Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Same Group as Her Previous Captors?

Gu Ning got off work early today.

She didn’t have to work overtime, so she was in a great mood. She planned to take advantage of the early hour and browse the black market.

Although she could ask Barto to buy anything for her now, there were some things she was better off getting herself, just in case he got suspicious.

She lived with that clever little fox, so she had to be cautious and not rely on him too much.

As Gu Ning walked, she casually filmed some footage, planning to edit it later and upload it to her "Kaidi’s Little Mutt" account when she had time.

She wanted to properly document her life after being transported to the Otherworld.

It was currently the time for shifts to end and change at the factories. The streets near the factories were packed with Beastmen coming and going, creating a lively scene.

Gu Ning moved the terminal in her hand, capturing the scene.

The Beastmen were all so tall and sturdy. Gu Ning felt like she had stumbled into the Giant Country. She expertly and nimbly weaved through the towering Beastmen, adjusting her camera’s framing.

But she still accidentally bumped into a Beastman.

"Watch where you’re going!"

The Beastman she had bumped shoved her. Gu Ning’s small frame couldn’t take the force at all. She staggered from the push, and just as she was about to fall, another Beastman grabbed her shoulder and pushed her forward again.

"You little thing, you looking to die?"

"It’s a Dwarf hybrid. Maybe she’s trying to steal our stuff."

"We should give this kind of pest a good beating."

Gu Ning was shoved back and forth between two or three Beastmen. Before she knew it, they were pushing her toward the side of the street.

After steadying herself, she tried to get away, but a Beastman behind her grabbed her by the collar, cursing as he dragged her off somewhere.

Gu Ning immediately felt that something was wrong. She began to struggle with all her might.

The other Beastmen on the sidelines seemed used to such scenes. They assumed the Mixed Breed had caused trouble and didn’t bother to interfere.

Gu Ning was practically lifted off the ground by the Beastman holding her. There was another Beastman on either side of her, walking along as if to deliberately block the view of any onlookers.

Alarm bells screamed in Gu Ning’s head, and a cold sweat broke out on her skin. She kicked her legs frantically. When she saw she couldn’t break free, she quickly pulled a small knife from her pocket and stabbed backward at the hand holding her.

The Beastman cried out in pain and let go of her.

The moment Gu Ning hit the ground, without even checking if she was steady on her feet or who had grabbed her, she scrambled away and ran toward the densest part of the crowd.

The Beastmen she bumped into glanced at her and paid her no mind. Some didn’t even look. She was just a small Mixed Breed; the force of her impact was less than a tickle to them.

Gu Ning didn’t know where she had run to. She was so tense that she felt disoriented. Her breathing was ragged and heavy. Standing in the middle of the bustling crowd, she felt as if every Beastman was there to grab her.

She forced herself to calm down, tightened her grip on the small knife, and carefully scanned her surroundings.

Just then, something poked her in the back.

Gu Ning whipped around to see the colossal form of Borg crouching in front of her.

Seeing him, Gu Ning let out a breath of relief as if she would collapse. She leaned forward, resting her head against his knee.

Borg’s ears twitched. He flicked his large, furry tail, and placed a broad, thick palm on her back.

After his appearance, the two Beastmen who had been hiding in the crowd, ready to grab Gu Ning, slipped away.

One of them stared in Gu Ning’s direction and pressed the communicator by his ear. "Boss, there’s a Giant hybrid. He’s trouble."

Across the street, a Beastman leaning against a corner wall dropped his cigarette and stood up straight. "Patrol’s here. Let’s go."

"..."

"Hrrgh..." Borg gently patted the little Mixed Breed’s back with his large palm. After a moment, he extended a thick index finger to lift her head, stroking it as if comforting a startled kitten.

"I’m so glad you’re here," Gu Ning whispered, hugging his finger.

Borg tilted his head and looked at her. He could hear the little Mixed Breed speaking but couldn’t understand her. He carefully picked her up and placed her on his shoulder.

Sitting on his shoulder, Gu Ning’s perspective instantly heightened. All the towering Beastmen were now below her line of sight.

Borg turned his head to look at Gu Ning, a rough, guttural sound rolling in his throat as he asked her where she wanted to go. "...Where?"

Gu Ning hugged his neck, her eyes restlessly scanning the crowd, trying to find the Beastmen who had tried to grab her earlier.

’Could they be the Beastmen who were after Cook for revenge? Or are they the same group that tried to capture me before?’

’Either way,’ Gu Ning thought, ’this is very bad.’

Seeing that Gu Ning didn’t respond, Borg poked her again with his finger.

Gu Ning snapped back to her senses. She pointed in the direction of the black market and said in broken Beastman tongue, "Black market. Go."

Besides Cook, Borg was the only other Beastman who had heard her speak. She knew Borg’s intellect was too low for him to identify her as a Mimic Mixed Species just from her voice. To him, she was just his Mixed Breed friend.

Hearing that she wanted to go to the black market, Borg strode in that direction with thundering steps.

Once they reached the black market, Gu Ning climbed down from Borg’s shoulder. She didn’t stray far from him, holding onto a strap on his leg as she browsed, showing a prepared note to the vendors.

She needed to buy an external camera, preferably one that could be controlled remotely, which would make filming more convenient.

She had seen a model she really wanted in a video on "Press-Paw." It was shaped like a small sphere that could levitate and fly. It was considered a military-grade camera, so it wasn’t available in regular stores or online.

She wanted to see if she could try her luck in the black market. If she couldn’t find it, she would consider other options.

Borg followed her, stopping and starting as she did. He didn’t look at the other people or the stalls, keeping his head down and his eyes fixed on Gu Ning.

Gu Ning showed the paper with the drawing of the small flying sphere to several vendors, but they all said they didn’t have it. Knowing she wanted a camera, they recommended other models to her.

Gu Ning was about to ask a few more when a figure suddenly rushed toward her from the crowd, accompanied by a familiar "WOOF!"

Before she could get a clear look at who it was, she was nudged to the ground.

"Ning... Ning..."

Gu Ning took a closer look. Who else could it be but Cook?

The already half-beastified Cook excitedly nuzzled her. He was wearing a mask, and his attempts to lick her were thwarted, soaking the mask with drool.

When Borg saw Cook knock Gu Ning over, he let out an angry roar and snatched him up.

"WOOF!" Cook growled at Borg.

Gu Ning quickly grabbed Cook’s pant leg and patted Borg’s leg, signaling for him to let go.

Seeing that they looked like they were about to fight, the nearby Beastmen all backed away. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The destructive power of a Giant hybrid was no joke.

Just as Cook was about to lunge at Borg’s face, a red figure flew over and scratched Borg’s hand with its claws. Borg cried out in pain and dropped Cook, holding his hand and looking at Gu Ning with a confused and wronged expression.

Gu Ning stood on her tiptoes to grab his hand and check it. Thankfully, his fur was thick, and there was no blood.

Cook bared his teeth and was about to charge again when Barto, who was behind him, kicked him to the ground. "Behave yourself. Don’t cause trouble for me."

Gu Ning breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Barto.

"What are you doing here? And hanging out with a Giant hybrid?" Barto asked Gu Ning accusingly, his arms crossed.

Gu Ning scratched her head.

Running into Barto here felt as awkward as being caught by the owner of your regular restaurant while eating at the place next door for a change.