Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 189 The comical cave-dwelling half-human! A potato-growing expert! (Please subscribe)

Another world, the southern forest front.

Several days have passed since the smoke of war dissipated, and the roar of construction machinery has replaced the sounds of battle, ushering in a new chapter on this unfamiliar land.

With a hard candy dangling from his mouth, Ming Yufei skillfully operated the excavator's robotic arm.

With a muffled thud, a thick tree root was uprooted and precisely tossed into a small transport vehicle next to it.

He was in a good mood and even hummed a work song he made up.

"We're all pioneers, each shovelful creating a patch of fertile land... Oh, hey, ha~~~"

"Ming Yufei, a nest of red ant nests has been discovered ahead. Your troops must retreat to a safe distance and await the biological warfare unit's response!"

The urgent command that suddenly came through the headphones brought Mingyu Yufei's humming to an abrupt halt.

Red poison ants.

This name sent chills down the spines of all the engineering corps soldiers.

This thing isn't very big, about the size of an ordinary ant on Earth, but its venom is so potent it can make you feel like you're in heaven or hell.

Once bitten, the neurotoxin injected by the fangs will cause an indescribable numbness and pain, and it's not a pain that ends after a short while, but a numbness and pain that can make you question your existence for several days in a row.

What's more troublesome is that these little creatures are particularly good at squeezing into all sorts of gaps, making them impossible to guard against.

A while ago, a few unlucky members of the pioneering team were infected. It is said that they howled like ghosts in the medical tent for three days and three nights, and their shrill voices made the sentries on guard feel uneasy.

"receive!"

Ming Yufei didn't dare to delay for a moment and immediately issued a retreat order in the team channel.

He watched as the excavators and loaders in his unit began to reverse in an orderly fashion before he steered his own vehicle to catch up with the group.

A short while later, several soldiers from the biochemical warfare unit, dressed in white fully enclosed protective suits and carrying strange metal canisters, came into view.

Their movements were efficient and without any unnecessary actions, spraying white mist into that area.

"Squad leader, I heard from the next squad that our batch is about due for a break," Jiang Ruixuan's voice came through the comms. "Where are you planning to rest?"

"Let's just find a place to stay nearby." Ming Yufei turned off the excavator's engine and lazily watched the biochemical unit's operations in the distance. "Going back to the rear base would probably restrict our movement, so it's better to stay here in peace and quiet."

Everyone who comes here is mentally prepared. He usually just calls home at regular intervals. His parents are young, and he has younger siblings who are around ten years old. Even if he sacrifices himself, he won't make his parents too sad.

"That's true." Jiang Ruixuan sighed. "Squad leader, I heard from our comrades in logistics that these things are for those elf prisoners. Are we really going to be farm owners from now on?"

These words immediately piqued the interest of everyone in the channel.

"Become a farmer? You're talking nonsense! It's labor reform."

Jiang Ruixuan chuckled and lowered his voice, "Hey, I'd really like to farm with the elves, grow potatoes!"

There was a moment of silence on the channel, followed by a burst of laughter.

"You audacious lecher!"

"The image is too horrible to contemplate! Class monitor, do you think Jiang Ruixuan might get killed with a pickaxe if he really farms with them?"

"I bet a pack of cigarettes, it'll happen in less than three days! I've heard elves are quite stubborn; I wonder how long it will take to tame them!"

"Domestication? That sounds awful! This is clearly ideological reform in the new era! What do you mean by domestication? You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!"

As Ming Yufei listened to the conversation between the soldiers in his squad, and watched the biological warfare unit carefully using a special collector to put some red poisonous ants into a sample box in the distance, he couldn't help but find it amusing.

I heard that although the neurotoxins of these ants are torturous, Professor Chung's laboratory regards them as treasures, believing that they have miraculous effects on the study of human neurons.

Sometimes, the difference between poison and medicine is just a thin veil.

Once the biochemical unit issued a safety signal, the engines of Mingyufei's engineering unit roared up again.

