Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 168 Humans are terrifying! Ah Fa: I think the female elf fell in love with me at first sight! (Bonus chapter, please vote!)

"Lani...look..."

The younger elf beside her began to tremble as she pointed downwards.

"How long is their road? It seems endless. Are they going to build it all the way to the far north? Are they going to occupy those godforsaken places in the north?"

Lani's gaze followed the road that stretched almost to the horizon. At this moment, it resembled a giant black python, strangling everything in its path amidst the white snow and wind, winding its way into the distance where the snow and the horizon met.

On both sides of the road, rows of barbed wire fences, frozen in ice and snow and gleaming coldly, completely isolated the campsite from the snowfield.

If the wolf riders, bear riders, or even the elven unicorn rider legions of the southern humans encountered these barbed wire fences, they would be completely unable to break through.

Only a few air knight legions, such as the Griffin Legion, the Dragon Legion, and the Feathered Viper Legion, can inflict damage on it.

Lani's gaze swept around, and on some towering mountain peaks stood heavily guarded steel fortresses with despair-inducing firepower, just like the ones she had seen in her companions' shared magical memories.

Those fortresses were made entirely of metal, with a menacing shape. The dark firing ports, small inside and large outside, resembled the eyes of monsters, coldly watching over this land.

The elves' prized armor-piercing magic arrows were completely unable to penetrate these thick, suffocating steel fortresses.

Their prized shooting accuracy required them to get extremely close to holes smaller than the palm of their hand.

Considering the enemy's firing range, they didn't know how many casualties they would have to suffer to get close to the fortress.

"How much steel do these humans actually have?"

An elf muttered to himself, his words filled with barely suppressed despair.

The Forest Kingdom has steel, and the quality of the steel is very high. However, each piece must be painstakingly mined from the veins, then forged by the tribe's master blacksmiths, and finally imbued with various magic and runes to become a weapon.

Each finished weapon is incredibly precious.

But here, steel is squandered like roadside stones, used to pave roads, create nets, and build mountains.

Many of the elven captives had seen weapons made by humans, but the steel weapons were neither as sharp nor as exquisite.

The style of human steel casting is quite similar to that of cave-dwelling half-humans.

No, they are not even as good as cave dwellers, because at least cave dwellers would inscribe various rudimentary but effective runes on their armor.

And what about these humans?

There was no magical power displayed, just sheer numbers!

Just like countless years ago, the noble elves and all races united to overthrow the cruel rule of the evil god's lackeys, but were ultimately betrayed and overwhelmed by the fickle, greedy, and boundless human army.

In the end, the elven army had no choice but to flee into the forest, where they established what seemed like a forest kingdom.

While the elves were in a state of mental shock, one of them noticed that the young soldier guarding them was occasionally glancing at them.

The female elf, who had been marveling at how terrifying human steel creations were, glared at him angrily.

When the young human warrior saw the threatening look in the other's eyes, he gave an awkward grin, then tried to straighten his back and adopt a stern expression.

The soldier remained silent, observing the other party.

The female elf didn't speak, but she just stared intently at him.

The soldier felt uncomfortable being stared at, and then looked back.

On the helicopter, the two men locked eyes.

Finally, the elf's ears twitched slightly, then it looked away.

Lani, who was standing nearby, naturally noticed her young companion's subtle movements. When she saw him withdraw his gaze, the ambition that had just begun to sprout in her heart began to wane.

With such a powerful enemy, how should they deal with them?

Should we continue to unleash forbidden magic to attack humans?
And then destroyed by something that was like divine punishment?

Thinking about the terrifying weapons that humans possess, perhaps only the Southern Dragon Empire, or the terrifying demons living in the Devil's Sea, or the great mages who were active in magical elements and where forbidden magic was prevalent during the Age of Heroes could unleash such powerful attacks?

While everyone was stunned, the helicopter continued flying along the road at an extremely high speed.

The elven captives gleaned a great deal of useful information from the helicopter.

The Z-20 armed transport helicopter has a maximum speed of 350 km/h and a cruising speed of 290 km/h.

Humanity's spacetime portal base was only 100 kilometers away from the southern forest belt, and it took only a little over 20 minutes to reach the front-line base.

During those 20-plus minutes, the elves observed their surroundings.

Meanwhile, the cameras deployed on the helicopter were recording all sorts of data, including the micro-expressions of the sprites.

