Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 165 Technologically Modified Humans! The Impotent and Furious Elf (Please Subscribe)

Another world, the far north, on the outskirts of an oil extraction zone.

A brief exchange of fire has just ended.

Bang!
Gunshots echoed across the empty snowfield, and the last bullet precisely ripped off the skull of a dead man, sending bone fragments flying everywhere.

Without the involvement of a necromancer, the skull simply cannot reassemble!
"Phew... another experience pack. Do these skeletons have grass growing in their brains? Why do they just stupidly come here to die every day?"

Xiao Zhou blew on the muzzle of his sidearm, performed a cool gun-flipping motion, then removed the empty magazine, replaced it with a new one, and casually put the gun back in its holster.

He still had a relaxed smile on his face, completely unaware that Captain Zhao Chong's face had turned so cold it could frost off three feet deep.

"Xiao Zhou!"

Zhao Chong's voice wasn't loud, but it suddenly rang out behind him, making Xiao Zhou jump.

"After the mission report is completed, I need to handwrite the safety rules twenty times! Then I'll have to give a self-criticism in front of the whole team!"

"Ah? Captain, I..." Xiao Zhou's face fell instantly, and his smile froze on his lips.

"What do you mean, 'you'!" Zhao Chong strode up to him, his eyes sharp. "Do you only feel pain when the skeleton's bone knife is stabbing into your waist? Do you think this is some kind of Delta Force game?"

"Didn't you see that people in D5 behind us are saying they've unearthed prehistoric power armor? An ancient civilization that could create nuclear fusion and energy weapons has gone extinct, while we still rely on gunpowder kinetic weapons. Why are you so careless!"

Zhao Chong's voice was very low, but every word was like a hammer blow to Xiao Zhou's heart.

When ancient civilizations and power armor were mentioned, Xiao Zhou's arrogance vanished instantly.

This is the biggest news in the team today.

He had just heard about this from Captain Zhao a few hours ago.

Those guys in the bird droppings squad got incredibly lucky; what they dug up caused an uproar at the rear command post.

After being scolded like that, Xiao Zhou immediately wilted, lowered his head, and dared not utter another word.

Zhao Chong didn't look at him again, his gaze sweeping over the entire group.

Many soldiers were silently cleaning up the battlefield, checking ammunition, and burning the dead, but quite a few were eavesdropping on him scolding Xiao Zhou.

After many days of fighting, the tension had indeed eased considerably.

He sighed inwardly.

In less than two months, even the seasoned veterans in the company have started making basic mistakes.

This is not a good sign.

Although people are not machines, it is normal for minor lapses to occur during combat, but a report has just been issued from above that the archaeological team has unearthed something enormous.

The entire command center is now running like a clockwork mechanism.

These frontline combat troops should maintain a strong sense of crisis.

But after fighting the undead in the far north for so long, their vigilance actually decreased.

"It's time to rest!"

Zhao Chong's brows furrowed into a knot.

Should we return to the modern world to recuperate?
No, the process of going back and forth through the time portal alone is exhausting enough. The soldiers have finally adapted to this environment, and their morale will be dampened again just as they've started to rise.

Besides, where on Earth can you find grilled fish, giant squid, and incredibly delicious vegetables that can strengthen the body after eating them in another world?

Over the past two months, the soldiers have been eating like crazy, and their physical condition is much better than before.

Many soldiers' minor ailments were cured through dietary therapy.

Go back and eat that braised pork with caramelized sugar?

Although it tastes good, I'm afraid it will cause complaints from the soldiers!
However, I need to rest.

The mind magic in this world is hard to guard against; once you let your guard down, it's easy for someone to take advantage of you.

We need to find an absolutely safe place where everyone can completely relax their nerves that have been tense for two months, and then tighten them again.

A thought flashed through Zhao Chong's mind.

"Go to Chief Jinhe? That's perfect!"

To save the Ice River tribe, the pioneering team has built a settlement in the coastal area that is already taking shape, which also serves as a place for rest and entertainment.

