Chapter 26: Her Lover, the Deceiver Part 2

The two cuddled together, dozing for a moment longer, chatting groggily.

Zhen Yan asked, “What time did you set the alarm for?”

Jia Hua, still somewhat sleepy, replied, “4:30 AM.”

Zhen Yan: “Why so early? Actually, if we’re quick, leaving at six would work too.”

Jia Hua asked her, “Is everything ready?”

Zhen Yan: “What do we need to prepare? A change of clothes in a backpack, plus some food…”

Jia Hua chuckled softly, rubbing her drowsy eyes. She propped herself up on her upper body and turned on the bedside lamp. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she began counting on her fingers.

“Darling, did you read the information on Bakero Planet? That planet is hot and humid. To avoid mosquito and insect bites, we need to bring Insect Repellent and Mosquito Spray. Also…”

Jia Hua listed items one by one.

Zhen Yan: “…”

How could there be so many things to bring!

Zhen Yan: “Then we better get up and pack.”

She thought she was just going to catch snakes. She didn’t realize the first trial was simply how to survive there.

Jia Hua watched Zhen Yan’s deflated expression and laughed. She turned on the main bedroom light and got up to prepare things with Zhen Yan.

This mission initially started at a three million reward, ranked first in the B-Rank mission board. It was only the time pressure that eventually pushed the reward to thirty million.

Which went to show how difficult this task was.

Bakero Snakes weren’t venomous, but the environment they lived in was full of venomous creatures.

Zhen Yan checked the information regarding Bakero Forest, her brow furrowing deeply. “This Bakero also has a nickname, ‘Invisible Snake.’ It’s extremely good at camouflage and hiding.”

There was a photo of a Bakero Snake coiled on tree bark. Its body color was identical to the bark, making it incredibly hard to distinguish.

Jia Hua glanced at the photo. “Later, let’s gather more information and pictures of Bakero Snakes. Once we enter Bakero Forest, we need to find Bakero Snakes as quickly as possible. Don’t stay there long. Take the two gallbladders and get out immediately.”

Zhen Yan nodded, “Mm.”

Jia Hua did most of the packing, since Zhen Yan had never been to a forest, especially a hot, humid jungle like Bakero. She could only briefly look at some netizens’ suggestions on StarNet, but they were all very simplified. After all, few people stayed long-term in Bakero Forest. If anyone stayed, they stayed in the human habitation zone of Bakero Planet.

“Mosquito Spray, Insect Repellent, Anti-venom Mask, Rope, Machete, Lighter, Sleeping Bag, Flashlight, a large Thermos, Canned Food, Chocolate, Seasoning Packets, medicine… None of these are at home. Note them down. We’ll go to a store to buy them when we arrive,” Jia Hua said.

“Okay, I’ve written them all down.” Zhen Yan typed Jia Hua’s list into her phone’s memo pad.

“Conveniently, the backpack our school issued is a Military Backpack, so we don’t need to buy one,” Jia Hua said, spotting the military backpack on the desk.

Zhen Yan sat watching as Jia Hua, with a final motion, just grabbed two sets of long-sleeved shirts and long pants from the wardrobe, throwing them separately into their two military backpacks. After that, their wallets and ID documents went in, and the zippers were pulled shut.

Zhen Yan was surprised. “We’re done packing?”

Jia Hua walked over, bending down to pinch Zhen Yan’s pert nose with a smile. “There’s nothing we need at home. We’ll buy everything once we reach the human habitation zone on Bakero Planet. Otherwise, I’m afraid we’d have problems just getting through security.”

Zhen Yan nodded, her brows curved, smiling. “Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”

“Let’s go, it’s getting late. We should head out. Got your wallet and ID?” Jia Hua looked at her watch; it was already 5:30 AM. Time to leave.

Each wearing a military backpack, they walked to the living room. Zhen Yan’s gaze skimmed over the back of Jia Hua’s neck ahead of her, and she stopped in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Sensing Zhen Yan stop behind her, Jia Hua turned around, puzzled.

Zhen Yan looked at her seriously. “We forgot the most important thing.”

Jia Hua asked, “What thing?”

Zhen Yan: “Suppressants. We just came of age. Going out, we must bring Suppressants.”

Although both were now adults, neither had yet experienced their Susceptible Period or Estrus. They didn’t know when it would start, so carrying Suppressants when going out was essential for their own protection.

Adult Alphas and Omegas had stable monthly Susceptible Periods and Estrus cycles—roughly fixed dates, allowing prediction. But for newly adult Alphas and Omegas, the first one often arrived suddenly. Thus, the Empire mandated carrying Suppressants when going out.

They put two vials of Alpha Suppressant and Omega Suppressant into their military backpacks, then finally headed out into the chill dawn light. They left the military academy, heading straight for the docking station of Planet Dinkley.

They boarded the large Starship bound for Planet Hakasi. This starship was immense, capable of carrying over a thousand passengers at a time.

Their seats were together. They fell into deep sleep almost immediately upon boarding. After all, neither had gotten enough sleep last night. When a crew member woke them, the Starship was about to land on Planet Hakasi. And they needed to transfer to the small Starship heading for Bakero Planet.

The small Starship was tiny, carrying only a hundred or two hundred people—completely not on the same level as the large Starship. Moreover, the small Starship seemed dated, clearly on the verge of being obsolete.

Boarding the small Starship, they discovered over a hundred seats with only five or six passengers. It appeared that this small Starship was the kind that lost money every trip.

It was probably government-subsidized to maintain the route. If privately owned, it likely would have ceased operations.

