Under Song Yu’s gun, the assassin obediently jumped down and walked towards them, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides.

There was also a small pistol in his lower back, hidden beneath the hem of his clothes. If he found the right moment, he could still counterattack.

The ground in the rainforest was uneven. Noticing a small pit ahead, a gleam flashed in his eyes, and he stepped into it.

The moment his body lost balance and he fell to the ground, he reached back to his lower back, quickly aiming at Song Yu.

Bang!

His head was hit hard; something pierced through his brow. For a moment, he heard the sound of his skull cracking.

The world spun before his eyes, and soon he fell into complete silence.

“This assassin isn’t up to standard,” Song Yu holstered his gun, and Little Brother returned to standby on his ring finger.

Rong Shi walked towards the fallen assassin: “I wonder what sins they committed in their previous life to be assigned a mission to assassinate you.”

Song Yu: “…”

He followed, highly displeased with his husband’s disdain: “Then what sins did you commit in your previous life to be with someone like me?”

Rong Shi: “Probably saved the Empire.”

His expression was serious, yet his tone was casual, making it hard to tell if he was serious or joking.

Song Yu’s lips curved up, and he hummed twice.

He was appeased with just a few words.

The assassin lay in a pool of blood, his head already blown off by a single shot. Rong Shi turned up his left collar and saw the letter ‘K’ on the inside. Then he grabbed his right hand and examined the calluses on his palm.

Another regular soldier.

Besides the regular legions, the military also secretly maintained a group of assassins, mostly those who were eliminated during the competition for legion spots, also known as the Dark Unit.

Their main job was to carry out controversial or covert operations that the military couldn’t openly engage in, such as assassinating foreign spies, dealing with high-risk reactionary targets, and eradicating treasonous organizations.

However, the military was only outwardly united; in reality, it was not a monolith, which led to the Dark Unit also splitting into many factions. They obeyed different people and would even kill each other when there were conflicts of interest.

In his previous life, it took him over ten years in the military to gradually understand these things.

“Remember this palm,” Rong Shi showed it to Song Yu. “In the future, if you see this callus distribution, it means they’re regular military personnel.”

Song Yu squatted beside him, observing: “It’s the same as the assassin on the spaceship.”

Rong Shi: “Mm, but not necessarily sent by the same person.”

Song Yu’s eyes were dark, and after a moment, he sneered: “Using the national treasury’s money to raise them to assassinate royalty?”

Only high-ranking military officials or royalty could dispatch regular military personnel; there were no other options.

“Such a stupid assassin must have been sent by that idiot Song Ke,” Song Yu stood up, his face cold.

Rong Shi’s communicator on his combat suit suddenly rang.

“Where are they?!” Zheng Long’s exasperated voice came through. “You lost them right after we set off, are you idiots?!”

After being yelled at, Rong Shi’s voice was very faint: “Because we’re following a not-so-smart leader.”

“You motherf—!” Zheng Long was furious. “Your assessment scores have been completely deducted!”

Rong Shi: “Oh, there was still something to deduct? I thought it was already negative yesterday.”

Zheng Long: “You—! You two immediately go to the location displayed on the radar and rendezvous with Squad A3—”

Before Zheng Long could finish, Rong Shi hung up.

Afterward, he coldly commented: “Noisy.”

Watching Rong Shi retort to someone with a straight face, Song Yu couldn’t stop laughing.

Bunny can kill with just his words, simply amazing!

Song Yu: “If we anger the leader to the point of internal injury, we’ll be tormented to death.”

Rong Shi continued to lead him towards the laboratory’s designated area.

“He’s already making it obvious.”

The radar showed that Squad A3’s location was over twenty kilometers away. Without any transportation, making first-year interns traverse M80 was clearly meant to be a death trap.

Mutated insects and beasts occasionally passed by in the rainforest, and terrifying bird cries sometimes echoed from above, sending chills down their spines.