Jinhe is an honest guy, although he's a bit simple-minded and often does some rather outrageous things.

But the University of Tokyo has guns and cannons.

And you know what? The people of the Ice River Tribe are also very good at singing and dancing, and they are very hospitable!
Moreover, the survival skills of the indigenous tribes of the otherworldly ice river tribe are invaluable to the warriors, making it a perfect opportunity to go and learn from them in a fun and educational way.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Just as he was about to write a report for the command, a series of urgent shouts interrupted his thoughts.

"Captain! The magical detection device has detected new enemy activity ahead!"

The drone operator's voice carried a hint of tension.

"Straight ahead, at three o'clock, five kilometers!"

Zhao Chong's pupils contracted as he looked at the raging snowstorm that had returned to the distance.

"All units, at your command!" He instantly switched to combat mode, his voice steady and powerful. "Contract the defensive line, all weapons, speed up reloading, convoys retreat to rear defensive positions. Notify the rear, all heavy weapons to be on alert! Prepare to defend against a large-scale enemy attack!"

As the vehicle started moving, the soldiers became alert and formed combat formations.

The operator rushed over, carrying a tactical tablet: "Captain, the deployed drones have given us intelligence. There are quite a few enemies this time, and a large-scale blizzard has hit over 20 kilometers to the north..."

Zhao Chong looked at the screen and saw that the blizzard ahead was moving south at high speed, heading straight for them!

The corners of his mouth twitched.

I was hoping to rest and recuperate after the battle.

It seems there will be another high-density battle ahead of the main engagement!
-
In the modern world, late at night, at the Logistics and Coordination Department of Zhurihe.

The office was filled with smoke, and the ashtray in front of Li Weiguo was once again overflowing.

He held a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers, while pressing his throbbing temples with the other hand, trying to dispel the exhaustion that felt like it was about to burst his brain.

After working non-stop for an unknown amount of time, he felt his lumbar and cervical vertebrae protesting with mournful cries.

I had just leaned back in my chair, ready to slack off for five minutes, when there was a knock on the office door.

"Mr. Li."

It's Assistant Xiao Wang's voice!

"Come in." Li Weiguo's voice was slightly hoarse.

Assistant Wang Kaixuan pushed open the door and entered, his steps quick and steady, his face showing a barely suppressed yet barely concealed excitement, and in his hand he was holding a red folder with the word "Top Secret" printed on it.

"President Li, the pioneering team has just sent an important discovery report. The scientific expedition team has made another major discovery in the other world."

Li Weiguo didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply brought the cigarette to his lips and took a puff: "So, what new discovery?"

"Mr. Li, this is a serious matter." Wang Kaixuan's voice trembled slightly as he placed the folder on the table. "After Professor Dou Hanwen discovered the shelter, his team has been conducting archaeological excavations in the vicinity. In one of the ruins, they unearthed the remains of a power armor suit from another world!"

Li Weiguo paused, his hand pressing his temples, and finally opened his bloodshot eyes.

That languid weariness vanished instantly, replaced by astonishment.

After the initial shock, he burst into laughter!

"Power armor? From another world? Dug out of the ruins? Ha... What's the situation on site? Is there any danger?"

"The report says the site is under control, it's all ruins, and the site is very safe!" Wang Kaixuan swallowed and pointed to the folder, saying, "The key is the things from the other world themselves."

"You speak! I'm listening!"

"The materials analysis team says the newly discovered thing is far more advanced than our technology!"

"Much taller?" Li Weiguo opened his eyes in astonishment. "Let me see!"

He reached for the folder, but instead of looking at the dense data analysis, he went straight to the summary written by Su Mingjin.

His gaze swept quickly across the area, and when he saw phrases such as "at least three times ahead of our top nickel-based superalloys," "perfect crystal lattice structure," and "extremely high resistance to kinetic and energy weapons," his fingers holding the cigarette paused slightly.

