abnabooks Chapter 242 White Tiger Shirley
Chapter 242 White Tiger Shirley
Chapter 242 White Tiger Shirley
She then introduced, "This is Li Ang. His combat strength is quite good. We're thinking that while we wait for the Great Nest Master to summon him, perhaps we could temporarily have him join the 'Self-Defense Corps' to contribute to the main nest."
Shirley's gaze immediately fell on Li Ang. Her eyes first swept over the obviously new, high-quality crocodile leather armor he was wearing, and then landed on his face, which was mostly covered by the shadow of his hood.
"Join the self-defense group?" Shirley's tone remained calm, but Li Ang could sense a hint of scrutiny and doubt in it.
"The mission of the self-defense force is not easy, and the dangers they face are varied. The kobolds—they are probably not up to the task."
Her gaze lingered on Li Ang's tall and straight figure.
"However, your physique doesn't seem like that of an ordinary kobold. It's rare for an ordinary kobold to be as tall as you."
As she spoke, she took two steps forward, almost within a meter of Li Ang. This was a posture that conveyed a sense of pressure, but it also allowed her to more clearly perceive his presence.
Her icy blue vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and her nostrils twitched almost imperceptibly.
Suddenly, Shirley pressed her ears back, her icy blue pupils contracted sharply, and her aura instantly became fierce, like a taut bowstring.
"No," she said in a low voice, a hint of wariness in her tone, "you're not a kobold."
Her right hand rested seemingly casually on the hilt of the short sword at her waist, her gaze piercingly fixed on the shadow beneath Li Ang's hood.
Tell me, who exactly are you?
Seeing this, Lillian quickly stepped forward, standing between Leon and Sherry, and explained urgently, "Ms. Sherry, please don't misunderstand. Leon is indeed not a kobold, but we had him disguised so as not to attract the attention of the elven patrols when he is out in the world. Because he comes from—the outside world, he is human."
"Humans? From outside?"
Sherry did not loosen her grip on the knife hilt, her icy blue vertical pupils filled with a mixture of shock and doubt.
"That's impossible. The passage between Avalon and the mortal world has been sealed for thousands of years; no outside being has ever been able to enter without guidance. How can you prove it?"
Li Ang raised his hand and slowly removed his hood, revealing a face whose skin color and hair details had been altered by Old Zeno's potion, but which still vaguely resembled a human.
He didn't attempt to use magic, which would only exacerbate the tension, but calmly met Sherry's scrutinizing gaze: "Ms. Sherry, I cannot prove that I came from the outside world, after all, it was more like an accident that caught me completely unprepared, but I can prove that I have no ill intentions towards you, in fact, I came with goodwill, and I am willing to use my power to help you, just as I did in Lillian's lair."
Shirley's gaze lingered on Li Ang's face for a long time, then swept over Lillian's earnest expression, and finally settled on Li Ang's calm yet firm eyes.
Her fierce aura gradually subsided, but her vigilance remained.
"Visitors from outside—humans—" she repeated softly, as if digesting this news that was enough to overturn her understanding.
"If it's true, you will be the first in thousands of years—what this really means, only the Great Cave Master can judge."
She hesitated for a moment, then finally released her grip on the hilt of the knife and made her decision.
"Alright. Leon, I will temporarily accept Lord Lillian's recommendation and your explanation. But until the Great Lord of the Cave returns to make his own judgment, you must remain within my sight."
Her tone was unequivocal: "Furthermore, joining the self-defense group is fine, but you must operate with my team. I need to see your intentions firsthand, assess your character, and determine whether you bring opportunity or disaster."
"Of course." Li Ang nodded without hesitation. Being able to get more information by being around a key figure like Shirley was exactly what he hoped for.
"Well then, welcome to the third squad of the Main Nest Self-Defense Force on a temporary basis," Shirley said businesslike, then she changed the subject: "Perfect timing, there's an urgent mission this afternoon. Get ready, and report to the operations room in an hour."
An hour later, Li Ang followed Shirley to the Self-Defense Force's operations room, located inside the rock wall on the west side of the main nest.
This is a spacious stone hall with rough but detailed maps of underground passages and parts of the surface forest hanging on the walls. In the center is a huge stone table.
At this moment, more than a dozen members of the self-defense group had gathered around the stone table. Most of them were burly and had a strong presence.
Six of them were bear-men, even more robust and muscular than Sherry, with thick fur covering their strong bodies; four were lynx-men, tall and agile with sharp eyes; and two were tiger-men, their bodies covered in colorful patterns and exuding a fierce aura.
The most eye-catching figure was standing at the end of the long table. He was over three meters tall, like a moving mountain. His skin was dark gray, covered with rough textures, and his long trunk swayed nimbly. His small but wise eyes scrutinized everyone who entered. He was an elephant-man.
"Gentlemen," Shirley said, walking to the long table, her voice carrying clearly throughout the stone chamber.
"This is Li Ang, a new member who has temporarily joined our third team. He comes from the outside world and is a human. His current disguise is to avoid being recognized by elves when he is active on the surface. I will observe his specific abilities during the mission."
"The outside world? Humans?" a bear-man repeated in a deep voice, his rugged face filled with disbelief.
The other members also cast surprised, curious, and even doubtful glances at him. The elephant's long trunk curled up slightly, emitting a low, thoughtful hum.
Shirley didn't explain much, but pointed directly to a simple map spread out on the stone table.
"Today's target is Silver Dew Manor, southwest of the city." Her voice grew even colder and harder.
"According to the latest intelligence from our undercover agents, this manor is ostensibly a 'charitable haven' established by an elven noble to shelter abandoned or elderly pets. But in reality—"
She paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"That place is a hidden gathering ground for living materials." Healthy orcs are lured or secretly sent there, where their organs, bone marrow, or blood are harvested to treat or strengthen the "pets" favored by the elven nobles—pets of a higher social class. And the fate of those orcs after being gathered is predictable.
As Shirley finished speaking, a suppressed anger and chill filled the stone chamber. Several bear-men growled, their fists clenched so tightly they cracked, while the lynx-men tensed up, their fur standing on end.
"Everyone, calm down, we'll get them out," Shirley reassured her team before continuing to plan the mission.