Chapter 1011: The Magnetic Wasp and the New Protective Suit

“Awooo—”

On the way back from gathering torreya nuts, Elder Wolf, who was following behind Xia Qing, suddenly spun around. All four paws dug into the earth as he let out a low, threatening growl to intimidate whatever was approaching.

Xia Qing quickly set her bag down and pulled out her black long blade, gripping it tight as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Elder Wolf. Up in the trees, Goofball scrambled into the thick branches while the startled Little Fei Mao’s first instinct was to dive straight into Xia Qing’s pocket.

Little Fei Mao pawed frantically at the spot on Xia Qing’s protective suit where the pocket should be, but didn’t find one. The little guy’s fur bristled in panic.

Xia Qing lifted her tiniest companion and rested him on her shoulder. That moment, footsteps echoed from up ahead in the Evolved Forest—definitely human.

When Xia Qing finally saw the person in the distance, she sheathed her blade and straightened. “Number Four, stand down. It’s not an enemy.”

Yang Jin stepped out of the forest in full special protective gear, weapons and a mask hanging from his belt. He spotted Xia Qing dressed in a pitch-black, perfectly fitted leather protective suit, with an adorable snowfield squirrel perched on her and the fierce Elder Wolf by her side. Up in the tree, her flour-faced monkey hid. Yang Jin called out, “Sister Qing, did you just get attacked?”

Unless she’d run into a creature that could release toxic gas or venom, she wouldn’t have bothered sealing her backpack in a bag.

Xia Qing nodded. “I was gathering chestnuts earlier and got tagged by an evolved wasp’s venom and pheromones.”

Just imagine—foraging for chestnuts with a wolf, a monkey, and a squirrel in tow.

Yang Jin grinned. “If I remember right, last year the chestnut harvest was in early September. After the Devastation Rain, let’s team up to collect them. You guard, I pick. All I want is a few pounds of Green Lantern chestnuts as trade.”

Green Lantern chestnuts? Even if you’re the fastest evolved fruit picker around, I couldn’t afford that.

Xia Qing remained stone-faced. “No need to trouble you, Captain Yang. I always have a regular picking crew.”

Come on, another failed business pitch won’t stop him. Yang Jin grinned brightly. “That protective suit you’re wearing—it’s made from the skin of last year’s high-level hardness-evolved python, isn’t it? Any python skin left? I’d love a suit of my own.”

A full set… Dream on. Xia Qing shook her head without changing expression. “It’s all used up. Where are you headed?”

I was hoping to catch up with you, then I’m off to Territory Seven to pick up the Devastation Element Antidote, then back to the Safe Zone to get ready for the third Devastation Rain. Won’t see you again until after the storm.

Running into her by chance, Yang Jin’s itinerary was almost done. “I’m picking up the antidote in Territory Seven. Want to come?”

Xia Qing shook her head. “You go ahead. Number Four and the others don’t really know you and might pick a fight.”

“They’ll get used to me after a few meetings.” Yang Jin eyed Elder Wolf’s fierce look. “Another brain-evolved wolf, huh? That aura’s strong. I bet at its peak, this one’s power rating is off the charts. Even now, it has to be one of the top evolved wolves its age. Congrats—a hell of a new teammate. Okay, I’ll head out. Call me if you need anything.”

No wonder his business always does so well—look at how smooth he talks. Xia Qing softened her tone and nodded. “Take care during Devastation Rain.”

“You too.” Yang Jin flashed a bright smile and hurried off down the trail.

Xia Qing and her companions waited along the edge of the thick forest bordering Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine. After dodging the sneaky patrolman Peng Lin, she quickly crossed the barrier and the northern gate, making it back to Section Three.

Xiao Jiang, busy digging holes inside Section Three, noticed Xia Qing’s new protective suit and called out from afar, “Sister Qing, did you take on a swarm of evolved wasps?”

Why the distance? He’s afraid of getting barked at by a wolf—or headbutted by a sheep.

Xia Qing nodded. “Went through a suit.”

