Sweet Hunting Ground [GB] - Chapter 5.1

Chapter 5: Just Kill Me Already.

The red dot symbolizing the star pirates disappeared from the detection radar.

It looked like the alarm was over, but Ani only grew more anxious. She grabbed Lin’s hand without saying a word, immediately activating the cockpit’s defense protocols and the emergency escape system prepared for the pilot.

On the screen, the words “Escape System Activating” lit up. Without a single explanation, she pushed her way through the still-panicking passengers, kicked open a door at the back of the ship marked “Passengers Prohibited,” and entered the pilot’s ID into the control system inside.

She got the ID from that corpse.

ID verification successful.

The automatic door opened. Ani stepped into the escape pod, strapped the safety belt around Lin’s waist, gave him a “don’t ask” gesture, and then pulled the starter lever—

A sluggish hum of old energy awakening sounded beneath them.

The escape pod detached from the bottom of the ship. To be honest, this was Ani’s first time flying one of these small crafts in real life. Her only prior experience was from paid simulations online. She pushed the throttle all the way forward, and the world immediately spun wildly before their eyes.

Like a meteor tracing an insane arc, the pod shot out from the severed ship, trailing sparks and lightning as it tore across the sky. It shook so violently it seemed like it could crash at any moment.

Lin, already exhausted, was pushed to his limit. He braced himself with his hands, dry-heaving for a long time, nearly vomiting up his own bile.

Only a few minutes later, the sound of countless rescue vehicles with sirens blazing flew past overhead.

These were the rescue vehicles summoned by the passengers inside. Such expensive services would deduct a large amount of star coins. Only the wealthy could afford to save their lives. And within this brief time difference, dazzling flames descended from the sky. Shells fired down from above the star pirates’ ship, blazing red as they struck the fractured ship behind the two of them.

The ship’s defense system barely lasted three seconds.

A thunderous explosion roared behind them, smoke billowing and flames shooting skyward.

Lin, glancing back by chance, froze for a moment before quickly turning his gaze to Ani. But the girl was still frowning in concentration at the controls, completely unfazed.

“There were…” he couldn’t help but speak.

“Almost a thousand people,” Ani answered. “Looks like he really doesn’t want to see me again. He really wants to blast me into pieces. Star pirates are so damn shameless, never keeping their word.”

“You’re not much better yourself.” Lin couldn’t help but associate himself with that scene, remembering the star pirate leader. He had at least some basic understanding of this crazy baby-obsessed girl next to him. “Why did he suddenly say that? What did you do to him?”

“He’s a star pirate boss who treats a thousand lives like a joke — burning, killing, looting, committing every crime imaginable.” Ani shot him a glance. “What could I possibly have done to him? Why do you immediately assume I did something? Are men always this hopelessly biased toward their own?”

Lin twitched the corner of his mouth. “I was just thinking, if he got the upper hand, maybe I could finally get rid of you.”

Ani nodded at first, then added, “True, you could’ve gotten rid of me. He hates me so much he’d rather not even take your family’s ransom. But once you fall into his hands, your scales would be sliced off one by one every day, turned into bargaining chips to extort your family. He’d strangle the life out of you while laughing like a madman, that’s the kind of vile blackmailer he is. Young master, your head really is just filled with air.”

Lin wanted to say something more, but long-term injuries and weakness combined with Ani’s ridiculous piloting left him so sick he was practically dying, puking out what little life he had left.

By the time they landed, the smoke from the ship’s destruction had yet to clear.

Ani rummaged through her bag and handed him a bottle of water, but Lin felt like even drinking water would make him vomit. She dragged him out, only to have a tall young merman, easily over 180cm, collapse right into her arms.

Long dark blue hair fell over her shoulders, covering her thin frame. He leaned against her, panting painfully like a fish out of water, on the verge of dying.

Ani gripped his hair tightly, forcing him to lift his head and meet her eyes — eyes that were now unfocused and dazed blue. She realized this usually strong merman had reached his limit. After contemplating for a moment, she said, “You need a healing serum.”

Lin’s gaze finally stirred after a while. He was practically dead, but still managed to retort, “What I need is water, the ocean of Zone Eight.”

Ani shook her head. “Such a delicate thing.” With that, she pressed down on his shoulder and forced him to drink a bottle of water.

For some reason, ever since he’d met her, this fish had almost drowned from choking on water multiple times. The liquid flowed down his dry, constricted throat, triggering a wave of dizziness and instinctive resistance. But her hand didn’t stop. Something sticky slid along with the water, prying open his tightly clenched teeth.

Something…

The tip of a tentacle pressed against his tightening throat. Ani smoothly forced the water directly down his esophagus. She screwed the cap back on the bottle, returned it to her bag, retracted the tentacle, and held the unsteady merman in her arms.