The mutant monster in the lake dies (continued)

Lou Yu feigned a tearful face. "I thought I was hiding it well, but it turns out I was seen through all along."

The Second Cub giggled, "Because Daddy is handsome! Handsome guys are always dazzling."

"Oh my, Xuexue has such a sweet tongue." Lou Yu's heart softened at his daughter's praise.

Tao Qiu asked, "What about me? Do you see me because I'm handsome?"

"Mmm, yes, it's beep, it's beep." The Third Cub said earnestly, "When Daddy appears in the cafeteria, the cafeteria is all sparkly; it's hard not to see him."

Eldest Cub: "I know, I know, this is called 'A humble abode brings honor'."

Tao Qiu: "Hehe, actually I don't have any treasures. You guys are exaggerating. I'm just average-looking."

If his lips weren't practically curling up to the sky, then that statement would be quite convincing.

After that, the three kids' school life went exceptionally smoothly, initially thanks to their two fathers, but later entirely due to their own efforts.

They are good-looking and pleasing to the eye; they have good grades, so you can ask them questions or copy their homework; they are easygoing and generous, and can get along with anyone; they are strong, and no one dares to lay a hand on them.

This is considered a perfect child. From teachers to students, almost no one dislikes him, and even if someone does dislike him, they wouldn't dare to provoke him.

Therefore, it would be strange if they had a bad time at school.

Tao Qiu had just taken leave that day, planning to go to the base the next day to supply energy to the newly planted crops in the valley. However, not long after she got home, Lou Yu returned.

Seeing Lou Yu's tense expression, Tao Qiu knew that something must have happened.

"That spy has appeared?" That was Tao Qiu's first reaction.

Lou Yu shook his head and said, "It's not them. Something happened outside. A team that went on a mission in the wilderness just rushed back and said that a lot of mutated monsters from other places have suddenly appeared in our area and are clashing with the local mutated monsters. I heard the fighting is very fierce."

Neither humans nor mutated monsters can tolerate their territory being invaded.

Tao Qiu said, "I'll go out and take a look. You go back and continue to watch over the children, making sure the bad guys don't have any opportunity to take advantage."

"Okay, be careful." Lou Yu was worried about Tao Qiu, but the kids needed him too.

"You and the babies are still waiting for me at home. I won't do anything reckless," Tao Qiu hugged Lou Yu and solemnly assured him.

Lou Yu said, "Yes, I believe Qiuqiu."

If the mutated monsters were to riot, they would also pose a threat to the human base. Lou Quan took this issue very seriously and personally called Tao Qiu, asking him to find out what was going on and whether it would endanger humanity.

Tao Qiu agreed and, after leaving the base, flew to the valley as quickly as possible.

Not long after leaving the safe zone, Tao Qiu sensed a restless atmosphere in the mountains and forests, and the situation became more serious the further away from the base.

Before even getting close to his territory, they could already see mutated monsters fighting, and there was more than one place.

Several years ago, that mutated spider destroyed a large area of trees that winter, leaving the area still bare to this day. The trees that have grown back are still small, barely qualifying as an abandoned grove.

Normally, only small mutated monsters appear in that area. Because there is no cover, it is paradise for predators but hell for prey.

Meanwhile, the grove was teeming with a considerable number of mutated monsters. Looking around, none of them looked familiar; they must be the mutated monsters from out of town that the team had mentioned.

Tao Qiu guessed that they might have been driven away by the mutated monsters here.

Upon seeing Tao Qiu, Black Rabbit and Green Python emerged, but Red Fox was not yet visible.

Tao Qiu landed on the ground, and the Green Python and Black Rabbit that ran over had heavy eyes.

"Chirp chirp?"

--What happened?

Green Python: "Hiss..."

--The mutated monster in the lake has gone mad.

Tao Qiu was stunned for a few seconds before realizing who the Green Python was referring to.

Tao Qiu had visited that huge lake, which was far away from them, many years ago. There was a high-level mutated monster in it whose appearance was unknown. It was the overlord of the lake and was extremely dangerous.

The last time Tao Qiu mentioned it was a few years ago when he took the kids out of the valley to see the scenery and introduced them to the mutated monsters in the vicinity.

I never expected that the next time I heard news of it, it would be that it had gone mad.

"Chirp chirp?"

Is it that kind of strange illness?

A hint of sorrow, a shared sense of sympathy, flashed in the eyes of the Green Python, who was also afflicted with the disease.

"Hiss..."

--Yes, that kind of disease. It's probably its last attack; it's about to die.

Black Rabbit roared...

--Yesterday, some strange mutated monsters appeared in our area. We killed a group of them who wanted to take over the territory, and captured a few more for interrogation. We found out that the mutated monster in the lake had gone mad.