Some things are surprising, while others are puzzling.

The eye contact between the warrior and the elf also puzzled Gong Pengfei.

Is this some kind of custom among elves?
As the observing human interrogation and micro-expression analysis experts wondered what was going on, the helicopter slowly landed in the designated area.

As the roar of the rotor gradually diminished, it eventually turned into a muffled sound of blades slapping against the wind, until it stopped completely.

The plane came to a stop, the cabin door opened, and a soldier stepped forward and used a key to unlock the heaviest shackles on Lani and the others.

“Click, click.”

After a few crisp clicks, the safety chains binding them to the cabin frame were removed.

Now, apart from lighter handcuffs and shackles and magical interference rings around their necks, the elves are free to move around.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please disembark."

Yu Qiwen got off another plane, and his voice came through the helicopter as the elves stepped out one by one.

When their feet touched the earth again, the elves were once again awestruck by the sight before them.

Some of the young female elves were frozen in place.

This... is this the battlefield they once came to?

Lani, the only one who remained relatively calm, thought this to herself.

Before being captured, Lani had led her tribe's warriors to scout this area.

In my memory, this place is the edge of the forest, where magical sacred trees and ancient trees stand tall, forming a magical shield to isolate the evil of the far north that toy with life and soul.

The forest is covered with thick moss and ferns, and the air is moist and fresh, making it a wonderful habitat for countless animals.

But now?

The forest of my memory has disappeared.

As far as the eye can see, there are large swathes of bare land that have been leveled, with the dark brown soil turned up like ugly scars.

The once vast forest has now been divided into countless squares, turning into neat ravines.

Some of those gullies were covered with a reflective white film, while others were soil that had been broken into pieces by some unknown machine and cultivated into fields.

"Are they... farming?"

A young elf spoke in a dry voice. She had once patrolled the territory of her neighboring cave-dwelling half-humans and had seen how they farmed.

However, the planting techniques that those arrogant, stubborn, and annoying cave-dwelling half-humans were so proud of were as comical as mischievous children in front of humans.

What are those?

An elf pointed to a distant mountain peak.

Following the other's gaze, the group discovered that on the tops of some flattened hills ahead, in addition to the steel outposts they had already seen, there were also some huge, inverted iron pot-like structures.

The iron pots blend seamlessly with the forest colors, their unique camouflage making them almost invisible from a distance.

These iron pots were all pointed in the direction they were turning from.

Besides this, there are other large, flat steel structures that are rotating at a slow, constant speed.

Just as they were in shock, a rhythmic tremor came from the ground.

"Boom - boom -"

Several enormous steel monsters, taller than three elves stacked on top of each other, slowly drove past in the distance.

These monsters let out deafening roars.

On the backs of these steel monsters, a dozen or so giant felled trees were being dragged.

Each log required several elves holding hands to encircle its diameter.

One of the elven warriors' eyes instantly turned red. She recognized one of the trees; it was a tree that produced delicious sweet syrup and looked to be at least several hundred years old.

A single tree like this can feed 50 elves for 100 days during the harvest season.

And now...

They all met with a vicious attack!
"Thugs who destroy the forest! Shameful evil!"

She cursed under her breath, her body trembling slightly with anger.

Lani's gaze swept over the various trees as well, then followed the direction from which the transport truck had come, and her heart sank.

In the distance, the edge of the forest is receding at a visible speed.

With a piercing shriek, a towering tree slowly tilted and fell to the ground with a crash, kicking up clouds of dust and broken branches.

The moment the tree fell, Lani felt as if her heart had been struck hard.

How could they be logging the forest so quickly?
Are they going to turn all the forests into farmland?
She looked into the distance and silently activated her magic. Although the collar around her neck began to glow red, she still managed to establish a faint connection with the magic of the Sacred Tree.

Lani quickly stopped the spell, and after no more agitated magical fluctuations were detected, the collar around her neck turned green again.

"Didn't those people destroy the sacred tree?"

Why don't they destroy it?

While wondering about this, she continued to look into the distance and discovered that many humans were dealing with the giant trees that had been cut down.

If humans really did go wherever they wanted, cut down everything, and then plant crops there, the jungle tactics that the forest kingdom was so proud of might seem more ridiculous to them than a child's mischief.

