Ch 36: Interplanetary Planting Master

Fear

Su He had a very restful sleep that night; it had been days since he had such high-quality rest. Ever since his guide genes awakened in his body, his mental world had been unusually active. The emotions of the residents in the lower deck were projected into his mind, despite his dislike for this kind of intrusion. Although his mental barriers could protect him from such disturbances, during sleep, Su He’s mental barriers were often at their weakest. His mind was a bizarre mix of surreal dreams, all of which vanished last night. Lu Li’s sensory barrier surrounded him like a sturdy fortress, blocking all emotional projections. It felt as though he was back in the warmth of the womb, comfortable and at ease, sleeping soundly until morning.

Su He opened his eyes, and Lu Li was no longer in the room. He felt a slight twinge of disappointment but also a subtle sense of relief. This contradictory feeling stayed with Su He as he finished washing up. The events of last night replayed in his mind like a movie, making him feel a bit uneasy as he tried to suppress these memories.

The terminal showed it was still early. Su He stretched and decided to head to the kitchen to find something to eat. As soon as he opened the door, he realized something was off on the Iris. Despite his mental barrier dutifully protecting him, Su He could sense a tense atmosphere around him. He hesitated, then extended his mental touch to find Lu Li.

Outside the Iris, a group of sentinels stood together, vigilantly facing the sea. The scene before Su He left him stunned. The once boundless sea was now covered with all kinds of corpses. Waves were washing these bodies ashore in waves. Among them, Su He saw many unfamiliar marine creatures, but most were green life forms.

Lu Li stood at the forefront, seemingly using his senses to investigate something. Su He walked over, and the sentinels nodded at him kindly. Su He quietly asked Jiang Bo, who was closest to him, “What’s going on?”

Jiang Bo, also bewildered, replied, “Not sure, these bodies were washed ashore with the tide.”

By the sea, Wei Na had examined the bodies and removed her gloves to report to Lu Li, “The injuries on the green life forms are varied, ranging from small tears to large gashes. But the injuries on the marine creatures clearly show they were caused by the green life forms. Both sides died not too long ago, around 9-10 hours from now.”

“So, last night there was a conflict between the green life forms and the marine creatures in other areas of the planet?” Lu Li asked with some confusion, noting that the timing matched the emotional shock Su He experienced last night.

Wei Na nodded, agreeing with Lu Li’s assessment, but more information was needed to be sure. Shen Shen had already taken a team to scout the situation in different directions, and whether their judgment was correct would depend on his report.

After some thought, Lu Li instructed, “For now, maintain high alert. Have the lower deck people come out and separate the corpses, keeping the fish as food.”

“Understood.”

The group began to busy themselves, while Lu Li whispered something to Wei Na before walking over to Su He. “Awake?” Su He nodded, still shaken by the sight of the sea. Lu Li asked, “Hungry? Let’s get you something to eat.”

Su He shook his head and honestly said, “I was a bit hungry, but seeing this, I’ve lost my appetite.”

Lu Li didn’t push it. Instead, he took out a black “button” and handed it to Su He. “A space button, you take it.”

“Huh?” Su He was taken aback and didn’t reach out to take it.

Lu Li smiled gently, “It contains energy stones. Galactic Treemen need energy stones to wake up. Take these to Reno.” His reason was legitimate, and Su He hesitated before taking it, asking, “When will Reno wake up?”

That, Lu Li wasn’t sure of either.

Su He didn’t linger outside; the smell of blood was a bit much for him. Remembering the password for the space button, he headed off to find Reno. Out of habit, Reno had always stayed in a storage room on the lower deck of the Iris. Su He found his way, jogging along. He noticed that all the metal rooms in the ship looked identical, and without the indicator signs, he wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

Outside the Iris, over three hundred people were busy cleaning up the bodies along the shore. They separated the fish that seemed edible while cutting open the roots of the green life forms to collect any possible energy stones. A dozen sentinels were scattered around, vigilantly facing the desert with their weapons ready. Despite their desire for the energy stones, the lower deck people didn’t dare try anything under the watchful eyes of the sentinels, obediently piling up the collected stones.

A breeze blew from the depths of the desert, causing the sands to shift. Small dust storms swirled towards the Iris.

“The wind is picking up,” Wei Na observed, glancing into the distance.