Song Yu looked up, watching a dragonfly larger than a civilian aircraft fly over the treetops, finding it incredible.

In such an environment, they managed to walk for two hours without incident?

“Tell me honestly,” Song Yu leaned closer to Rong Shi and whispered, “What’s your background? You know so much about the military and the Dark Unit, and you’re investigating those matters. Are you part of the Dark Unit?”

Rong Shi: “…”

Song Yu mused: “Is the Dark Unit training very harsh? Do they often get locked in small dark rooms to fight each other, and only the winner gets to eat?”

Rong Shi: “…” Very vivid imagination.

Song Yu suddenly realized: “Have they even trained in that aspect? Are you se-xually cold because you were trained to resist the temptation of omegas?”

Rong Shi frowned: “…………” Se-xually cold?

Song Yu: “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

Rong Shi: “…Thank you?”

[Entered laboratory range.]

Rong Shi: “Area scan.”

[Received! I’m off~]

The blue crystal on the decorative button flew out, entered stealth mode, and vanished in a blink.

While waiting for 01, the two found a spot to sit under a giant fir tree.

The fir tree was entangled with unknown vines, covered in moss and red and green fungi.

As Song Yu sat down, his peripheral vision caught a red blur near his hand. He looked up, and a red mushroom covered in spots, with its stipe hanging down, had its cap split open into a large mouth full of sharp teeth, with pale green mucus slowly dripping down.

“Damn!” Song Yu was disgusted, quickly stood up, pulled out the military knife from his lower back, and chopped the strange mushroom in half.

“Come here.”

Rong Shi’s voice sounded from behind him. Song Yu turned his head to look and instantly didn’t know what to say.

A capsule tent was placed in the open space formed by the entangled vines, like a small wooden house. Rong Shi sat there, smiling, holding out his hand to him: “If you’re scared, come hide in my arms.”

Hearing this familiar line, Song Yu quickly walked over and, without any psychological barrier, burrowed into his embrace.

“Quickly check if I’m bald?”

The thought of that mucus possibly dripping onto his head made Song Yu feel completely unwell.

Rong Shi wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, and chuckled: “Your hair’s still there.”

Song Yu crossed his legs and leaned back comfortably, teasing: “Forgot to wear my helmet when I went out.”

As soon as he spoke, the ring on his ring finger split into countless threads that rapidly climbed up Song Yu’s clothes, reassembling into a very cool helmet on his head.

Song Yu: “Why is it suddenly a bit stuffy?”

Rong Shi: “…”

[Master, activate air purification mode?]

Their hands were clasped together, and Rong Shi could hear Little Brother’s voice, unsure what to say.

Little Brother was recently born, still a pure and obedient child. In comparison, 01 was like a seasoned veteran.

[I’m still tender! QuQ]

Rong Shi: “…”

Song Yu, who heard this: “…”

Song Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, tapping the helmet: “You change back first.”

[? Okay.]

---

A roar suddenly sounded in the distance, mixed with explosions.

Both looked towards the sound at the same time.

Swaths of venomous bees flew through the forest, appearing in their line of sight.

Compared to other mutated creatures, the venomous bees weren’t large, only the size of an adult, but their venom and aggressiveness were potent. Coupled with their small, flexible bodies and their tendency to move in swarms, prey targeted by them almost never escaped successfully.

The venomous bees flew very fast. As soon as Rong Shi closed the tent door, they had already flown closer.

Looking out through the tent window, their entire field of vision was a dense black mass of them.

A few venomous bees crowded in front of the tent, their tail stingers constantly poking at the tent.

“Will it be pierced?” Song Yu gripped his military knife, his expression vigilant.

Rong Shi: “No.”

Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

If it were pierced, they’d have nowhere to run.

“Why are there suddenly so many venomous bees?” Song Yu frowned. “Wasn’t this area already swept by the mech unit before the reclamation team set off?”