Are the newly discovered materials really that powerful?
His gaze continued downwards, and when it landed on the bolded line at the end of the report, he froze.

[...Preliminary assessment indicates that the backpack is a damaged, miniaturized controlled nuclear fusion reactor...]

"Clap."

The cigarette, burned to its last bit, slipped from my fingers and landed on the table, leaving a small, charred spot.

Li Weiguo, however, was completely unaware. He suddenly stood up, staring intently at the line of words, as if trying to etch them into his mind.

Controlled nuclear fusion!
These words struck him like a thunderbolt, exploding in his mind.

The ultimate energy holy grail, which has puzzled top physicists around the world for nearly a century, has appeared in an archaeological report from another world in an almost absurd way.
This is fucking insane!!!
"What about these products with all sorts of labels on them?" Li Weiguo took a deep breath, his voice terribly dry.

Wang Kaixuan immediately nodded: "The expedition team is working hard on site to excavate. Considering the shortage of personnel, the expedition team needs the highest priority support from the rear!"

“Support? Of course we should support!” Li Weiguo laughed. He picked up another cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and his eyes flashed with a terrifying light.

"Controlled nuclear fusion, haha... an ultra-small controlled nuclear fusion!!!"

This is not cabbage, nor is it an energy source like oil; it is an ultra-small and controllable nuclear fusion device.

If the University of Tokyo masters controlled nuclear fusion, they will be completely free from the energy crisis.

Look at the layout of the University of Tokyo!
Dongda is a vast country with abundant resources, but its energy production is very low. Domestically, only the Bohai Sea region has the highest oil production, but its oil production is extremely low compared to the rest of the world.

The daily necessities derived from petrochemicals are fundamental to people's livelihoods.

To ensure energy security, Southeast University has paid a heavy price.

If the University of Tokyo masters controlled nuclear fusion, the energy crisis will no longer be a bottleneck, but a boon to the entire nation.

Low electricity prices allow everyone to use air conditioning to their heart's content.

It allows people to charge their devices and use them for heating at will.

This allows starch synthesis to move directly from the laboratory to mass production!

The cost of living for countless people will be significantly reduced.

Not to mention the industrial sector, a behemoth that consumes vast amounts of electricity. If cheap electricity were available, production costs would be reduced to an unbelievable level.

In addition to this, the "artificial intelligence information age," which has already begun to spread, will once again experience exponential growth due to cheap energy!

Not to mention the future of the aerospace industry.

It can be said that controlled nuclear fusion technology has a tremendous impact on humanity and is one of the key forward-looking technologies for venturing from Earth to space.

After the laughter subsided, Li Weiguo suppressed his absurd and strange smile, then looked at his assistant, Xiao Wang, with a serious expression.

"Xiao Wang, you've read the report, haven't you? Do you think such a powerful civilization was destroyed by external forces or by magical elements?"

"Mr. Li, we have too little information right now! I can't make any predictions."

Li Weiguo exhaled a smoke ring, his brows furrowing: "Controlled nuclear fusion is very important to us. Let's see if we can bring the materials back for verification. As for the rest..."

He paced around a few times before saying, "I think the security in this other world is still a bit insecure! We need to strengthen our security forces!"

"President Li is a man of great foresight."

Li Weiguo pointed at Wang Kaixuan speechlessly: "Besides this, do you think there's anything else to add?"

"Mr. Li, the ancient civilization of the other world has eventually disappeared. Many years have passed, even longer than our Chinese civilization. Much of the information is passed down orally. The current civilization of the other world is not that powerful. Perhaps due to some war, the other world civilization has already perished, leaving only some ruins."

"Ha, I hope your guess is right!" Li Weiguo stubbed out his cigarette hard. "Tell the research department that we need more results; we're under a lot of pressure!"

Speaking of this, Li Weiguo looked at his assistant Wang Kaixuan, "Did you get any information from the interrogation of those elves?"

"Uh, very soon!"