Lu Li’s expression grew serious as he shouted, “Stay alert!” He drew his weapon and fired a round into the distant desert. The laser beams burned the sand, forming a black trench, but everything remained quiet underneath, nothing stirred. Lu Li frowned slightly but didn’t lower his guard. He extended his senses; every grain of sand, its shape, and the direction it flowed were clear in his mind. Everything appeared normal, suggesting his caution might be unnecessary.

Just as Lu Li was about to relax, his expression changed abruptly, “Damn it!” He turned and ran towards the Iris, his figure disappearing in a flash. Several sentinels followed, while the remaining sentinels donned their mechs and took off, scattering in all directions.

Inside the Iris, Su He halted. He sensed Lu Li’s worry and fear. What was happening? Su He didn’t know. The next moment, a cracking sound came from beneath him. Horrified, Su He looked down to see a monstrous mouth tearing through the Iris’s hull, with green tentacles writhing out.

Su He’s instincts kicked in faster than his reactions, and he almost immediately retreated. He had no weapons on him, only the vine seeds he always carried. Turning, he started to run, simultaneously extending his mental touch to warn Lu Li. His right hand deftly pulled out a few seeds and tossed them onto the floor. A soft white glow followed, and vines rapidly grew, creating a barrier behind him.

The lower deck of the Iris remained silent, with nothing happening. Su He took a few steps and couldn’t resist turning around. To his surprise, the green life forms were cowering as if facing a natural enemy, lying flat on the ground with their waving tentacles trembling and drooping.

Su He: “…”

What just happened? Emboldened by curiosity, he stopped and tentatively took a step back. Suddenly, he was yanked from behind and pulled tightly into someone’s arms. “What are you doing?” Lu Li’s voice, panicked and reprimanding, came almost instinctively. Behind him, several sentinels held their weapons ready, pointing at the alien life forms, but did not attack due to Wei Na’s intervention. Wei Na quickly glanced at Su He, her face thoughtful.

Su He, regaining his senses, realized his behavior had been risky. He was about to explain when Wei Na turned and gave him a reassuring smile, saying, “Boss, I think these life forms seem to be afraid of Guide Su He.”

Su He: “…”

Lu Li, still holding Su He, didn’t let go. The earlier scene had triggered the sentinel’s primal instincts in him. He needed to keep the guide close to quell the fear of almost losing him. As his heartbeat gradually steadied, Lu Li too realized something was off. More tentacles emerged from the torn floorboards, displaying the same fearful reaction as the previous life forms.

Due to the special nature of the green life forms, the Iris had never captured any of them alive. Wei Na, seeing the cowering creatures, felt a twinge of desire and looked at Lu Li for approval. Without hesitation, Lu Li rejected her request, unwilling to risk Su He’s safety. Decisively, he signaled, and a row of red laser beams was fired, ensuring no life forms remained alive.

Lu Li extended his senses, confirming the lower deck had returned to peace. He left four sentinels to guard the area and planned to check outside. Su He stayed by his side, as Lu Li deemed nowhere safer than beside him. Holding Su He’s hand firmly, he led the way, making it clear Su He had no choice but to follow. Su He, half a step behind, stole a glance at Lu Li. He thought Lu Li’s current expression resembled a mother hen protecting her chicks. Not that he saw himself as a chick, Su He mentally added.

Outside the Iris, several mechs hovered in mid-air. From a distance, the dust storm in the desert was gradually subsiding, with green tentacles emerging but not attacking the Iris. Both sides were in a tense standoff. When Su He appeared, it stirred a reaction among the green life forms. Distant creatures began to writhe, seemingly receiving some command. Thumb-sized energy stones were expelled from their bodies, accumulating towards the Iris. Soon, rows of life forms started to retreat, leaving behind a substantial pile of energy stones.

Everyone: “…”

This crisis ended in an unexpectedly anticlimactic way. No one could pinpoint exactly what the life forms were afraid of. Was it Guide Su He? That seemed the most likely, but what about Su He was frightening? Everyone, curious, sneakily glanced at Su He, who awkwardly endured their stares. He was just as puzzled. He had a vague feeling that instead of fearing him, the life forms were afraid of his planting technique.

Before anyone could figure out the answer, Shen Shen brought back another explosive piece of news. In the unexplored northeastern direction, he discovered a metal structure, resembling human architecture.

“This is the mark on the building.” Shen Shen’s virtual screen displayed an image of a star shining in the center, surrounded by eight different celestial bodies. “Doesn’t it look familiar?”

“That ghost ship!” Lu Li exclaimed.

Su He quietly added, “I think it looks more like the Solar System.”

The sentinels’ ears perked up, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became strange.

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