The rear planning department has issued clear targets to develop a full 100 hectares of land in this area for planting various food crops and fruits brought from the modern world, in order to complete subsequent upgrades and transformation plans.

This will be a massive undertaking.

Just then, Ming Yufei heard the command center's voice again through his earpiece, but this time the tone was noticeably more relaxed.

"Ming Yufei, your squad is responsible for the area's planning changes. In addition to leveling the land, you also need to assist other friendly forces in installing an additional five-meter-high barbed wire fence and setting up standard sentry towers. This area has been selected for use as a prisoner-of-war agricultural work area, and the subsequent construction drawings will be sent to you."

These words, spoken over the channel, prompted many soldiers to silently complain.

Did the leaders hear them talking about this, and then they actually took charge of the construction of the elf captive farming area?

Ming Yufei scratched his head and crunched the last piece of candy pit in his mouth.

"The higher-ups have given us more work!" He cleared his throat and shouted into the team's intercom, "Everyone, do a good job! This is a labor practice base being built for friendly nations; we need to showcase our construction skills!"

"Does everyone have the confidence to complete this?"

"have!"

"Okay, keep up the good work!"

……

at the same time.

Fifteen kilometers away from where the human engineering corps was busy clearing land, on a hillside with a wide view.

Bellergas Ironhammer, draped in an elven magic cloak that made him almost invisible and blended him into the forest, followed closely behind the elf Natalia with his short legs moving swiftly.

"Come on!"

"Long ears, your legs are so long, can't I ride on you? Why do you have to go so fast!"

"Half-human, if you keep making jokes, I will definitely stop leading the way and leave immediately."

"Alright, alright, you old-fashioned elf!" Bellegas muttered.

His words made the elf Natalia's face turn dark.

These stubborn, short-tempered guys who think they're joking but are actually just making things worse are really annoying.

If it weren't for the survival crisis that forced the two races to cooperate, Natalia would have definitely used her magic bow to slit the other's throat.

Upon arriving at the destination, Natalia pointed ahead. "Look, this way we can see all the movements of those humans clearly."

"Half-human, be careful, watch out for their iron birds, those things have very sharp eyes. We can't stay here for long!"

"knew!"

Bellergas Hammer moved swiftly on his short legs, finally leaping behind a rock. He raised his brass monocular telescope and stared intently at the distant forest being devoured.

Through the lens, he saw a scene that made him squint slightly.

Those towering trees, hundreds of meters tall, were as fragile as straws in the face of a roaring steel monster.

The sharp steel teeth easily bit through the tree trunks, which were then towed away by another batch of magical vehicles, driven by some unknown means.

Ugly scars are being torn open on the earth. The once vast forest is being divided up at a visible speed and will soon become a barren plain.

This is the devouring of the forest.

No wonder the elves were so wary of them.

Compared to southern humans who controlled major roads when invading forest belts, these northern humans did something completely different – ​​they dug up the roots!

"You believe me now, right?" Natalia whispered beside him.

"I don't believe it!" Bellegas put down his binoculars and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

They are also a race accustomed to digging and excavating in the mountains, but that's for survival.

The scene before us is purely a transformation.

The elves said they would turn the forests into fields, and the countless fertile forests into plantations.

These guys don't follow the natural way that everyone signed up for at all!

At this moment, Bellegas felt as if the elves had reached some kind of cooperation with the humans and were trying to deceive them using the countless corpses of the elves.

"You stubborn half-human!" Natalia was so angry she wanted to kill someone. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, instinctively sniffed, and wiped her nose.

A glaring splash of bright red blood stained the back of her hand.

"Long ears, what happened to you?" Bellegas frowned when he saw the disheveled appearance.

"It's nothing, I'm probably just too tired lately," Natalia replied in a muffled voice, covering her nose.

She looked ahead and felt her head spinning even more.

Looking ahead, it was as if the wailing of the forest was playing directly in her mind, giving her a splitting headache.

"Fragile long ears." Bellegas scoffed, then shifted his massive frame, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "No matter what you say, I'd rather go and capture a few humans to interrogate!"