Having slept their fill on the large Starship, they weren’t drowsy now. They browsed StarNet for information related to Bakero Snakes.

They only had three days off. At the latest, they needed to be on a starship heading back to the Imperial Fourth Military Academy by the morning of the day after tomorrow. This meant they had only one day and one night to hunt Bakero Snakes.

The small Starship landed at Bakero Planet’s docking station. Stepping off, they headed towards the exit.

“Why only one day and one night? It’s just afternoon now. Until the morning after tomorrow… shouldn’t that be two nights?” Zhen Yan asked.

Jia Hua: “Night time isn’t convenient for searching. Let’s not go tonight. We’ll find a hotel, sleep, and enter the jungle early tomorrow morning.”

Zhen Yan: “…Fine, as you say.”

They first found a hotel and booked a couple’s suite. Without even visiting the room, they went straight to a restaurant, feasting on exotic local delicacies. Then, they went into the largest Supermarket in the habitation zone to purchase their needed supplies, carrying back a huge bag of items before heading to their hotel.

Lying on the hotel’s large, soft pink bed, Jia Hua realized the room was quiet. Propping herself up to find Zhen Yan, she spotted her standing pensively at the bathroom entrance.

“Hehe…” Jia Hua couldn’t help but chuckle.

Hearing the laugh, Zhen Yan turned and gave Jia Hua a plaintive look, making Jia Hua laugh even harder.

This was a couple’s suite. Naturally, the theme was all about intimacy and suggestive ambiance. The bed was a pink heart-shaped bed, and above it was a large mirror. The bathroom had a shower enclosed in frosted glass, but only the portion from knee-height to collarbone-height was frosted. Other parts were clearly visible from the outside.

However, there were no Hidden Cameras in the room. If there had been, Jia Hua would have dismantled the entire hotel.

Under Zhen Yan’s plaintive gaze, Jia Hua quickly held up three fingers, putting on a serious face: “I swear, I really didn’t know the room layout was like this!”

Zhen Yan: “…Then, do you shower first, or should I?”

Jia Hua naturally led by example. “Me first.” She marched into the bathroom and showered openly without a hint of modesty. Yet, while she was bold and unashamed, Zhen Yan sat outside with her back turned, looking down at her phone.

Oh ho, truly a gentleman who refrains from looking?

When it was Zhen Yan’s turn to shower, Jia Hua followed suit, not peeking either. This helped the initially tense Zhen Yan relax a bit. Yet afterward, she felt a strange emptiness inside, which was peculiar.

After showering, Zhen Yan voluntarily lay in Jia Hua’s arms, seeking kisses.

Jia Hua: “?”

Tonight’s Zhen Yan seemed a bit more proactive?

They kissed passionately, inseparable. At the height of emotion, hands were about to wander lower, but luckily, both still retained their sanity. They hastily ended the kiss, settling for simple embraces.

Both thought the other was the same gender. Kissing was fine, but if it came to marking, their covers would be blown instantly.

Dammit, why did they both have to be the same gender! Even being Betas would be better than this!

Embracing, they both cursed viciously in their hearts.

The next morning, carrying their military backpacks, they headed for Bakero Forest. They hired a local’s vehicle and stopped at the forest’s edge. Stepping out, their snake-hunting journey began.

The local driver shook his head and could only shout at their retreating figures to stay strictly in the outer perimeter, not to go deeper!

Just entering the forest, a pervasive buzzing sound filled their ears. Both wore long sleeves, long pants, and tall boots. Any skin exposed to the air was covered in Mosquito Spray. Thus, the hordes of unknown mosquito species could only circle them endlessly, flapping their wings in frustration, unable to harm them one bit.

Venturing further, their vision filled entirely with green. Layers of fallen leaves, sprawling branches, dense vegetation covering vast areas, blocking out the sky and sun. It was impossible to tell direction.

Their phones had completely lost signal. Putting them away, they took out a pre-prepared map, upon which several red circles were heavily marked. According to StarNet users, these spots were the most frequented by Bakero Snakes.

Heading towards the nearest red circle, they still saw absolutely no traces of Bakero Snakes. Instead, they encountered quite a few animals trying to attack them. Among them: a black Anaconda, a giant centipede, a swarm of brown ants, a large green spider, a blue venomous frog, a Red Python…

The daylight dimmed. Within the vast, sky-covering dense forest, the sound of a woman’s laughter emerged.

“I told you not to keep using your Mental Power, but you wouldn’t listen. See? Now you can’t even walk…” Jia Hua had her own military backpack on her chest and Zhen Yan on her back, striding steadily forward.

“I… couldn’t control it.” Zhen Yan hugged Jia Hua’s neck with both arms, her voice weak.

Heavens, those creatures just now… they were the first she’d ever seen in real life! They looked far more horrific than the images on StarNet! An Anaconda as thick as a human torso, several meters long, moving at incredible speed. Zhen Yan subconsciously released her Mental Power against them.

Venomous creatures lurked everywhere along the path. Her Mental Power was continuously released. Eventually, Zhen Yan was so drained her legs went weak, unable to walk, forcing Jia Hua to carry her on her back.

Gazing at the back of Jia Hua’s head, Zhen Yan couldn’t help but ask, “How is your combat technique so strong? When did you train? Also, how is your strength so great…”

Earlier, when the Red Python and other venomous creatures attacked together, Jia Hua had actually grabbed the Red Python by the tail! Using it like a whip, she smashed it against the other creatures. Wherever it struck, the creatures were swept away, sending dead leaves flying everywhere. Finally, she smashed the Red Python fiercely against a tree trunk. It died.

Zhen Yan’s eyeballs had almost exploded then.