Puppy "Treats"

In the infirmary.

"Baby, hasn't your owner been taking good care of you?"

Having finally had her fill of petting a dog, Yuqing had calmed down considerably. While petting the little golden retriever, she had noticed that his fur wasn't as soft as she had imagined, but rather a little coarse. His teeth were somewhat sharp, and he was underweight. At a glance, it was clear that he usually ate nothing but dog food. His owner hadn't paid the slightest attention to anything else, whether vitamin supplements, dental chews, or regular grooming.

He wasn't her dog, so she had no standing to comment on how his owner cared for him. If only... she could have the puppy.

"Oh, baby, here, have this." She raised her hand, and a soft, pale-blue glow gathered around her fingertips. Spiritual power mixed with her Water-element Healing Ability, slowly condensing and taking shape. Before long, it had formed a translucent "dog bone."

Back at the post-apocalyptic base, she had occasionally made these "dog bones" as treats and dental chews for the mutant dogs. She wondered whether an ordinary puppy would like one.

"Woof?"

The little golden retriever tilted his head and leaned in for a sniff, then opened his mouth and seized it.

The instant his teeth sank in, his whole body went rigid, and his round eyes lit up.

A gentle healing power flowed from the bone's surface, spreading along his teeth to their roots. Even the stinging pain that had plagued the depths of his Spiritual Sea for years was instantly eased by nearly half.

What shocked him even more was... he could taste this "dog bone"!

The rich aroma of meat mingled with the savory flavor of marrow, spreading from his tongue through his entire body and melting into a warm glow. It was the first time he had tasted anything since he was born.

Though Spirit Entities were physical forms condensed from a sentinel's spiritual power, able to change size at will, bite and fight, and serve as sharp blades on the battlefield, they could not eat the "matter" of this world. Whether they felt hungry depended entirely on whether their owners' Spiritual Seas were stable and their spiritual power abundant.

When Spirit Entities went hungry, they grew agitated, and their owners became increasingly bloodthirsty. It was a vicious cycle.

Those dispatched to the Ninth Military District were all dangerous individuals in a state of extreme turmoil, and Noi was no exception.

"Woof, woof!!!" Duoduo grew excited at once, clutching the bone tightly between his front paws and happily gnawing away, satisfied barks rumbling from his throat now and then.

His teeth had itched for far too long. Every time he went on a mission, he had to tear into mutated and contaminated creatures like mad just to barely suppress that violent urge to "tear everything apart." Yet not long after returning to the base, the piercing itch would come back, and even tearing the place apart couldn't relieve it in the slightest.

Now things were different. This bone not only eased the itch in his teeth, but was also tasty and fun!

At the infirmary entrance, the sentinels who had witnessed the whole thing fell silent.

"Damn it! We were in such a hurry to drag you to the infirmary just now, and all along your Duoduo had sneaked in to get a cuddle from the guide?" Anton, his brown-haired teammate, punched Noi in the arm, his tone sour and angry. "So your legs went weak and you couldn't stand because the guide's petting felt so good, huh?!"

That brat was cunning! Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Wait, we were all kicked out of the infirmary just now. How did Duoduo sneak in?" The speaker was the sentinel on duty, also one of the sentinels who had gathered around the medical pod to look at the young guide earlier.

They had only been inside a short while before the commanding officer kicked them out, and he had been guarding the entrance ever since. He hadn't seen a Spirit Entity sneak in.

"Heh, my Spirit Entity is impressive." Noi came from a distinguished family and was exceptionally gifted. He had once had a bright future ahead of him, but unfortunately... exceptional intelligence came at a cost. He was so exceptional that his Spirit Toxins spread faster, and even his mother, an A-rank guide, could no longer enter his sea of consciousness.

"Wait, what's that?" The sentinel beside him suddenly cried out. His Spirit Entity rushed toward the "dog bone" like a gust of wind, and he couldn't stop him no matter how he called. "Mario, you unfilial son, get back here!"

Before he had finished speaking, a chorus of low growls, beating wings, and claws scraping against the floor suddenly erupted in the corridor.

The sentinels at the entrance paled. At some point, all their Spirit Entities had tensed up, their animal eyes fixed on the infirmary, their noses twitching frantically as though they had caught the scent of some irresistible temptation.

"Come back! Don't go!" Anton was the first to react. He hurriedly tightened his mental connection and reached for his polar bear Spirit Entity, but the bear, normally obedient to his commands, ignored him completely. Thick claws dug into the metal floor, urgent grunts rumbled in his throat, and his muscles bunched. The next second, he broke free of the mental restraint and charged into the infirmary with heavy strides.

"My falcon! Damn it, stop!" another sentinel shouted urgently. His falcon had already taken wing and shot through the infirmary window like a silver-gray arrow, completely ignoring the sharp reprimands sent through their mental connection.

For a moment, foxes, polar bears, lynxes, giant eagles... more than a dozen Spirit Entities of all sizes poured into the infirmary like mad. The sentinels shouted and pulled at them from behind, but their mental commands vanished like stones dropped into the sea, having no effect whatsoever.

The infirmary descended into chaos in an instant.

Duoduo had been happily gnawing his bone when a horde of fierce-looking creatures suddenly charged in. Startled, he hurriedly clutched the bone to his chest, arched his back, and growled a warning. But how could one little golden retriever hold off a pack of beasts? A brown bear reached out with a huge paw to swipe at him, a falcon swooped down to peck his ears, and the other Spirit Entities waited nearby for a chance to strike.

Amid the chaos, an enormous Maine Coon darted silently out of the shadows. With remarkable agility, the cat snatched up the bone, leaped onto the tallest medical cabinet, and began gnawing on it elegantly.

The moment the bone was stolen, Duoduo froze.

He looked down at his empty paws, then up at the Maine Coon showing off atop the cabinet. His golden fur immediately drooped, and his round eyes filled with tears at a visible rate.

"Whimper... woof..." A faint whine came from his throat. He didn't dare fight the Maine Coon for it; getting hit by a cat really hurt.

Feeling terribly aggrieved, he tucked his tail and ran to Yuqing. He plunged into her arms, burrowed his head against her chest, and whimpered and sobbed, his voice soft as though he had suffered a terrible injustice.

"It's all right, it's all right. I'll give you another one." Yuqing hurriedly caught the little golden retriever and stroked his back to soothe him.

She looked up at the roomful of unruly Spirit Entities and the embarrassed sentinels rushing in through the doorway, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. So they weren't pets, but Spirit Entities.

Just then, the commotion at the entrance suddenly seemed to pause.

A cold pressure carrying the chill of ice and snow slowly spread into the infirmary. Like a winter wind sweeping over the restless beasts, it silenced them all in an instant.

A snow-white wolf walked in with steady steps.

He was a size larger than an ordinary wolf, his fur smooth as frost and without a trace of another color. His golden eyes were cold and imposing. He merely stood in the center of the infirmary, lowered his head slightly, and let out a deep howl. The Spirit Entities that had been causing such a clamor froze at once.

Seeing that order had been restored, the snow wolf walked to Yuqing's legs like a dutiful guard. The tip of his tail swayed ever so slightly, and he quietly lay down beside her.

Ers walked in after him, his brows knitted tightly. His cold gaze swept over the mess filling the room before settling on the tearful little golden retriever in Yuqing's arms. His voice was as cold as ice. "Keep your Spirit Entities under control."

"Yes!" the sentinels hurriedly answered, scrambling to recall their Spirit Entities. Noi in particular guiltily dragged Duoduo back by force.