Starforce Warriors-Chapter 615: Strange

Once they left the quiet chamber, Li Xiaofei deliberately slowed his pace to talk next to Ye Liuying.

"Did you find anything?" he asked in a low voice.

"No," Ye Liuying replied.

"Then just now, you..." Li Xiaofei was at a loss for words. When she had stopped him from signing the contract, he had thought she had discovered something.

Ye Liuying explained, "My intuition tells me something isn’t quite right."

Li Xiaofei nodded. Intuition was sometimes an inexplicable thing. Ye Liuying was naturally gifted with the ability to see through all flaws, making her intuition extraordinarily accurate.

"If I find anything, I’ll contact you directly," she added, quickening her pace as she left.

Li Xiaofei murmured to himself, "Why does it feel like she’s avoiding me?"

"Senior Li!" A voice called out from beside him. Li Xiaofei turned to see Bai Qiqi approaching.

The young woman who was as delicate and enchanting as a fairy from a painting drew closer.

She put on an air of mystery as she said, "I’ve made a discovery."

Li Xiaofei’s heart stirred as she whispered, "The beast hide contract is strange. I think I can hear it... talking."

"What?" Li Xiaofei was startled.

Talking beast hides?

Bai Qiqi was a natural beast soul body. After following Zhong Dajun to cultivate the Beast Emperor Technique, her innate talent had been partially unlocked. When it came to the path of beastmasters, her insights carried significant weight.

Li Xiaofei pulled the beast hide contract from his pocket and handed it to her. "Study it carefully. Report directly to me if you discover anything."

"Got it," Bai Qiqi responded, beaming with joy. Helping Li Xiaofei was the thing she wanted to do most.

***

In a simple stone house in a narrow alley of the camp, the air was thick with the sharp, pungent scent of medicinal herbs.

A woman, her face half-disfigured like charred asphalt, sat in front of a rudimentary stove made of piled stones. She held a palm fan in her hands, waving it vigorously. Droplets of sweat trickled down her forehead, soaking her bangs and the strands of hair near her temples. Someone coughed behind her.

The bald, burly Zhang Mingjun, one of the eight captains of the camp, leaned against the wall as he watched her. "Ugly woman, take it slow. Don’t rush. You’ve been working too hard lately," he said.

The woman said nothing. She only continued to wave the fan with all her strength. The fire inside the stone stove flickered, its flames growing dim and bright in turns. Gradually, a faint bluish glow began to emerge.

A stone pot sat on the stove, its original color obscured by age and use. Inside, a vivid green medicinal concoction bubbled and boiled. The disfigured woman stared at the ripples forming in the thick liquid. She was so focused that it felt like Zhang Mingjun’s words had fallen on deaf ears.

She was so immersed in her task that it seemed as though she had forgotten the existence of the world around her. Suddenly—

Pop.

The concoction inside the stone pot seemed to pop like a bubble bursting. It had become sem-liquid, like sludge that had been scooped up from some ancient, putrid swamp. A nauseating stench filled the air. Yet, tears suddenly welled up and streamed down the face of the disfigured woman.

"It’s done," she whispered softly.

"The atmosphere in the camp has been off these past couple of days. Those new young people who arrived... they give off an unsettling vibe. I can’t figure out which type of Extraordinary Ones they belong to..." Zhang Mingjun leaned against the wall, rambling on.

"It’s done," the disfigured woman said again.

"Have you noticed? There’s an aura about those young ones, something... otherworldly. I think—"

"It’s done," she interrupted for the third time.

"I got it, you think they... Wait, what did you just say? It’s done? What’s done?" Zhang Mingjun’s words trailed off as disbelief flashed across his face.

He froze for a moment before suddenly springing to his feet. He rushed to the stove and examined the thick, black, viscous liquid inside the stone pot.

"You’re saying the medicine is done?" Zhang Mingjun’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

The disfigured woman nodded. "It’s done. This time, it really worked. Brother Jun, we can finally free ourselves from that old bastard’s control."