Er Yong beamed. “Sister Qing, that protective suit lasted this long? Must’ve paid for itself by now.”

That outdoor-grade protective suit was something Xia Qing bought in year seven of the disaster for 1,200 credits. Back then, that was a fortune—she’d scrimped and saved for ages.

After years of scraping by hungry and broke, now that credits aren’t so tight, Xia Qing still treasures her supplies and food. Seeing that trusty, three-year-old protective suit finally wear out stung a little.

After showering and changing into a clean, breezy summer protective suit, Xia Qing figured Yang Jin had already left Territory Seven. She reached out on the lords’ channel to her Idol. “Third Brother, are you busy right now? I have some work to report.”

Zhang San replied warmly, “Not busy at all. Come over.”

Her Idol was in such a good mood because he thought Xia Qing was bringing him Green Lantern chestnuts and torreya nuts.

Even though she didn’t collect any chestnuts, Xia Qing nabbed a plump old hen.

Per last winter’s trade deal, Xia Qing has to raise fifty chickens this year to fill Zhang San’s needs for Devastation Element Antidote exchange. Counting the fat hen she just caught, Zhang San’s only taken 24 chickens from her territory so far.

That means of the 64 chickens left in her territory, 26 still belong to Zhang San.

Other than the advanced white-feathered hens and the mid-stage black-feathered roosters, if Zhang San wanted a rooster, Xia Qing would grab him a rooster; if he wanted a hen, she’d grab a hen.

Xia Qing drove over to Territory Seven, noticing that at the southern checkpoint, inspection was split half-and-half between Red Eleven’s and Hui Three’s teams.

Looks like the guards for Territory Seven have been assigned using the new system.

Zheng Chen checked all the documents, chickens, and torreya nuts Xia Qing brought, then led her toward the lab. “How’s your wrist? Still hurting?” he asked.

Two days ago, Zheng Chen escorted Zhang San to the territory’s south gate and saw Ji Li gripping Xia Qing’s wrist tightly.

Xia Qing answered calmly, “I’m fine.”

She handed off the chicken and torreya nuts to the cheerful Da Ya, then carried her paperwork into her Idol’s lab.

Seeing Xia Qing arrive empty handed, the lazy Zhang San looked surprised. “Did something happen?”

Xia Qing dropped the files on the side table and lowered her voice. “A swarm of wasps in the chestnut grove at Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine evolved. There’s now a giant wasp that can generate a magnetic field infused with evolution element. The thing’s about 18 centimeters long!”

This was the first time since developing magnetic sense that Xia Qing had ever found an evolution-imbued creature.

Zhang San perked up. “Got any photos or video?”

“I’ve got video.” Xia Qing always carried a mini camera whenever she went on missions these days.

Zhang San plugged the USB Xia Qing handed over into his computer and quickly played the footage. He soon spotted an enormous wasp, nearly twice as big as ordinary evolved wasps.

His pale, slender fingers danced across the keyboard, pulling up the evolved species data on the computer.

“Judging by the hive’s characteristics, this is an evolved golden-ringed hornet. They’re omnivores—feeding on fruit, sap, and anything that dares enter their territory. Live and fresh meat are their favorites. Any that grow over 15 centimeters are classified as giant golden-ringed hornets. As of now, thirteen bases have spotted such hornets, with three locations just in the Hui Three Base’s managed forests.”

Finishing his explanation, Zhang San turned the monitor toward Xia Qing.

All the highlighted spots on the map tracking the giant golden-ringed hornets were areas Xia Qing had never explored. Her eyes lit up. “Third Brother, can I get access to this database?”

Zhang San shot her a look but kept explaining. “What’s been found so far: the giant golden-ringed hornet’s vision sensitivity has improved significantly. It can release more pheromones, coordinating its hive to attack intruders. The venom in its stinger has increased, but its toxicity is similar to regular evolved wasps. The evolution element content in its body fluid hasn’t shown much boost either. About that giant wasp you found—what was the magnetic field like?”