How can the Forest Kingdom resist the invasion of this enemy?
Thinking of the enemy's magical artifacts, countless war machines—weapons of mass destruction capable of easily annihilating their race… Lani felt a dry, painful soreness in her throat.

"Could it be... that the other party really has good intentions? Or is there really a misunderstanding between us?"

She thought of this, and her mind drifted back to the words of her ancestors describing evil humans as full of lies and deception, with evil flowing in their veins.

"Everyone, get in the car. We'll give you a ride!" Yu Qiwen's voice interrupted her thoughts again.

Several military off-road trucks were parked nearby, and Yu Qiwen gestured for everyone to get into the vehicles separately.

They were guarded by the same group of soldiers from the helicopter.

One of the young soldiers noticed that the elves looked uneasy, especially the female elf who glared at him with a fierce look.

He scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, grinned, and then silently took a step back.

Whether the little soldier's smile ignited the female elf's anger or not, the female elf, immersed in the memory of the destroyed forest trees, suddenly cursed, "Damn humans!"

She cursed angrily and tried to attack, but her companion held her back tightly.

"Lux, are you crazy? Stop!"

The young soldier was startled by her furious reaction. He looked at the female elf in surprise, tightened his grip on the steel gun, and his gaze turned from kind to cold.

A conflict was temporarily halted thanks to the intervention of the elf companions!
Yu Qiwen watched the Sprite's movements and listened to what it had just said, silently memorizing it.

"The elves retain a love for the forest, and when large-scale forest transformation takes place in the future, we will need to find a suitable way to coexist with them!"

"Let's go!"

Lani boarded the transport vehicle under the watchful eyes of the human soldiers. She glanced back at the forest being swallowed up to her side, the light in her eyes seemingly extinguished along with the fallen tree.

The truck started and drove along the road deeper into the southern forest belt...

The vehicle gradually approached the forest, nearing the place where Lani and the others had been captured.

Looking at the surrounding scenery, Lani's throat moved involuntarily.

Did these humans really let them leave?
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at our destination. Please get off the bus!"

After all the elf captives disembarked, they gathered at Tang Huanzhu's signal.

Yu Qiwen sat directly inside the armored vehicle, keeping a safe distance from the other prisoners.

"Gentlemen, we have made our meaning very clear. Whether you want war or peace, go back and discuss it properly. If you want peace, just come here next time. Other places are already full of traps we have set. If you come in rashly and get injured or killed, we will not be responsible."

Yu Qiwen's voice came through the armor plate, and because of the change in the speaker, it had a cold, hard metallic texture, striking the hearts of every elf.

“If you all remain obstinate and continue your attacks,” he paused, a slight mechanical clicking sound coming from inside the car, “then we will not show you mercy a second time.”

"Remember, if you want to negotiate, come here. Don't try to enter our camp from anywhere else, or you'll be killed or humiliated!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the armored vehicle's hatch closed completely, separating him from the world of the elves.

Tang Huanzhu and other non-combatants quickly retreated back into the vehicle, leaving only a team of fully armed soldiers who had set up a firing line.

The warriors began to untie the elves.

The cold metal leg shackles clicked off, followed by the handcuffs.

When it was Lux's turn, the one who removed the magic-suppressing circle from her was the same young soldier who had smiled at her.

Perhaps still shaken by the earlier conflict, his movements were somewhat stiff, and he had to try several times before finally inserting the key into the lock.

Lux snorted coldly, her breath filled with undisguised contempt.

The young soldier's hand trembled slightly, but he steadied himself and successfully turned the key.

"Crack!"

The anti-magic circle slipped off Lux's fair neck.

In an instant, Lux's body trembled violently.

A long-lost sense of power, like a flood bursting its banks, surged in from all directions, frantically pouring into her parched body.

The magical elements floating in the air, as if they had found long-lost relatives, rushed towards her with joy and were absorbed by her long hair, her skin, and every cell in her body.

The magical power I lost for so long has finally returned!
Once the energy cycle was established, her body began to send pleasant signals, and she even involuntarily squinted her eyes.

The other elves were also freed one after another. They greedily breathed in the air, which was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, and felt the pleasure of magic filling their limbs and bones again.

Some of the elves even wept with joy, their bodies trembling with excitement.

"Let's go!"

Lani's voice shattered the ecstasy of regaining freedom.

She watched as the human soldiers retrieved the shackles and magic-suppressing circle, then took a bunch of things out of a package and placed them in front of them.