"Capture humans? Have you gone mad with your brain damaged from forging iron?" Natalia suddenly looked up. "These humans from the north are not the same as those trash from the south! They are stronger, more cunning! Their weapons are more powerful, and they possess unimaginable magical power. You want to go and die?"

Bellegas grinned dismissively: "That's because you elves are utterly useless! Don't try to fool us! We are very clever."

These words made Natalia laugh in anger: "Half-human, I warn you again, put away your arrogance and stubbornness, if you rush over there rashly, it will bring annihilation to your entire tribe."

"Haha! Long ears, look at you, you're scared!" Bellegas laughed triumphantly, pulling out his treasure from behind his back—a three-barreled musket with three muzzles.

He lovingly stroked the cold iron pipe.

"We only believe in the power of magical firearms! No matter how strong humans are, they are still made of flesh and blood. Can they withstand this?"

Another burly half-human beside him chuckled and echoed, patting his identical musket in his arms: "Hehe, you're right, sir. I've never seen anything that can withstand a volley from us!"

Natalia felt utterly powerless looking at their arrogant demeanor.

That damn stubborn half-human, that bastard with a distorted brain.

Why did our ancestors form an alliance with these idiots?

"Belegas, don't be so stubborn. You are half-human messengers, and we have a duty to ensure your safety. The enemy is powerful, and you're easily captured if you move out at night. We might even have to clean up the mess!" Natalia advised expressionlessly. "Don't put yourselves in danger!"

"It's alright." Bellegas slung his musket back over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of an upcoming hunt. "I've already sent messengers back; they'll tell Lord Lepanto everything they've seen here. Even if we perish, it doesn't matter!"

He paused, turned to look at his many companions, and commanded in an unquestionable tone.

"Understanding the enemy is the key to winning the war. We can only achieve victory by capturing living humans and gathering intelligence on them."

At this point, Bellegas looked at Natalia: "From now on, neither of you can leave my sight, to prevent you from tipping me off!"

"Idiots! If we cooperated with humans, you would have been wiped out long ago. You incomprehensible stoneheads!" Natalia gritted her teeth in anger.

Bellergas grinned, too lazy to pay her any more attention.

He lowered his body and made a gesture to his companion.

"Let the brothers prepare the troops; tonight, we'll go and deliver a greeting from the mountains to our neighbors!"

"Hehehe..."

A few hours later, at the command post.

As Wu Mudi finished processing the latest mission report, an intelligence officer strode over.

"Report, we have discovered a group of unusual visitors. Based on their physical characteristics, we initially determine that they are dwarves from this world. We have also detected several elves who have come with them."

"Dwarves? And they brought elves with them? Didn't the elven captives say that the two races had a bad relationship?"

Wu Mudi, who had originally intended to go back to rest, suddenly became interested.

He walked to the large screen, where the infrared thermal images transmitted from various angles appeared incredibly clear.

He tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, looking at the cluster of short, sturdy heat sources on the screen.

"When did they find it?"

"They had been rushing towards us for over an hour, and once they were about ten kilometers away, we mobilized our resources."

"Deep into the camp so close to nightfall? With so few people, are they going to capture us? Or plant something there?" Wu Mudi saw through their intentions at a glance. "What's their equipment like? Have you detected any strong magical fluctuations?"

"Report: We didn't find any equipment containing large amounts of magical energy on their end. Their equipment... is quite astonishing!"

A technician immediately zoomed in on the image, and the three clustered muzzles of muskets were clearly visible on the screen.

"The dwarves were equipped with a three-barreled musket, which looked rather primitive in design, and they carried axes. It seemed to be quite powerful at both close and long range."

"Immensely strong, skilled in forging, fond of firearms, and enjoys nighttime raids... Hmm, very stereotypical." Wu Mudi nodded, his expression becoming increasingly relaxed. "I just wonder if he'll start calling people 'brother' after a couple of drinks."

Everyone in the command post could hear the sarcasm in his words, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed.

"Should we take the initiative now and capture them?" an adjutant suggested.