"Speed ​​up!" Li Weiguo said, then gestured for the other party to leave.
-
In this alternate world, Su Mingjin looked at the information provided by Gong Pengfei and a look of relief appeared on her face: "It's confirmed that we can communicate now?"

"Yes, the day before yesterday, yesterday, and this morning, they tried to communicate with us, but we ignored them."

"Ha, do you think now is the right time to have a conversation?"

Gong Pengfei pursed his lips: "Not appropriate!"

When would be a good time?

"tomorrow!"

“Tomorrow!” Su Mingjin nodded. “Then tomorrow it is. We can talk again after we’ve had some fresh air!”

Speaking of this, Su Mingjin looked at the other person and asked, "Do you think they would tell us if we asked those giants about the ancient ruins?"

Elves are long-lived, even if there are some miscellaneous reasons that shorten their lifespan. Logically speaking, they should only exist for a dozen or so generations, so they should have some understanding of the ancient civilization from another world that existed more than ten thousand years ago.

"You can ask questions, but you can't show too much interest!"

"how so?"

“President Li, we’ve maintained an air of mystery since arriving in this world, and we also have an informational advantage. The ancient giant civilization is a vanished civilization; we can learn about it later, instead of being impatient. This will only expose our needs!”

Gong Pengfei thought for a moment, then continued, "I heard Professor Yu Qiwen say that the 'Ancient Giant Battlefield' has long since disappeared into the river of time. Rather than focusing too much on the past, it would be better to first organize the current clues!"

“What you said makes a lot of sense.” Su Mingjin nodded. “What do you think we need to be careful about when negotiating with the elves tomorrow?”

Gong Pengfei pondered for a moment, then slowly began to speak…

Listening to the other person's explanation, Su Mingjin nodded from time to time. After asking about some questions that had been bothering her, such as what attitude to maintain during the conversation, precautions to take, and language issues, she took her leave.

Gong Pengfei breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Su Mingjin off.

He returned to the prisoner-of-war area and went directly to Yu Qiwen, who was compiling the Elven language.

"Professor Yu, President Su will be meeting with the elves tomorrow. Could you please review our procedures and see if there are any issues?"
-
In the modern world, DNA bioanalysis is crucial.

Under the lights, the only sound in the laboratory was the hum of precision instruments.

Wu Shengli's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the tissue slowly separating inside the centrifuge.

...The EDTA solution successfully dissolved the calcium salts in the bones, and proteinase K dutifully broke down the cell walls, re-extracting the hidden secrets that had been dormant for millennia...

"Finally, I've managed to get you little darlings out here..."

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, a stubborn excitement lurking beneath his exhaustion.

The rest of the team also looked excited.

Wu Shengli and his team have been here for a full day and night.

The sample urgently sent from Dou Hanwen was not good. The remains of the owner of the otherworldly power armor had been tormented by ultra-high temperature burning before his death, and the erosion of ten thousand years of time had caused the flesh and blood of the target tissue to be decomposed by nature and turned into dust.

Only a few charred, abnormally hard bone fragments remained.

"Professor, all the STR typing results are out!" a young doctoral student shouted, his voice trembling slightly.

Instantly, everyone in the lab gathered around, their eyes all fixed on the screen of the main control computer.

On the screen, the DNA combination pattern diagram is clearly displayed.

A dead silence.

A few seconds later, a graduate student rubbed his eyes and pointed at the screen in disbelief: "The previous analysis was correct. This combination pattern... is too similar to that of humans!"

"Brilliant! Strange too!" Wu Shengli's deputy, a middle-aged man with the same Mediterranean hairstyle, leaned close to the screen, almost pressing his face against it. "But look at the component analysis next to it! The content of ceramics, iron, tungsten... these elements are seriously excessive! The hardness of this bone and the special order we analyzed before... tsk tsk, it might be able to withstand bullets."

"Can such bones grow naturally?"

"Are you kidding me? Can nature really produce bones with such high hardness?"

"Could it be some kind of technological modification based on humans? Fusing human bones together in some way and replacing them with alloy bones?"

