Chapter 77: The Most Loyal Sheep on Blue Star

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Most Loyal Sheep on Blue Star

"Sheep Leader, you’re no match for them! Retreat!" Xiaqing, who was fighting the dancing potato vines, saw the Sheep Leader charge back in only to get struck by a lash. She immediately fell back to shield him, firing another three shots—BANG, BANG, BANG.

"BAAA~~" The Sheep Leader bleated, its voice trembling in pain, but it stubbornly kept nudging Xiaqing, trying to get her to escape with it.

"Leader..."

If the Sheep Leader’s actions hadn’t caused Xiaqing to take two extra lashes, she really would have been touched.

At the critical moment, Chen Zheng, who was closest to Xiaqing, arrived. Holding the Sheep Leader with one arm to dodge the attacks and her gun with the other, Xiaqing shouted for him to help. "Quick! Sever the three dancing potato vines at the root!"

Indeed, while Xiaqing was fighting the dancing potato vines, another one had undergone a Qiang Evolution. So, even though she had severed one, she was still facing three.

If these three weren’t cleared out in time, their spreading roots would grab hold of the main roots of the normal potato vines, and this entire patch of potatoes would start dancing and throwing a party together.

As one of the main combatants of Hu Zifeng’s team, Chen Zheng’s marksmanship was naturally better than Xiaqing’s. After he severed the three aggressive, Qiang-evolved potato vines, Da Jiang and Chen Cheng also arrived.

Before the four of them could even say a word, they saw new purplish-red dancing sprouts visibly emerge from the roots of the severed potato vines.

Xiaqing immediately gave an order, "One for each of us! Let’s hurry and dig up the mutated roots and torch them with a flamethrower."

After the four clumps of mutated roots were dug up, torched dry, and rendered inert, the crisis of the aggressive plant Qiang Evolution was finally resolved.

At this moment, the inside of the rainproof shelter was a complete mess. A large swath of normal potato vines had been whipped apart, six of the shelter’s arched supports were broken, and the rainproof cloth was torn with two three-meter-long gashes, letting the rain leak in.

And this was only because Xiaqing had used her own body to block most of the attacks; otherwise, the losses would have been even greater.

Xiaqing told the Sheep Leader to rest on the side. She brought over the spare rainproof cloth and supports stored in the shelter and, with the help of Chen Zheng and the other two, quickly repaired it. The patch of potato vines that had been whipped apart and the few vines that had been drenched by the red Harmful Rain could not be saved.

Da Jiang was frowning. "Weren’t these seeds from the Safe Zone? How could a dangerous, aggressive Qiang Evolution occur?"

Chen Cheng looked at the dozen or so purplish-red lash marks on Xiaqing’s Protective Suit and felt the pain for her. "Sister Qing, are you okay?"

Of course Xiaqing was in a lot of pain, but it was just pain. After assuring the three that she was fine, she pressed the Lord’s intercom button. "Third Territory, potatoes have undergone a moderately dangerous, aggressive Qiang Evolution. The high-hardness potato vines will move on their own, attacking any object they touch. They can snap a wooden stick as thick as an arm. The method of elimination is to shoot or chop the vines, then dig up the potato roots and torch them dry. I repeat: In the Third Territory, the potato vines..."

"Does the Third Territory require support from the investigation team?" Even in the dead of night, Tan Junjie’s voice was clear and serious.

Xiaqing pressed the button. "The Third Territory has already cleared the aggressive potato vines. No support needed."

Just a few minutes after Xiaqing finished speaking, Qi Fu’s urgent call for help sounded over the channel. "Captain Tan, Territory No. 5 is experiencing an aggressive Qiang Evolution with its potato vines. We need immediate support."

"Roger that."

Less than ten minutes after Tan Junjie’s reply, Territory No. 4 and No. 6 Territory also called for support due to the same dangerous situation.

The potato vines in three territories had all undergone an aggressive Qiang Evolution. This was clearly a problem with the seeds. ’What the hell are those people at the Safe Area Planting Center thinking? How could they distribute such dangerous seeds without even noting it in the *Planting Guide*!’

Her temper began to rise. Xiaqing took a sip of the nutrient liquid from her Protective Mask’s built-in system to calm herself down.

Chen Zheng urged Xiaqing to rest. "Sister Qing, go back to the cabin and rest for a bit. Da Jiang and I will keep an eye on things here."

Chen Cheng also chimed in, "Yeah, Sister, you should go get some rest."

"Alright. Thanks for your hard work. Contact me immediately if anything happens." Xiaqing, long accustomed to enduring extreme fatigue and pain, could still hold on, but her heart ached for the Sheep Leader, who had taken several lashes.

Xiaqing led the Sheep Leader out of the rainproof shelter. Before they even reached the cabin, it sent her flying with its spiral horn, and she landed with a huge splash of muddy water.

"BAAARGH!!!"

