The Heartthrob Guide: Dodder of S-Class Sentinels

Chapter 217 The Two Forces
Area B7 of Granville has been completely quarantined.

Fortunately, there weren't many citizens left in the city, so everything went smoothly.

At this moment, the empty streets are patrolled only by fully armed sentries. Each checkpoint is equipped with the latest mental pollution detector, which can accurately identify a 0.01% alienation index.

Caesar is using a laser pointer to highlight key areas on the holographic map: "Pay attention to the underground pipe network; the aliens love damp environments."

"Report! All suspected areas have been checked, but no suspicious signs were found." A crackling sound suddenly came from the communicator.

"Understood, continue the second round of investigation!"

"Roger that!"

After arranging everything, Caesar turned his attention back to Lin Nan, who was standing to the side. He frowned when he saw that she was dressed in thin clothes.

“Sweetie, you should go back to the tower. It’s not safe here.”

Lin Nan was looking at the full-system electronic map in Caesar's hand, trying hard to recall the environment from the mutated sentinel's memory.

“That little alien was coming for me. It did it on purpose, deliberately letting those sentries back into the tower, just so I would show up.”

If she's not here, then Caesar and the others will never find that guy.

This mutant is particularly skilled in mental abilities, surpassing everyone else. It can disguise itself as an ordinary human child and swagger around in public places, so it can probably use the same skills right under the noses of these sentinels.

Perhaps—he is among these people…

Thinking of this, Lin Nan raised her head and scanned everyone around her, but for the time being, there were no unusual signs.

“If what you’re saying is true, then this is a big problem.” Caesar gasped. In the past, although the mutants were powerful and could spread pollution, they didn’t have much intelligence, which is why humans were able to use their advantages to defeat them.

However, as times change and humanity continues to evolve, so too do other species.

If those monsters were to gain the same intelligence as humans, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"I need to go here, take me there."

Lin Nan zoomed in on a certain location on the map and pointed to that area, speaking to Caesar.

Caesar glanced at it and asked, "Sweetie, are you sure you want to go to this place?"

"Hmm, what's wrong here?"

“…Nothing, just…tsk—” Caesar hesitated for a moment, then said nothing, ending with a disdainful sneer.

?

Lin Nan tilted her head in confusion.

The military off-road vehicles drove out of the makeshift outpost and headed towards the easternmost part of Area B7.

As Lin Nan got closer, she finally understood why Caesar made that sound.

This area is almost entirely populated by Sentinels, who are primarily composed of insect-type spiritual entities.

The troops currently stationed in Granville are mainly divided into two factions: one is the elite foreign troops led by the Tahir family. Most of them are old troops brought by the family from various war zones. These warriors wear the family crest of flames on their shoulders and are directly commanded by Colonel Laun, Caesar's uncle.

The other faction consists of the Granville local garrison, which is generally composed of sentinels who are primarily insectoid spirits. Some of them joined the army directly after their split, while others are noble sons who returned to their hometown after completing their training or studies abroad.

These soldiers typically wear dark purple Zerg badges and most are loyal to a large family called "Ariel".

As soon as Caesar's car entered the area, it was stopped. The lead sentry had kaleidoscopic eyes and spotted Lin Nan and his group from a great distance.

"Hey. Isn't this Little Wildcat? Who did you bring here?" The sentry said lazily, leaning against the checkpoint railing, while his gaze remained fixed on Lin Nan in the passenger seat.

The dazzling kaleidoscope made this person's eyes exceptionally magnificent and mysterious; countless prism fragments swirled and refracted within the iris, breaking down light into dizzying vortexes of color. But precisely because his pupils were invisible, it was difficult to discern his emotions and intentions.

Lin Nan recognized the sentry; she hadn't expected him to also be in Sector Nine.

If this person is here, then that spider should be—

Lin Nan looked back and sure enough, a tall figure slowly walked out from behind the moth sentinel.

"Lin, did you come to see me?"

Arachne's figure was as tall and straight as a bamboo shoot, towering over the surrounding sentries by more than half a head, making him particularly conspicuous in the crowd. Unlike his burly companions, who were as robust as bears, his physique was slender and elegant, his muscles as thin and neatly fitted to his bones like meticulously forged blades.

He had long, black hair, as long as silk, reaching his upper thighs. Since he was on duty, he had braided his hair into a long braid, which was loosely draped over his shoulder.

But what's most astonishing is this person's beauty: violet eyes, bewitching yet refined features, as if meticulously sculpted by the gods, presenting an unreal beauty.

Lin Nan rarely saw the word "beautiful" in the men of this world; this was the most beautiful man besides the Mythical Spirit Sentinel. If the beauty of the Mythical Spirit Sentinel was sacred, then Arachne was alluring.

Insect-type spirits are the most adept at mind manipulation, and spiders are among the best of them.

While they lack outstanding physical combat advantages, they are far ahead in mental manipulation. Many guides who have reached the pinnacle in history have had insect-type mental entities.

For example, Lu Chen, the god-level guide who died in Zone 9, had a spiritual form that was a red-clawed spider.

……

It wasn't until a tall shadow fell on her face that Lin Nan snapped out of her reverie.

Did you sleep well last night?

Arachne had unknowingly come to a position very close to Lin Nan, and was smiling at her through the open car window.

Insect-type spirits thrive in dark, damp environments. Area B7 is close to an inland river, with vast rainforests on both banks, making it the dampest place in the entire city of Granville. Therefore, it is the territory of the local garrison.

Although both the foreign and local armies belong to the White Tower's organization, the two armies have always disliked each other. The Tahir family wants to suppress the "Ariel" family, while the "Ariel" family is unhappy with this foreign force interfering with them. As a result, the two sides often have some friction and disputes.

The two sides were initially evenly matched, but due to Colonel Ariel's unexpected sacrifice in the contaminated area five years ago, the local army quickly showed signs of decline. The Tahir family took the opportunity to take over two-thirds of the defense zone, and even replaced the chairs in the White Tower command center with their family crest.

Today, the local army's sphere of influence has been compressed to the last stronghold of Area B7. The foreign army has tried to take advantage of the situation and completely take over, but due to the exceptionally troublesome abilities of these "local thugs," they have ultimately failed to conquer them.

　By the way, let me explain whether the men in this article are all celibate.

　　Some babies may be more concerned about this point.

　　I don't think I need to point out the concepts of purity and loyalty; those should be left to the male leads to provide the answers themselves.

　　Love in this world has changed a lot, and many aspects can no longer be explained by our current concepts.

　　Loyalty and integrity are merely behavioral standards that extend from our human sensibilities, but these sentinels are not only human, but also beasts.

　　They possess both human emotions and the instincts of wild animals. Different species have different instincts, just as we sometimes cannot understand the behavior of certain animals.

　　I tried my best to write this story from a neutral and observer's perspective. Whether their feelings for the female lead can be categorized as love is for you to decide.

　　(End of this chapter)