The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
Jiang Cancan patted the snow off his body and added, "All I heard was the sound of the ground shaking, kind of like wheels rolling over the ground, and it was coming towards us."
Ye Xiao sat up straight in Ling Chen's arms, closed his eyes, and listened carefully for a while, but he wasn't entirely sure either. "The sound is intermittent... it seems like it's jumping."
Jiang Cancan looked nervous, "Jumping? Could it be a kangaroo?"
Ling Chen had just finished trimming the last of Ye Xiao's fingernails. He put away the nail clipper and said, "Whatever it is, get ready to fight."
Although they had mentally prepared themselves for the possibility of collecting another full catalog of land, sea, and air creatures, when they saw what appeared in their line of sight, Jiang Cancan couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy shit!"
He rubbed his nearly frozen face, "Why the hell would a frog appear in this heavy snow? And it's a giant mutant one! This is really something new!"
Jian Lan, holding a military-grade telescope, clicked her tongue, "Tsk, that little beat-up car being chased by the giant frog is in a sorry state. The gas pedal is probably floored, and it's bouncing around so much it's about to fall apart. Definitely a survivor of D Zone." She then put down the telescope and asked Ling Chen, "Chen Ge, should we save them or not?"
Ling Chen nodded, "They don't have any equipment or weapons, and the car is a civilian cargo van. They must be ordinary people who accidentally wandered into D Zone. We'll save them."
"Got it!" Jian Lan cracked her knuckles, set up her rifle, and took aim. She fired a shot to check the bullet's trajectory before she quickly followed it by a second shot. However, reality was harsh—both shots missed by a mile.
Jian Lan couldn't laugh anymore, "Damn, this is so embarrassing!" She refused to give up and shouted to Jiang Mu, "Dear comrade, can you give me the wind direction and deviation rate?"
Jiang Mu frowned, "Wind direction is unclear, bullet hit rate is only ten percent, or lower."
Jian Lan cursed, "Fuck!"
But the two gunshots had already successfully attracted the attention of the mutant frog.
It suddenly stopped,as its bulging eyes turned towards their direction, which was quite horrifying. Then, it pushed off with its hind legs and, with an agility that didn't match its size, leaped directly towards them!
When the giant frog landed on the ground, Jiang Cancan could feel the earth shaking beneath his feet.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Xiao, gripping the hilt of his Long Blade, charged forward. Jiang Cancan was startled, "Little friend, don't be so reckless!"
As Ye Xiao approached the mutant frog, he suddenly lowered his center of gravity while running before using the momentum to leap into the air with his toes kicking up a flurry of snow. In the midst of the wind and snow, his figure moved as fast as a blur. The sound of his blade being drawn was drowned out by the howling wind, and he slashed diagonally across the frog's forelimbs.
With a loud "boom", the giant frog, now missing its forelimbs, lost its balance and crashed heavily to the ground, sending up a spray of snow.
Ye Xiao landed and took the opportunity to rub his numb palms, which had been shaken by the impact. Braving the wind and snow that whipped around him, he leaped several times again while gripping the hilt of his blade with both hands, raising it high and then bringing it down with force. The cold light of the blade flashed, and the frog's hind limbs were also severed.
Sensing the swift sound of something cutting through the air behind him, Ye Xiao, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, suddenly veered to the left. At the same time, a forked tongue shot past him, "whooshing" as it plunged into the snow.
Upon realizing that the first strike had missed, the long tongue, now covered in snowflakes, retracted at a speed so fast that it even evaded the slashing blade light from Ye Xiao.
At that moment, an unfamiliar voice called out, "The tongue! It's dangerous!"
Ye Xiao was always focused during fights, and apart from Ling Chen, no one else's voice could usually catch his attention. He stood still with a calm expression with his arm muscles tensed. When the frog's long tongue attacked from the side for the second time, he neither retreated nor dodged. Instead, he pivoted on his toes and directly slashed upwards with his Long Blade!
The Long Blade struck precisely at the fork of the tongue. With his left hand gripping his right wrist, he exerted force simultaneously. With a "sizzle", the blade split the long tongue!
His right foot, bearing the force, sank halfway into the snow. Ye Xiao's body remained unmoved as he applied more force downward. The blade sliced straight through with a "swish", cutting everything in its path!
The giant frog's tongue could not retract. Ling Chen, lying on the roof of the vehicle with his eye close to the scope, opened the team channel and commanded, "Ye Xiao, retreat!"
The moment he received the order, Ye Xiao swiftly retreated. Almost simultaneously, three consecutive Armor-piercing explosive bullets were fired into the frog's open mouth. With a loud "boom", when everyone looked again, the giant frog had vanished.
The snowstorm carried the smell of gunpowder, confirming that what had just happened was not an illusion.
Ye Xiao neatly sheathed his blade and looked towards a dilapidated cargo truck parked nearby. Two young men stood at the front of the truck and watching him.