"These are the self-defense weapons we've prepared for you!"

The group exchanged glances, and Lani walked over and opened the layers of packages.

I saw a bunch of weapons that looked like clones of Elf weapons.

There are rapiers, short swords, and daggers.

Lani picked up a short sword. It was heavy in her hand, and the hilt felt rough. It lacked the spirituality that elven weapons possessed, which resonated with the user's magic.

She tried swinging it, and the blade was sharpened, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

There is also a small, branded number on the sword.

These humans are demonstrating their steel-forging capabilities even in returning weapons.

“Lani, do we... really have to go back?” an elven warrior asked softly, her voice filled with unease. “We have failed the Mother Goddess’s decree, and what about the elders and the prophet…”

They came with divine guidance and the hopes of their people, but they were wiped out before they even reached the enemy's heartland.

Going back like this, I'm afraid I'll face more than just punishment.

If thrown into the filthy pool...

Lani's gaze swept over the confused or fearful faces of her companions. She took a deep breath, her voice soft but unusually firm.

"Not going back? What's the point of staying here?" She brandished the elven-style short sword in her hand. "Do you want those steel monsters to crush us into mincemeat?"

Her question silenced all the elves.

“Our mission failed, but at least we brought back useful intelligence.” Lani’s gaze sharpened. “We must go back and tell the elders and the prophet what kind of enemy we faced! This is our new mission!”

She distributed the weapons to the group, then went first to the package containing human clothing.

An hour later, at the edge of the forest.

The dozen or so elves had changed back into their familiar attire. Although they were missing their cloaks and some accessories, the clothes made of leather and special plant fibers allowed them to rediscover themselves.

"go!"

At Lani's command, the group moved nimbly, disappearing into the dense forest like fish swimming in water.

Reconnected with the forest, Lani felt every pore of her body relax. She tried to channel her magic and communicate with the surrounding plants.

The connection was smooth; the wind in the forest and the whispers of the leaves seemed to be conveying a message to her…

The feeling of freedom is so wonderful!
-
Southern Forest Line, Brigade Operations Command Post.

A huge electronic map hangs on the large screen in the command center.

Brigade Commander Wu Mudi held a steaming cup of goji berry tea, his eyes calmly fixed on several moving red dots on the map.

These points of light represent the newly released elven captives.

Even though they knew that signal interference in the forest belt was severe and that the other party might lose their equipment, humans still installed devices on the other party's belongings that could periodically send and receive signals.

Why? If it works out, what?

Beside him, a young technician was typing furiously on a keyboard, reporting: "Commander, the target is rapidly advancing into the forest... the signal jamming is getting worse, there are only five left now..."

Before the words were even finished, one of the red dots flashed twice and then went out completely.

Then, the second, the third...

In just over ten seconds, all the location signals representing the Elf Squad on the map disappeared.

"Report! All locator signals have been lost!" The technician's voice was somewhat annoyed.

Wu Mudi blew on the steam in the cup and took a sip without thinking much of it.

"If it's lost, it's lost; it was expected. We'll add it to the record, and locate it if it's detected again."

"it is good!"

He placed the cup on the table with a soft thud: "I wonder if we'll fight or make peace the next time we see these long-eared people? How much of what Old Yu said did they actually listen to?"

"Then... Commander, are we just going to wait here?" the technician asked him.

“We have shown them enough goodwill and pointed out the way.” Wu Mudi lightly tapped the area on the map where the elves had disappeared. “Now, it’s up to them whether they want to come with wine glasses or knives.”

He turned around, his voice not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire command post.

"The defense zone can be activated now, and the status is changed to Level 2 alert."

"The frontline sentries, concealed automated fire units, vibration sensors, and drone patrol formations can be activated." "Yes, sir!"

The order was issued swiftly, and the various units at the front began to activate the pre-arranged trap zones in accordance with the command.

On the massive live-fire electronic map, green bands representing defense matrices lit up, like an impenetrable net, completely sealing off the areas in the southern forest where the enemy might launch an attack.

In very few places, the soldiers on the front lines stayed in the fortresses to garrison the area.

One of the staff officers couldn't help but lean over and whisper with a chuckle, "Brigadier, do you think these elves might be a bit reckless? It would be interesting if they charged straight in like the Scourge!"

"Bumped into?" Wu Mudi glanced at him and chuckled. "That's great, perfect for starting our surprise."