After sending Xiaqing flying, the Sheep Leader was still not satisfied and charged again.

Xiaqing endured the pain all over her body and scrambled to her feet. She sidestepped the horn and threw her arms around the Sheep Leader’s neck. Only then did she switch the intercom headset in her Protective Mask to the private channel with the Leader, explaining in a soft voice, "Leader, don’t be angry. I know the potato vines were tough, and I understand you wanted to escape with me. It’s my fault you got hit so many times. I’m sorry."

"BAAA!!!"

The Sheep Leader continued to paw at the ground and shake its head, intent on teaching Xiaqing a lesson.

"This is our territory. Potatoes are an important food source. I still want to eat stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, you know? I haven’t had them in years." As Xiaqing explained, her trembling hands fumbled in her Protective Suit’s pocket for food. "You must be hungry, Leader. Calm down. How about we go back and have some compressed rations and dried Green Light Bamboo Shoots?"

The Sheep Leader was torn between its anger and the desire for good food. After a moment of internal conflict, it shook Xiaqing off and limped toward the cabin.

Xiaqing, her body screaming in pain, limped along behind it. An overwhelming sense of gratitude for the Sheep Leader washed over her. ’When danger appeared, he thought of helping me escape. When he saw I wasn’t with him, he came back to save me. I’m so touched. You truly are the leader of our Third Territory. You’re the most loyal sheep on Blue Star, a sheep at the top of the Pyramid, the sheep who will usher in a new era for Evolutionary Sheep...’

After rinsing the mud off her Protective Suit with water from the bucket by the door, Xiaqing led the Sheep Leader back into the cabin.

She first confirmed the air quality before taking off her own and the Sheep Leader’s Protective Masks. She placed the food in the Sheep Leader’s bowl. "You’ve worked hard, Leader. Eat up."

The Sheep Leader began to eat. With a hand trembling from pain, Xiaqing felt all over the Sheep Leader’s body to make sure there were no broken bones. After confirming he was okay, she sat down, leaning against a wooden stump by the wall, so much in pain that she didn’t even have the strength to lift her arm to wipe away her sweat.

She closed her eyes and asked hoarsely, "Silly Hat, Silly Hat, what time is it?"

The phone in her Protective Suit’s pocket cheerfully replied, "The current time is 5:28 AM. Good morning, Master. Waking up to a glass of warm water has many benefits."

Five-thirty. There were still four and a half hours until the end of the second Harmful Rain. ’Almost over.’

Xiaqing closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, silently processing the pain wracking her body. Painkillers would numb her nerves, and with the Harmful Rain not yet over, she had to be ready to fight at any moment. She couldn’t take any medication.

’Once this is over, I have to trade with the Green Dragon Team or Brother San for a few bags of Special Level Nutrient Liquid.’ Special Level Nutrient Liquid not only replenished stamina quickly but also accelerated the body’s recovery from injuries, making it perfect for her current situation.

A small, fifteen-milliliter bag of Special Level Nutrient Liquid sold for two thousand points in the Safe Zone. Xiaqing never used to give it a second glance because she couldn’t afford it. But things were different now. She had spring water that she could trade for it; fourteen liters of spring water could be exchanged for one small bag.

Fourteen liters for fifteen milliliters. Xiaqing didn’t feel the sting of the trade at all, because Special Level Nutrient Liquid could be a lifesaver in a critical moment.

’They say the Yi Element Stimulating Liquid is much better at repairing physical damage than the Special Level Nutrient Liquid. If I can trade for it, I’d like to get two bottles to keep in reserve. Although the Yi Element Stimulating Liquid has side effects, by the time you need to use it, you’re already at death’s door. Who would care about side effects then?’

"Baa."

The Sheep Leader finished eating and squinted at Xiaqing, wanting her to pour it some water. When it saw that Xiaqing’s eyes were closed and she wasn’t reacting, the Sheep Leader let out a displeased bleat.

Xiaqing poured the Sheep Leader some spring water and reminded it in a hoarse voice, "Go outside to relieve yourself after you drink, don’t dirty the cabin. Remember to go to the spot where I cleared the Injurious Grass. Other places might have ticks and leeches, and it’ll be a problem if they latch on."

After the Sheep Leader had eaten its fill, drank, and relieved itself, Xiaqing had also gathered some strength. She wiped her sweat, drank a few mouthfuls of spring water, and gnawed on a compressed ration.

Just then, the red Harmful Rain, which had been falling for nearly an hour, finally stopped.

Although reports of Qiang Evolutions, deaths, and injuries continued to pour in over the Lord’s intercom, Chen Zheng and the others were quiet, which meant no more aggressive Qiang Evolutions had occurred in her territory.

Once she had rested, it was time to get back to work. Just as Xiaqing was about to head out with the Sheep Leader, Chen Zheng’s urgent voice came over the intercom, "Sister Qing, the spinach seeds are ripe!"