Wu Mudi crossed his arms and stared at the big screen with great interest.

"Since they've come all this way without bringing anything dangerous, let's see what they're up to. Hmm, get the troops ready to trap them like turtles in a jar."

"OK!"

Subsequently, the soldiers at the front lines began to observe the infiltration of this strange combination. They recorded their movements and everything else to facilitate subsequent targeted operations against both races!

The human forces of today are no longer what they used to be.

The other world has a strong electromagnetic interference environment. To solve these problems, they have deployed a large number of creations near the forest. The network signals of these devices make it easy for human forces to grasp more information and gain situational awareness.

Even if there is powerful magical interference with electromagnetic signals here, key surveillance information deployed in some areas can still be easily transmitted back via nearby video feeds.

They stayed up all night. Wu Mudi and many others skillfully made cots in the command post.

These short, stocky guys were very bold; they waited until dark before they started their operation.

A dozen or so short, stocky half-humans moved through the woods in an extremely awkward manner. Sometimes they crawled close to the ground, sometimes they would suddenly leap forward several tens of centimeters, and then lie still like a stone, thinking that they were perfectly concealed.

Ironically, they appear quite comical and ridiculous under human surveillance and tacit approval.

"Do they really think we're blind?" Wu Mudi yawned, turning to his adjutant beside him. "But I must say, these guys, despite their short legs and thick necks, actually have some impressive tactical maneuvers! If we capture them, we can try getting them to plant more potatoes!"

The adjutant was barely suppressing a laugh, his shoulders trembling.

"They're much shorter than the small potatoes in the south, so growing potatoes there makes sense."

A suppressed chuckle echoed throughout the command center.

"Their night raid tactics have some merit! I don't know whether to call them brave or foolish." The adjutant shook his head, his tone full of mockery.

"Commendable courage!" Wu Mudi stroked his chin. "I have a feeling they're here to poison us and set fires!"

"Boss, how about we get the sniper..."

"No way!" Wu Mudi waved his hand, his eyes gleaming as if he had discovered a new and exciting toy. "Live dwarf research samples delivered right to our doorstep! It would be such a waste to kill them all. Didn't Annie and the others say that the only weakness of dwarves is their strength? Just have the action team keep an eye on them!"

"Where are the people from Tu Ying's group?"

"Report! The entire turtle-catching team is equipped with non-lethal stun guns and high-strength capture nets! We are on standby and ready to act at any time!"

"Very good." Wu Mudi tapped the table and gave the order, "Tell Tu Ying to capture them alive if possible, especially the leader of the dwarves; he looks the strongest. Be careful, don't let anything go wrong. Who knows if they've come up with some strange magic with the elves?"

"clear!"

"Commander Man and his men are probably getting impatient. Let's send the live footage back to the rear."

Wu Mudi leaned back in his chair with a relaxed air, a smile spreading across his face.

On the edge of the dark forest, several shadowy figures dressed in ghillie suits, almost blending into the night even under infrared vision, silently slipped out of the camp.

Like ghosts, they flanked the heat source forces composed of dwarves and elves.

A hunt, orchestrated from God's perspective, has officially begun.

……

Bellegas lowered his body, his massive frame almost turning into a rock in the shadow of the trees.

Behind him followed several elite half-human warriors, the most elite scouts of the High Mountain Kingdom. The night was their comrade-in-arms, and the mountains and forests were their home.

"Humans have so much iron, it's a pity they use it all to make useless scrap metal!"

By the moonlight, Bellegas could see the crisscrossing barbed wire fences at the edge of the camp ahead, and a sneer appeared on his lips.

This kind of trash is a waste of resources. Even the smallest horned wolf in the mountains can easily dig a hole and infiltrate. Even animals can't stop them, so how can you expect to guard against them?

What a joke!

"My lord, these humans are certainly generous with their materials. So much steel is enough for our tribe to forge several thousand swords and sell them to the south!" A tribesman said in a low voice, his eyes filled with greed.