In a perilous Level 4 danger zone, encountering aggressive mutated creatures could even lead to mechs being destroyed, let alone humans. Wearing a combat suit only provided an extra layer of protection and couldn’t guarantee 100% survival.

As he spoke, a virtual window automatically opened in Rong Shi’s vision, and 01’s voice simultaneously sounded.

[Squad A8 accidentally poked a beehive during reclamation and has already suffered 2 fatalities. Based on rescue speed calculations, it’s estimated they’ll all be wiped out here.]

Rong Shi’s face was grim as he looked at the scene 01 showed him, rapidly thinking of countermeasures.

Even the most experienced veterans would encounter many accidents during reclamation. If the corresponding rescue efforts couldn’t keep up, it would be very dangerous.

He told Song Yu about the situation.

“These idiots!” Song Yu stared out the window, gritting his teeth and asking, “Can we get out?”

Rong Shi was surprised: “You’re willing to go rescue them?”

Given Little Song Cat’s ruthlessness, he had thought he would mock them and wait for their team to be annihilated.

Song Yu’s face was cold: “The national treasury would have to compensate a lot of money for fallen soldiers, it’s too much of a loss.”

Rong Shi: “…”

Typical you.

---

Two kilometers away, Old Lin and a group of comrades were all injured.

He leaned against a tree trunk, pulled out an antidote, roughly jabbed it into his arm, and roared into the communicator: “Where are they?! Rescue, damn it!”

“Other areas have also experienced incidents. Three mechs have already been urgently dispatched and are expected to arrive within five minutes.”

“Five minutes?!” Old Lin frantically dodged venomous bees, roaring angrily, “Are you coming to collect corpses?!”

“You’re all veterans; you should know how to protect yourse—”

“Damn it!” Old Lin violently pressed off the communicator, pulled a subordinate who was under attack to a safe spot, but his own arm was cut by a venomous bee stinger.

“Old Lin! Gou ZI’s gone!”

Hearing the roar from nearby, Old Lin’s expression changed, and a flicker of pain crossed his eyes.

“All of you, hide! Blast them! Rescue—” He choked, then shouted loudly, “Rescue will be here in one minute!”

“Wasn’t it five minutes?” the beta hiding next to him whispered.

Old Lin gritted his teeth, panting heavily, his voice heavy: “If I say five minutes, they’ll lose all hope!”

The number of venomous bees grew, and the only places they could hide were areas covered by vines and leaves, but these places often harbored other dangerous mutated creatures.

Time ticked by, and as casualties increased, the squad members gradually became agitated.

“Where’s the rescue?!”

“Old Lin, call headquarters!”

“Brother Yong is gone! Damn it! Call for help quickly!”

Old Lin fought off the venomous bees while sending out another distress signal.

Under immense pressure, his hand trembled.

As a member of the reclamation team, he and his brothers had explored more planets than he could count on two hands over the years. Although casualties were common on the battlefield, their team cooperated well, always completing missions successfully. Even when facing danger, he was confident he could handle it.

But this time, he felt uncertain.

He had never encountered so many venomous bees! Hundreds, thousands of them; his entire field of vision was filled with them!

To have lasted this long was already a miracle!

The communicator connected, and a calm voice responded.

“Please protect yourselves and wait for rescue. Estimated arrival in two and a half minutes—”

Two and a half minutes? They couldn’t even last another half a minute!

Old Lin’s face turned pale, and he fell into despair.

“They’re here, they’re here!”

“Rescue’s here!”

“It’s D3!”

Hearing his teammates’ cheers, Old Lin suddenly looked up at the sky.

A D3 mech flew overhead, its metal outer shells on both arms opening, revealing rows of cannon muzzles.

They were saved!

Old Lin shouted in surprise: “Quickly hide in the vines! Don’t come out without my order!”

Actually, he didn’t need to shout; the others also spontaneously hid.

The mech flew into the swarm of bees, and the two rows of muzzles suddenly sprayed high-temperature gas. The venomous bees hit by it were instantly incinerated.

