Chapter 44.2

The soft, fleshy tip of the elephant’s trunk gently wrapped around Mu Ling’s finger, then, with surprising dexterity, slid further to envelop her entire hand.

It held on for a moment, then slowly released.

Mu Ling stood frozen in place.

Looking at her hand, still tingling with the memory of that gentle touch, she hesitantly asked, “Were you… shaking hands with me? Or perhaps thanking me for applying the medicine?”

Elephants are highly intelligent creatures, and at the same time, possess a gentle, almost romantic nature.

Despite their massive size, they remain peaceful herbivores, sustaining themselves solely on leaves and fruits. Their temperament is inherently kind and peace-loving.

In the wild, when elephant herds encounter one another, they never fight over territory or resources. Instead, they greet each other like long-lost family, their trunks intertwining in gentle caresses. These magnificent creatures possess extraordinary memories—able to recognize herd members they haven’t seen for decades. To them, every elephant they’ve met is a friend, and friends deserve warm greetings.

Adult elephants show particular tenderness toward young ones. It’s common to see several female elephants collectively caring for a single calf, regardless of its parentage. The entire herd protects and nurtures it, patiently teaching it to master its trunk, even flattening riverbanks so the little one can climb out easily if it tumbles into the water.

Their compassion extends beyond their own kind—occasionally helping young animals of other species when they encounter them in distress.

Such is their naturally gentle and nurturing disposition.

Mu Ling gazed at her hand, her heart overflowing with empathy. Looking at the narrow confines of the cage again, she felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

Why should such a creature be confined in a cage?

Even though its nerve damage value exceeded 50, other creatures with higher readings—Qilin, Lightning, and Qingjiao with values between 60 and 70—still roamed freely. Even Tayun, approaching a damage value of 90, continued soaring through the skies.

In comparison, what was a mere 50?

“Would you like to come out?” Mu Ling asked softly.

The giant elephant, its face deeply lined with wrinkles, lifted its head slightly. Its clouded eyes met her gaze.

Though moved, Mu Ling hadn’t completely lost her sense of reason. She explained hesitantly, “To be honest, I’m afraid to release you. With other animals, I could risk it because if they lost control, I could tranquilize them. But you’re different—I can’t tranquilize an elephant. Your body mass is too great. If you fell, the weight could compress your vital organs, potentially causing fatal asphyxiation.”

Adult elephants cannot lie down safely—they even sleep standing up, unlike calves that can roll and rest on the ground. Full-grown elephants can only recline for a few minutes before they must rise again, lest they risk their lives.

Magic, being even heavier than a normal adult elephant, faced even greater risks from falling.

As she spoke, Mu Ling cautiously reached out to stroke the elephant’s forehead.

The elephant didn’t resist. The painkillers had eased its discomfort, improving its mood.

“How about this?” Mu Ling suggested. “I’ll move your cage directly into the animal dormitory and let you stay there for a while.”

Examining the cage, Mu Ling noticed its massive size and sturdy wheels, remembering it had taken over twenty people to push it down earlier.

“Need help?”

A familiar, cool voice interrupted her thoughts. Mu Ling turned to find Xiang Bie standing there.

Her face brightened. “Brother Xiang, what brings you down here?”

Fresh from a shower, his hair still damp, Xiang Bie glanced at the elephant and said quietly, “Its cage-kicking was quite loud.”

Mu Ling glanced anxiously toward the dormitory building. “Did others hear it too?”

“Don’t know about the others. Commander Duan wouldn’t have—I saw him remove his cochlear implant before showering.”

Mu Ling paused. “The Commander…”

“Combat injury, most likely,” Xiang Bie explained quietly. “To reach his position, he must have fought in hundreds of battles. Considering the risks, emerging with only hearing loss while keeping all limbs intact is already fortunate.”

Looking back at the caged elephant, Mu Ling mused, “Perhaps retiring together—the Commander and Magic—wouldn’t be such a bad thing. They could both enjoy their later years in peace.”

Xiang Bie looked at Mu Ling. “That depends on whether he wants a peaceful retirement or wishes to dedicate his remaining years to serving the nation. Everyone has different dreams.”

Mu Ling pressed her lips together and changed the subject. “I want to move Magic into the dormitory for tonight. It seems so confined here, and I don’t think it’s particularly aggressive. What’s your opinion?”

Her uncertainty showed—her knowledge of war beasts was limited.

Xiang Bie observed the elephant before answering. “What about Qilin and the others?”

“We’ll see if they’re willing to share the space. If not, they can stay at the veterinary station tonight. The dormitory doesn’t open for visitors until tomorrow afternoon anyway, so we can move Magic out before then and let the others take their shifts.”

