Star Hunter.

Chapter 209 A Plant Planet Without Animals

Chapter 209 A Plant Planet Without Animals

Chapter 209 A Plant Planet Without Animals

The Sixth Fleet is very busy right now, working up a huff, but everyone is quite excited and willing to be busy.

They had originally thought they would establish temporary bases on those two underdeveloped Class B habitable planets, and were even prepared to be ridiculed by the previous fleets. But who would have thought that things would take such a turn for the better and that they would suddenly gain such a huge advantage.

Having secured this advantage, Xilin's influence within the Sixth Squadron has grown even stronger. Many crew members privately discuss that Xilin will undoubtedly take over as captain of the Sixth Squadron after Shorten's resignation. Although Xilin is still quite young, and Shorten is in his prime, and given the current situation, Shorten cannot be directly promoted to captain anytime soon, it's just something people casually talk about.

Regarding these rumors, Xilin spoke with Diaz once. No one else knew what Xilin and Diaz talked about, and the two did not behave unusually after the conversation, so no one paid any more attention to it.

Sigma explained the situation at the base to the technical team in detail. After giving the explanation, he let the technical team figure it out on their own. This childlike guy was also impatient to spend all day with those technicians.

The base's defense network was hotly debated, and it was ultimately decided to implement a three-layered defense system. The first layer was set up by the technical team; the second layer was completed with the assistance of Yudi, Beaver, and Sirin; the third layer was the existing, single-minded defense network; and the final layer was based on the base itself and was not subject to the control of anyone—except, of course, Sigma.

Yudi and Beaver built a database based on data brought back by Sirin from the prison in Sector S. At the same time, they upgraded and modified the protection network, developing a new protection network. However, the technical team did not agree with the new protection network developed by Yudi and Beaver, which is why the three-layer protection network was created.

  

Sigma didn't mind the three-layered security network, as long as it didn't damage the base. Otherwise, he was free to do whatever he wanted.

Recently, some members of the Sixth Team have been working with the Lovag Guardian Beasts. These genetically engineered beasts may look ferocious, but their personalities are not what they seem. They have only one bottom line—they cannot destroy the base. Therefore, these seemingly vicious Lovag Guardian Beasts are actually loyal to the base. If any outsiders attack, these guardian beasts will fight until they die.

This is undoubtedly good news for the people of the Sixth Squadron. At least these Lovag Guardian Beasts won't betray them. In some ways, these stubborn guys are quite adorable.

After observing for over twenty days, Xilin noticed that these Lovag guardian beasts had begun to show signs of reproduction. If their food supply remained stable, the second batch of Lovag guardian beasts would arrive soon. When the second generation of Lovag guardian beasts arrived, Sigma would implant chips similar to those of the first generation into them, and they would work together to defend the base.

Sigma has been very happy lately, now having a large group of playmates, unlike before when it only had the hibernating Lovags like itself. So, Sigma and Snowball are often seen running around wildly together at the base. These kids have been cooped up for so long!

However, what puzzled everyone was that the gray cat was always rather silent and often seemed to be in a daze.

That day, Xilin, along with Yudi and Beaver, was conducting a final inspection of the newly repaired second layer of the protective network.

"Take a break. You've been working hard all this time and you're tired. The last bit only takes three hours, and we can still have dinner with everyone today," Beaver said, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Let's rest then, I'm hungry too." Xilin took out some food from the bag next to them so everyone could fill their stomachs first. Recently, the testing and protection network hadn't been able to catch up with mealtimes.

"Hey, why don't you go out and play with them?" Yudi asked the gray cat. He knew that Muduan had been missing lately, always playing with Sigma and Snowball.

"Purr's been spacing out a lot lately," Beaver remarked. The cat had been sitting nearby watching them check the network for days.

"I'm deep in thought! I'm deep in thought!" The gray cat was furious. Daydreaming and deep thought are completely different words. Although it was true that it was daydreaming most of the time, it was also deep in thought a lot of the time.

Xilin flicked the gray cat's ear. "Alright, so what are you pondering?"

The gray cat twitched its ears but remained silent, and the three of them, including Xilin, didn't urge it. Ten minutes later, the gray cat finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "I'm thinking about whether I should change my name."

"Isn't your name pretty good? You even chose it yourself." Xilin knew about Hui Mao's narcissistic tendencies.

"But," the gray cat raised its paw and curled the tip, "Xilin, Xiying, and Sigma all start with 'Xi,' so I was wondering if we should add 'Xi' before their names?"

"There's no need," Xilin said. "Besides, my surname isn't west."

"That's right!" Gray Cat's eyes suddenly lit up. Xilin's surname is indeed not Xi. Xilin said that his surname is "Yuan". So as long as "Xi" is not his surname, it doesn't matter what his given name is after his surname.

The gray cat was simple-minded, so it quickly figured it out. Just then, Sigma and the others came over and invited the gray cat to go out and play.

