Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Come Over and Be My Assistant

"Me too. Damn, this newbie’s virtual model is amazing. I wonder what the female looks like from the front."

Gu Ning bit into a dry compressed biscuit and snorted inwardly, ’Don’t even think about it. I’m not going to show my face!’

"Dammit, can’t they post faster? The wait is driving me crazy, I can’t even focus on my work."

"This blogger’s so skilled, can’t they make a virtual female for our Bear Clan? Why one from the Dog Clan? I get annoyed just looking at those dogs. If they made one for our Bear Clan, I’d stop flinging crap at them. I’d like and tip every single video."

An idea sparked in Gu Ning’s mind when she heard the Beastman’s words.

"Insult the Dog Clan if you want, but leave the females out of it," a Beastman said, displeased.

"Alright, alright, I get it. That’s not what I meant."

Gu Ning listened to the Beastmen’s chatter and quietly made a mental note of what that one Beastman had said.

Just then, a hand tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

Gu Ning pulled up her cowl and pushed off the wall with her feet to turn around.

"Here, eat up." Alex handed her a large piece of bread with a sausage in it.

Gu Ning saw he had another piece in his hand, and after a moment’s thought, she took it.

She didn’t eat it, though, and instead stuffed it into her pocket.

With him watching from the side, she didn’t dare take off her cowl to eat.

Alex saw the half-eaten compressed biscuit in her hand and said, "You don’t have to save it. I’ll give you another piece at dinner."

With that, he offered her his water canteen.

Gu Ning shook her head.

She couldn’t find a place to use the toilet here, so she couldn’t drink too much water.

Before, when she was working on the inner wall, she could sneak off to use the restroom. But now, hanging so high up, it was too much trouble to go up and down.

Seeing her refusal, Alex didn’t press the issue. He moved over to the defensive weapon he had been installing and ate his lunch while inspecting it.

He finished his food in a few bites, then unscrewed his canteen to take a drink.

"..."

Alex paused in the middle of drinking. He brought the canteen to his nose and sniffed it carefully, then tentatively took another sip.

Then, he stared at the canteen for a moment. As if realizing something, he frowned slightly and turned to look at the little Mixed Breed hanging beside him, spinning in circles as she rested.

Gu Ning swayed gently, her eyelids growing heavy. She had gone to bed too late last night, and now that she was half-full and resting, she was getting sleepy.

There were no sounds of gunfire or the cries of Mutant Species in her ears, only the whistle of the wind blowing past. Hanging here, she felt a sense of contentment, a feeling that it was good to be alive, but it would be fine to die too.

Her vision began to blur. Just then, someone grabbed her safety belt and tugged her to the side.

Gu Ning was instantly wide awake.

"Break time’s over. Time to get to work."

Gu Ning looked and saw that it was Alex who had pulled her over.

Hearing his words, she snapped out of her daze and nodded. She grabbed the netting on the wall, about to return to her work area, when Alex pulled her again and said, "Come over here. You’ll be my assistant."

Gu Ning: "...?"

’An assistant? The most I can do is lay bricks and plaster walls. I don’t know the first thing about weapons. Oh, wait, I did just learn how to fire a gun recently.’

’But these defensive installations on the wall are bigger than I am. I don’t even recognize them.’

Without giving her a chance to refuse, Alex clipped the secondary rope from his waist onto hers. Wherever he went, Gu Ning was pulled along with him.

Gu Ning was completely confused, but she could only obey. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

’Hanging up here, it’s not like I have a choice.’

Alex led her to a defensive unit with a damaged system. He took tools from his toolbag, handing them to Gu Ning and telling her their names as he did.

Whatever tool he needed, he had Gu Ning hand it to him, and he would also explain the structure and function of the devices.

At first, Gu Ning was in a daze, but she eventually started to really listen and absorb the information.

It was as if Alex wanted to teach her; he explained everything in great detail. Even when Gu Ning handed him the wrong tool, he would patiently offer a few words of guidance.

"Voltage tester."

Gu Ning quickly passed it to him.

Seeing that she had grabbed the right one, the corner of Alex’s mouth twitched slightly into a smile. He pointed to a small opening in the device and said, "Your hands are small. You do it."

Gu Ning did as he said, reaching her hand inside. After she had run a few tests, Alex directed her to perform maintenance on other areas.

After they finished repairing another defensive unit, Alex said to her, "You did a good job. You’re a fast learner, too."

Being praised by him like that, Gu Ning couldn’t help but smile under her cowl.

Alex saw that it was about time to finish, so he handed her the canteen.

Gu Ning looked at the canteen in his hand, licked her somewhat dry lips, and shook her head.

’I’m thirsty, but I really have to pee!’

She saw the other Beastmen around them pulling up their ropes one by one and knew it was time to clock out.

Alex took the toolbag from her hands and pressed the canteen into them. "It’s yours."

Gu Ning didn’t refuse this time. After spending the afternoon with him, she felt that Alex was an easygoing colleague and superior.

Such a calm and patient Beastman was a true rarity.

Besides, she had learned a lot from him. She was more than willing to be his assistant, learn more skills, and give herself a better chance of survival in this world.

After packing up, Alex pulled both of them up onto the platform.

Gu Ning moved to one side, waiting for the other Beastmen to go down first.

Seeing her standing still, Alex asked, "Why aren’t you going?"

Gu Ning hesitated for a moment, then pointed at the Beastmen standing by the elevator entrance.

Alex understood. "Come with me," he said.

Gu Ning hesitated where she stood for a moment before following him.

Alex led her to another elevator. This one seemed to be reserved for managers or foremen, as there were no other Beastmen using it.

Gu Ning followed him into the elevator and stood silently in the corner. She glanced at Alex, who was processing work information on his terminal, then turned her gaze to the view outside. As the elevator descended, rays of the setting sun swept across her face.

Looking at the sunset, Gu Ning was struck by the momentary illusion that she was still in the human world.

But in the next instant, the sight of the strange, towering city walls and the tall Beastman beside her pulled her back to reality.

’Oh, right. I’m in the Otherworld.’

Alex looked up from his terminal to watch the little Mixed Breed standing far away from him. Leaning against the elevator wall, she looked a bit tired, and there was an indescribable... pitifulness about her.

Like a lost puppy that couldn’t find its way home.

Alex swiped away the unfinished file on Mixed Breeds on his terminal and asked, "Where do you live?"

Gu Ning’s reaction was slow as she looked at him. She slowly straightened up, then turned her body to the side.

She didn’t answer Alex’s question, choosing to avoid it.

’As a Dwarf hybrid, it’s easy for me to play dumb and get by.’

’Alex is a good guy, but only as a good colleague. Once I get through these next two weeks of work, I have to figure out how to leave Zone 19 with Cookbatuo.’

Seeing her behavior, Alex became even more certain of his suspicions.