"Do not move! Otherwise, your life will be in danger!" Just as Barrett Walker was about to step forward, suddenly a shout rang out.
Barrett looked up in astonishment, only to see an old man sitting on a large stone in the distance, wearing a gray coarse linen robe, with a pale face, but with a kind expression that was hard to resist. However, the harsh words from earlier quickly made Barrett label the man as difficult to get along with in his heart.
The old man jumped down, standing at about 1.7 meters tall, with a head of thick, snow-white hair, exuding a hearty demeanor. He laughed heartily and said, "Don't move! This young man is the first person to come here. You can't treat guests like this!"
He then shooed away two cute little cats. Regardless of whether Barrett was familiar with the old man, he approached and patted Barrett's shoulder, saying, "Young man, well done for listening to the old man!"
Barrett was completely dumbfounded at this point. The old man appeared to be very familiar and at ease. Barrett was too scared to say anything and could only nod blankly at the old man.
"Come! Let me show you around the surroundings. I've planted everything here by myself. You are the first outsider here!"
Barrett followed the old man, and the rugged rocks and boulders took on various shapes - some majestic like tigers, some gentle like young maidens. There were various precious treasures under the rocks, swaying in the wind as if this place was free from any threat, allowing people to sink into tranquility.
Listening to the old man's chatter, Barrett's thoughts drifted far away. When was the last time he had seen such delicate and tender flowers?
Meow!
Suddenly, Barrett saw a small flower cat, only the size of a palm, lying lazily among the flowers. The cat was leisurely playing with its tail, then flopped down in the flowers, revealing its belly covered in fine white fur. Seeing its adorable appearance, Barrett couldn't help but stop and watch.
The little flower cat, lost in its own amusement, suddenly looked up at Barrett with its blue gem-like eyes. Its cuteness could melt the hearts of any man or woman. It then stuck out its tongue at Barrett and beckoned with its soft paws. But just as quickly, it seemed to forget everything, continuing to play by itself.
Barrett looked at the old man, who had been babbling about the stone forest, walking away. He crouched down, beckoning to the little cat as if offering food.
The little flower cat stopped playing, lay down in the flowers, and looked at Barrett with a pair of large eyes, uncertain of what he wanted to do. It then stood up, wobbling towards Barrett, and placed its soft paw on his hand, looking at the empty hand in an innocent and appealing manner.
Feeling guilty under the cat's gaze, Barrett wanted to find something to give it. He reached out and gently touched its head. The cat enjoyed the touch and nuzzled its head against Barrett's hand. When he pulled his hand away, the cat extended its paw towards Barrett's waist, where a clump of mud was stuck. It was actually the energy crystal of a double-headed mace.
Barrett could only helplessly take the red gem down and place it in his palm. The cat curiously pawed the mud ball, watching it roll around in Barrett's hand, playing with it happily.
Seeing its joyful expression, Barrett felt very happy and couldn't resist touching its head again. Looking up at the old man, he found that he had walked away, leaving behind the cat and him.
Barrett looked down and almost lost his temper. The mud ball had been opened by the cat. It looked up at Barrett with its big eyes, licked its paw, and then took a few steps forward, nudging Barrett's leg.
"What should I say to you! Your actions are too fast, and you've gotten into something!"
Barrett scolded the cat gently, speaking softly.
"Meow!"
The cat pitifully meowed and then tried to reach Barrett's face.
Roar!
Just as Barrett was playing with the little cat, a tiger's roar suddenly sounded. Two giant tigers, one black and one white, were glaring at him. Their muscles looked like coiling dragons, constantly moving, appearing terrifying. Barrett was so scared that his mind went blank, not knowing what to do.
The cat struggled to free itself from Barrett's hands. It was at that moment that he realized the danger and said softly, "Don't move! It's too dangerous!"
After saying that, he put the cat behind him and slowly stood up, stepping back.
"What are you doing! Hurry up and leave!"
The old man appeared behind Barrett, waving his hand at the two tigers to drive them away, but they didn't give him any face. They roared in anger, and the stench of the wind made Barrett feel dizzy and nauseous. After the roar, Barrett touched his face and found that it was cut, blood slowly trickling down. He began to feel faint, and then he collapsed, thinking, "Why is it that the issue of fainting due to blood loss always happens at critical moments?"
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Barrett slowly woke up. He found himself in a small thatched hut, and the cat was playing with his Desert Eagle on the wooden table. Barrett was so scared that he quickly ran forward and grabbed the cat, putting away his gun and his Kukri knife.
He looked around with lingering fear. The hut was very simple, but it was filled with various flowers, giving off a vibrant and elegant atmosphere. If the person was a villain, he would probably be dead by now.
Barrett put away his JS12.7MM sniper rifle and looked at his loose linen clothes. They were naturally cool to wear and much more comfortable than the synthetic materials in the Federation. He glanced at the cute little cat, holding it in his arms. The cat affectionately nuzzled against his chest, and Barrett fell in love with the adorable creature. He opened the wooden door and walked outside.
On the bare mountain peak, there was only this exquisite thatched hut. Barrett couldn't understand how this familiar old man could grow flowers in the hut, and why the area outside was so Baron.
