The huge Insect Race creature’s body trembled a few times, then finally collapsed weakly to the ground. It let out one last, shrill roar, then fell completely silent.
"Got it!"
Shen Qiuyue sheathed her Dueling Sword and said coolly, her foot resting on the corpse of the Insect Race creature, her face completely expressionless.
Sun Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a sigh of relief. "Man, we finally got it. That scared the crap out of me! That thing was a real pain to deal with!"
"Don’t let your guard down!"
Li Chang’an quickly warned, "We still need to confirm the area is secure. Bai Lin, scout the perimeter for any other Insect Race activity!"
Bai Lin immediately began operating his equipment. A few seconds later, he looked up and said, "No other strong Insect Race signals. We’re clear to withdraw!"
Li Chang’an nodded. "Good. Back to base!"
The group quickly began to withdraw. As they walked, Sun Yang muttered, "That was way too close. I feel like the next time we run into a monster like that, I should file a report beforehand!"
"You, file a report? You’d probably just run the second you saw it!"
Shen Qiuyue retorted coolly.
Sun Yang quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no, Sister Qiuyue! I’m the one risking my life on the front lines, how could I run? I just thought it was a little scary, that’s all!"
"Your mouth says one thing, but your legs tell a different story!"
Han Ruoxi added with a faint smile, "When that Insect Race creature charged, I saw you backpedal pretty fast!"
"That was a tactical retreat!"
Sun Yang quickly explained, "You’ve got me all wrong, Eldest Miss Han! I was just finding a better position to strike from!"
The group bickered all the way as they quickly boarded the aircraft. After taking his seat, Li Chang’an calmly gazed ahead. "This mission had some unexpected developments. We’ll need to report to the commander when we get back."
The aircraft slowly ascended, heading in the direction of the base.
Sun Yang slumped in his seat and let out a long sigh. "Brother Li, you’d say we distinguished ourselves this time, right? Think we can get a few days of rest when we get back?"
Li Chang’an glanced at him and said flatly, "Don’t get your hopes up. There will be another mission waiting for us when we get back."
And so, the team returned to base to rest and recuperate.
Time flew by.
A few days later, things at the Lion’s Fang Star base had returned to normal.
"Hey, Captain, this Nutrition Paste for breakfast is disgusting. Why does today’s feel even harder to choke down than yesterday’s?"
Sun Yang sat at a long table in the dining hall, staring at the Nutrition Paste in his hand. His expression made it look as if he’d just swallowed an Insect Race larva.
"Then don’t eat it."
Li Chang’an glanced up at him, tore open the packet of Nutrition Paste in his own hand, and took a large bite, chewing slowly and methodically.
"Not eat? You want me to go to training on an empty stomach? What am I supposed to do when I get hungry and my arms and legs go weak? What if my thrust is off and I accidentally injure a teammate? Can you handle that, Captain?"
Sun Yang looked at Li Chang’an with a grave expression, even striking a pose as if brandishing a spear.
"With your Spear Technique? You’d miss even on a full stomach!"
Shen Qiuyue, who was sitting opposite him, had already neatly divided her Nutrition Paste into several small pieces. She ate them one by one, looking quite meticulous.
"Ouch, Eldest Miss Shen, that was brutal. I’m just a funny guy, I was only joking around. You actually took me seriously?"
As he spoke, Sun Yang resignedly took a bite of the Nutrition Paste, his expression growing even more pained.
"Seriously, though, is this stuff even edible? Han Ruoxi, can you use your Superpower to give it a little charge, maybe make it taste better?"
Han Ruoxi, who was in the middle of chewing her own Nutrition Paste, looked up at Sun Yang with an innocent expression.
"You want me to charge it so I can shock you half to death?"
She swallowed and a smirk played on her lips. "Want to give it a try?"
"Never mind, forget I said anything!"
Sun Yang waved his hand dismissively, looking as though he was prepared to battle the Nutrition Paste to the bitter end.
"Have you all had enough of your bickering?"
Bai Lin’s voice came from the side. He was fiddling with a micro-terminal in his hand as he commented offhandedly, "If you keep this up any longer, your noise is going to disrupt my programming!"
"Hey, Bai Lin, can’t we change the recipe for this Nutrition Paste? You’re so smart, could you write a program to tweak the machines in the logistics department?"
Sun Yang suddenly turned his attention to Bai Lin, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"What do you think I am, a God?"
Bai Lin didn’t even look up as he tapped on his terminal screen. "Besides, the logistics department’s machines are completely unrelated to the weapons systems we use. I don’t have the spare time to mess with that!"
"Are you all going to eat or not? Finish up and get to the training grounds. Instructor Wei is waiting for us!"
After speaking, Li Chang’an stood up, tossed his empty packet into the waste disposal unit, and turned to look at the group, who were still dawdling.
"Captain, you’re always in such a rush, even during a meal. Can’t we relax for a bit?"
Sun Yang wanted to drag out the conversation a little longer.
"You can relax all you want when the Insect Race charges into the base!"
Li Chang’an shot back, turning to walk out. "Five minutes. Anyone not at the training grounds can explain it to the instructor themselves!"
"Whoa, let’s go, let’s go! We can’t let the Captain think we’re cowards!"
Sun Yang slapped his thigh and hurried to catch up. The others also got up and followed them out.
When they arrived at the training grounds, Wei Zhuang was already there, holding a long staff, his expression stern.
"One minute late, the whole squad runs an extra five kilometers.
Two minutes late, it’s an extra ten!"
Wei Zhuang’s voice was filled with authority from the moment he spoke.
"Instructor, we’re not late, are we? We’re right on time!"
Sun Yang raised his hand, looking at Wei Zhuang with an innocent expression, and gestured to the squad behind him. "See? The Captain got us here right on time!"