The undead Scourge are of low intelligence and attack in swarms; only a few elite undead will launch strategic attacks against humans.

In contrast, elves excel at mountain and forest warfare, preferring to launch attacks through surprise attacks and various jungle-like tactics.

Humans do not believe that the other side would launch a mindless attack.

However, as soon as the brigade commander spoke, a low chuckle rippled through the command post, and the atmosphere immediately lightened considerably.

The battlefield, littered with blood and gore, was extremely brutal, but humanity has shown kindness.

If the elves choose to ignore it, they will surely suffer a terrible fate!

At its core, Tokyo University is a peace-loving, agrarian society; it would rather sit down and talk than resort to violence.

But the prerequisite is that the other party must also have the qualifications and willingness to sit down and talk.

Wu Mudi's gaze returned to the map, to the vast forest that represented the unknown and danger.

He held a teacup in his hand, anticipating the war that might ensue.

……

Forest front.

The front-line position was shrouded in the damp smell of soil and humus, a rest area for the troops.

The butcher had just finalized the training plan for the next few days.

They captured many small animals successfully, and now the people in the Department of Extraterrestrial Life Ecology have a lot of research material to study. For the time being, everyone is too busy to collect small animals for research.

The butcher and his crew's mission was naturally put on hold.

Suddenly, the tactical tablet issued new orders and information about tomorrow's meeting.

He stared at the new message that had just popped up on the tactical tablet, his calloused fingers swiping across the screen. Upon seeing the message, a smile immediately spread across his face.

New equipment? New mission?

He jumped up and went to greet the arrival of the new equipment.

More than ten minutes later...

The butcher returned to his special forces unit.

"Gather up! Stop lying down, everyone come and assemble!"

Some soldiers in the Butcher Squadron were cleaning their weapons and maintaining their equipment, while others were doing some rehabilitation exercises.

Upon hearing the butcher's words, the soldiers immediately stopped what they were doing and all turned to look at him.

"The brigade headquarters just issued new orders and distributed new equipment, along with new missions!" Butcher's voice boomed like a bell. "The defense forces need to confirm whether there are any loopholes in the three-dimensional defense network to prevent possible new attacks! Professor Li Donglai said he wants to expand the scope of the test field. Our mission is to fill in the gaps and ensure that there are no omissions in the trap zone."

He looked around at his subordinates, each with a young and resolute face.

"Are you confident?"

"Mission accomplished!" The shouts were so unified that they shook the dust off the roof.

An old soldier clicked his tongue and muttered, "Boss, is it really necessary to be so serious unless it's a mission deep in the forest? It's not like we're facing some terrifying mind magic!"

Upon hearing this, some soldiers unconsciously swallowed, still apprehensive about the pervasive mental interference deep within the forest.

Mind magic is dangerous; it's like someone constantly whispering in your mind, drawing out your deepest fears and distracting thoughts, making it impossible to defend against.

During this period, the troops frequently entered the forest to capture various magical creatures with different levels of attack power or threat.

Sometimes, some soldiers almost fell into the trap.

"Ha, it's not like we're deep in the forest, why are you all chickening out?" The butcher strode to the corner and opened a dark green metal box that was about half a person's height.

With a loud crash, the lid of the box popped open, and a strange fragrance of ink mixed with cinnabar and special paper instantly filled the air.

Inside the box, stacks of neatly arranged talisman equipment lay quietly.

Mysterious runes were drawn on it with vermilion ink.

Calming, soothing, and protective are all for protection!
"Hey, why is there so much special protective gear?" A soldier peeked over, his eyes wide with surprise. "Boss, did the logistics department make a mistake? This is enough for our whole team to use for a long time!"

Previously, the military distributed very few items, mostly very basic things. For example, they would give you a purifying and protective sheet, a calming sheet with similar functions, and a talisman to ward off evil.

Generally, distributing three cards signifies undertaking a relatively dangerous task.

If one is issued, they usually stay in the rear to rest and recuperate, during periods when they are not performing a task.

"Wrong number? Did a donkey kick your brain?" The butcher grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. "This was sent to our squadron by the logistics department. The geniuses in the research department have finally figured out how to mass-produce special energy protection equipment. We should have enough of these from now on!"

He reached out and grabbed a handful, slamming them onto the table like dealing playing cards.

