Chapter 174 - The Stubborn Donkey Mice’s Tunnel System!
Chapter 174: The Stubborn Donkey Mice’s Tunnel System!
The squad looked toward 11 o’clock and saw a one-and-a-half-meter-wide hole in the grass.
“Considering the environment and the hole size, it’s highly likely this is where the Stubborn Donkey Mice live. I wonder if they are still here,” Mill quietly said as she looked into the hole.
The squad nodded in agreement.
“Let’s start investigating.” Moss carefully moved forward, wanting to see if their surroundings had more valuable information.
The squad members had gathered new data after a while.
“Captain, reporting in. I found another hole of the same size about 30 meters away from the previous location.”
“I found some Stubborn Donkey Mice feces. It seems they came here three days ago.”
“Moss, there’s a Stubborn Donkey Mouse skeleton here,” Alan surprisedly reported.
Soon after, the squad members quickly arrived at Alan’s marked location.
“It looks like the mice have moved. They must’ve encountered an even more ferocious beast,” Moss analyzed the situation with the information they gathered about the mice holes.
Alan held his chubby chin, his eyes shining as he asked, “Should we go into the hole and check it out?”
“What do you guys think?” Moss looked at the squad members around him.
“Let’s go in and take a look. Maybe we’ll find something unexpected!”
......
“There are typically two to three exits in these mice holes, and we’ve already found two. I think we can go in for a look.”
…
Everyone agreed to go in, except Bass.
“Okay, I’ll be the first to go in, and then I’ll signal for you guys to come in one at a time while Bass guards the outside,” after saying that, Moss summoned a shield and entered the hole.
It was his first time entering a mouse hole, so of course, he would have some misgivings, but more than that, he was amazed.
“Its structure is quite complicated.”
In Moss’s past life, he had learned that mice specialized in digging and making intricate tunnel systems. The tunnel consisted of precise levels and a unique structure. One would say it was a completed project of some sort.
After looking around to ensure no danger, Moss signaled his squad members. A moment later, Alan, Baylon, and Mill entered, one after another.
It was also their first time entering a mice tunnel system. Therefore, everyone’s reactions were similar to Moss’s. No, it was even more exaggerated.
“There are more than two openings. I found two more on the east and west sides,” Alan excitedly reported his discoveries.
“There are obvious differences in height between different openings.” Moss looked at several openings and realized how exquisite the tunnel’s design was.
‘These openings create varying air pressures to promote better air circulation in the tunnel. It’s similar to air conditioning in our dorms!’
“Guys, the mice are pretty intelligent. This tunnel has several functions. There’s a storage area, lounge, nursery, and water storage tank. There’s even a secret passage,” as Mill spoke, she pointed to an area less than half a meter from the earth’s surface.
“A Stubborn Donkey Mouse should have run away from here the last time they encountered danger.”
A moment later, Moss issued an order, “Mill, come to my area, quickly. We have a situation.”
When Mill, Baylon, and Alan arrived, they saw Moss squatting and looking into a passage that led to an unknown area. The passage looked deep.
Moss said, “According to our gathered data, this passage doesn’t lead to any of these tunnels. It doesn’t look like an ordinary entrance or exit either.”
“You mean it leads to another tunnel or nest?” Mill’s eyes widened as if she had discovered a great treasure.
Moss nodded. “To my understanding, mice’s tunnels could connect to other beasts’ caves.”
“W-What? Don’t they get into fights then?” Baylon asked in surprise.
“Typically not. The beasts don’t interfere with each other. Moreover, they can be each other’s scapegoats when in danger under special circumstances,” Moss said as he looked thoughtfully at the passage before him.
A moment later, he stood up and said, “I reckon we can gather more data if we go in.”
“Let’s go,” Mill and the other two said simultaneously.
“All right, I’ll be the first to go in. You guys can call Bass to join us since we know it’s safe now,” Moss said as he walked toward the tunnel’s storage area.
Then he discovered a lot of food that the Stubborn Donkey Mice had neatly packed.
‘I can’t let this food go to waste. I could give it to Little Seven instead.’
Moss would have called his teammates over and told them to carry some if it were the past. However, he had his Interspace Ring now, and the food he found was like a water droplet to the Interspace Ring’s pocket dimension.
Moss smiled when he returned to the passage entrance.
“Where have you been, Moss? Why do you look so happy?” Alan asked curiously.
“It’s a secret for now.” Moss summoned another shield and walked into the passage.
After ten minutes, he saw a faint light ahead and quickened his pace when he arrived at a cave’s entrance and looked out.
‘This place is entirely different from the Stubborn Donkey Mouse tunnel!’ Moss muttered inwardly.
He saw no movement in the cave and exited the passage. After walking around for a while, he found a few Lightning Rabbit skeletons and an injured Lighting Rabbit in the corner of the cave.
When the rabbit saw Moss, it instinctively stepped backward and hissed.
Moss’s Beast Communication reacted. He felt the rabbit’s warning, telling him not to approach or it would attack.
‘All right, buddy,’ Moss teased the rabbit.
The rabbit was injured, yet it still threatened Moss. He could not decide if he should laugh or cry.
Moss looked at the fierce rabbit and had an idea.
‘I should tame it, and Little Seven would have a playmate,’ Moss thought.
With that, he sent a friendly message to the little rabbit. Then he used his Beast Communication and spiritual power to persuade the rabbit. However, the Lightning Rabbit was still on high alert, so Moss failed to tame it.
He thought of Little Seven and released it from his pocket dimension. Little Seven saw Moss and went forward to rub its head against Moss.
“Baa! Baa!” Little Seven cried out excitedly.
Strangely enough, the Lightning Rabbit stopped hissing when it saw Little Seven’s actions.
Moss knew the rabbit had let down its guard and tried to tame it again. Soon after, the Lightning Rabbit was no longer restless but excited. Still, it struggled a few times before lying on the ground again.
Moss knew he had successfully tamed the rabbit, so he took his emergency first-aid kit and approached the rabbit to treat its wound.
Little Seven saw the injured rabbit and approached it, letting out a bleating cry. Moss could feel Little Seven’s excitement and concern for the Lightning Rabbit.
“It seems you like the rabbit, huh, Little Seven?” Moss muttered.
After treating the rabbit’s wounds, Moss removed the food he found in the storage area and waved it at the rabbit while gesturing.
Little Seven seemed to understand Moss’s thoughts and baaed at the Lightning Rabbit. It was unknown if the rabbit understood Moss’s gestures or Little Seven’s cries.
Suddenly, the rabbit looked toward the passage at 3 o’clock and rubbed its head on Moss.