Ye Xiao's expression remained unchanged as he gripped the scabbard and turned to walk back.
Ling Chen put away his gun before he first fed Ye Xiao a milk candy, and praised with a smile, "Our Little Fuzzball is really amazing!"
Ye Xiao pursed his lips with his ears slightly red and none of the previous fierce killing intent visible.
Ling Chen carefully warmed Ye Xiao's hands and brushed off the snowflakes from his hair. Noticing a few people standing far away that were too afraid to approach, he asked, "Who's going to go chat with them?"
Jian Lan and Jiang Cancan exchanged glances and quickly played rock-paper-scissors.
Jian Lan: "I won, bearing the great mission, go!"
Three minutes later, the social butterfly Jiang Cancan rushed back, "Got it all figured out. A cargo truck, six people in total—one teacher, one assistant, and four students. They're members of a scientific research team from Zone Five, studying plants. Here's their ID."
He opened his hand before flipping through a green-covered ID, and continued, "They originally planned to study magnetic field vegetation near the border but they didn't expect D Zone to be expanding, and their old map data was inaccurate. They drove into D Zone by mistake, their equipment got ruined, they got lost, couldn't contact rescue, and were chased by mini-monsters. Pretty rough."
Although Jiang Cancan was quite sympathetic, he knew the importance of not making decisions on his own. "Chen Ge, they want to pay us to take them out. Should we take them or not?"
Ling Chen withdrew his gaze, "Let them set up camp. They can follow us when we depart."
Jiang Cancan nodded and ran off to relay the message.
After Ling Chen and the others had boiled a helmet full of water and prepared the physical supplements, Jiang Cancan arrived with two people. One was a middle-aged man in his forties.
Despite his somewhat disheveled appearance, he exuded the refined demeanor of an intellectual. Following him was a young man in his twenties with handsome appearance.
The middle-aged man spoke with gratitude, "Hello, I am Qiu Guanghan, the leader of this scientific expedition team. If it weren't for you, our entire team might have perished here."
The young man accompanying him also introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Yu Feile, Assistant to Professor Qiu."
As soon as he spoke, Ling Chen recognized that Yu Feile was the one who had previously warned Ye Xiao about the danger of the Mutant Frog's tongue.
He nodded, "You can rest here for now. Once the snow stops, we'll decide whether to set up camp or continue on our way."
Seeing Ling Chen's indifferent attitude, Qiu Guanghan tactfully exchanged a few more polite words before taking Yu Feile back with him, not wanting to disturb further.
As soon as they reached the cargo truck, Yu Feile was surrounded by four junior colleagues. The youngest among them, Dong Lingling, eagerly asked, "Senior brother, how did it go? How did it go?"
Yu Feile smiled kindly, "It went quite smoothly. Barring any unforeseen circumstances and following them should ensure our survival out of D Zone."
A soft cheer erupted, and everyone was visibly excited.
"Once we get back, I'm staying in the lab. Don't even think about me coming near D Zone ever again!"
"Exactly, exactly! This cursed place, I thought I was going to die here!" Dong Lingling, on her first field trip with the professor, wasn't one to be overly dramatic. She shed a couple of tears but quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.
Yu Feile hurriedly comforted his juniors, then couldn't help but glance back at the figure clad in black and holding a Long Blade.
The snow didn't stop until the afternoon.
Once the sun came out, the temperature rose rapidly.
The snowman placed on the roof of the vehicle had already deformed earlier and now completely melted into a puddle of water.
Ling Chen gently scratched Ye Xiao's nose with his finger, comforting him, "The Captain will help you build another one in the future, don't be sad."
Ye Xiao reluctantly stared at the snowman, "Yes, definitely."
Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, "Afraid the Captain will lie to you? Shall we pinky promise?"
Ye Xiao extended his right pinky finger before hooking it with Ling Chen's, who then laughed, "I, Ling Chen, promise Ye Xiao that I will build a snowman for him every year. If I break this promise, I will remain single for life."
Jiang Cancan, eavesdropping nearby, whispered, "Chen Ge is really harsh on himself!"
Jiang Mu explained from the side, "That's a love confession."
Jiang Cancan looked confused, "Which part? Can Ye didn't catch that at all."
This time, even Jian Lan caught on, "If he breaks the promise, he'll stay single, meaning he only loves you and will love you forever, right?"
Jiang Cancan widened his eyes while murmuring, "Why is it that everyone has been single for over twenty years, yet Chen Ge is so exceptional?"
Jian Lan touched his nose, "Maybe it's because you're dumb?"
Not long after, most of the snow on the ground had melted and left puddles everywhere. Ling Chen called for everyone to get back in the vehicle. Seeing Ling Chen's group move, Qiu Guanghan's team also boarded their vehicle.
The snow piled up on the cliff had all melted into streams flowing down. Jiang Cancan quickly took off his jacket, "From severe winter to scorching summer in a single day, I feel like I'm about to get a heat rash."