"This ancient civilization's biotechnology is so advanced? I think it's some kind of magic!"

"Magic? Magic is just science!"

"Yes, the magic of farts is probably a highly advanced form of biological modification, otherwise it would be impossible to explain why there is still a large amount of human bone DNA in the bones."

The chattering noises made Wu Shengli's already throbbing head buzz.

He didn't speak, but simply pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down to the bridge of his nose, with his knuckles, his gaze sharp as he scrutinized the absurd data over and over again. 89.999% human genetic similarity is an extremely low level of similarity in nature.

It's worth noting that humans and gorillas share up to 98% genetic similarity. Humans and mice share 85% genetic similarity.

Well, if this is still not enough to make people aware of it, then the genetic coding sequence similarity between humans and bananas is about 60%.

Doesn't that sound incredibly amazing?
But that's the truth!

The archaeological team unearthed many clues, such as the wearer of the power armor having a section of hand bone that is very similar in shape to a human hand.

While the organism in front of us, which has undergone gene sequencing, has a skeleton similar to that of a human, it cannot be considered human in terms of details.

The opponent's skeletal structure is comparable to that of alloy armor, and the opponent is tall, with a genetic similarity that is even lower than that of some alien giants discovered by humans.

Besides this, they are estimated to possess extremely advanced technology...

Multiple pieces of completely different information were forcibly mixed together, like a heavy punch that slammed into his decades-long understanding of biology.

Something is wrong!
This is the ultimate mockery of the evolution of life!
Wu Shengli knew that the ancient civilization in the other world was probably extremely knowledgeable about life sciences, or even completely in control of them, and perhaps only a civilization that could carry out such a thorough transformation of living organisms!
“Teacher…” one of the bolder apprentices, seeing Wu Shengli’s increasingly serious expression, asked in a low voice, “Is the data… wrong?”

"Wrong?" Wu Shengli suddenly laughed. He turned around and looked at his group of bewildered master's and doctoral students. The weariness in his eyes vanished, replaced by an almost manic fervor.

"The data is correct!"

"It's us! It's our imagination that's been limited by this tiny pond of Earth!"

He took a deep breath, the ecstasy of discovering a new continent making him excited.

"This isn't some strange creature! Nor is it simple technological modification!" Wu Shengli's voice echoed in the quiet laboratory, resounding with conviction. "I speculate that this is biotechnology from an otherworldly civilization. A state we've imagined, but haven't yet completed! A technology that perfectly integrates self-evolution with the modification of inorganic matter!"

He looked at his deputy: "Old Zhao, you go and draft the report now, no, I'll write it myself! We need more help!"

The team of scientists dispatched by the pioneering team.

Almost all categories, including chemistry, physics, astronomy, and aerodynamics, require revisions to their research topics and adjustments to the specific research directions.

Many things on Earth have to be done all over again in this other world, including creating a periodic table, developing entirely new aerodynamics, and mastering chemical synthesis...

Chemistry and materials science are a mix of pain and pleasure.

A brand new world, with the mysterious X-particle, has brought about countless strange physical phenomena!

Biologists experience both pain and joy.

A completely new species, providing a wealth of new references for bioengineering and bionics.

During this period, Wu Shengli and his team have made many research findings that are highly likely to win major awards.

This applies to both the elf hair and the special body cleansing kit!

I thought living organisms were enough for us to study, but I didn't expect there to be new creatures, and they seem to have been technologically modified, specifically enhanced, and used as weapons of war.

After the data from this experiment was finalized, Wu Shengli took out a piece of hawthorn and popped it into his mouth: "We need more researchers to participate!"

"Boss, how about we bring those undergraduates over? Our team has more and more research projects, and fewer and fewer people."

"Them? They're good at being workhorses, but they're not quite qualified to participate in the project!" Wu Shengli chewed on a hawthorn, the sweet and sour taste stimulating his taste buds and also reviving his spirits a bit. "But let's apply to the higher-ups. The spring of biology has arrived, and the leaders can't refuse to give everyone a chance, can they?"

