To Tell You The Truth (Chapter 191)
“Why do you suddenly want to return to the base?”
Held in Gu Luoyu's arms, Ye Sheng enjoyed the lazy pleasure of not having to walk, but a trace of confusion appeared on her face.
They were doing just fine here, so why go back to the base?
Could it be that Gu Luoyu still thought she couldn't adapt here and wanted to return to the base?
Hmph!
That would be underestimating her.
Back when she was scavenging in the wilderness, hadn't she managed to survive on her own?
She wasn't that delicate... Now that they had finally made it deep into the wilderness, it would feel like a waste not to stay longer!
Although it was Gu Luoyu who was devouring the hearts of the polluted creatures, not her.
But the stronger Gu Luoyu became, the more freely she and their child could move about in the future, so it all depends on Gu Luoyu getting stronger!
Of course, she wouldn't hold him back either. She would strive to grow stronger too, but her cheat ability was best kept hidden, so she would quietly reap the benefits.
Just as Ye Sheng was lost in her thoughts, Gu Luoyu seemed to guess what she was thinking and chuckled softly, quickly offering an explanation: “We can't stay here forever. The other teams that came with us are waiting to return. If we don't go, they can't leave either!”
Hearing Gu Luoyu mention the other teams, Ye Sheng immediately raised her eyes suspiciously, her gaze fixed on Gu Luoyu's smoothly chiseled jaw as the scenery rushed past them.
If someone else had said this, it might have been somewhat believable.
But coming from Gu Luoyu...
She didn't believe a single word of it!
Although Gu Luoyu was gentle and considerate around her, Ye Sheng wasn't blind or deaf. She knew very well that Gu Luoyu was cold and ruthless to others, so why would he care about them?
Thus, Ye Sheng stared at Gu Luoyu for a while before finally saying curtly, “Tell me the truth!”
"Han Lingyue has been very annoying lately, always trying to recruit me into the Esper Squad. Also, the team mission we took earlier is completed. I want to return to the base to take on new missions and start building our own team as soon as possible... Besides, we can go back and rest. Staying in the wilderness for too long will take a toll on the body."
After that, Gu Luoyu answered honestly, which made Ye Sheng nod in satisfaction.
That's more like it!
Upon hearing that Gu Luoyu's reason for returning to the base wasn't entirely because of her, Ye Sheng naturally didn't object... And Gu Luoyu's ability to act was swift. No sooner had he finished talking to Ye Sheng than he informed Han Lingyue.
“What, you're leaving now?”
That's so sudden!
Hearing that Gu Luoyu was leaving today, Han Lingyue immediately stood up from her chair in surprise.
She had thought they could continue fighting side by side with Erensu, but it seemed that happy times were always short-lived.
If only Gu Luoyu would join Esper Squad 1.
Although they had only worked together for a few days, teaming up with someone so capable was undeniably satisfying, especially when it came to taking down polluted creatures. There was no need to babysit anyone.
They could fully unleash their strength without worrying about teammates falling behind. Instead, they could provide timely support.
It made Han Lingyue even consider disbanding her Esper Squad altogether.
Then, she could just team up with Gu Luoyu and roam around killing monsters. How exhilarating that would be... Unfortunately, Gu Luoyu, now with a partner, had forgotten all else.
She was no longer the Queen of Slaughter, Erensu, that she once was.
In fact, Han Lingyue could already imagine that after she proposed the idea of teaming up, Gu Luoyu might suspect her of having ulterior motives.
For example, harboring other thoughts about his precious partner, Ye Sheng...
Just like when they had first settled in the temporary camp, Han Lingyue had come looking for Gu Luoyu several times, hoping to play the role of a good host, only to be treated like a thief by Gu Luoyu.
She didn't even let her inside.
Come on!
Who was as emotionally charged as Gu Luoyu?
Han Lingyue felt that dealing with suicide crises, the side effects of medications, cleaning up polluted creatures, and handling all sorts of miscellaneous tasks every day was already more than enough.
Where would she find the time for romance?
Let her work herself to death!!!
Han Lingyue was filled with resentment, but she didn't forget to make one last effort to persuade Gu Luoyu to stay, “What's the rush to go back to the base? Are the resources there richer than in the wilderness? Don't forget, your partner needs a lot of polluted plants full of vitality. Have you found any?”
Knowing what Gu Luoyu cared about, Han Lingyue deliberately brought it up.
In response, Gu Luoyu raised an eyebrow coldly, a faint smile playing on her lips as she said, “My partner is very lucky. She just discovered a special polluted plant, so there's no need to worry.”
“...”
Hearing this, Han Lingyue was left speechless and could only purse her lips at Gu Luoyu.
Why does Gu Luoyu always get all the good luck!!!
She was envious.
Knowing that it was impossible to keep Gu Luoyu, Han Lingyue couldn't resort to forceful measures. After all, it was unclear who would come out on top if it came to a fight.
Over the past few days, while dealing with polluted creatures alongside Gu Luoyu, Han Lingyue had seen clearly that this girl hadn't been giving it her all.
Even when facing S-class polluted creatures, she remained completely at ease.
Who knows how strong Gu Luoyu really is? If she hadn't been holding back during their initial encounters, then her growth rate was truly terrifying.
More afraid than polluted creatures evolving by devouring energy stones.
Faced with such a monster, Han Lingyue would have to be crazy to provoke her displeasure. So, in the end, she simply said, “Well, have a safe journey then. Feel free to come visit if you have the time.”
“Mm.”
Gu Luoyu nodded, then left Han Lingyue's office and went to find Mo Lin, instructing him to pack up immediately and prepare to depart in ten minutes.
Mo Lin, who had just been informed that they were returning to the base, was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure and excitedly turned to notify the other team members. This was undoubtedly great news.
They were finally going back to the safe zone!!!
Although staying at the temporary camp of Esper Squad 1 didn't pose any safety concerns, who wouldn't prefer the comfortable life back at the base over continuing to stay here!
Originally, Mo Lin had thought that the leaders of the other teams were brave and resourceful, and they would return the same way they came.
At that time, he could just follow along and blend in...
But who would have thought that they weren't so bold after all? They had lost too many team members on the way here and were now too scared.
So they insisted on waiting for Gu Luoyu to return to the base before following along, absolutely determined to leave without an Esper accompanying them.
...
Gu Luoyu left as soon as she decided. Compared to the constant mishaps on the way here, the journey back was smooth sailing, without even any polluted creatures blocking their path.
This left the leaders of the other teams scratching their heads in confusion. If they had known the return trip would be so smooth, they wouldn't have had to wait for Gu Luoyu.
However, they were finally back at the base, and once they returned, they could finally rest properly!
With this thought in mind, as soon as they saw the base gates, everyone cheered. But before their voices could fade, they saw the massive crossbows on the city walls turning and aiming at them.