Ye Xiao took off his jacket, leaving only a black T-shirt, and was holding a gun to familiarize himself with its feel. Ling Chen watched lazily and occasionally corrected his movements.
The two vehicles moved one after the other toward Zone Five, and it wasn’t until nightfall that they found a place to stop. When Ye Xiao got out of the car, he felt someone watching him.
Yu Feile didn’t expect Ye Xiao to suddenly turn around and look his way. He quickly flashed a bright smile and greeted, “Hi!” His white teeth and handsome appearance made him quite likable.
But Ye Xiao glanced at him then realized he didn’t recognize the person, and nodded politely before continuing on his way.
Watching Ye Xiao’s straight-backed figure, Yu Feile’s smile unconsciously faded.
The parking spot was an open flat area, and a small river was just a two-minute walk away. Jiang Cancan took out a steel helmet, opened a can of braised beef, boiled water, and skillfully prepared a bowl of braised beef noodles.
Ling Chen glanced over at Qiu Guanghan’s group, where Yu Feile was handing out pieces of dry bread to everyone. Although they all looked a bit disheveled, there was no complaining. They chatted and laughed, creating a good atmosphere.
Ling Chen turned back and instructed, “Can Can, go call them over and bring a few more cans.”
Jiang Cancan nodded, “Got it, right away!”
When Yu Feile heard Jiang Cancan’s invitation, he couldn’t hide his surprise. He exchanged a glance with his teacher, Qiu Guanghan, and said repeatedly, “We’re already imposing on you by following your protection. How can we accept your canned food?”
Jiang Cancan laughed heartily, “Meeting is fate, brother! Let’s celebrate this fate. We don’t have many cans, but happiness is what matters. Plus, you need to eat well to have the strength to keep going!”
A few minutes later, eleven people were sitting around the fire with the aroma of beef that made their mouths water. Dong Lingling, who had been eating dry bread for days and had narrowly escaped death several times, sat by the fire with red-rimmed eyes.
Jiang Cancan livened up the atmosphere by chatting with Yu Feile, “I see your car’s body is dented. Did you run into something on the way?”
Yu Feile smiled bitterly, “A huge turtle. Luckily, it moved slowly, or we would’ve been crushed by its shell.”
Jiang Mu suddenly asked, “You mentioned earlier that you initially planned to operate on the outskirts of D Zone but accidentally entered D Zone?”
Yu Feile’s expression turned serious. “That’s right.” He handed a 3D map to Jiang Mu. “This was our planned activity area, which we confirmed was safe before coming. But when we arrived, we found that the area was already inside D Zone.”
After listening, Ling Chen asked, “Do you know the approximate size?”
Yu Feile thought carefully, “About half an hour’s drive. I can’t say for sure the exact range.”
Ling Chen rubbed his fingers.
He had already learned from his mother’s report that D Zone was expanding, but seeing the reality before his eyes still weighed heavily on him.
Over the next two days, the two groups gradually became familiar with each other. When they found out that Jian Lan was female, Dong Lingling and another girl were stunned. “Little brother—no, big sister, you’re so cool!”
They then surrounded Jian Lan and eagerly asked how she had developed her six-pack abs. Jian Lan, who rarely chatted with girls, was also quite enthusiastic.
Ye Xiao was sitting on a rock by the river, cleaning his Long Blade, when Yu Feile naturally walked over to him.
"Hello."
Ye Xiao had a piece of candy in his mouth, puffing out his cheeks slightly, which made him appear less aloof. "Yu Feile."
Yu Feile was pleasantly surprised. "You know my name?"
Ye Xiao nodded. "Yes." He had heard Ling Chen call him once.
Yu Feile sat down on a nearby rock. "I know your name is Ye Xiao. Brother Jiang and the others like to call you 'Little Friend.' You really do look very young. I have a younger brother who looks about your age. He's twenty this year."
Ye Xiao nodded again. "He's older than me. I'm eighteen and five months."
Yu Feile could tell that he wasn’t very skilled at conversation, so he smiled even more brightly. "When you came to rescue us that day, you were really impressive. I was worried you might get ambushed by that frog's tongue, but thankfully, nothing happened."
Ye Xiao thought for a moment before replying, "That frog was big, but not very strong. I could defeat it."
Yu Feile silently thought that this topic was probably about to run its course.
Jiang Mu and Ling Chen finished discussing their matters and noticed the two sitting by the river. Jiang Mu asked, "Chen Ge, aren’t you going over? I heard from Can Can that Yu Feile used to be the school heartthrob, very popular."
Ling Chen shook his head. "It’s good for Little Fuzzball to make friends."
Jiang Mu didn’t say anything.
Sure enough, after a few minutes, when Ling Chen noticed that Yu Feile was still sitting there talking to Ye Xiao, he straightened his clothes and said, "Enough is enough. No need to endure any longer." With that, he strode toward the riverbank.
Translator:
I smell something sour called jealousy.
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