It's not that we're not trying hard enough, it's just that there's just too much damn stuff to study in this world.

They now work four hours of overtime every day, for a total of 12 hours. If it weren't for the fear of interference from mind magic, and the fact that they were forced to rest by military security personnel, they would probably be busy for more than 15 hours a day.

Even so, with a heavy workload and a shortage of staff, everyone longs for more colleagues to share the research tasks.

When research tasks are so numerous and overwhelming, people are not afraid of their peers getting the experimental results ahead of them, but rather they focus on cultivating their own fields and becoming the absolute No. 1 in those fields.

It established its own school of thought and its research history is compiled into a separate volume.

This is the most basic pursuit of scientific researchers!
In another world, inside the isolation rooms of the various elf factions.

On the bright screen, a little black cat named "Luo Xiaohei" is on its adventure.

The TV is showing "The Legend of Luo Xiaohei"!
Lani tilted her head slightly as she looked up. Apart from the occasional blink of her emerald green eyes, her exquisite face, which was countless times better than the top-of-the-line old A8, showed no emotion at the moment.

Click~
The crisp cracking sound was particularly jarring in the quiet room.

Lani shifted her gaze from the screen to her new roommate, Eileen, standing beside her.

The other person was happily munching on some roasted seeds, with bits of food still stuck to the corners of their mouth.

The muscles at the corner of her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but she ultimately chose to remain silent.

A small handful of melon seeds was handed to her.

"Lani?" Elf Eileen blinked her big eyes, her pointed ears twitching uneasily, clearly still on edge. "Try some? These guys' snacks are really good."

"You eat it." Lani's voice was a little dry.

"You haven't eaten much today, don't torture your stomach." Eileen pushed the sunflower seeds forward a bit more. "Anyway, you're just killing time."

Lani looked at Eileen, wanting to say something, but the words turned into a barely audible sigh.

"Their methods of corrupting our minds are truly ingenious! What... exactly are those guys trying to do?"

She had asked herself this question countless times these past few days.

From initially planning a counterattack with full confidence that he could drive these invaders out of the forest, to later being defeated and captured, falling into despair, thinking that he would spend the rest of his life as a slave, just like in the legends.

However, what happened next left all the captured elves in a state of great confusion.

Being a prisoner of war... was actually not bad?

Not only do they have food and drink, but they also have a fixed time to exercise every day.

Even more outrageous, those comrades who were seriously injured in the battle and thought they were doomed were actually rescued by these "apostles of the evil god".

She witnessed firsthand that a fellow elf whose leg had been blown off was merely mutilated, and the other party hadn't actually killed the elf.

The actions of this group of humans overturned all the knowledge they had gained from inherited memories and songs.

Although the elves remained highly vigilant and hostile, their desire to kill their enemies at all costs and escape at all costs had gradually faded.

Beep beep! Beep beep!
The regular electronic beeping signaled that the area was being put out for ventilation.

Lani subconsciously moved her neck, the cold metal collar rubbing against her skin, and the shackles on her feet made a slight clinking sound.

If it weren't for these things constantly reminding her of her status as a prisoner, she might even have the illusion that she was visiting some strange place.

The heavy isolation door slid open silently, and several fully armed guards stood at the door, holding short black batons with eerie blue arcs of electricity flickering at their tips.

Lani's lips tightened unconsciously.

That was a "magic staff." She had tried to attack it several times with murderous intent, but each time she was paralyzed and convulsed by the strong electric current released by this thing.

She never wanted to experience that feeling again in her life.

The body remembers the fear faster than the brain.

The two elves skillfully raised their hands high and placed them against the wall.

Then the female guard helped them unlock the shackles.

"Let's go! Our playtime is precious!"

Eileen swept the sunflower seed shells in her hand into the trash can, clapped her hands, nudged Lani, and walked out first, glancing curiously at the guard as she passed by.

