127: Chapter 127 Let's do an experiment

The cold gun barrel pressed against the back of her head, causing all of Xila's feathers to stand on end. A chill shot from the soles of her feet straight to her crown. She hadn't even seen how this man had done it; the gap in strength between them was like a chasm.

Xila's face was deathly pale, and her voice trembled so much she couldn't complete a sentence.

"We are of the Winged tribe... being hunted by the Blood Moon Guild's werewolf fleet, and we made an emergency landing here... I just wanted to save the captain first. Once she wakes up, we will naturally leave."

Zhou An raised an eyebrow, tapping the cold barrel of his gun against the back of Xila's head.

"Have you contacted your kin?"

Xila bit her lip and nodded.

"Open your system panel. Let me see."

Zhou An's tone was calm.

Xila dared not resist. With trembling hands, she reached up and opened the Winged tribe's internal distress channel in the air.

There was no reply in the channel; the emergency distress message she had sent hung there, lonely and unanswered.

Zhou An glanced at it and muttered, "Does your Winged tribe dislike your own kind so much? Or is it that you are just that unpopular?"

"No, it's not that..."

Xila's eyes turned red, her voice filled with deep helplessness.

"The Winged tribe only has about twenty thousand people in total, but we are divided into factions. The most powerful force is the orthodox guild led by the 'Winged King' from the original District 433. Those of us who merged from other large districts are marginalized and can only be considered peripheral characters."

She paused, glancing at the unconscious Ivy on the ground: "We belong to the 'White Feather Guild', a small guild with only a thousand people. Now that everyone is fighting for islands, manpower is in short supply, and there is simply no spare strength to deal with stragglers like us..."

Just then, the system panel in mid-air flickered, and an encrypted reply from the 'White Feather Guild' finally popped up.

"Try to find a hiding spot and hold on! We can't save you anymore. A main fleet of over a thousand from the Blood Moon Guild has targeted our main island's defense array, and the defensive line is about to collapse..."

Seeing this message, the last glimmer of light in Xila's eyes vanished completely. She felt as if her strength had been drained, and she collapsed onto the grass. With even the headquarters facing total annihilation, they, like a kite with a broken string, were truly beyond saving.

"Tsk, it seems your guild isn't having an easy time either," Zhou An muttered as he looked at the message.

On this cannibalistic continent, useless burdens only attract trouble. Since the other party was an orphan abandoned by her own kin, what use was there in keeping her?

Just as Zhou An was considering whether to dispose of them,

"Beep—beep—beep—"

The communication terminal on his wrist suddenly rang.

Zhou An pressed the answer button, and a half-body holographic projection of Luo Ning instantly appeared. She seemed to have just finished bathing; her hair still carried a hint of dampness, and she held a glass of fruit wine.

"Boss, I heard you caught two wild Winged tribe members?"

Luo Ning's beautiful eyes stared fixedly through the holographic screen at the blood-stained white wings on the ground, her gaze bright, as if looking at some rare experimental material.

"I happen to be lacking data on high-tier humanoid creatures. Don't kill them yet; bring them back to me. I still have use for them."

Xila, sitting slumped nearby, heard Luo Ning's words, especially the phrase "have use for them," and her face instantly turned as white as paper.

In the rumors among non-human races, the human race was not only greedy but also extremely perverted in their methods. To be taken back as a "useful" tool... Various images of agonizing anatomical experiments and enslavement instantly flashed through Xila's mind.

"No... I won't go!"

Xila found strength from somewhere, suddenly springing up from the ground, stumbling as she tried to pick up her captain and run.

However, Zhou An simply re-holstered his pistol unhurriedly and took a step forward. He grabbed the tactical vest strap on Ivy's back with one hand and, like lifting a chick, effortlessly tossed the tall Winged female captain onto his back.

"Put the captain down!!"

Xila was so anxious that tears streamed down her face, but she dared not attack Zhou An. She could only stop in despair, her knees buckling, and she fell to her knees before Zhou An with a "thud".

"Please..."

Xila grabbed Zhou An's trouser leg, crying hysterically.

"Spare the captain, she's dying! I'll agree to anything you want. I'll go with you, I'll be your slave, your test subject! Just let the captain go!"

Zhou An looked down at the tear-streaked non-human girl, his expression complex. He wasn't very good at dealing with this kind of scene, but he still maintained a stern tone.

"You've got one thing wrong."

"You currently have no right to bargain with me. Negotiation is based on equal strength."

He turned and walked toward the a70 fighter, leaving Xila with his back.

"Since our Luo Ning wants a living person, I can't let her go. If you want her to survive, follow along obediently."

...

Soon, the carrier aircraft landed slowly on the tarmac.

At this moment, on the perimeter of the fortress, several high-intensity searchlights illuminated the open space as bright as day.

Luo Ning was wearing a capable training suit, arms crossed, with Shen Xingyue in a white lab coat standing beside her. The two had clearly been waiting for a long time.

