Chapter 993: Wolf Kings and Helicopters

Helicopters can technically be flown by one human, but you need a gunner to keep things safe up there. A chopper’s huge—it sticks out in the sky, making it an easy target.

Pointing at the machine guns and grenade launcher mounted on the helicopter, as well as her own sniper rifle, Xia Qing explained to the two clever wolves why Huo Zhun had to stay onboard. “Queen, Broken Back, a helicopter doesn’t have the razor-sharp beak or talons of a raptor, so its weapons are the beak and claws it needs.”

Huo Zhun put on a serious face, spreading his big hands wide. “Exactly! Sister Qing is a top-tier sniper—she’s the helicopter’s deadliest weapon, the beak and claws of this steel raptor.”

The Alpha bared its fangs one last time, then backed off. Broken Back looked like he was lost in thought.

Convinced he’d finally made it into Sister Qing’s wild and diverse combat team, Huo Zhun was just about to break out a grin when the clever wolf with the patchy leg fur bared its teeth and growled at him again.

Huo Zhun snapped his mouth shut and sat down quietly. He knew his combat power was higher than this wolf, but if he made a move he’d lose his shot at joining the team.

Broken Back leaped onto the helicopter, lifted his big paw, and carefully placed it on the back of the pilot seat where Huo Zhun had been. Then he turned his head to look at Xia Qing.

Huo Zhun’s eyes went wide. “Bro Broken, you want to fly the helicopter?!”

Broken Back ignored Huo Zhun and flashed his tiny, sharp fangs at Xia Qing.

All Huo Zhun could see was the back of the wolf’s head. He was seriously impressed by Xia Qing’s ability to keep a calm face at a time like this. Rubbing his cheeks to keep from gawking, he finally spoke up. “Sister Qing, maybe… we let Bro Broken give it a shot?”

Now Xia Qing finally understood why Broken Back wanted her to fly to Hill Sixty—it wasn’t about her flying, it was about him flying with her manning the helicopter guns.

But just knowing how to fly doesn’t mean you’re ready for it, right? This is a helicopter. One wrong move and everyone’s done for—wolves and all.

Being a land animal like the wolves, Xia Qing completely understood Broken Back’s dream of flying. “Huo, turn off the helicopter and wait down below for a bit.”

“Got it!” Huo Zhun quickly popped the cockpit door and hopped out.

As soon as Huo Zhun landed, Broken Back clambered onto the pilot seat. The Alpha joined effortlessly, settling down on the co-pilot seat.

Clearly, as a careful but bold northern wolf king who’d ridden a helicopter once before, the Alpha had full faith in his companion—and genuine interest in the machine itself.

Xia Qing stood calmly beside Broken Back, patiently explaining to this brain-evolved wolf at the very forefront of Blue Star’s evolution that its limbs just didn’t work for piloting this model. Sitting in the seat, it couldn’t reach the tail rotor pedals. But if it stood and put its hind paws on both pedals, it would lose its view—and wouldn’t have its front paws free to work both the collective and cyclic controls with accuracy.

All the controls—the sticks, the pedals, the endless buttons and switches—were built for human pilots from the ground up.

Broken Back, brimming with confidence, fiddled around for a while, then slumped visibly disappointed after realizing he couldn’t fly it.

Xia Qing didn’t want to crush this wolf’s courageous spirit. Instead, she met him halfway. “Humans made tons of different helicopters. When we get back, let’s pick out one with a cockpit that suits you, and we’ll trade for it. What do you think?”

Honestly, for the wolf clan, buying a small helicopter with a roomy cockpit and adjustable seats was about as hard as picking up a few rocks in the mountains.

But before putting any money down, Xia Qing had to show these two top-evolved wolf leaders some crash footage. Just so they’d know—convenient or not, helicopters aren’t always safe.

Broken Back, thoughtful but reluctant, bared his tiny white fangs and vacated the pilot seat for Huo Zhun.

The Alpha also hopped from co-pilot over to the back seat, settling in right next to Xia Qing. After Huo Zhun returned to the pilot seat, he glanced back at the clearly disgruntled Broken Back and suggested, “Sister Qing, how about letting Bro Broken sit up front as co-pilot and get a feel for how it works?”

Xia Qing…

Once the helicopter was airborne again and flying at a steady pace toward Hill Sixty, Huo Zhun sneaked a glance at Xia Qing manning the door gun. With his left hand, he reached for his pocket.

He wanted to pull out his phone and snap a memorable photo with the Alpha in the co-pilot seat and Broken Back at his side…

“Woo—” The Alpha, always sharp, picked up on the magnetic shift as the human moved. It swiveled and gave Huo Zhun a commanding growl.

Xia Qing, sitting in the back, calmly spoke up. “Huo Zhun, eyes on the flight.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Huo Zhun immediately straightened up.

“Broken Back, you can watch—but don’t touch the controls.”

Broken Back, eyeing the control stick, looked back at Xia Qing and flashed his tiny, snow-white fangs in a cute little grin.

“Five kilometers ahead—a flock of birds is coming this way, fast! Raising altitude.” Huo Zhun gave the heads-up, pulled on the controls, and the helicopter’s four main rotor blades angled for a quick climb.

“Clack!”

Bird flocks are one of the main hazards for helicopters. Xia Qing took the safety off her sniper rifle, finger ready on the trigger.

The rapid climb packed their bodies with pressure. The noise and tremor got even heavier, the visual rush upping the tension—driving both land beasts from the co-pilot seat straight to Xia Qing’s side.

Sniper rifle aimed out at the birds, Xia Qing calmed her jumpy companions. “Huo Zhun can really fly—don’t worry.”

Luckily, these were just regular birds. Once the chopper rose, the flock kept on flying south without swerving. Relieved, Huo Zhun sighed, “Sister Qing, migration season’s almost here.”

“Yeah.” Xia Qing nodded, lowering her rifle and gently stroking the wolves to soothe them.

When the helicopter entered the northern mountains of Hill Fifty-Eight, the Alpha let out a deep, commanding growl. Xia Qing gave the order, “Huo, let’s set down here.”

“Copy that.” Huo Zhun landed the bird on a wide flat boulder at the peak of the northern mountain.

The Alpha jumped down first, standing on the helicopter and letting out an authoritative howl. When he finished, Xia Qing caught a familiar wolf call echoing from Hill Sixty.

It was Lame Wolf, sent by the Alpha to keep watch on Hill Sixty. Xia Qing hadn’t seen him in a while.

With the wolves howling, Xia Qing left Huo Zhun to guard the helicopter as she followed the two wolves up the beast trail, heading north for Hill Sixty.

“Roar—”

From the eastern slope of Hill Sixty, a thunderous bear roar echoed out across Hill Sixty-One. It sounded chilling, but the Alpha didn’t slow and Xia Qing followed him into the forest without a second thought.

Huo Zhun radioed Xia Qing. “Sister Qing, there are two giant bears on Hill Sixty-One—they’re roaring straight at me.”

Xia Qing replied, “So far, their calls don’t sound aggressive. If they come your way, just take off—don’t engage them.”

“Got it.”

On Hill Sixty-One’s mountainside, just outside the bear cave, a white-faced Little Monkey skillfully slung on a heavy backpack and hurried down toward the helicopter.

From the cave, Cub saw Little Monkey dash off and decided to follow.

“ROOOAAARRR—”

Another bone-shaking roar came from the giant bear on Hill Sixty-One.