--I heard it slaughtered all the mutated monsters in the lake, then rushed ashore. Not only did it survive, it also wreaked havoc on the area. High-level mutated monsters dared not confront it and all hid, while other low- and mid-level mutated monsters could only flee.

The lake used to be part of that dangerous black forest. The mutated monsters probably wouldn't dare go there; they'd all run off elsewhere, including this place.

Tao Qiu asked again, "Chirp, chirp?"

--It took time for the mutated monster to escape here. That mutated monster went berserk a few days ago, didn't it?

"Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death." Don't be fooled by Tao Qiu's ability to see the lake from a high vantage point; it would take more than a day just to fly there without stopping, not to mention the mutated monsters on the ground that need to eat and rest.

Black Rabbit roared...

--It must have been three days ago.

Three days later, that mutated monster is most likely dead.

It's still causing trouble even after getting ashore; could it be that its respiratory system has mutated?

Seeing Tao Qiu deep in thought, Black Rabbit asked in surprise, "Roar?"

--You're not thinking of going to see it, are you?

Tao Qiu remained silent; he did indeed have this plan.

Black Rabbit roared...

--I advise you not to go looking for trouble. It's chaotic over there. If you go, it'll be the same as them coming here—you'll get beaten up. You're a father now, can't you be more mature? Do you still think you're some young kid who dares to cause trouble?

Tao Qiu understood what Black Rabbit meant. If something happened to him, the kids would be missing a father.

Tao Qiu: "Chirp chirp."

--I'll think about it some more.

Black Rabbit's eyes widened. "Roar!"

--Think about it some more, or don't even think about it!

Tao Qiu: "..."

Tao Qiu: "Chirp chirp."

--I'm going up the mountain to check on the Red Fox.

Seeing that Black Rabbit looked like an angry Vajra, Tao Qiu was afraid of getting beaten up, so he quickly made an excuse and ran away.

Upon reaching the mountain, Tao Qiu only saw the White Fox. She heard from her that the Red Fox had led a group of foxes on patrol.

Yesterday, a mutated monster ran up here, stole their chickens, and almost injured a fox.

The mutated monsters were killed, but Red Fox was still worried and wanted to see if any had escaped.

Tao Qiu was relieved to see that they were all alright.

White Fox: "Mmm..."

--Have you gone to your valley? The crops growing there probably attract even more mutated monsters.

Only after she mentioned it did Tao Qiu realize that he hadn't gone home to check on things yet.

Hearing that something might happen to the crops, the other foxes quickly called Tao Qiu back.

They were so enthusiastic that Tao Qiu had no choice but to leave.

Actually, he wasn't too worried. Although the Green Python and the Black Rabbit hadn't said anything, they must have gone to check on him.

Sure enough, as soon as he got back, he saw Black Rabbit still waiting there. After glaring at him, she told him that she had checked on him that morning and that the crops in the valley were fine.

"Roar..."

--But I suggest you guard it yourself. What if one sneaks in and destroys all the crops?

Tao Qiu saw the look in his eyes and understood the other layer of meaning in his words: stay focused on the crops and stop thinking about going to the lake to watch the excitement.

What could Tao Qiu do but smile?

Back in the valley, Tao Qiu looked around to make sure no mutated monsters had gotten in.

Afterwards, he went to inspect the territory and discovered several unfamiliar mutated monsters that had intruded.

The mutated monsters looked very thin and showed no signs of aggression, so Tao Qiu simply chased them away without killing them.

Tao Qiu only came out in the afternoon. By the time he finished everything, it was already late. By the time he returned, the base gates would probably be closed. He could only stay in the valley for the night and go back the next day.

Currently, this forced migration of mutated monsters should not affect the human base, as the mutated monsters are being stopped locally.

The night was far from peaceful; the wails of many mutated monsters could be heard, but the exact cause remained unknown.

However, based on what they saw during the day, the natives on their side still had the upper hand. When the Green Python and Black Rabbit met him, they were only talking about the dead mutated monster, showing no concern whatsoever for their territory.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Both of them are so powerful; anyone who dares to try and take their territory would have to be asking for trouble.

The next day, Tao Qiu went out for another stroll. There were basically no unfamiliar mutated monsters near the territories of the higher-level mutated monsters, although conflicts occasionally occurred in the nearby free zone.

Tao Qiu asked the Green Python and Black Rabbit to take a look at the valley, as he needed to return to the base first.

Before returning to base, Tao Qiu high into the sky and gazed at the lake once more.

Whether it was psychological or not, Tao Qiu always felt that the lake had become murky and had lost its original cleanliness and clarity.

Upon arriving at the base, Tao Qiu first went home to let her family know she was safe before calling Lou Quan to inform him of the situation outside.

The high-level mutated monster in the lake has always been a source of worry for many humans. Compared to the ocean, the lake's overall area is not large, and the mutated monster is growing larger every year. When the lake's resources become scarce, or it can no longer contain it, no one can predict what will happen.