Chapter 84: I’ll Be the Bait
She was just a low-level Guide. If the officials could abandon two Super S-class Sentinels, it was clear their cold-bloodedness was absolute. They wouldn’t care about a small Guide like her.
She walked slowly to the barrier and brushed her fingertips against the cold surface. Since it was dynamic, it must have been created by the Cocoon’s spiritual power. She extended her spirit threads, feeling the frantic flow of energy within, and began a careful investigation.
Once her theory was confirmed, Su Tang tried to withdraw her spirit power, only to find her threads stuck to the barrier like they were glued. Her attempt to pull back felt weak. Su Tang frowned, increased the release of her spirit threads to envelop the parts stuck to the barrier, and then decisively and quickly yanked her spirit power back.
Su Tang looked at the dejected Sentinels behind her and raised her voice.
“Being abandoned by others isn’t scary. What’s scary is when we abandon ourselves.”
Everyone looked up at her.
“What else can we do? we’re like turtles in a jar, just waiting to be caught.”
Su Tang stood tall under their gaze. Her fingertips were still trembling slightly from the forced withdrawal of her spirit threads. She gripped the supplement tightly; its coldness calmed her turbulent thoughts.
“Turtles in a jar? We’ll have to see who’s the jar and who’s the turtle.”
She turned to face the glowing barrier. A faint spirit thread extended from her fingertip; as soon as it touched the barrier, it was swallowed up.
“As you can see, this barrier is formed by the Cocoon’s spiritual power. It can absorb our spirit power; that’s why it set this up.”
“It’s trapping us because it knows the Bai Ta is going to bomb it. It needs enough spirit power to evolve so it can become strong enough to withstand the attack. And we… we are the richest nourishment in its eyes.”
Su Tang’s swallowed spirit power served as silent proof of her theory.
“What do you want to do?” Mo Xiao’s voice broke the silence. He knew Su Tang’s character; since she had made a discovery, she must have a plan.
Su Tang met Mo Xiao’s gaze. Her finger traced the barrier. When she discovered it could absorb her spirit power, a plan had indeed formed in her mind.
“Since it wants nourishment, I’ll feed it.”
She mobilized the abundant spirit power in her sea of consciousness and let out a faint smile. If it’s so greedy, I’ll feed it. However, my spirit power isn’t that easy to eat. I just hope it has the life to enjoy it.
Zhan Ye immediately understood her plan. “What are you trying to do? Use your spirit power as bait? That thing has no restraint—you’ll be sucked dry!”
He instinctively stepped forward to stop her but was frozen in place by Su Tang’s determined gaze.
“When I was investigating with my spirit power just now, I found that there are channels within the barrier that likely connect to the Cocoon. If I release my spirit power here, it will surely be unable to resist coming through the channel to absorb it. That will be our best chance to blow it up.”
By blowing the thing up, their current predicament could be resolved.
“No, we don’t agree.”
“How can we let a Guide stand in front of us and charge into battle? If spirit power is needed to attract it, we should be the ones.”
“Exactly! Letting a Guide take the hit for us—don’t you feel ashamed? Sentinels shouldn’t hide behind Guides; we should protect them!”
Su Tang looked at the Sentinels who had suddenly become agitated, all offering themselves as bait, and a wave of warmth passed through her eyes.
“A Sentinel’s spirit power is never as vast as a Guide’s. It’s better if I act as the bait.”
“Guide Su, don’t think I’m being rude, but your level isn’t that high either. Your spirit power reserves aren’t much different from ours. Let us be the bait.”
Su Tang smiled and waved for everyone to be quiet. She held up the spirit power supplement in her hand.
“Don’t worry. With the supplement, I’ll be fine.”
The expression of the tall Sentinel who had given her the medicine changed instantly. “Guide Su, I didn’t give you the medicine so you could use it for this!”
If he had known, he would have given it to her later.
Su Tang gave him a gentle smile. “I know. But it’s better if I act as the bait. Once the Cocoon is lured over, I’ll have to trouble you to blow it up. Your main role comes afterward. We’re just performing our duties and helping each other. Don’t argue with me on this.”
Her final words felt like a warm current flowing through every Sentinel’s heart.
Zhan Ye looked at Su Tang. There was a bit of dust on her fair cheeks—likely from when he had impulsively sent the Golden Eagle to strike the barrier. Her small, rosy lips were pressed into a resilient line, her eyes were curved, and the white light behind her seemed like a halo crowning her. She was incredibly beautiful.
His chest throbbed with every heartbeat. Zhan Ye lightly pressed his right hand over his heart. Years later, when he looked back on this scene, his heart would still skip a beat. This day, this single glance—the girl had become the dawn breaking through despair, leaving an indelible mark on his soul.
“Time is running out. Let’s quickly discuss the next phase of the plan.” Mo Xiao took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart. Looking at Su Tang’s slender yet upright back and her silhouette outlined by the barrier’s glow, his mind was filled with mixed feelings.
Because of the Mark, he knew clearly that Su Tang’s spirit power reserves were very abundant. As long as his and Zhan Ye’s spirit power hadn’t run dry, he wasn’t worried she would be sucked empty. However, seeing her stand before them and say those things, it was hard not to be moved. Furthermore, given her current physical condition, he really didn’t dare gamble on the consequences of her outputting spirit power on such a large scale.
Just as he was about to speak up to stop her, he felt a soft touch on his arm. She had reached out to hold him.
“Don’t worry. I value my life very much; I’ll never do anything that harms my body.”
“Besides, in this situation, our lives are already on the line. We can worry about other things once we’re safely out.”
The girl gave him a soft smile. Sensing that he was about to stop her, she had given him a piece of “candy” in advance to seal his mouth…
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