Chapter 7

"Lost for three days, did you finally find your way here?"

Just as Qi Ming entered the door of the GUTS team command room, Soldier Shan Zhong couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

Qi Ming replied in a refined and easygoing manner: "If you are tired of living, you can find a roof beam with a rope to test the stretching limit of your cervical spine; it can also be considered a contribution to medicine."

"What did you say!" Soldier Shan Zhong and Kishida both stood up.

Vice Captain Saijo Nagi, sitting by the round conference table, frowned slightly, thinking that this guy was indeed a thorn in the side, just as Soldier Shan Zhong said.

Emi was full of "overwhelmed by water," what was this intense development about?

"Both of you, say less. Emi, what happened?" Moroboshi Dan asked.

Emi: "Residents near Mount Kirifuki said they heard the roar of a suspected monster and hope we investigate. At the same time, two college students went missing there."

Moroboshi Dan nodded: "That's good. Saijo, Soldier Shan Zhong, Kishida, Qi Ming, you set off and go to Mount Kirifuki to investigate."

"Does the GUTS team have to be dispatched for such an uncertain matter?" Soldier Shan Zhong looked at Qi Ming, really not wanting to stay with this annoying guy.

"If there are doubts, they should be investigated clearly; this is our duty." Saijo Nagi stood up: "Prepare to set off."

Qi Ming asked: "Is team member Emi not going?"

Just me as a normal person, does this count as an alternative form of workplace bullying?

Being actively mentioned by Qi Ming made Emi, who had been secretly observing him with her peripheral vision, say "Ah" in surprise.

Moroboshi Dan: "Team member Emi also has excellent piloting skills, but she usually performs information analysis at the base and acts as support for frontline personnel."

Kishida, who had a grudge with Qi Ming, didn't let go of any opportunity to hit him: "See that? A girl is more capable than you."

Emi waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, team member Qi Ming just joined the team; after he trains for a period of time, he will definitely be able to get the hang of it soon."

Moroboshi Dan was afraid they would quarrel again, so he hurriedly said: "No time to lose, set off now."

…………………………

The yellow Feiyan 1 traveled through the stratosphere. Qi Ming, sitting in the back row, listened to the sharp whistling sound of the wings tearing through the air and focused his eyes on Saijo Nagi's hand pulling the joystick.

Saijo Nagi noticed his gaze and asked: "Do you think this can be learned just by looking?"

Qi Ming said casually: "Looking at it when I have nothing to do, it seems not as difficult as I imagined."

He showed memory and comprehension far beyond ordinary people when he was very young; "reciting steles and covering boards," "drawing inferences from one instance" were not a problem for him, so many famous masters he had come into contact with were willing to give him pointers.

But Saijo Nagi only thought he was bragging. She said with a face like ice:

"Stop being smart there. Have you really taken the flattery of those little girls who covet your skin and surround you seriously?"

"Be down-to-earth, train seriously, and don't let down the captain's expectations of you."

Qi Ming retorted: "Speaking of being smart, you just met me; on what basis do you judge that I don't have this ability?"

Saijo Nagi was speechless and stopped trying to "save" this guy who was arguing strongly and didn't use honorifics in her eyes along the way.

Soon, the Feiyan 1 piloted by Saijo Nagi landed on a flat area at the foot of Mount Kirifuki, and the other Feiyan piloted by Kishida and Soldier Shan Zhong followed closely behind.

After leaving the cockpit, Qi Ming looked up at Mount Kirifuki, and the thick fog blocked his line of sight.

The sound of pine waves rising and falling on the mountain came from afar, mixed with the cries of unknown creatures, like ghosts crying and wolves howling, appearing exceptionally gloomy.

"Such strong electromagnetic interference." Kishida frowned; in this situation, the use of instruments and equipment would be seriously interfered with.

The four of them put on heavy mountaineering equipment and began to climb.

"You have to be careful; this is an accident-prone area." Although she disliked Qi Ming's "arrogance," as Vice Captain, taking care of newcomers was her duty.

"Okay." Qi Ming climbed while recalling with "Mount Kirifuki" as a clue.

He asked: "Accident-prone area... is there a legend that a dragon lives on Mount Kirifuki, specifically eating people who climb the mountain?"

Emi in the command room quickly tapped the keyboard, checked the relevant information, and replied: "There is such a saying."