Lani suppressed her humiliation and anger and followed.

Being a prisoner is certainly unpleasant, but at least they retain their dignity.

This is far better than what is described in the ballad: being captured by those stinking humans and taken to a brothel, having your powers locked away with magic that suppresses your magic, and then becoming a plaything of humans, exhausting your life in endless torture, or committing suicide because you can't bear the humiliation.

The heavy isolation door slid open, revealing a wide-open space outside.

Today's weather is still windy and snowy, not heavy, but quite cold.

The elves, meanwhile, were scattered in twos and threes, rarely interacting with each other, all enjoying this hard-won freedom.

Lani's gaze swept across the room, landing on Annie in a corner—her roommate from a few days ago. She was also the first member of her tribe to be captured!

Annie was looking down, seemingly lost in thought.

The plan the little girl had devised to turn against her hadn't succeeded yet. The other party hadn't established contact with humans either.

She had to do something.

For myself, and for my companions whose will has been worn away.

Lani took a deep breath, her eyes suddenly turning sharp, and she charged towards Annie's direction.

If you're going to act, you have to go all the way!

However, she had only taken a few steps when a stun gun with an electrified cord landed in front of her.

Lani immediately stopped in her tracks.

A sharp, piercing whistle came from the sentry post on high.

The sound was like an invisible wall, reminding Lani of her previous unpleasant experiences.

She looked up and saw the guards on the platform holding up the magical artifact that had once made her tremble with pain, looking at her coldly.

Seeing his eyes signaling her to leave, a deeper sense of humiliation welled up inside her.

She eventually slowly lowered her clenched fist and did not rush towards Annie.

The other members of their tribe didn't interact much, but they all witnessed this scene.

Lani noticed Anise looking at her, but Anise seemed to be in low spirits...

The hour and a half of outdoor time passed quickly.

Next was the group dinner time.

The plate contained unidentified small red fruits, a few bright yellow bananas, and an apple. The main dish was a small handful of rice, a privilege reserved for only a select few elves.

"This yellow fruit is really good, so sweet and soft." Eileen had already peeled a banana and was eating it with relish, even wanting to hand another one to Lani, "Want to try some?"

Lani ignored her, silently picked up three bananas, sat down in her seat, and ate them one bite at a time.

The elves could draw energy from free-floating magical particles in the air and go without food for days without any problems.

However, the collars around their necks severed their connection with magic, forcing them to survive like lowly beasts, relying on swallowing these coarse foods.

This feeling of powerlessness was more agonizing to her than any form of punishment.

After finishing dinner, just as Lani was about to take her plate to the recycling center like the other elves, a cool female voice called out to her.

"Lani the elf, someone wants to see you. Come with me."

Lani stiffened and turned to look.

A woman wearing no armor, only a white lab coat, stood not far away.

It's that human woman named Tang Huanzhu.

The surrounding elves fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on Lani with worry.

Eileen nervously gripped Lani's arm, her lips moved, but she didn't dare to utter a sound.

Lani gently patted the back of her hand, signaling her with her eyes to put her mind at ease. Then, under the "escort" of several guards, she followed Tang Huanzhu toward an unfamiliar metal door.

Behind the door was a small room, furnished so simply it could be described as rudimentary.

A long metal table divided the room in two. The light emanating from the magical device overhead was cold and bright. The wall directly opposite her was a huge piece of black crystal, which clearly reflected her slightly pale face.

She was gestured to sit on one side of the table, and cold shackles were then fastened around her wrists, securing her firmly to the chair.

A moment later, the door opened again, and a man and a woman walked in.

Lani's pupils contracted slightly.

"Is it coming?"

Tang Huanzhu walked over with a water glass, first pouring water for the two people, and then surprisingly placing a glass in front of Lani as well.

The water in the glass emitted a faint, sweet fragrance, and Lani's throat involuntarily bobbed.

"Hello, Chief Lani of the elves." The woman spoke first, speaking in a human language that Lani did not understand.

