Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

The girl's eyes were closed as she was immersed in a glass jar filled with purple liquid. Her long hair billowed upwards like seaweed, swaying gently with the flow of the liquid.

"What is this, Yitong?" Yemaner approached the glass jar, carefully examining these incomprehensible objects. She frowned, trying to find some answers in the scene before her, but to no avail.

“You old fogies don’t need to know so much. This is the most advanced technology available today!” A woman named Yitong, dressed in a white protective suit that covered her completely except for her bright eyes, explained to Yemaner, “I pulled a lot of strings to get this equipment… Go away, get out of the way.” With that, she waved her hand impatiently, signaling Yemaner to step back.

Ye Man'er shook her head helplessly, took a few steps back, and continued to observe Yi Tong's every move.

"Did Mus send you to spy on me?" After a long pause, Yitong asked again.

"Knights of the Templars address each other by their titles when they are on duty," Yeman corrected.

“Alright, then I’ll trouble Lieutenant Yeman to help me with the withdrawal procedures. Your Templar Knights are the elite of the entire Deer Clan, but I am not.” She then pulled out a tube and reattached it to the back of the glass vessel.

Yitong's voice sounded calm, but Yeman could sense the dissatisfaction and anger building within her. Watching Yitong skillfully operate the complex instruments, she couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration.

She was telling Yeman that she was not someone who needed to be protected.

However, Yeman knew this was merely a facade. As a Templar Knight, she had a responsibility to protect the safety of every Deer Clan member, including Eton. Although Eton might not understand her intentions, she had to remain at her post.

“Yi Tong, you should understand our mission,” Ye Man’er tried to explain. “We exist to protect the Deer Clan, and we cannot stand idly by if anything threatens their safety.”

Yi Tong stopped what she was doing, slowly turned her head, and stared coldly at Ye Man'er. Her voice was icy: "Then why don't you focus your time and energy on the real enemy? Like those humans who have driven us out of our homes and left us homeless." After saying that, she forcefully took off her lab gloves and slammed them on the table, making a crisp sound.

Ye Man'er was momentarily at a loss for words. She gazed at Yi Tong, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes. Yes, Yi Tong was right. During the War of Heaven and Earth, the intervention of human armies had turned the tide of the war to almost one-sided. The resistance led by Na Ling could only resist with simple weapons, becoming easy targets... Those horrific battle scenes were still deeply etched in Ye Man'er's mind.

“Have you forgotten? Back then, their planes swept across the sky with impunity, and we… could only fight back with rudimentary bows and arrows.” Yi Tong’s tone became increasingly agitated, her eyes filled with painful memories of the past.

Yeman remained silent. Because it was all true. They had lost too much in that war, paying a heavy price. And now, they still lived in fear and unease.

She said softly, "I understand how you feel, but sometimes we have to make difficult decisions for the greater good. Now we need your strength to protect the rest of our people."

Yitong lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "I have not been disloyal to Mus... nor would I dare. But I really do not want to participate in the war. I only want to contribute to the technological development of the Deer Clan and become an unknown scholar."

“I will convey your thoughts to the general. But please remember, we all wish for the prosperity of the Deer Clan, Itong,” Yeman said.

Just then, Yi Tong noticed that the girl in the glass container moved slightly, as if she was about to wake up. A mixture of anticipation and nervousness welled up inside her.

Seeing this, Ye Man'er breathed a sigh of relief. She knew this was the biggest concession the scientist could make. So, she silently nodded and stepped aside. At that moment, a slight noise came from the doorway—Mus had been quietly waiting there, and had overheard their conversation clearly.

He sighed, then quietly left, disappearing completely into the darkness.

......

After exiting the highway, the car drove along a winding road and finally stopped beside a dense grove of trees. It was just a short distance from Shenzhen, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Zhao Lin was busy unloading some items from the car, and then she and Sharp set up the tent. Zhao Lin skillfully unfolded the tent fabric, inserted the tent poles into the ground, and soon a simple yet cozy campsite appeared before them.

Meanwhile, Nathaniel, carelessly tossed aside, was struggling desperately. His body twisted and turned, trying to break free of his restraints. With each movement, the chains clanged crisply.

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" Nathaniel mumbled through a rag stuffed in his mouth. His eyes were wide with fear as he looked at his unfamiliar surroundings.

Naling walked over to Nathaniel and kicked him hard. "Quiet down!" she hissed, wisps of smoke rising from her cigarette.

Seeing this, Sharp looked at Naling with a puzzled expression and asked, "Why are you still bringing him along?"

Na Ling took a deep drag of her cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. "This guy is useful to us for now... I mean, this way we don't have to worry about someone throwing a rocket at us in the middle of the night." With that, she stubbed out her cigarette and tossed it into the bushes.

Naren grabbed the chain on Nathaniel's back, lifted him up like a puppy, and walked toward the nearby stream.

“You’re walking right into a trap. Don’t think that everything will be fine once you go to Shenzhen.” After removing the foreign object from his mouth, Nathaniel continued to ramble on. “It’s already under Muslim control there and will soon become a prison.”

Naling's gaze never lingered on Nathaniel; she silently stared into the distance.

“I thought Mus would kill you, but I never expected you to become his lackey.” Her voice was low, filled with deep disappointment and contempt.

Nathaniel wasn't angry upon hearing this; he simply smiled and pointed to his split jaw, saying, "See my mouth? It was ripped open by those bastards... Most of the rebels captured alive were brutally murdered, but I was lucky enough to be an exception."

Na Ling gave a disdainful smile and replied mockingly, "Oh, really? Are you proud of that?"

Nathaniel frowned and questioned, "If you were the one captured alive, what would you choose? What good does such arrogance do you?"

However, Na Ling didn't seem to care about his questioning. She casually bent down, picked up a pebble, and tossed it into the river. The pebble bounced on the water, splashing up sprays of water.

"The truth is, you can't even protect your own sister, or have you already forgotten her?" Nathaniel said this retaliatoryly, unwilling to accept defeat.

He knew this topic was a sensitive and painful wound for Na Ling. But at this moment, he was blinded by anger and only wanted to use the sharpest words to pierce Na Ling's heart, to see if this cold monster still had a trace of emotion.

Upon hearing this, Na Ling's body jolted, and her hand, which was about to throw the stone, froze in mid-air.

The image of her younger sister flashed into her mind, the girl who had once depended on her and gone through countless difficult years together...

Na Ling's expression was so distorted that it was unbearable to look at. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she was completely unaware of it.

Finally, she could no longer control her emotions and let out a heart-wrenching roar. The sound echoed through the jungle, lingering for a long time.

Na Ling clenched the stone in her hand into tiny pieces, which scattered all over the ground. Her body trembled, as if she were about to collapse.

……

"And then? Sister, what is the price you paid for doing this?" Naya asked, her voice trembling, under the blood-stained sky.

Na Ling stood opposite her, her eyes vacant. She slowly raised her head, gazing at the sky, her voice hoarse:

"The price is,"

"Everything I have..."