Chapter 896: Magnetic Senses in the Wild

“Luo, can I head down for a bit?”

After barely four hours of sleep, Xia Qing climbed into the helicopter with Luo Pei to learn how to fly. Out of the blue, she asked to go down.

She didn’t give a reason, so Luo Pei assumed she needed a restroom break. He immediately instructed Er Yong, who was piloting the helicopter, to descend. “Ease down the collective slowly. If you feel the helicopter rocking side to side, adjust the tail rotor to keep her steady.”

“Got it.”

“Hold up. See that leopard under the big tree on the monitor up ahead, left side? Once you spot a large predator, don’t bring the chopper lower than twenty meters above the highest point here. Otherwise, a big beast might attack. If you see bears or apes that can throw heavy stuff, stay at least fifty meters up.”

“Understood.”

The helicopter rocked a bit before hovering in the air.

“Don’t touch the controls anymore.”

“Yes, sir.”

Er Yong pulled in his stomach and sat ramrod straight, not daring to glance at Luo sitting beside him. When Luo Pei laid into people, he was downright intimidating—every Qinglong team member feared his bootcamp lectures.

Once he confirmed the helicopter was stable, Luo Pei turned and commanded, “Hu Zifeng, check if the rappelling anchor is secure. Confirm the rope and descender are properly connected.”

Hu Zifeng checked and reported back, “All clear. Everything’s secure.”

Luo Pei nodded. “Yin Jie, demonstrate helicopter rappelling for everyone.”

“Yes, sir.” Yin Jie showed the group the proper way to descend, landing smoothly on the ground.

Only after making sure Xia Qing understood did Luo Pei let her rappel down, reminding her, “Go slow and steady. Don’t rush. I’ll take the others for a loop and be back for you in an hour. This spot is right on the border of the Western Wolf Pack and Northern Wolf Pack territories, leopard country. Stay sharp. Radio me if anything comes up.”

“Okay.”

Following what she’d just learned, Xia Qing used the rope and descender to lower herself at an even pace, landing safely on the ground.

After Yin Jie rejoined them, Er Yong still couldn’t pull off a smooth takeoff, the helicopter wobbling twice more before finally lifting away.

Once they’d flown off, Xia Qing double-checked her gear. Satisfied, she pulled out her phone and started searching for her target using the compass and coordinates onscreen.

Earlier that morning, when Hu Zifeng brought Xia Qing back to Section Three, he’d asked if she wanted a day’s rest and to start helicopter lessons tomorrow. But Xia Qing had refused flat out, saying three hours of sleep was more than enough.

Her main reason for pushing ahead with helicopter training today was to fly into this region and track down the cause of the local magnetic anomaly.

Based on what you can sense, Magnetic Sense Evolution abilities get split into four types: those who can detect animals, plants, Devastation Element, or Evolution Element magnetic field shifts.

So far, all announced Magnetic Sense Evolvers can only pick up one kind. For example, Xin Yu can sense shifts in animal magnetic fields.

But Xia Qing is the unlisted sort—she senses both Devastation Element and Evolution Element field changes. She’s one of the rarest Magnetic Sense Evolvers around.

If you use the Brain Evolution categorization, Xia Qing counts as a Type Two Magnetic Sense Evolver.

As for Yuan Yan’s magnetic sense classification, Xia Qing had no clue. That was Yuan Yan’s business. Even as allies, Xia Qing never pried into secrets that weren’t hers.

By now, Type Two magnetic sense evolver Xia Qing had already tracked over a dozen Devastation Snakes and who knew how many aggressive Devastation Plants by following Devastation Element signal spikes.

But up until dusk yesterday, the only plant she’d found with an Evolution Element anomaly was a Green Lantern Toon Tree back in Section Three, and that only during its spring budding phase.

Compared to all the dangerous Devastation Plants and Snakes, Zhang San was most interested in animals or plants with Evolution Element field irregularities. Every time Xia Qing went out, he’d ask if she’d found anything new.

After five months of letting her idol down, last night the diehard fan Xia Qing finally caught a glimpse of an Evolution Element signal while riding the Handsome Huge Wolf through the Evolved Forest—so she knew she had to get back here and investigate ASAP.

Since the magnetic anomaly in the Toon Tree only shows up during sprouting—the sprouts shoot out, unfurl, then the signal fades—Xia Qing was worried that whatever anomaly was here would disappear just as quickly.

As she walked, she kept checking the Evolutionary Synthetic Element Detector strapped to her arm—a gadget she’d bargained from her idol with 150 Green Lantern Toon Sprouts.

With the anomaly pinpointed, Xia Qing followed the beast trail where Handsome Huge Wolf ran last night. After twenty minutes, she picked up the gentle signal again.

The light on the Evolutionary Synthetic Element Detector stayed off, so there was no Evolutionary Synthetic Element gas in the air.

Her Air Toxin Detector was dark, too, meaning the air was clean. Xia Qing felt relieved.

Guided by her magnetic sense, she reached a big tree—then stopped, confused.

Was it the tree itself with the magnetic anomaly? The vine twined around it? Or maybe the mistletoe clinging to both?

Xia Qing didn’t dare just poke at the tree. She snapped a photo and sent it to her idol, adding a note.

Within thirty seconds, her idol called her on video. Zhang San’s face was all smiles, sleep marks still on his cheek. “Xia Qing, where did you find this?”

Xia Qing swung the camera to show the plant. “This is on Hill Forty-Eight, near Forty-Six—”

Halfway through her sentence, Xia Qing tossed the phone and dove forward, drawing her Black Blade just in time to block a leopard that leapt at her from behind.

She barely stopped the big leopard’s charge when two more—both mid-sized—darted from behind and to her right. Xia Qing rolled left, pulling the gun from her belt at the same time.

“Xia Qing! What’s going on?” Zhang San’s anxious voice sounded through the phone, his worried face filling the screen.

Gun trained on all three leopards, Xia Qing yelled, “San-ge, I’m dealing with leopards. I’ll call you back!”

“Okay, just be care—”

Before her idol could finish, Xia Qing watched as the big leopard’s claws sliced straight through her brand-new phone—the one she’d spent nearly ten thousand credits on and hadn’t even warmed up yet.

Damn it!

With a deep breath, Xia Qing steadied herself, tightening her grip on the gun and trying not to provoke the trio—one big, two small—of evolved leopards across from her. “Is this your territory?”

She’d never seen this leopard before, which wasn’t surprising. This was her first trip into this area.

“Rooaaar—”

The mother leopard’s call was low but thunderous, oozing intimidation and warning. Every note screamed at Xia Qing to back off.

No doubt about it—Xia Qing’s arrival had sent her into defense mode. She was trying to scare Xia Qing away from her turf.

“Rooaaar—”

“Rooaaar—”

The two half-grown cubs bared their fangs and joined in, letting out what they surely thought were fierce and impressive roars.