Chapter 157: Raptors Attack

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Raptors Attack

The Hui Yi Base Safety Zone was only two hundred kilometers away from the Hui San Base Safety Zone. If the Evolved Fierce Birds couldn’t break through Hui Yi Base’s defenses, they could reach Hui San Base in an hour!

Xiaqing immediately mixed the Deodorant and began spraying it everywhere, eliminating the animal scents in and around her home. This was to prevent any Olfactory Evolutionaries among the Evolved Fierce Birds from catching the scents of her sheep, wolves, chickens, geese, and snakes and attacking her territory.

As Xiaqing was spraying the chicken and goose coops, the Third Territory’s security team—Hu Zifeng’s team—arrived, carrying the supplies she had traded with the Green Dragon Team.

Chen Cheng greeted her cheerfully. "Sister Qing, where should we put these supplies?"

"Sister Qing, let me do the spraying." Guan Tong took the sprayer tank from Xiaqing’s back and continued the work. They came to the Third Territory often and were very familiar with these chores.

Xiaqing asked the team to carry the supplies to the village entrance, and she would move them into her home from there by herself.

She had no choice. As soon as they reached the village entrance, the Head Wolf appeared, standing atop the ruins of a house south of Xiaqing’s home and staring intently in their direction. With two of its pack mates injured, anesthetized, and immobile, the Head Wolf’s gaze was exceptionally fierce. Xiaqing didn’t dare let Hu Zifeng’s team enter the village.

Even before, when she had left the territory and asked Hu Zifeng’s team to stand guard, they couldn’t get close to the village.

Xiaqing hoisted a crate containing a generator onto her right shoulder, carried a large barrel of diesel in her left hand, and headed home. She then came back out with Sheep Leader. In a single trip, the woman and her sheep transported two barrels of diesel, two barrels of gasoline, two boxes of Bullets, and a box of grenades back to the village, leaving Hu Zifeng’s team utterly amazed.

’These two from the Third Territory are practically made for farming. Their Strength is incredible.’

After storing the supplies, Xiaqing armed herself, gave a quick word to the Wolf Group and Sheep Leader, and left the village to rejoin Hu Zifeng’s team.

While the radio broadcast tense, real-time reports on Hui Yi Base’s battle against the Evolution Bird Group, a small cabin by the farmlands of the Third Territory was filled with laughter and bustling with cheerful activity.

A fire blazed inside the cabin. On a metal rack set over the flames, half a pig carcass sizzled, its fat rendering and dripping. The aroma was so tantalizing it made everyone’s mouth water.

Hu Zifeng’s team was envious of Xiaqing’s life to the extreme.

"Sis, this Wolf Group is so well-behaved."

"Yeah, better behaved than most people!"

"I hope wolves get injured more often..." Chen Cheng hadn’t even finished muttering before his brother smacked him, and he shut his mouth.

Xiaqing was down to two solar panels, and the power she’d stored wasn’t enough to run her dehydrator. So, she had started roasting half a Green Light piglet over an open fire back at her house. Now, it just needed a little reheating before it was ready to eat.

With a major battle imminent, Xiaqing was providing a feast to boost morale.

The half-pig, bones and all, only weighed a dozen or so pounds. The eleven of them gnawed it clean in a matter of minutes.

The group packed the cleanly-gnawed pig bones into a sealed bag. Just as they put out the fire and started drinking tea, the flock of Evolved Fierce Birds, which had been held back by the Hui Yi Base defense line, split in two. One group headed for Hui Wu Base, while the other flew toward Hui San Base.

Hu Zifeng downed his tea in one gulp, stood up, and ordered, "Everyone, check your equipment. Prepare for battle."

"Yes, sir."

The nine team members and Xiaqing all responded, beginning to check their guns, ammunition, daggers, Protective Suits, and medical supplies.

Once the checks were complete, Hu Zifeng discussed the plan with Xiaqing. "When the Evolved Fierce Birds attack, we can’t let Sheep Leader and the wolves stay out in the open, or they’ll be living targets. You figure out a way to secure them indoors. Then you can defend your residential area, and the ten of us will guard the farmland?"

"Alright." Xiaqing naturally had no objections. "We’ll stay in contact via walkie-talkie. And, as always..."

"In case of danger, prioritize your own safety first." Hu Zifeng couldn’t help but grumble, "I think our ears have grown calluses from you saying that. Don’t worry."

Although Hu Zifeng’s team only had one High Level Evolver, their Evolutionary Abilities complemented each other well, their marksmanship and combat skills were superb, and their equipment was excellent. This time, they weren’t charging into the Evolution Forest but setting up defensive positions to snipe the Evolution Bird Group within familiar territory. The advantage was clearly theirs.

