dognovel Chapter 16 [Zhu Zhuyun Joins the Team!]
Chapter 16 [Zhu Zhuyun Joins the Team!]
Shuang Ruxue was somewhat surprised, but did not object, only muttering something under her breath.
"Hopefully, he'll be capable of doing the work, not a burden."
Shuang Ruxue sat back in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.
"Hold on tight!"
Lin Xia pushed the control lever.
The steel behemoth roared deafeningly, its momentum unstoppable. The huge auger at the front of the vehicle, like a raging earth-burrowing dragon, slammed into the cave wall on the right, which was marked with the direction of the cat-eared girl!
Boom—!
Hard rock and soil are like fragile biscuits in front of superalloy drill bits, instantly torn apart, crushed, and thrown away.
Chunks of dirt rained down on the armor, creating a dense crackling sound.
Just five or six seconds later, accompanied by the sound of the drill bit breaking through the last obstacle and a slight vibration, the obstacle in front disappeared.
The drill bit slowly stopped rotating, and the tank came to a steady stop.
Lin Xia turned off the engine and opened the car door.
Ahead was a small, relatively dry cave with ordinary gray-brown rock walls.
In the center of the cave, a petite figure was curled up on the ground, motionless.
She was a girl who looked only eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a worn-out outfit that still vaguely resembled dark leather, outlining her plump yet powerful figure.
What is most striking are her fluffy black cat ears on her head, which are now drooping limply, and her equally soft black cat tail extending from behind her and hanging down to the ground.
Her face was frighteningly pale, her lips were chapped, and her breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible; she exuded a sense of utter exhaustion.
There was an empty water pouch and several bones, gnawed clean and devoid of any meat, scattered around him, indicating that they had been out of food for a long time.
"I'm...I'm really starving."
Shuang Ruxue also got out of the car. Seeing the girl's condition, her previous doubts dissipated considerably, replaced by a sense of sympathy.
Lin Xia walked over quickly, squatted down, and checked the girl's breath; it was very weak.
Without hesitation, Lin Xia took the food out of her backpack.
Seemingly attracted by the aroma of food, the unconscious girl let out a very faint gurgling sound, like a kitten's whimper. Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she opened her eyes with difficulty, just a crack.
Those were cat eyes, like the purest emeralds, but now they were dull and lifeless, filled with confusion and the weakness of impending death.
Her vision blurred as she focused on the food in Lin Xia's hand. She instinctively wanted to raise her hand, but she didn't even have the strength to move a finger.
"Don't rush, eat slowly."
Lin Xia spoke softly, tore the bread into small pieces, dipped them in a little water, and brought them to the girl's chapped lips.
Driven by her survival instincts, the cat-eared girl barely opened her mouth and swallowed the bread and water that Lin Xia handed her in small sips.
The warm, soft food slid down my parched throat, bringing a faint warmth.
As she ate, the girl could no longer hold back her tightly closed eyes, and crystal tears rolled down her pale cheeks.
She slightly opened her beautiful emerald cat eyes and looked at Lin Xia with eyes full of gratitude.
Seeing her like this, Lin Xia knew that this was a sure thing.
Lin Xia didn't stop working during the feeding break.
Lin Xia took out the sheepskin map that she had previously seized from the bald, scarred man from her backpack.
The map felt warm to the touch, carrying the scent of aged leather.
Once unfolded, the layout of the underground passage is outlined with simple lines, and at one point, a faint but clear light is shimmering.
"Um?"
Lin Xia raised an eyebrow.
The flashing point wasn't far from their current location; the map showed it was about three caverns away.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Xia carefully rolled up the map and put it back in her backpack.
If the next direction of exploration is convenient, or if there are no better options, it wouldn't hurt to check out that spot.
Of course, this is all on the premise of ensuring safety.
With the two people's patient care, the cat-eared girl gradually regained her strength.
About an hour later, the girl was finally able to sit up, supporting herself on her arms, though she was a little unsteady.
Although still weak, the light in those cat-like eyes had been rekindled.
The first thing she did was struggle to stand up and bow, but Lin Xia pressed her shoulder down.
"Don't move around, you've just recovered a bit."
The girl looked up, her emerald green eyes staring intently at Lin Xia and Shuang Ruxue, her voice still a little hoarse.
"Thank you... thank you for saving me, my benefactors! My name is Zhu Zhuyun."
After taking a deep breath, Zhu Zhuyun said seriously:
"If... if you don't mind, I'd like to follow you! I'm very capable, I won't hold you back!"
Lin Xia looked at the girl's eyes, which held a mixture of pleading, stubbornness, and a hint of trepidation, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.
"OK."
Lin Xia agreed readily.
"real?!"
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes instantly lit up dramatically, and even the pair of black cat ears on her head, which had been drooping, stood up straight and trembled slightly.
"Yes, welcome to the team."
Lin Xia nodded, her tone natural.
The team definitely needs an assassin, and this catgirl looks promising.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Zhu Zhuyun's face immediately broke into a smile, and her previous paleness seemed to fade somewhat.
Without hesitation, Zhu Zhuyun raised her hand, tapped her fingertips a few times in the air, and a semi-transparent light screen unfolded in front of her, set to shared mode, and displayed before Lin Xia and Shuang Ruxue.
【The Ghost Cat: Zhu Zhuyun】
【Life: 60】
[Physical Fitness: 30]
【Spirit: 40】
【Charm: 12】
[Equipment: Black Beast Leather Armor]
[Talent: S-Rank - Shadow Monarch]
*Effect: When in shadow or low-light environments, presence is greatly reduced, movement speed and evasion rate are significantly increased, and there is natural resistance and amplification effect to shadow-type skills/attacks.
[Skills: Netherworld Slash, Netherworld Thrust, Netherworld Hundred Claws, Dark Night Assault]
Lin Xia initially thought nothing of it, but when her gaze quickly swept across the panel, she noticed Zhu Zhuyun's race and skills.
His facial expression instantly became extremely strange, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.
Lin Xia couldn't help but blurt it out.
"Zhu Zhuyun? You...don't you have a fiancé?"
After asking Lin Xia, he felt he had been a bit abrupt, but the associations the name evoked were just too strong.
Zhu Zhuyun's face flushed bright red instantly, all the way down to her ears, and even her sensitive cat ears turned pink and curled back slightly.
"Yes...it was arranged by my family. But...I ran away because I was dissatisfied and didn't want to be tied down!"
Zhu Zhuyun's tone carried a clear stubbornness and a hint of barely perceptible grievance.
I see…
After receiving the answer, Lin Xia did not delve into anything further.
"Understood."
"Welcome to the team. Let's get to know each other. My name is Lin Xia."
He pointed to Shuang Ruxue, who was watching them with great interest.
"This is Shuang Ruxue, my... partner."
Shuang Ruxue stepped forward and looked her new companion up and down, especially at her adorable cat ears and tail.
"Hello, my name is Shuang Ruxue. We'll be teammates from now on, please take care of me."
[Zhu Zhuyun joins the team!]