Snowball lay on Sigma's back; Sugarball could no longer carry it like before—the chubby white creature had gained weight incredibly fast. Although Sugarball couldn't carry it, and the rest of Team Six wouldn't either, Sigma could, and carried it without any trouble. Doughball, meanwhile, lay on top of Sigma's head, mouth agape, grinning happily.

"Hurry up, get out of here, Kari wants to duel us!" Snowball said, turning its head to the side.

The gray cat, who was in a good mood, asked excitedly, "That kid wants a duel? How?"

"Aerial duel!" Sigma answered quickly, its face turning into long, wavy lines, showing its current excitement.

Aerial duel?

Xilin glanced at them. "He's flying a fighter jet?"

"Yeah, Kari said he's going to fly a fighter jet and duel with a few of us, oh, and maybe Udoz will join us too," Snowball said, scratching his ear and laughing.

"Then how did you fly up there?" Beaver asked.

"I can fly by myself!" The bottom of the Sigma hemisphere slowly deformed and then began to float up, flying around in this small space with great agility.

"Sigma can fly, so what about you little guys? Are you going to stay on its back like you are now?" Xilin asked.

"Of course not!" Snowball tilted his head back. "We have Lovag!"

The gray cat's eyes gleamed upon hearing this, and Xilin thought to himself: This cat is up to no good again.

"No prizes?" the gray cat asked.

"A prize?" Sigma scratched his head, then pressed down on the dough before putting his hand down. Clearly, he didn't understand what "a prize" meant.

Gray Cat, Snowball, and Dough exchanged glances, clearly understanding what they were thinking, and then they all grinned slyly.

"Alright, this time we're going to gamble away every last penny of what that guy Kari has in his drawer!" Gray Cat shouted.

"Yes, not even a trace was left!" Watching those guys leave, Xilin and the other two were lost in thought.

"The Lovag Guardian Beast can fly?" Yudi squinted.

"That seems to be the case according to them," Beaver said. Nobody really knew about this. "Shall we go check it out?"

Xilin glanced at the remaining work. "These can't be delayed. Are you sure you can be back within an hour if you go out to check?"

Beaver shook his head. "Never mind, let's finish testing these first."

The three of them immediately began the remaining work. Although they sped up, none of them were careless. What used to take three hours was now completed in an hour and a half.

After packing up their tools, Xilin and his two companions headed out of the base.

There were quite a few people outside the base, all watching the battle, with cheers and shouts erupting from time to time. However, the cheers were clearly for Gray Cat and his companions, and many people were joking with Kari.

"Udoze, you bastard, hurry up and come help!"

Kari in the fighter jet was almost going crazy. These guys were really too troublesome. His observation window was covered with mud bombs thrown by Snowball and his crew, a thick layer of which showed how badly Kari had been hit.

Almost as soon as Kari's fighter jet was hit by the mud bomb, the people below roared in unison, which made Kari so angry that his forehead was steaming. Finally, he couldn't help but ask Udo to come up and share the firepower.

As Xilin and his two companions went out, Udo took off in his fighter jet. Kari, who was flying in the air, was attacked from three sides—two Lovagos were carrying Snowball and Gray Cat respectively, with Noodle and Gray Cat together, and Sigma was on the other side.

Now that Sigma is having fun, he's as excited as a child who's just been released to play. Snowball and Gray Cat are no pushovers, while Doughball occasionally flicks its tail and throws a small mud bomb at him.

"Those Lovag guardian beasts are also very agile in the air," Yudi said.

Indeed, if Greycat hadn't contacted Sigma to open the underground base, the support team they sent might not have fared well if they had actually come to fight. Back then, nobody expected that these guys could fly.

There is an opening on each side of the back of the Lovag. Xilin hadn't thought of it as wings before, since these creatures looked too much like terrestrial insects. But now it seems that Sigma's master was quite thoughtful. If Xilin's guess is correct, these Lovag guardian beasts can also move freely in the water.

This is a product of genetic engineering. In nature, very few creatures are capable of operating on land, water, and air. These Lovags are indeed very qualified guardian beasts.

Udo's takeoff did indeed relieve some of the firepower from Kari, but Sigma was clearly more excited. Moreover, it threw mud bombs accurately, just like Graycat. Although it seemed that the interval between each shot was quite short and the aim was not precise, in fact, they had unknowingly made hundreds of calculations and threw them according to the most probable trajectory.

Xilin has been studying the robot Sigma. Although many robots in the Covenant have an appearance similar to humans, they are still mostly mechanical inside. The Robert family has made many improvements, making them more human-like and intelligent, while the Xiying robots are closer to humans than the Robert family robots.

However, Xiying's approach is only a transcendence in terms of divergent thinking compared to the Robert family's robots. Compared to Sigma, Xiling has to admit that Sigma's thinking is more human-like.

Human thinking is not perfect, and human character always has its flaws; some are naive, some are profound. Sigma is more like a child among humans, in his tone of voice, his way of thinking, and so on. The difference is that Sigma wears a distinctly robotic exterior.