Xiaqing wanted to offer a few words of encouragement, but for a moment, she couldn’t think of what to say. Instead, she gave Hu Zifeng’s team a firm, solemn nod, then turned to find Sheep Leader.

It was a cloudy day. A large swath of white clouds obscured the sun, casting a shadow over Sheep Leader and its pasture. Xiaqing stood to the side, observing her surroundings.

It wasn’t her imagination. The territory was eerily quiet today; she couldn’t even hear a single bird call.

During previous Beast Tides, Xiaqing, being a Strength Evolver, had always been assigned to a logistics support role within the Safe Zone. Her main tasks were transporting supplies, the wounded, and the dead. The atmosphere in the Safe Zone back then had been tense and chaotic.

This was the first time Xiaqing had experienced this kind of silence during a Beast Tide.

’Turns out silence is more nerve-wracking than chaos.’

"Attention, residents of Hui San Base. Attention, residents of Hui San Base. A flock composed of over a thousand Evolved Fierce Birds has entered the Hui San Base Evolution Forest. Please return indoors immediately, secure all doors and windows, and remain quiet. All defense units and battle teams, move to your positions. Prepare for combat."

"Attention, residents of Hui San Base..."

After the broadcast ended, Tan Junjie’s solemn and calm voice came over the Lord channel. "Attention, all personnel in the First through Tenth Territories. The Evolution Bird Group has entered the airspace over the Hui San Base Evolution Forest from the southeast. All personnel are to find sturdy cover, take shelter, ensure you are protected, and remain as quiet as possible."

The clouds drifted past, and sunlight once again scattered across the pasture. Sheep Leader twitched its ears and continued to graze.

Xiaqing gazed toward the southeast, her expression grim.

When Sheep Leader had finally eaten its fill, Xiaqing scooped it up in her arms and ran back to the village. She burst through her courtyard gate, but as she was about to enter the house, she froze.

The sheep pen’s door was ajar. Inside, it was empty. The recuperating wolves were gone.

’Where are the wolves? Did the Head Wolf sense the danger and carry the injured ones away?’

After putting Sheep Leader down in its designated bathroom spot, Xiaqing gripped her gun and scanned her surroundings. Her eyes finally fell on a muddy print on the handle of her security door.

’Could it be...?’

Gun in hand, Xiaqing moved closer and pressed her ear to the door, but all she could hear were the chirps of the chicks and the soft quacks of the goslings inside. She holstered her gun, drew her knife, turned the handle, and slowly pushed the door open.

Having relieved itself and cleaned its hooves, the impatient Sheep Leader, ready to go inside, kicked the door wide open with a THUD and strutted in first.

The door swung open to reveal the two anesthetized wolves lying on the sheep’s tatami mat in the living room. Both turned their heads to look at Xiaqing. One’s gaze was fierce, the other’s was calm. The Head Wolf and its two subordinates were nowhere in sight.

Xiaqing was speechless.

’So the Head Wolf knew danger was coming, decided the sheep pen wasn’t safe, and took it upon himself to upgrade his two SVIP patients? Did his wolf majesty even bother to ask me, the landlord, for permission?’

"You two, stay put. I’m just going to do a quick check," Xiaqing said, trying to soothe the two wolves with a calm voice. Knife in hand, she then swept the first floor, second floor, and the attic, confirming that the other three wolves were gone, leaving only the two patients behind.

Xiaqing sighed. ’Life isn’t easy.’ She sheathed her knife and went back downstairs, where she found Sheep Leader had already lain down beside the two wolves and begun chewing its cud.

"Xiaqing, you there?"

Hearing Hu Zifeng’s call through her headset walkie-talkie, Xiaqing immediately answered, "I’m here."

"Brother Luo’s team has engaged the Evolution Bird Group. Leading the charge are five Evolutionary Ape-eating Eagles with wingspans of over six meters, plus a large number of Evolutionary Tiger-headed Sea Eagles and other unknown Evolved Fierce Birds. Their combat strength is ferocious." Hu Zifeng relayed the latest update to Xiaqing, and finished with a clear command: "Prepare for battle. Report immediately if you need support."

"Understood," Xiaqing replied calmly.

Xiaqing had heard about the Tiger-headed Sea Eagle, a type of Evolutionary Bird, many times on the radio. It was the largest raptor in the skies above the bay, known for its Speed and viciously accurate attacks. Its offensive power was formidable, making it the primary adversary for the Gui City Base’s Coastal Safety Zone.

For the fearsome Evolutionary Tiger-headed Sea Eagles to be flying behind the Evolutionary Ape-eating Eagles in today’s flock... one could only imagine what level of monster the Ape-eating Eagles were.

’And five of those powerful Evolved Fierce Birds showed up at once!’