"Listen up, special protective equipment isn't so scarce now, use it freely! Each person should take three sets of standard protective gear, and those who are calm and peaceful should take a few more. If you feel something is wrong, just stick one on your forehead!"

Holy crap! Those consultants are awesome!

"Haha, let's see how those pointy-eared guys will use the red maple tree to lullaby us now!"

"I almost fell for their trick before, but now that we have weapons, we can definitely stop them easily. Hehe..."

The soldiers rushed over with smiles, their previous tension gone. They grinned like the silly sons of a wealthy landowner, excitedly lining up to receive their "deluxe meals."

As a young soldier stuffed special protective gear into the lining of his bulletproof vest, he asked with anticipation, "Captain Tu, now that we have enough paper talismans, is there a chance that we'll be issued the jade badge equipment that engineering teams wear in the future?"

“Yeah, yeah!” another chimed in. “Yellow paper talismans are disposable after all. Once the energy is used up, they’re gone. Jade pendants are much better—high-end, classy, ​​and sophisticated! They provide protection for a super long time.”

The butcher listened to the boys' unrealistic fantasies, laughed, and slapped one of them on the back of the head.

"You have to eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time! If you want good equipment, first complete the tasks at hand, and then fight a brilliant battle!"

He paused, his voice turning somber.

"We need to show the logistics department the value of a frontline elite! At that time, let alone jade tokens, even if you just want a magical flying sword that can locate enemies on its own, the logistics equipment department can probably get it for us."

The soldiers burst into laughter, their morale soaring to unprecedented heights.

They checked their rifles and put on their protective gear. Some soldiers looked out into the dark and deep forest with no more fear in their eyes, only a burning desire to try.

……

On the other side, a few kilometers away, is the experimental field construction area.

As a shovelful of soil was dug away, a brand-new irrigation canal, made of prefabricated slabs, was precisely channeling water from a distant source into the newly reclaimed experimental field.

"Om-"

As the engine of the military-modified excavator shifted from a roar to a low idle, Jiang Ruixuan yanked open the car door and jumped out excitedly.

"Squad leader! This side is all done too!"

Ming Yufei was conducting a final check with the level when he heard this. He nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Well done, we can call it a day."

He gently wiped the dirt off the equipment, performed some basic maintenance, and then said, "Commander Li just sent a new order; we need to go back and repair the road."

"Huh?" Jiang Ruixuan's smile froze, and the brothers next to him also stopped packing up their tools and looked over. "Going back to repair? Aren't we going to continue clearing the land?"

A soldier who had just replaced the tracks on the bulldozer also came over: "That's right, squad leader, I just got the machine set up and was ready to get to work!"

Ming Yufei shook his head, his expression becoming more serious.

"We're not going any further. The camp said the Pokémon they captured a few days ago have already been released, and going any deeper would just create unnecessary chaos. Professor Li also said that the current experimental plot for farming is big enough for them to study for a while."

"They...they've released them? Does that mean we won't be fighting anymore?"

Jiang Ruixuan made no attempt to hide his disappointment, and subconsciously touched the warm jade pendant hanging around his neck.

He had already made up his mind.

Next time we advance, I'll drive my precious little car and rush up to those eerie red-leafed, white-barked trees with human-faced features.

The mental attack from that thing was very dangerous; it almost broke his mental defenses.

With the jade pendant protecting him, he had no more problems!
He had already envisioned the scene—no matter how the strange trees used their mental magic, he would sit in the driver's seat, slowly lowering the bucket towards the "Song of the Minotaur," uprooting the trees right in front of them, and then crushing them to pieces with the tracks.

Let’s have a live version of “The Husband’s Ex-Prisoner”.

Is this a small achievement?

How long can this bragging last?

So...they wouldn't let me go?
"Ugh!" Jiang Ruixuan kicked a clod of dirt away, looking utterly frustrated. "What a waste of my excitement! I was hoping to show my comrades what we engineers are good at, to prove that we're not just good at digging!"

Seeing his pathetic state, Ming Yufei burst out laughing: "Jiang Ruixuan, you need to adjust your mindset. Come and see the new mission!"

Jiang Ruixuan pursed his lips as he looked at the task briefing issued by his superiors.

Road specifications: A standard military first-class highway will be built eastward along the forest belt.

Load-bearing requirements: Tracked vehicles weighing over 80 tons can pass without obstruction...