"Bang—"

The cabin cover opened, and Zhou An jumped down from the fighter, carrying the heavily injured and unconscious Ivy. He handed her to the engineering robot nearby and then clapped his hands.

"Brought her back. Mission accomplished."

Zhou An glanced at the trembling Xila behind him.

"Handle them as you see fit. I'm going back to continue training."

Having said that, he turned and walked toward the fortress elevator without looking back, completely abandoning the two non-human girls to Luo Ning.

"Take care~"

Luo Ning waved her hand with a grin.

Then, Luo Ning turned her head, her mischievous eyes sizing up the "fresh material" that had been delivered.

"Xingyue, time to work."

Shen Xingyue pushed up her glasses and pressed a remote control. An oval-shaped medical pod filled with light green repair fluid slid over immediately.

The robotic arm gently placed the dying Ivy inside.

"Tsk tsk, this aura... is she actually a Tier 5 Winged tribe member?"

Luo Ning looked at the data jumping on the medical pod's panel, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"The foundation is really good. No wonder she could endure such severe penetrating injuries."

Next, Luo Ning turned to look at Xila, who was standing to the side, full of vigilance. She leaned in closer, carefully examining Xila's clean white wings and delicate, stubborn face.

"She's quite pretty."

Luo Ning reached out and gently pinched Xila's somewhat stiff cheek, smiling like a villain who had found a beloved toy.

"And she's very young; her cell vitality must be excellent."

Xila froze, not daring to move, and could only stare longingly at the operating medical pod.

Inside the medical pod, the light green high-tier medicinal fluid began to churn. Under Shen Xingyue's control, those deep-to-the-bone wounds and scorched feathers on Ivy's body actually began to heal, scab over, and fall off at a speed visible to the naked eye! New, tender skin and feathers grew back.

In less than ten minutes, Ivy, who had already stepped into the gates of hell, suddenly opened her eyes.

"Whoosh—!"

The cabin door opened, and Ivy jumped out immediately.

Out of a warrior's instinct, Ivy's white wings instantly spread, assuming a vigilant combat stance.

"Captain!"

Xila cried out in excitement and rushed straight to her side.

Ivy was stunned for a moment, turned to see the unharmed Xila, and then looked at the unfamiliar environment and the two human women in front of her. Her confused memories gradually returned.

Luo Ning crossed her arms and recounted in a relaxed tone how Zhou An had "picked up" them.

After hearing Luo Ning's story, Ivy's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. She could feel that not only had her injuries healed, but her body was also filled with an unprecedented abundance of spiritual energy, making her feel refreshed as if reborn.

She climbed out of the medical pod, shielded Xila behind her, and then solemnly performed a Winged tribe chest-touching salute to Luo Ning and Shen Xingyue.

"Thank you both for saving our lives. We of the Winged tribe never accept favors for nothing."

Ivy took a deep breath, her tone sincere.

"Although we are defeated troops, I still have quite a few savings in my personal system space. I am willing to pay two hundred thousand units of Level 5 supplies as medical fees for this time."

Two hundred thousand Level 5 supplies would be enough to make a medium-sized guild green with envy and start a fight outside. Ivy thought this number was enough to show her sincerity.

However, when Luo Ning heard this number, she unsparingly retorted:

"Two hundred thousand? Are you Winged tribe people that poor?"

"What?"

Ivy and Xila were both stunned.

Luo Ning pointed to the medical pod nearby that had already drained its fluid and curled her lip: "Big sister, do you know what kind of equipment was used on you just now? This is a legendary-grade medical pod! That tube of green potion inside is refined from legendary-grade medicinal plants. Just the cost of starting the machine once and that tube of potion is almost one hundred thousand Level 5 supplies."

Luo Ning paused: "Two hundred thousand Level 5 supplies? That's not even enough for a few rounds of main gun salvos for our Cloud Top Fortress."

The two Winged girls stood dumbfounded, their brains buzzing. They had never seen such a wealthy and unreasonable force in their lives.

"But..."

Luo Ning's tone shifted, and a strange smile suddenly curled the corner of her mouth. She walked up to Ivy, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two.

"Our boss left it for me to handle. Since we picked you up, you have to exert some 'residual value'. We don't lack that kind of scrap metal supplies..."

Luo Ning licked her red lips, her voice lowered, smiling in a way that made the two Winged girls shudder:

"But my recent experiments happen to lack some special living samples... For example, fresh blood, feather fibers, and bone marrow stem cells from you Tier 5 Winged tribe members."

"You... what do you want to do?!"

Ivy's face changed drastically, and she instinctively wanted to resist, but the moment her body moved, the micro-pulse gun in Shen Xingyue's hand was already pressed against her waist.

"Don't be nervous, relax."

Luo Ning patted Ivy's shoulder, returning to her mischievous smile: "I don't want your lives. We are very humane. Stay here obediently for a few days and be my 'assistants' for scientific experiments for a few days. As soon as my project is finished and enough data is collected, you can go wherever you want; I won't stop you."