Unable to see any human figures, Barrett carried the little cat and walked down the stone steps. This place must have been a park before!
Looking at the old man tending to the flowers, Barrett felt a sense of calm and approached him, saying, "Hello, I'm Barrett Walker. Sir, what's your name?"
"Ah!" The old man seemed startled by the sudden voice, and as he turned around, he gestured with a gardening tool. However, he stumbled and was about to fall when Barrett quickly helped him up. After regaining his balance, the old man patted his chest and said, "Am I that old? My name is Vilon Griff. You can call me Uncle Griff from now on!"
"Uncle Griffith!" Barrett Walker looked at his sickly appearance and couldn't help but laugh. "Look at you, all grown up and still being called Uncle Griffith!"
As he patted the mischievous little kitten in his arms, it glared at and growled at Griffith, its big eyes filled with discontent, its little paws threateningly dancing. But it was so small and cute, with no real threat, it seemed more like it was just being playful.
"Ah!" Griffith happily responded, reaching out to stroke the kitten's head, but it resisted with a delicate paw.
"This little thing has been charming since birth, but can be quite annoying at times. It has even damaged some of my things. Did you give it something it likes?" Griffith asked.
"No," Barrett shook his head, not knowing where the ruby had gone, but not too concerned. He didn't know the true value of the gem, otherwise he wouldn't have been so nonchalant. But he also couldn't let anyone know about his encounter with the two-headed tree viper.
"Enough of that, after sleeping so long, you must be hungry! Come, let's eat!" Griffith pulled Barrett along.
Barrett looked at the old man's pale face, feeling uneasy. He had many questions but didn't know how to voice them.
At the mention of food, the little kitten in Barrett's arms perked up and quickly ran towards the thatched cottage on the mountaintop. Its movements were swift and agile, nothing like when Barrett first encountered it.
"I know what's inside that cottage!" Barrett thought, recalling the empty interior. He just wanted to help the lonely old man save on food.
"Why do you have that look on your face? Do you think I have nothing to eat just because I look pale?" the old man said, seeing through Barrett's expression.
"No, I just wanted to ask if those two creatures were really tigers," Barrett said, feeling uneasy at the thought of the terrifying beasts he had encountered.
"Your body is the most unique I've seen. I just applied a bit of herbal medicine, and your skin has healed completely, smooth as before," Griffith explained.
"Why aren't you afraid of those two creatures? Where did they go?" Barrett asked, stopping in his tracks, now wary of the old man.
"These are mutated tigers, they won't eat humans. They hunt extraterrestrial creatures," Griffith explained.
Barrett looked at Griffith suspiciously. If the tigers really hunted extraterrestrial creatures, then why did they growl at him? This old man was indeed peculiar.
Realizing the truth, Barrett laughed. If the old man was truly a master, he might take Barrett as his apprentice. He could become the protagonist of an adventure, just like in the novels.
"You are truly amazing!" Barrett said, excited at the prospect of being trained by a master.
Griffith opened the door to the small cottage and pressed a hidden button, revealing a staircase leading underground. The impatient kitten glared at Griffith, then leaped inside. The entire staircase lit up, leading to an underground passage.
As they descended, Barrett was amazed by the high-tech equipment hidden beneath the surface. He marveled at the thought of Federation acquiring this old technology. However, all Barrett could think of was how much money these machines would fetch.
Astonished by the sophisticated devices, Barrett couldn't help but feel a sense of greed. He was relieved when Griffith assured him that the machines were durable and resistant to rust.
After enjoying a delicious meal, Barrett found himself indulging in a sense of nostalgia as he savored the green bean porridge and other delicacies. He hadn't enjoyed such a meal in years, and it was clear that the old man was living well.
"I have eaten all of these, will you have nothing to eat?" Barrett Walker ate several skewers of seasoned meat before he had time to talk.
"It's okay, eat! There's plenty more!" replied Vivian Griff, eating the meat slowly and nonchalantly.
"What kind of meat is this? It's so tender, completely without any fishy taste, and there's no sign of the tough and old texture after radiation mutation!" Barrett Walker asked with his mouth full of oil.
"Insect meat!" Vivian Griff replied, pulling out a bottle of white wine from under the lab table, pouring out a few drops, and licking it with a pair of chopsticks, closing his eyes in enjoyment.
The little tabby cat appeared from somewhere, with a round belly, walking crookedly and struggling to climb onto the table, lightly panting, and glancing at Vivian Griff who was enjoying with closed eyes. It walked over and scratched Vivian Griff's sleeve with its paw.
"Go away! This wine is a fine vintage, I can't let you, a big eater, ruin it!" Vivian Griff protected the wine jug.
"Meow!" The little tabby cat sat on the table, looking up and staring at Vivian Griff with big eyes.
"Alright! I can only taste a little bit." Vivian Griff took a little with the chopsticks, brought it close to the little tabby cat, it licked it with its pink tongue, and Barrett Walker noticed that the little tabby cat was actually smiling after licking it. Under Vivian Griff's pained expression, the little tabby cat licked three times before feeling satisfied, lazily stretched, and curled up into a ball inside Barrett Walker's clothes, and fell asleep, it was only the size of a fist.