A rain of venomous bees fell from the sky, and the entire area was filled with a pungent smell of roasted meat.

The mech flew back and forth over the forest a few times, clearing seventy to eighty percent of the venomous bees.

When the time was right, Old Lin quietly poked his head out from behind the vines, wanting to confirm the situation outside.

A black blur suddenly appeared in his vision. Before he could properly hide, a venomous bee lifted its tail, and its sharp stinger aimed at him.

His heart constricted violently; he had no time to dodge, and only one thought remained in his mind.

He was going to die here.

Just as the venomous bee’s stinger was about to pierce his chest, a cold light flashed before Old Lin’s eyes.

The venomous bee’s head flew off.

Old Lin held his breath, watching the venomous bee convulse on the ground, and then a young man holding a military knife appeared before him.

“If you’re not dead, come help,” Rong Shi flicked the blood off his long military knife, his expression indifferent.

It was him?!

Old Lin was filled with lingering fear, his heart racing, thinking he was hallucinating.

Yesterday, before boarding the warship, he had deliberately provoked the other party, and today he was saved by them?!

Damn it, his face hurt so much!

Suddenly, a sound of air vibration came from his ear. Old Lin’s heart tightened, and from the corner of his eye, he saw a black shadow flash behind Rong Shi. As he dashed out, he shouted urgently, “Behind you! Quick, dodge—”

Mid-sentence, he saw the young man, whom he had looked down upon, twist his wrist, grasp the military knife in a reverse grip, and sweep it backward horizontally, while nimbly dodging the splattering venomous blood.

The venomous bee didn’t even have time to raise its tail before it was decapitated.

Old Lin’s eyes widened, his voice caught in his throat, unable to make a sound.

His movements were seasoned and ruthless, without any hesitation, and his grip was powerful. The venomous bee’s exoskeleton was hard, yet he could decapitate it with a single swing of an ordinary military knife.

Is this really a freshman?!

Two more venomous bees, with their tail stingers raised, stabbed at Rong Shi, one after another.

Just as he was about to be stung, Rong Shi suddenly rolled sideways. The moment he landed, he didn’t pause at all, sweeping his long leg and kicking one of the venomous bees in the back.

The venomous bee was propelled forward, and the next moment, both venomous bees were impaled by the other’s stingers.

Old Lin: “…”

Damn! This fighting style is like playing around, so wild?!

Rong Shi surveyed the battlefield. The remaining venomous bees were scattered and no longer posed a significant threat. The legion’s rescue was about to arrive.

He glanced at 01, disguised as a D3 in the air, and told it to leave while it had the chance.

An unregistered mech appearing on the battlefield could be deemed a rebel by the military, potentially causing unnecessary trouble.

“How are you two here?!”

While Old Lin was in a daze, several of his comrades’ exclamations echoed in his ears.

Song Yu sidestepped a charging venomous bee, pulled back the slide, and headshotted the bee with a single shot. His movements were swift, his voice casual: “What, do you have a problem with that?”

A few squad members watched him take down a bee with one shot, each shot a headshot, and were momentarily stunned.

Is this really a freshman?

Song Yu dealt with a few venomous bees near those squad members and walked towards Rong Shi: “Gege, do you want to use Little Brother?”

“No need,” Rong Shi walked closer to him. “Protect yourself.”

Seeing Old Lin walk over, Rong Shi said indifferently: “Tell them to gather, count the seriously wounded, and prioritize their treatment.”

Old Lin subconsciously responded: “Okay!”

He paused as he turned to give orders, then suddenly realized.

He was the squad leader; how was he taking orders from a freshman?!

---

Author’s Note:

Regarding combat tips—

Song Cat: Use the enemy’s head to meet the enemy’s knee, then use the enemy’s head to meet the enemy’s fist.

Rong Bunny: Use the enemy’s stinger to stab the enemy.

Enemy’s head/stinger: Don’t come any closer!