Sigma gets nervous when faced with emergencies and excited when it encounters fun things, showing its "mood" on its face. Xiying, on the other hand, is more like a worldly-wise adult. Such robots are the leisurely choice of every manufacturer. Robots with a childlike nature like Sigma are rarely valued.

Sigma did not have a liquid crystal core or a central chip. Xilin's research showed that there was something in the brain of Sigma that was similar in shape to a human brain, which really shocked Xilin at the time.

What kind of person created Sigma? That creator actually treated Sigma as a human being!

The more Xilin learned about Sigma's thought process, the more interested he became in Sigma's "birthplace." The technological civilization there wasn't necessarily much more advanced than the Covenant's, but each had its strengths. At least in one aspect, they were more unique than the Covenant in creating robotic thought.

When will all the "shortcuts" be available?

Kari eventually lost everything in his stash, while Udo lost a third of his stash. After the battle, Gray Cat and Snowball divided the spoils, and the two Lovags also came to join in the fun, since they got a share of the victory. They squealed happily after receiving their food, then scurried back into their underground burrow with it. This incident led to Gray Cat and the others volunteering for any duels with prizes, but after that, no one in the Sixth Squadron was foolish enough to challenge them anymore.

Once the temporary base is established, personnel will be dispatched to collect energy ores from planets that showed signs of energy activity during the search for suitable planets. Energy reserves are essential for the base's survival.

In addition, personnel going out also need to gather food and hunt. The food cultivated at the base is only just beginning and cannot supply the daily needs of the entire Sixth Fleet.

Xilin and his group were going out to find energy ores and food, but Sigma couldn't leave; it had to stay at the base. The Lovags couldn't leave either; this was their home, a place they couldn't leave even in death.

However, the good thing is the coverage of the regional signal network, so Gray Cat had Xiying transmit the image to Sigma, who was staying at the base.

Sigma wasn't curious about energy ore, but he was curious about mining it. So when Xilin and the others were mining energy ore, Sigma, who was sitting in the base staring at the big screen and watching the images, was extremely envious. Why wasn't he the mining machine?

On the mining planet, Xilin and his companions encountered some plants that could be used as food. These plants were very nutritious, and all they had to do was remove the poison sacs from them.

Xilin then demonstrated it to Sigma, which made Sigma's fingers twitch incessantly, as if he had already touched the plants.

Sigma was engrossed in watching when suddenly a "ee-yah" sound came from behind him.

It was a newborn Lovag, about ten centimeters tall. Adult Lovags don't often enter the base, and they've come even less since the arrival of the Sixth Fleet. But this newborn Lovag was different.

After it was born, Sigma implanted a chip in it. Without the chip, Lovag would be considered "idiot" and "mentally challenged." After the chip was implanted, this Lovag was like a child, curious about everything, and often moved around Sigma. After all, in its core consciousness, Sigma was the safest person.

Little Lova had been peeking around the room to see what Sigma was doing, but noticed that Sigma hadn't been going out to play lately and had been staying inside, so it came over.

Little Lova jumped onto Sigma's arm. Its several pairs of chelipeds, though small, were very powerful and had a strong suction ability, allowing it to stand very steadily on Sigma's arm.

"Meow, Little Lovag is here!" The gray cats greeted Little Lovag.

"Eeya eeya—" Little Lovag was also very happy to see them, and jumped on Sigma's arm to express his excitement.

Xilin didn't disturb the video chat between the gray cats and Sigma. After cleaning the plants in his hands, he collected some seeds and also collected the poison sacs from these plants, which were also rare medicines.

This planet is strange; its habitability is between level C and level B. In some areas with dense vegetation, protective clothing is not needed, but in areas with sparse vegetation, it is necessary.

In places where food grows sparsely, there are energy minerals, and some people are in charge of mining them. The place where Xilin is now is a place where plants grow densely.

The reason why Xilin found this planet strange was not because of its conditional distribution of habitability, but because of something else—there were no animals on this planet.

Vast expanses of highly evolved plants exist, yet there is not a single animal in sight, not even a small insect. The evolutionary history of species on this planet is clearly different from that of other planets.

Without animals, the competition among plants is quite fierce, and they have evolved all sorts of methods. If a tree cannot move, it will be "strangled" by vines. These vines will pierce the trunk with their fine thorns to absorb nutrients. However, although these vines climb upwards very quickly, they move laterally very slowly. As long as the tree that is entangled by them moves even slightly, it will break free from the vines' restraints. If the vines are too tight, a large movement of the tree will break the vines, and the vines will wither away.

There is also a fruit that looks like a pomegranate. When it encounters danger, the top of the fruit will open and spit out the seeds inside one by one. Xilin was attacked by them when he came here before.

Meanwhile, Xilin also saw a vine that had reached there being smashed by the "bullets" spewed out by these fruits.

This is truly a very peculiar place.