Seeing her thoughtful planning, Xiang Bie nodded. “Acceptable.”

Mu Ling pressed, “So you agree Magic isn’t very aggressive?”

In truth, a nerve damage value of 50 indicated significant potential for both instability and aggression. Its current docility was likely due to her presence.

“Mm.. Fifty isn’t too high,” he said simply.

Relief washed over Mu Ling’s face. “Then I should get more help—”

“No need.” Xiang Bie positioned himself behind the cage. “Two people can push it.”

Remembering their success in moving Moonlight to the shuttle car, Mu Ling went around to help push with him.

The wheels began to turn under their effort. As they pushed, Mu Ling asked, “Xiang Bie, could you have managed this alone if I weren’t here?”

“No,” he replied.

Mu Ling laughed. “See? I’m indispensable! Super-strength Mu Ling!”

She glanced at him, smiling. Everyone had their secrets, she thought. If he didn’t pry into hers, she wouldn’t question his. That mutual respect made them the finest kind of friends.

They soon had the cage inside the glass-walled dormitory. Mu Ling switched the glass to standard mode, opened the cage, and hurried out with Xiang Bie.

After the door closed, they watched as the elephant hesitated before taking its first steps into freedom.

The dormitory was immaculate—Mu Ling’s daily cleaning evident in every corner. The elephant explored cautiously, its trunk discovering a small plush toy, examining it briefly before moving on.

Its red skin, though scarred, gleamed from Mu Ling’s generous application of medicine. The elephant approached the swimming pool, drew up some water with its trunk, and drank deeply.

“Oh no,” Mu Ling groaned, “Sweetie, Lightning and Little Wolf were playing in there today – that’s their bath water!”

The elephant continued its exploration undeterred, testing the soft mats with its feet and investigating various toys with its dexterous trunk. It found a chew toy half-eaten by Little Wolf, put it in its mouth, and finished it in two bites.

“I need to feed it properly!” Unable to watch it scavenge any longer, Mu Ling headed toward the building’s rear, where grass still grew thick around the pond’s edge. She enlisted Xiang Bie’s help to fill a cart with fresh grass, donned protective gear, and returned to the dormitory.

As they entered, Lightning silently slipped in behind them—unseen by Mu Ling through her protective gear’s blind spots, though Xiang Bie noticed but remained silent.

The elephant, which had been sampling leaves from the tree, turned toward them. Mu Ling, still somewhat wary, adjusted her protective gear and positioned herself near the exit. She scattered the grass across the floor, saying, “Here you are, sister. Help yourself.”

The elephant approached, sniffed carefully, then began gathering the grass with its trunk, eating contentedly. Before long, the entire cartload had vanished.

Watching it search for remaining fragments, Mu Ling sighed, “If only I could give half your appetite to Pimu.” The anorexic lion needed coaxing at every meal, and if they didn’t watch carefully, it would start licking its paws instead of eating properly…

“Let’s get you more. But please leave that tree alone—it’s Tayun’s nest.” Mu Ling and Xiang Bie left to gather more grass, unaware of the scene unfolding behind them.

Lightning, now trapped inside, faced the approaching elephant with uncertainty. The panther bared its teeth defensively as the elephant drew near.

The elephant gently touched Lightning’s forehead with its trunk. Though the panther maintained its aggressive stance, the elephant circled once, playfully poking the panther’s flank.

Finally sensing no threat, Lightning relaxed, moved to the door, and skillfully opened it—a talent it had clearly mastered.

Through the opening came Qingjiao carrying Little Wolf, followed by Tayun gliding in from above, and finally Qilin, entering with regal bearing and cool demeanor.

The atmosphere grew tense as the creatures regarded one another. Little Wolf, just released from its mother’s mouth, stumbled and fell.

The elephant’s trunk extended immediately, helping the pup up and steadying it with gentle nudges. Little Wolf, finding its feet, turned curiously toward its helper.

When the elephant’s trunk gave a gentle push, Little Wolf interpreted it as an invitation to play, gleefully grabbing hold. The elephant obligingly swayed its trunk, turning the tiny wolf into a living swing.

Seeing this interaction, Qilin’s wariness finally eased. It settled onto its cushion and began grooming itself. Lightning, watching Little Wolf’s fun, lined up for its turn. Qingjiao kept guard over Little Wolf’s yellow duck while Tayun perched in the tree, observing the scene below with a tilted head.

Meanwhile, outside, two humans continued their labor, unaware of the unlikely fellowship forming within.