"Hahaha, hahahahaha!" Zhang Mingjun burst into laughter, his voice filled with exhilaration. Then, just as suddenly, he stifled his laughter as his expression twisted into something dark and menacing.

***

"The chief's supernatural ability?" A look of surprise flashed across Song Shiyu’s face. "You don’t know? Uh... I thought everyone already knew," he said.

Li Xiaofei shook his head, his harmless smile concealing his curiosity. "I don’t know, so I’m a bit curious."

The camp’s third-in-command explained, "It’s not exactly a secret. Most people in the camp know. The chief’s ability is Devour."

"Devour?" Li Xiaofei’s curiosity deepened.

"Yes," Song Shiyu replied. "The ability allows him to devour the extraordinary essence of his opponents. He can use their abilities until he devours again. In short, the chief’s power is strong and selective."

Li Xiaofei nodded thoughtfully.

"And what about your ability, Third Master?" he asked.

Song Shiyu chuckled, showing no hesitation in answering. "I can control rainwater. I’m usually in charge of irrigating the wheat fields, but during a beast tide, I can unleash torrential rain to create flash floods and wipe out enemies. Oh, if you’re curious about the second-in-command, he controls the earth. He can alter terrain, create earthen spikes, traps, and so on. He’s not someone to mess with."

So straightforward?

Li Xiaofei had only asked casually; he had not expected Song Shiyu to reveal everything so candidly.

"At the end of the day," Song Shiyu sighed, "we just hope you’ll stay. Us old bones won’t last much longer. There are so many kids in the camp who won’t survive without protection..."

He spoke with sincerity, his voice heavy with concern.

Li Xiaofei fell silent.

After a pause, Song Shiyu grew curious and asked, "What about you, young friend? What’s your ability?"

Li Xiaofei replied, "Gravity."

As he spoke, he exerted a little energy. Song Shiyu suddenly felt an overwhelming gravitational force beneath his feet. Caught off guard, he nearly lost his balance.

"Impressive," Song Shiyu remarked with a sigh of admiration. "A rare ability indeed. There’s a rumor that the world’s former top Extraordinary, Li Guorui, also mastered a gravity-related power. Hmm, you’re a Li too. Could you be one of his descendants?"

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly and replied, "Of course not."

Nightfall at Grandpa Lakeside Camp brought with it a unique beauty. Li Xiaofei stood at one of the camp’s vantage points and gazed into the distance. Mountains loomed majestically on the horizon. A waterfall of floating dust fell from the silver moon like an enormous hourglass pouring sand.

This fantastical scene, filled with an ethereal charm, was, in reality, a grim reminder of Earth’s apocalypse.

"What’s that?" asked Li Xiaofei as his eyes suddenly sharpened.

A dark shadow had appeared in the middle of Grandpa Lake. It had emerged without warning, like an island rising abruptly from the water’s surface.

Suddenly, a vertical pupil opened within the shadow as if some ancient creature had awakened. Two enormous crimson eyes, edged in gold, snapped open, exuding an aura of malice and violence.

"Roar!" A thunderous bellow echoed from the lake’s center.

The soundwaves created terrifying surges, sending waves several meters high crashing across the lake. The entire camp jolted awake in an instant.

"This is bad," Song Shiyu exclaimed, his face pale with shock.

He leapt into the air, his figure glowing with a silvery-white light. He faced the incoming tidal wave and thrust forward with both hands.

A moment later, the massive wave seemed to crash against an invisible wall before retreating back into the lake. This was the water manipulation ability of an Extraordinary One.

Li Xiaofei observed closely and noticed that this ability was fundamentally different from the starforce qi he was familiar with, though its rank was comparable. Song Shiyu’s strength appeared to be at the Saint level.

"What is that monster?"

"How could something like that be in Grandpa Lake?"

"Quick, everyone retreat immediately!"