Facing this rogue yet irresistible "overlord clause," Ivy and Xila looked at each other and could only lower their heads helplessly under Luo Ning's fanatical gaze, which seemed to be looking at white mice.

Luo Ning tapped a few times on the control terminal, and several engineering robots that were on standby nearby immediately went into action. They dragged several silver-white folding blocks from the backup supply warehouse. Accompanied by a rhythmic mechanical clicking sound, within a few minutes, a modular temporary board house of about thirty square meters was assembled seamlessly on the grass.

"You'll stay here tonight."

Luo Ning pointed to the room with panoramic portholes, then turned back and gave the two a brilliant smile.

"Oh, by the way, a friendly reminder: the fortress's automatic anti-aircraft fire control system has locked onto this area. If two 'big birds' accidentally fly into the high altitude in the middle of the night, my secondary guns will automatically fire. If you get turned into a sieve by then, Xingyue won't be able to save you."

Having said that, she ignored the terrified expressions of the two, waved her hand nonchalantly, and walked side-by-side with the indifferent Shen Xingyue onto the fortress elevator.

As the fortress's heavy pressure cabin door closed, the entire open space fell back into silence.

Xila and Ivy walked into this overly tidy room with some confusion. The room was fully equipped with living facilities, and there was even automatic temperature control, which was much more advanced than their environment on the main ship.

"Captain, do we... do we really have to be test subjects for that woman?"

Xila sat on the soft edge of the bed, her delicate face full of anxiety.

"The human race's thoughts are too dark. I always feel they have bad intentions."

Ivy gently stroked her newly grown white feathers, her eyes deep: "Our lives are given by them now. Xila, in front of such powerhouses, we have no room to refuse. That man... his strength is unfathomable, and that woman who controls the fortress, the technology and supplies they possess, I'm afraid even the Guild Leader would be wary of them."

She turned her head and looked at Xila seriously: "Xila, is the core of your fighter still there?"

Xila hurriedly took out the LV3 energy core that was still emitting a faint blue light from her system: "I risked my life to pry out the core, but the fighter has already been blown to smithereens. Without the airframe, the core alone is useless."

"As long as the core is here, there is hope."

Ivy held Xila's hand and lowered her voice.

"We will observe for these few days. If they only want blood and feathers, we will cooperate. Once we figure out the details of this island and this fortress, we'll see if we can find a chance to use their equipment and supplies to reassemble your 'Wind Blade'. Only with that ten-times-the-speed-of-sound explosive power do we have a possibility of escaping here."

Xila nodded solemnly. That night, although they were in an unfamiliar environment, because the room was extremely comfortable and full of spiritual energy, they slept surprisingly soundly.

...

The next morning, the morning light spilled over the earth.

Ivy and Xila were awakened by a rhythmic knocking on the door. Pushing the door open, Shen Xingyue was still in her immaculate white lab coat, holding an electronic tablet, standing quietly at the door.

"How was your rest?"

Shen Xingyue pushed up her glasses.

"Breakfast is ready. After eating, come with me to the laboratory; Luo Ning is already waiting for you."

"Sorry for the trouble."

Ivy responded politely.

Subsequently, a lightweight guide robot led them across the open space and officially entered the interior of the [Cloud Top Fortress] via the elevator.

The moment they stepped into the fortress, the two Winged girls were completely shocked.

The all-metal corridor, wide enough for heavy tanks to pass side-by-side, had deep blue energy wires flowing on the walls. Countless precision robotic arms slid on the ceiling, and even when passing through the production area, they saw hundreds of fully automated assembly lines frantically churning out precision parts.

This pure technological aesthetic was a complete dimensional blow to the cognition of the Winged tribe, who had always relied on their flesh and blood.

Not long after, they were brought to the living and dining area on the second floor.

The air here was filled with a mouth-watering, rich aroma of meat and the sweet scent of grain.

Zhou An, Luo Ning, and Muzi seemed to have finished breakfast and left; only a sturdy human man remained in the restaurant.

Zhang Ming was wearing an apron, busy behind the open kitchen. Seeing the two winged girls walk in, he showed a naive and even somewhat enthusiastic smile.

"Yo, you're awake? Come, come, hurry and sit."

Zhang Ming pointed to the solid wood long table next to them, where two steaming breakfasts had already been set.

"The boss and Luo Ning went to get busy, and specifically instructed me to make you something good."

Zhang Ming served two bowls of thick soup made of spiritual medicine, as well as two plates of neatly sliced spiritual lamb chops.

"Hurry and eat while it's hot. You'll only have the strength to go to the laboratory after you're full."

Ivy and Xila smelled the alluring fragrance, and their throats couldn't help but roll.

The two looked at each other; the fear of being treated as "test subjects" seemed to be diluted a lot by this bowl of steaming soup.