Quality requirements: ...

Looking at those cold technical parameters, Jiang Ruixuan's initial disappointment was instantly replaced by a burning thrill.

It turns out they weren't moved far away to the rear, but were still building nearby!

However, it involves building roads along the boundary line.
-
Meanwhile, linguist Yu Qiwen and the warriors responsible for guarding against the sudden attack by the elves returned to headquarters by helicopter.

After the helicopter landed, the soldiers returned to their base; they had no more missions for the day.

The young warrior who had previously locked eyes with the elf headed towards the hospital's recovery area.

Yu Qiwen carried the things and headed straight for the intelligence gathering center.

Upon arriving at the location, he saw Gong Pengfei and many other soldiers gathered in small groups, some exchanging information and others looking at various documents.

"how's it going?"

"Just like the reaction predicted in the pre-analysis, the equipment and defensive fortresses that were deliberately shown to the elves successfully had a psychological impact on them."

"I don't know if it will be successful in the end!"

The think tank deduced that the elves could be contacted, but it would be necessary to completely subdue them, which led to the "Meng Huo Plan".

The actions just now, and the information about the elves, were all nothing more than a calculated scheme.

I have shown you my defensive points and told you my bottom line. Will you still attack?
If you come, congratulations... whips, bullets, and fire pokers await you!
If you don't come, and then you're thinking of setting up your own battlefield, ha, that just means you're insecure.

We followed the steps we had shown the elves, gradually digging, clearing land, and farming into the forest...

In any case, the initiative is in human hands.

Humanity has now established some fundamental facts—only the destruction of the red-leaved, white-barked trees will cause northern winds and snow to rapidly erode southern forests, turning vibrant forests into desolate wastelands!
Because of this alarming discovery, humanity had to temporarily abandon its aggressive, root-digging attack on the highly dangerous red-leaved, white-barked, human-faced tree, and instead focus on self-defense, ensuring its own safety while maintaining the strategic initiative.

So far, this tactical arrangement has been very successful.

The forest belt did not erode southward into the forest belt, and humans gained farmland with soil fertility far exceeding that of the black soil.

Professor Li Donglai is currently leading a large planting team, planting melons, fruits, and vegetables, and is also developing an earthworm factory.

Hmm, that sounds outrageous—

While eating, Yu Qiwen heard from a colleague that Professor Li Donglai was researching an integrated service production line project for extraterrestrial earthworms, from fertilizing the field to cooking. He gasped in astonishment.

My colleague told me that Professor Li Donglai believes that the land in the far north is cold and arable land will be scarce in the future. Traditional greenhouse vegetables will be too expensive. Instead, he believes that raising more earthworms can not only fertilize the land, but also make it more fertile, and they can even be fried in oil.

Some soldiers from Guangdong and Fujian have given positive feedback, saying that "the fried earthworms taste pungent at first, but taste very delicious later on."

Yu Qiwen is a serious, proper sweet tofu fan, and he really dislikes some bizarre foods.

He doesn't understand!

Why do so many people in the modern world eat such bizarre and unusual foods as houttuynia cordata, stinky tofu, snail rice noodles, and West Lake fish in vinegar sauce?

These polarized opinions—some people love them to death, while others hate them so much they feel like vomiting at the mere smell of them—but in Yu Qiwen's view, they shouldn't even exist in this world!

Damn it, I really don't understand which clever little devil has created a complete industrial chain. The otherworld pioneer team is probably turning into an otherworld earthworm-eating team!

……

On the other side, the young warrior Afa, who had locked eyes with the elf and was almost attacked by him, went straight to the post-operative recovery area of ​​the hospital after removing his equipment.

The air here is filled with the smell of disinfectant, which is much purer than the smell of gunpowder and dirt on the front lines.

When Ah Fa couldn't find anyone in the ward, he started shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Peace and safety! Peace and safety!"

The post-operative rehabilitation and convalescent area is not an intensive care unit. He came here a few times, and his shouting was not considered a disturbance to the neighbors.

Head Nurse Li Jing poked her head out from the nurses' station, waved to Afa, and then pointed with her chin toward the restrooms at the end of the corridor: "He just went that way, probably to take a dump. Keep your voice down!"

"Okay! Thanks!"

Ah Fa grinned, thanked him, and then walked briskly to the restroom.