"Hmph, a bunch of wasteful fools." Bellegas sneered, already plotting in his mind, "Once we defeat the enemy, all their things will be ours."

He made a gesture.

Two half-human warriors crept forward silently and pulled out specially made forged steel axes from behind their backs.

pat~

Half of the men swung their axes, accompanied by a soft, cracking sound.

The barbed wire was easily broken open, and the people busied themselves with the task.

After many minutes, they finally managed to create a large hole in the barbed wire fence that allowed multiple people to pass through.

Bellegas nodded in satisfaction and went in first, followed by his warriors who, despite their imposing physiques, moved with the agility of cats.

Because they weren't wearing armor, they moved even more silently.

They are born with excellent night vision, and although the human camp is in shadow, its outline is still clearly visible to them.

What a ridiculous elf! He even said that humans are incredibly terrifying and possess countless magical artifacts.

Bellergas thought to himself, a smile playing on his lips.

This was the most lax defense he had ever seen; it was practically an invitation for them to come in!

He licked his chapped lips, his eyes gleaming with the light of a hunter, already imagining the scene of grabbing a human's tongue, knocking them unconscious, taking them outside, and then extracting information from their terrified face.

Just as he was about to give the order for his people to disperse and search for high-value targets.

"call out--!"

A strange whooshing sound came from above.

Bellergas looked up abruptly and saw a huge black net descending from the sky, so fast that no one had time to react!

"Scatter! There's an ambush!"

He roared, but it was too late.

The net had a very large coverage area, instantly covering all five half-human warriors at the front.

Then several large nets appeared, enveloping all the invading half-humans.

The trapped warriors were filled with shock and rage, and immediately began to hack and slash with their battle axes and short swords.

However, the sharp blade that could easily cleave through iron armor on ordinary days only produced a series of teeth-grinding crunches when it struck the black netting ropes, without even tearing a single gash!

"Damn it! What the hell is this thing?! Is it made of mithril?"

……

"Report: The net has been cast and twelve large fish have been successfully caught. The fish are currently struggling inside the net and are full of energy."

In the command post, the adjutant gave a serious report, but couldn't suppress a smile.

On the large screen, the thermal imaging clearly showed multiple humanoid heat sources, representing half-human figures, writhing wildly in the net, much like fish being pulled ashore.

Wu Mudi chuckled, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Tell Tu Ying not to let the rest of the live fish escape."

"clear!"

……

"Fire! Tear down the net! Everyone else, cover!"

Bellergas's eyes turned red; he never expected that his proud nighttime infiltration would start in such a ridiculous way.

The remaining half-human warriors who had not yet joined the network immediately raised their three-eyed muskets and aimed them at the surrounding darkness.

However, they were not met with a hail of bullets from humans.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

With a few soft sounds, several barely visible steel needles shot out from the darkness, accurately piercing their bare necks and arms.

At the same time, several round, lumpy iron objects were thrown at their feet.

"laugh--"

Thick, pungent white smoke billowed out, instantly engulfing the area.

"Cough cough cough! What's that smell... in my eyes..."

"Oh no... I feel so dizzy..."

The half-human warriors were instantly thrown into disarray. The choking gas made their eyes and noses water, and the intense dizziness made them unable to stand steadily. The muskets in their hands felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"You bastard!"

bump!bump!

A cacophony of gunfire erupted.

Bellergas watched from afar, his eyes wide with rage. He was about to rush forward when he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his neck, as if he had been bitten by some poisonous insect.

He reached out and pulled out a steel needle with a thin tip and a transparent, glass-like substance at the back.

Immediately afterwards, a lump of iron rolled down to his feet, spewing out the same white smoke.

"vomit……"

Bellergas took just one breath and felt dizzy, with everything in front of him swaying.

He knew he had been infected as well.

Overwhelmed by intense humiliation and resentment, he mustered his last strength, trembling as he raised his beloved three-barreled musket, aimed it at the enemy he sensed, and pulled the trigger.

boom! boom! boom!

Three deafening gunshots rang out, expressing the final rage of this half-man centurion.