Because of this magnetic fog with strong interference effects, her voice came from the communicator intermittently.

Qi Ming nodded, thinking that this Mount Kirifuki was the habitat of the two monsters 【Sadola】 and 【Teton】 that appeared in the third episode of *Jack*, "The Monster Demon Realm of Terror."

The two ferocious monsters would definitely fight when they met, and when facing outsiders, they would both adopt an attitude of killing them all.

"Be careful, there are indeed monsters here; those mountaineers were killed by monsters." Qi Ming reminded.

Kishida: "Don't jump to conclusions casually; currently, no traces of monster activity have been found. In terms of dealing with monsters, you are just an outsider."

Qi Ming stopped his steps; he heard a strange roar that seemed to come from underground: "I heard it; this is the roar of a monster."

Kishida also concentrated his attention to listen when he heard this: "I didn't hear anything."

Soldier Shan Zhong: "I didn't hear it either. I think you are overly sensitive. That reporter was probably like this too. I think there are no monsters here at all."

Qi Ming stopped speaking, preparing to use facts to speak later.

But after searching for most of the day, he still didn't even find the shadow of a monster.

The magnetic fog caused the detection instruments to lose their effect, and the only thing he could rely on, the naked eye, was also blocked by the fog; the efficiency was too poor.

Climbing mountains under heavy loads also caused the three people except Qi Ming to gradually become physically exhausted, and their movement speed became slower and slower.

"What's wrong with this guy? Doesn't he feel tired?" Soldier Shan Zhong, who was at the end of the team, looked at Qi Ming, who was waiting for them at the front, and spoke out of breath.

"It seems the captain had some basis for recruiting him into the team; at least he has some brute force." Kishida also thought that Qi Ming's relaxed appearance didn't look like he was pretending.

"Let me carry it for you." Qi Ming reached out to Saijo Nagi.

"No need." The strong-willed Saijo Nagi coldly pushed his hand away, gritted her teeth, and walked forward.

Soldier Shan Zhong: "Haha, your flattery was directed at the wrong person; the Vice Captain doesn't buy your act."

Qi Ming thought to himself, helping each other share the burden in a temporary team, can that also be called flattery? Being able to retort from this angle, really Shan Shan and Zhong Zhong.

"Although we are not afraid of getting lost with the locator, this is not a way." Kishida didn't want to go down anymore; he felt this was a waste of effort.

Qi Ming said: "I think so too. Instead of actively looking for monsters, it's better to stop here and make some noise to let the monsters come to find us."

He saw that the others were almost unable to walk, so he suggested this.

Soldier Shan Zhong didn't realize Qi Ming's intention to take care of their face at all, shook his head and sighed: "Daydreaming again."

At this moment, Emi's intermittent voice came from the communication channel: "Everyone, in the village under the mountain range, many villagers found a monster with white hair all over, looking like a snow monster. Please go to the scene quickly."

White hair, like a snow monster, these characteristics were far from 【Sadola】 and 【Teton】, so Qi Ming thought it wasn't them coming down the mountain.

Kishida: "Finally don't have to waste time in this ghost place. Vice Captain, let's withdraw."

Qi Ming asked: "What about the two missing college students?"

Saijo Nagi: "A professional search and rescue team will be dispatched; our duty is to deal with monsters."

For a rescue team to come to this kind of place to save people, the greater possibility is that they didn't save the people, and they themselves got trapped.

Qi Ming didn't want to give up halfway on this matter, so he said: "Then let's split into two groups; you go to deal with the monster under the mountain, and I'll deal with the monster in the mountain."

Kishida was very annoyed: "Don't be stubborn; there are no monsters here at all!"

Soldier Shan Zhong suspected: "Could it be that you are afraid to face real monsters, so you found an excuse to waste time here?"

Saijo Nagi was very direct: "Execute the order!"

Qi Ming was even more straightforward: "I refuse."

Everyone was stunned by these stiff words, including Emi and Moroboshi Dan in the communication channel.

Soldier Shan Zhong: "Resisting orders on the battlefield, not obeying commands, bastard, do you want to take off the GUTS team uniform!"

Can you automatically leave the team after resisting orders? Qi Ming was overjoyed: "It's a deal, double happiness!"

(End of chapter)