Chapter 20: Even the Guides Can Be Worn Down by You All

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Yu Xia was roused by Huo Lin, her eyes fluttering open drowsily as she croaked hoarsely, “Thirsty...”

Nyx and the others hurriedly brought out all the water they had.

Clutching the water bottle, Yu Xia, her consciousness still hazy, gulped down the liquid desperately, more urgently than ever before.

Before their departure, Huo Lin and the others had prepared about five liters of water for Yu Xia, which now seemed utterly insufficient.

She could easily drink a whole liter in one go.

Her mental energy was severely depleted; although she had only given a shallow mental pacification to the sentinels, calming hundreds of them at once was a massive strain for a guide rated below A-class, completely exhausting her mental reserves.

After Yu Xia drank nearly three liters, Nyx noticed her still lacked clarity and stopped her from drinking more.

At this point, whether she drank one bottle or ten made little difference—she remained parched.

They had to either provide her with a quiet, comfortable environment to recover her mental strength or offer a pool for her to soak in and ease her spiritual pressure.

But neither was available to them.

The situation was truly dire.

“Huo Lin...” Yu Xia grasped the front of Huo Lin’s jacket, her fish tail flicking anxiously.

She was like a fish flung ashore, with her mental energy overdrawn to the point of suffocation.

Instinctively, she sought solace in the proximity of the sentinels.

“I’m here,” Huo Lin said gravely, holding her close, a pang of pain stirring deep within. “We’ll get you out of here soon.”

“So thirsty,” Yu Xia murmured, half-closing her eyes, swallowing repeatedly.

The sentinels, seeing her condition, grew deeply anxious.

“I’ve already scanned the mech data for the exit. You handle it; give me Yu Xia,” Nyx said, opening his terminal and sharing the data with Huo Lin before reaching out his hands.

Huo Lin hesitated briefly before passing Yu Xia to him.

The moment he moved, Yu Xia clung tightly, wrapping her fish tail around his leg, refusing to leave his embrace no matter what.

Huo Lin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he softly called her name twice; she tightened her grip even more.

He silently cursed the situation.

Nyx, seeing how dependent Yu Xia was on Huo Lin, felt a pang of envy bubbling within.

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Huo Lin exhaled slowly and said to Nyx, “Bring my backpack.”

Yu Xia was unwilling to leave him, but he could still work while holding her.

Just as Nyx brought Huo Lin’s backpack, the door suddenly swung open.

All eyes snapped toward the entrance, spotting the damned mercenary Og standing there with a foolish expression.

“...I knew it,” Og said, his throat involuntarily swallowing hard as he stared unblinkingly at the beautiful little mermaid cradled in Huo Lin’s arms.

Even without smelling her pheromones, he recognized her as the young guide they’d encountered halfway—Huo Lin’s so-called “younger brother.”

“You’re really hiding a guide here... uh!”

Before Og could finish, Nyx dragged him roughly inside and slammed him to the ground.

The sentinels quickly snapped back to alertness, shutting the door and drawing their knives, encircling Og with murderous intent in their eyes.

Og tried to get up but Nyx grabbed his shoulder and slammed him back down.

“How did you find us?” Nyx twisted his arm, a crisp crack signaling the dislocation of a joint.

Og grunted, forcing himself to look toward the little mermaid, grinning despite the pain. “You think you hid her well? Everyone’s starting to suspect there’s a guide here.”

Nyx grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the floor again. “We found no trace of your presence. I’ll ask you once more: how did you find us? Answer properly, or the next thing I break will be your neck.”

“Containment item,” Huo Lin said coldly, staring at Og. “He carries a containment device that masks his aura, making him hard to detect.”

Blood dripped down Og’s face, but he smiled serenely. “Sharp eyes, Huo Lin.”

Huo Lin’s gaze was icy. “Kill him.”

Nyx placed his hand on Og’s neck.

“Kill me?” Og said, “If you don’t find a solution soon, the little guide will die of thirst.”

Nyx’s hand tightened around his throat, ready to snap it.

Og didn’t resist much, continuing, “Tsk, useless as always. Even a guide can die under your care.”

Nyx’s grip constricted further; Og gasped, face flushed red, “I know... where... there’s... water!”

Nyx and Huo Lin exchanged a glance, then looked at Yu Xia before releasing him.

“Don’t try anything funny.”

Og sat up, spitting blood, wiping his mouth. His sharp gaze fixed on Yu Xia. “You’ve drained her dry. I’ve never seen a guide this severely corrupted.”

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Nyx was too impatient to explain. “Enough nonsense! Where’s the water?”

Og sneered, twisting his dislocated arm a few times before setting it back. “Follow me.”

Huo Lin said, “Wait. Give me the containment device you use to hide your aura.”

Og understood what he wanted, showing no hesitation as he pulled a pendant resembling a ruby from around his neck. “You say I’m just a thief, but I think you’re the real bandit.”

He brought the pendant close to Yu Xia; Nyx pushed him aside and beckoned him over with a finger.

Og withdrew his hand holding the pendant, baring his crooked, canine teeth. “If you want a share, you’ll have to deal with me first. You can’t just use me and toss me aside.”

Seeing Nyx narrow his eyes, Og taunted, “Want to kill me? If I die, she’ll be found immediately. Believe me, with so many mad sentinels in the contaminated zone, she...”

Nyx grabbed his head again, slamming him hard against the wall. “You filthy dog! How dare you threaten me?”

Then, he snatched the pendant from Og’s hand and tossed it to Huo Lin.

Huo Lin caught the pendant, inspecting it carefully to confirm its safety before placing it around Yu Xia’s neck.

Upon contact, the waterdrop-shaped ruby pendant emitted a faint red glow.

The “ruby” seemed to stir as if alive.

This was a containment device Og had purchased at great expense on the black market. It was not very effective elsewhere, but in the contaminated zone, its activity was high enough to mask the sentinel aura on him, confusing contamination and mutants alike.

Even the subtle sounds around him were “swallowed” by the device—an excellent concealment tool, very useful.

Og watched the little guide wear his pendant, licking his lips. “Remember, she owes me a share too.”

Nyx scoffed, “Your share? The only thing you’ve done is find us clean water, and that’s just to keep you alive. Don’t even think about her.”

Balu stepped protectively in front of Yu Xia. “No, no share for you. Don’t even think about it!”

Og sneered, “Really? Even this useless little stutterer gets a share? You guys are spoiling her rotten. She’s a dragon-type sentinel—poor guide, unlucky to be with you.”

Balu’s face burned red at the remark. Guides generally disliked dragon-type sentinels whose mental state was unstable.

Nyx kicked Og. “You mutt, enough talk. Go find water.”