Then, his tall body could no longer hold on, and he collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

On the other side, hidden in the treetops further away, Natalia's face was completely bloodless.

She witnessed firsthand what could only be described as an overwhelming capture.

Throughout the entire operation, the humans didn't even show their faces, yet they easily eliminated Bellagas and his prized elite squad.

The half-human messengers around her also wore expressions of anger.

"Long Ears, you must have informed the humans that our centurion has launched a night raid!"

"Fools, I've been with you the whole time, how am I supposed to pass on messages? Gentlemen, you need to go back and tell Lord Lepanto everything!" Natalia said, barely suppressing the urge to curse.

However, she had barely finished speaking.

"Shh...shh..."

A faint but dense rustling sound came from the surrounding foliage.

That wasn't the sound of the wind, nor was it the sound of a wild beast.

It's footsteps!

Natalia's heart sank to the bottom. She turned around abruptly and saw a series of ghostly figures dressed in black combat suits who had surrounded them from behind.

Those people wore strange masks and held weapons she had only seen in the shared magical memories.

The dark muzzles of the guns, like the eyes of death, silently watched them.

"So they discovered us all along..."

A desperate thought exploded in Natalia's mind.

Then, she pulled out her magic bow and arrows to fight back.

An anesthetic needle appeared out of nowhere and struck her, allowing her to remain unconscious for less than a minute before she completely lost consciousness!

When Natalia awoke again, the dizzying memories had not yet faded.

What came into view was not the dark dungeon and bloody instruments of torture that I had imagined, but a relatively clean place.

The walls of the room are made of steel, and although the floor is not spotless, there is not much odor in the air.

She instinctively touched her neck, and her hand touched a cold metal collar. It had no runes on it, but it severed her connection with the magical elements.

She pulled and tugged, but couldn't pull it apart at all!

"Don't waste your energy. That's a magic-suppressing collar. Once we wear it, we'll be no different from ordinary people." A weak voice came from the corner.

Natalia turned her head and saw an elven ranger whose face looked somewhat familiar, but who was wearing strange clothes.

When the other person saw her looking over, they said calmly, "Awake? How are you feeling?"

"Warriors of the Water Clan, where is this?" Natalia's voice was a little hoarse.

"A human prison," the elven ranger replied lazily. "I was captured a few days ago; you're new here today."

Natalia looked around. Apart from her, some of the other elves were lying lazily, while others were idly daydreaming.

"Humans didn't torture you?"

"Torture?" The elf shook his head upon hearing this. "No! Aside from making us memorize some rules and regulations, we're served three meals a day on time! And at night, we have to turn off the magic light source. As long as we don't attack the guards or try to damage the facilities, there won't be any punishment."

"Oh right, it'll be time for outdoor exercise soon. We can go outside and enjoy the scenery. Let's get some fresh air!"

These words left Natalia's mind blank.

Rules and regulations?

Lights out?

Letting out for some fresh air?

This is a completely different species from the humans she heard about from her mother goddess and from her elders!

Meanwhile, in another heavily guarded interrogation room.

Wearing a bulky lead protective suit, Gong Pengfei looked at Bellegas, who was strapped to a specially made metal chair, with a somewhat amused expression.

His assistant was holding a device and scanning the short, stocky half-human warrior up and down.

"Beep beep... beep beep beep..." The urgent alarm from the instrument echoed in the room.

"Report: The target's gamma ray readings exceed the safety threshold by several times, and various radioactive dust particles adhere to the body surface, indicating a mobile source of radiation contamination."

The assistant's voice came through the communicator, his tone strange.

Gong Pengfei waved his hand, signaling him to turn off the instrument.

"Humans! Kill me if you want, torture me if you want! Don't try to humiliate Master Bellagas with such petty tricks!"

Bellergas roared as he tried to break free of his restraints. He was very strong, and the reinforced shackles creaked as he pulled. The metal chair shook violently, but it was not damaged.

"To humiliate you?" Gong Pengfei's voice was somewhat distorted through his mask. "I'm telling you a fact. You and your fellow soldiers are being tortured by radiation, you just don't know it yet."