Then, another man looked at her and said in an ancient and pure Glacier tribe language, "Hello, Chief Lani... We mean no harm."

Lani suddenly raised her head, her emerald green eyes fixed on the other person.

These guys are getting more and more fluent in the language of the savage Ice River tribe.

She suppressed all the turmoil in her heart and asked, word by word, in the same ancient human language, "Apostles of the evil god, you have gone to great lengths to imprison us. Is this all you have to do to bewitch us?"

"To bewitch you?"

Su Mingjin chuckled as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. She picked up her water glass and took a sip, her relaxed movements making the shackles on Lani's wrists seem particularly glaring.

"Chief Lani, are you mistaken? Why would we try to seduce you? You are the prisoner now!"

She put down her water glass, leaned forward slightly, and calmly looked at Lani's face.

"We're here only to ask one question. Why did you attack us before?"

These words, spoken in a calm tone, struck Lani's heart like a heavy hammer.

She looked at the woman in front of her. This woman's appearance could only be considered pretty by human standards, but in the eyes of the elves, she was a woman who was associated with ugliness.

Yet this very person now holds the power of life and death over her and all her clansmen.

"The war began the moment you stepped into this world and tore through the barriers of our forest kingdom with those steel monsters!"

Lani's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an icy chill and hatred.

Su Mingjin sighed and spread her hands: "First of all, Chief Lani, please understand one thing: you attacked first. You mingled with those filthy undead and attacked our camp. We were just retaliating passively."

"If you behave yourselves, is it necessary for us to waste our time arguing with you?"

"Stop with your seductive rhetoric!" Lani sneered. "The Forest Kingdom will never bow to invaders! Your actions have violated the laws of the Forest Kingdom!"

"The Forest Kingdom and its allies will not allow your malice to run rampant in the forest. The Mother Goddess protects us, and the will of the Mother Goddess and the Forest is our reason for attacking you."

"Mother Goddess? A partner of the Forest Kingdom?" Su Mingjin raised an eyebrow, seemingly very interested in the term. "What is your Mother Goddess? Is she a conceptual entity, or does she actually exist? Are your actions controlled by this Mother Goddess? Is she your god, or your king? Do you obey whatever she says?"

boom!
Lani suddenly stood up, attempting to attack once again the one who dared to question the Mother Goddess.

But the chains held her body firmly in place.

Apart from the water being knocked over, no humans were harmed.

She struggled angrily, but nothing could change the fact that she was a prisoner.

Once the shackles calmed Lani down, Su Mingjin continued, "We know nothing about your forest kingdom, let alone what taboos we have violated. Is your mother goddess not in a good mood?"

That damned flippant tone again! It's the greatest blasphemy against the Mother Goddess!

Lani's chest heaved violently, and anger flared in her emerald eyes.

"Invaders, stop acting! What exactly do you want? To completely seize the Forest Kingdom and then slaughter all of us elves? Let me tell you, we and our fellow elves will never yield! Before you attack us, we will make you pay with blood and fire!"

"Occupy the forest? Slaughter you all? You'll pay the price!"

Su Mingjin seemed to have heard something novel, and even turned to look at her companion before turning back and shrugging.

"Have you lost your mind? You've misunderstood us. There's a misunderstanding between us. A huge misunderstanding!"

"Apostles of the evil god, you humans are indeed eloquent!" Lani laughed, her smile full of sarcasm. "There is no misunderstanding between us! From the moment you attacked our Ravens, the seeds of hatred were sown!"

"A messenger crow?" Su Mingjin was stunned. She looked at Yu Qiwen next to her, who also looked blank.

"You mean those crows? Are they your messengers?"

Seeing that Lani didn't speak, but just looked at her with a "you're still pretending" look.

Su Mingjin rubbed her temples helplessly, then looked at Yu Qiwen.

The other party also looked completely bewildered.

No one expected that the crows were actually messengers of the elves.

Aren't those things sent by the forest spirits to monitor their every move?
(End of this chapter)