her.
...
Afterwards, the main force set off again. This time, amidst the chaotic escape, Carlo, as he had said, stayed close to Chenxi. Whenever something happened, he would quickly resolve it and return as fast as possible.
Everything went smoothly, but for some reason, Carlo's faint unease not only did not dissipate, but actually intensified.
After a long run, they emerged from the semi-forest, semi-shrubland environment they had been in for some time. Ahead lay a vast expanse of rocky terrain. The problem with this type of geology was that it was barren and resources were scarce. However, they had already gathered a lot of food and made it into rations while they were in the forest, so getting through this area safely shouldn't be a problem.
Carlo calmly pondered, and the entire fleeing force quickly moved from the damp grass to the hard stone surface, then strode forward with great speed.
Upon reaching an open area, the previously gentle wind suddenly became strong, whistling against people's faces, and occasionally one could hear strange, shrill sounds from the strong wind.
Wait! Where are these sounds coming from?!
Carlo's eyes searched around instinctively, and suddenly, his gaze froze on a barely perceptible crack in the ground, his pupils contracting sharply!
The wind was howling out of the crack, creating that sharp, whistling sound.
The underground space is hollow!
Carlo's throat suddenly became dry and tight, and he shouted, "Go back! Back to the forest!"
However, it was too late. Almost the instant Carlo issued the warning, the seemingly safe ground suddenly burst open with tiny cracks, and a tidal wave of red tide insects surged out from the cracks, rushing straight towards the unsuspecting crowd. The fleeing crowd was instantly turned into a living hell.
Carlo held Chenxi tightly, sharp bone spurs growing from his wrists and arms. With swift strokes, he sliced the red tide insects that were attacking the little cutie into pieces.
Looking at the scene of hell everywhere, he felt a deep sorrow. He knew it was all over, everything was over, and their escape team would be wiped out.
However, seeing the little cutie's pale face inside the protective shell, terrified by the surrounding scene, his expression hardened. No matter what, he would protect the little cutie and help her escape.
Carlo stayed close to Chenxi, leading the little cutie in one direction, wanting to carve a bloody path for her.
There were roars everywhere, gaping maws stained with blood everywhere, and screams and cries for help were everywhere, but in the end they all turned into desperate and painful wails.
Looking at the surrounding scene, Chen Xi hated for the ten thousandth time why his protective sphere was purely for protection and had no offensive capabilities whatsoever. At this moment, even if he were given a laser gun, the situation would be different.
He wanted to save them, but he was powerless to do so.
Following Carlo's instructions, Chen Xi stayed close to him, knowing that this was the right thing to do. However, as he nervously observed his surroundings, his gaze suddenly sharpened, for he saw a familiar figure—a boy carrying a baby on his back.
The boy was very unlucky; a red tide worm had its eye on him.
Although the boy was young, he was quite skilled. Holding a knife, he slashed directly at the red tide worm. The red tide worm was cut and was momentarily at a standstill with the boy, neither of them making the first move.
But the boy, who was focused on fighting the red tide worm in front of him, did not notice that not far behind him, another red tide worm had finished eating and was also eyeing him. The red tide worm's greedy eyes swept over the boy and then fixed its gaze on the baby behind him, opening its mouth full of sharp teeth and poised to pounce.
Chen Xi's mind went blank for a moment when he saw this scene. He was very familiar with the posture of the Red Tide Bug. The next moment, the Red Tide Bug would be launched like a cannonball and directly bite its prey. Chen Xi had seen the Red Tide Bug tear apart many alien races like this before, but was it going to be Martha's turn now?
Will that innocent and adorable little baby, who would giggle like an angel, also be turned into a pile of minced meat in the giant mouth of the red tide worm, which is full of sharp teeth?
Almost the instant the Red Tide Worm was launched, Chen Xi also moved, his protective ball propelling him at top speed as he slammed into the worm.
The moment Chen Xi rushed out, Carlo, who was protecting him, noticed. When he saw his little darling rushing towards a Red Tide Worm, Carlo's eyes widened in horror. However, it was too late. He was already entangled in a battle with three Red Tide Worms and couldn't break free at all.
As Chen Xi watched the ferocious worm get closer and closer, he felt a chill in his heart. However, he remembered that although his protective sphere was purely a protective facility for his adventure and entertainment and did not have any offensive weapons, it was made of super-strong protective materials that could withstand nuclear bombs. So, it should be able to withstand the worm's teeth, right?
With this belief, Chenxi's protective ball slammed straight into the head of the Red Tide Bug. The Red Tide Bug, which was originally aimed at the baby, sensed something attacking from the side and nimbly twisted its body in mid-air, its huge mouth full of sharp teeth fiercely biting at the thing that was crashing in.
At that moment, Carlo's heart almost stopped.
He watched helplessly as the red tide worm's several rings of sharp, fanged teeth viciously bit at his little darling, his vision almost turning blood red.
However, the scene that was about to happen, which would become his lifelong nightmare, did not occur. Just as the red tide worm's gleaming teeth were about to touch the little cutie's protective shell, a beam of light shone down from the sky, enveloping the red tide worm. The red tide worm stiffened for a moment, then twisted in pain and turned into ashes.
What's going on?!
Carlo was stunned.
When he came to his senses and hurriedly looked at Little Cutie, he discovered that a golden figure had appeared beside her at some point.
At the same time, the previously clear sky suddenly darkened, and dark shadows pressed down like enormous creatures about to emerge from the clouds, giving people a suffocating feeling that the sky was about to collapse.
Meanwhile, amidst this apocalyptic scene, beams of light shot down from the darkened and oppressive sky, precisely enveloping the Red Tide Worms that were rampaging through the crowd. Countless Red Tide Worms didn't even have time to react before stiffening and twisting, turning into ashes in extreme agony.
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