A series of panicked shouts erupted. People rushed out of their stone houses and stared in horror at the center of the lake, where a massive creature was slowly emerging from beneath the surface.

The oppressive aura and its ferocious roars filled everyone with dread, as if the apocalypse had descended. Pregnant women screamed in terror, some nearly fainting on the spot.

Even Li Xiaofei felt deeply shaken. This was a creature beyond the Great Saint level. Its aura carried a hint of an extraterrestrial presence. Without a doubt, this was a being that transcended Earth’s limits: a Star Tier creature.

But how? How could a Star Tier creature exist in Grandpa Lake? And more importantly, why did I not sense it earlier?

Li Xiaofei ascended into the air. Just as Li Xiaofei was about to make a move, the massive, bizarre water creature suddenly dove, vanishing beneath the lake’s surface in an instant. The terrifying pressure that had gripped the camp disappeared along with it. The churning, turbulent waters of the lake were the only evidence that what had occurred was not a mere illusion.

Song Shiyu quickly led the Extraordinary Ones of the camp in handling the aftermath. Many residents living in stone houses near the lake were evacuated. The entire camp was shrouded in fear and unease.

No one could have imagined that Grandpa Lake, long regarded as the source of life, harbored such a terrifying creature.

Morning did nothing to calm the fear in the camp. If anything, it had only grown even more intense. A few brave Extraordinary Ones attempted to peer beneath the lake’s surface using secret techniques, but their efforts yielded nothing.

"Please stay."

"Honored ones, we beg you, save us."

"Remain in the camp. We are willing to revere you as gods and worship you day and night."

"Have mercy on us. My child is still nursing, he doesn’t understand anything yet. Please, Extraordinary Ones, let him live."

A group of survivors had gathered outside the stone houses. They pleaded desperately, hoping that Li Xiaofei and the others would stay to protect the camp. The horrors of the previous night had utterly shattered their courage.

"Everyone, there's no need for this," Li Xiaofei said. "I’ll go underwater myself to take a look."

Sword in hand, he soared into the air before diving straight into the waters of Grandpa Lake.

The lake wasn’t particularly large, nor was it very deep, with a depth of no more than a hundred meters. Rock formations, aquatic plants, and white-scaled fish created a stunningly vibrant ecosystem below the surface.

Yet, despite searching the entire lake, Li Xiaofei found no trace of the giant creature. All he saw were hundreds of fist-sized springs, bubbling with clear water that fed the lake.

There was no way a creature of that size could have hidden itself in such small springs.

This is strange.

By midday, everyone gathered for a meal and discussion.

"I didn’t find anything unusual," Bai Qiqi admitted, looking a little dejected. "This beast hide is somewhat unique, but there’s nothing particularly strange about it. I don’t think it’s worth worrying over."

Ye Liuying added, "It seems we’ve overthought things. This camp appears to be normal."

Li Xiaofei nodded in agreement.

Zhang Zhihong and Ximen Piaoxue spoke simultaneously. "Why don’t we just sign the contract and stay here for a while? At the very least, it’ll provide some peace of mind for the survivors."

"Alright, that works too," Li Xiaofei nodded in agreement.

He also felt that perhaps they had been overthinking things. The leaders of Grandpa Lakeside Camp truly seemed trustworthy. Once they reached a consensus, the group made their way to the courtyard of the camp’s chief.

"That’s wonderful!"

Hearing that Li Xiaofei and the others were willing to stay, the three camp leaders were overjoyed.

"Thank you so much," Song Shiyu said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Zhang Wannian was equally elated. "Our camp finally has a new generation of top-tier powerhouses! This is fantastic. Please, sign the contract. Spread the word. Haha, let everyone celebrate! With Li Xiaofei and the others here, Grandpa Lakeside Camp can surely survive for at least another hundred years..."

Li Xiaofei pulled out the beast hide contract. He was just about to sign his name on it when—

"Stop! Don’t sign it!"

A voice rang out in the distance.

"If you don’t want to die, don’t sign that cursed contract!"