"Radiation? That's all bullshit! Your lies wouldn't even fool a three-year-old wolf!"

"Have you been feeling dizzy, nauseous, had bleeding gums, or had unexplained nosebleeds lately? Were you ever in the epicenter of an explosion? Hmm... you know, the kind of area where the explosion leaves behind a black, glazed-white mass and fallen trees?" Gong Pengfei asked unhurriedly.

Bellergas's expression froze.

He had indeed felt weak these past few days, and he had also seen Natalia have a nosebleed.

"That was caused by your poisonous smoke!" he retorted defiantly. "Once I'm free, I'll smash your head in with a hammer!"

"It seems you still don't understand," Gong Pengfei shook his head and said to his assistant, "Your life is short!"

"Bellegas, right? After your body was irradiated, the cells in your body are being torn apart by a force you can't see. Soon, your hair will fall out, your skin will ulcerate, your internal organs will fail, and you will suffer from the torment of disease in extreme pain until you die."

Bellergas stared coldly at Gong Pengfei.

"Belegas, I'm giving you a choice." Gong Pengfei's voice was full of temptation. "We can let you and your people go back, but you must bring with you humanity's goodwill and desire for peace."

"You humans would be so kind?" Bellegas gasped, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Of course," Gong Pengfei said casually in Elvish, "After all, we truly yearn for peace; we are different from the humans of the south. We need you to return with our goodwill!"

"Oh, by the way, what kind of food do you need?"

"Fine wine, fine meat!"

"It will be delivered soon."

With that, he turned and left, leaving Bellegas alone in the chair.

After a while, the pig leg of the white pig that had grown for several months in the other world, along with top-quality barley beer, was served to Bellegas's table.

This person was quite decisive and immediately began to eat heartily.

……

An hour later, in the large courtyard where the elf captives were being let out for a stroll.

Natalia encountered more captured elves, including several of her acquaintances who were ranger squad leaders.

She had just walked over to inquire about the situation when an elf stopped her.

"Don't talk, look at the big screen!"

For safety's sake, Natalia, like the other elves, looked at the large screen. She then discovered it was displaying a complete guide to potato cultivation.

"When we no longer have freedom, we'll have to plant potatoes!"

"I'd rather die than plant potatoes!" Natalia said through gritted teeth.

After the science video ended, Natalia also got the answer, which was exactly the same as what the elf prisoner had said before.

There was no abuse, no torture, only strict but humane management.

Why?

What about the evil that the Mother Goddess spoke of?

Why are those humans, who are said to skin elves and enslave them, so kind?

The immense confusion and bewilderment overwhelmed her understanding, making her feel even worse than when she was captured.

Just then, a human soldier approached her and said, "Natalia, the commander wants to see you."

After being led to a simple office, she met a man wearing heavy protective clothing.

"Elven Commander," Gong Pengfei said calmly, "you have repeatedly provoked us, using military means to spy on our camp. If it weren't for orders from higher-ups to fight for peace, you would already be corpses."

Natalia clenched her fists and looked at him coldly: "Did you bring me here to torture me?"

"No." Gong Pengfei shook his head. "I just wanted to inform you of something."

He paused, his gaze falling on the anti-motor shackles on Natalia's fair neck.

"Your physical condition is terrible; you must have been at the epicenter of a nuclear explosion. Even if we release you now, you'll suffer!"

"Nuclear...radiation?" Natalia frowned; she had never heard of this term before.

"A power you cannot comprehend." Gong Pengfei didn't elaborate further. "Tomorrow, you will be released along with that group of half-humans. I need you to deliver a message to your leader."

He leaned forward slightly and spoke, word by word.

"Bring back our goodwill, and also...our warning."

"Where are the others?"

"They are our hostages, and also future potato-growing experts. They can't go back with you right away!"

Gong Pengfei smiled at Natalia and then left.

Natalia watched the departing humans, then looked at her own shackles, her heart filled with questions that no one could answer.

(End of this chapter)