Seeing that there was indeed a door in the restroom, the pessimist lowered his voice and called out to the closed toilet stall door, "Ankang? Ankang?"

"What are you doing?" The voice inside was startled and muffled.

"It's me, Ah Fa! You little rascal, haven't seen me for half a month, and you've even forgotten your father's voice?"

"Oh...spit it out! I'm taking a dump!"

"Hey, I have something big to tell you. Do you know what I saw today?" Ah Fa leaned against the door, looking mysterious, not caring about the smell.

"Couldn't you have waited until I finished pooping before you said anything?"

An Kang's voice came through the door. Although the bones in his chest hadn't fully healed yet, he was so angry at A Fa's behavior that his voice became stronger.

"I couldn't hold it in any longer! I'm telling you, I saw a live elf! Tsk tsk... up close, you know? I even unlocked the handcuffs!"

Ah Fa was talking animatedly, completely unaware of the momentary silence that fell over the cubicle.

"There was also a female elf who kept glancing at me. Let me tell you, it was definitely love at first sight! I was attracted to her beauty, and she was attracted to my handsomeness. It was a match made in heaven!"

Crash!
A loud flushing sound rang out, and the cubicle door was suddenly pulled open.

Ankang appeared with a dark expression, wearing an oversized hospital gown. He looked even more prosperous than before.

"Ha, all done? So fast? Let me tell you, that elf..."

"roll!"

An Kang squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth, pushed him aside, and walked toward his own ward.

"Hey, hey, don't be angry!" Seeing that An Kang was really upset, A Fa chuckled and quickly followed, putting his arm around his shoulder. "An Kang, let me finish. This elf is just like that beast-eared girl, super cute..."

A young nurse pushing a medicine cart looked over curiously, and Ah Fa's words caught in his throat, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Just as he was about to say something more, the voice of head nurse Li Jing came from behind him.

"Good health!"

An Kang stopped and turned around to reply, "Hey! Sister Jing!"

"Professor Deng Dakang just contacted you, but couldn't find you. He left you his phone number and said he's assigned you a task. Go back and check it out right away!"

"A mission? Professor Deng Dakang?"

Those two words struck An Kang like an electric current. The frustration and anger on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an almost greedy desire.

He gave Li Jing a bright smile: "Thank you, Sister Jing! I'll be right back!"

Two months!

Since his injury and the recovery period, he has been treated like a porcelain doll, spending his days eating and sleeping, until his bones are practically melting from lying down.

Now, finally, we have a mission!
Seeing his expression, Ah Fa stopped joking and patted him hard on the shoulder, everything was understood without saying a word.

Looking at An Kang, who was eager to fight, Li Jing sighed inwardly.

After spending so much time together, we all got to know each other quite well.

Although Ankang can be a bit of a shut-in at times, he can also be quite interesting at others.

An Kang quickly walked up to Li Jing, picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed the number back.

When the call connected, a calm and steady male voice came from the other end, completely different from the loud and boisterous voices in the military.

"Hello, this is the Life Sciences Research Group, who is this?"

An Kang was stunned.

Life Sciences Research Group?
Why would you need to find a combatant who hasn't fully recovered?
"Reporting, this is An Kang! Professor Deng Dakang just introduced me; Professor Deng asked me to find you!"

"Oh, Professor Deng, we know that. I'll send you a location; come here!"

……

Ward corridor.

Ah Fa leaned against the wall, anxiously watching An Kang, who had just hung up the phone.

"So? What did the professor say? Did he really assign you a task?"

Ankang hung up the phone without answering immediately.

He looked down at his hands, which, after a long period of rest, had begun to recover. The calluses had thinned considerably due to his efforts and were starting to look unfamiliar.

He slowly closed his fingers one by one, finally clenching them into a fist.

A sense of power seemed to re-emerge from the very marrow of my bones.

“He said… they’ve come up with something new. Something that can help me heal quickly!” An Kang looked up, his eyes burning with a fire that had consumed months of despondency and depression.

Ah Fa leaned closer: "Medicine? To make you feel better faster?"

An Kang grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile carrying an unyielding and fierce spirit.

"Yeah, they say the new thing is called 'Repair Fluid'."

He stared at Ah Fa and said, word by word.

"Although we have verified it many times and confirmed it is harmless, we still need a brave soldier to be the experimenter for the drug!"

"Isn't this the first guinea pig?"

(End of this chapter)