Chapter 122 – Sentinel & Guide: Becoming Your Exclusive Guide – Loving Each Other Until Old Age (12)
The “skirt” around Bai Tang’s lower half felt chilly underneath, and he tugged at it uncomfortably.
“Time is tight, let’s find the people who are being held first.” Hearing Herslet say this, Bai Tang no longer cared about the fact that he was wearing a “skirt.” Lifting the overly long hem, he led Herslet toward the detention area.
“It’s so painful, please save us, save us…”
The hostages had not been captured willingly. They had been stuck in the cave for many days, living in constant fear as people around them were dragged off one by one to be fed to the bugs. No one knew when their turn would come. Now, seeing two able-bodied people approaching, they wailed and pleaded with Bai Tang for rescue.
Herslet gave a quick inspection. Out of the more than two hundred people, a third were already dead. Their bodies showed no external injuries—likely they had died from fear. The survivors all looked emaciated and sallow. It was understandable; after all, they were being kept as emergency food reserves for the bugs—who would bother giving them proper food and care?
It was unclear whether the insect race was simply overconfident in their defenses or assumed these people had no chance of escape.
Simona had taken nearly all the insects in the hive out, leaving only a few behind to “guard the house.”
As a result, Herslet easily eliminated the remaining bugs and untied the surviving hostages.
“Thank you, thank you…” Seeing that they had been saved, everyone broke down in tears of joy.
They wouldn’t have to die. They could finally go home.
Soon, someone raised a crucial question: “But how do we get out of here?”
The top priority was to lead the hostages out of the insect hive.
Most of the captives were ordinary people with no special abilities. Some began to look to Herslet and Bai Tang for help.
Suddenly, a man burst out from the crowd and grabbed onto Bai Tang—who seemed like the easiest target. “You’re a Guide! You must have a way out. Let your spirit creature lead us out. Hurry, go!”
With the system’s help, Bai Tang did have a way to get them out. Just as the man rushed forward—his hand only a few centimeters from grabbing Bai Tang—his arm was suddenly restrained.
“What are you doing?”
Before the man could finish his sentence, a sharp crack rang out. Herslet had dislocated the man’s arm, which now hung limply at his side.
The white wolf bared its teeth menacingly, and the little squirrel on its head did the same. It was rare to see these two little creatures working together so cooperatively.
The others, whose faces still showed desperation, were intimidated by Herslet and didn’t dare to make any more moves. For now, they remained obedient.
“I know the way out. Follow me,” came a soft, childlike voice. It lacked any real authority or credibility, but with Herslet standing nearby, no one dared to question it.
The insect race’s underground tunnels were vast and full of branching paths. If an ordinary person got lost in here, they’d probably starve to death before finding a way out.
Bai Tang followed the map provided by the system and chose the quickest route. As they walked, they eventually reached the end of the path—there was nowhere else to go.
“Didn’t you say you were leading us out? There’s no way forward anymore!” someone snapped, using anger to mask their fear of death.
“If you keep making noise, I’ll feed you to the bugs,” Herslet growled, flexing his solid muscles. Sure enough, those who still had complaints instantly fell silent.
“Tang Tang, there’s no path ahead. Where do we go now?” Herslet’s tone remained patient and gentle, as always, when addressing Bai Tang.
Bai Tang pointed at a small pool of water in front of them. “If we jump in, it leads to the outside world—it connects to West City’s moat.”
Everyone knew the insect hive was underground. Though no one knew exactly how deep, it definitely wasn’t shallow. If they wanted to escape, they’d have to go up. In that case, jumping into the water and swimming out would indeed be the fastest escape route.
“I’ve shown you the way. Now go,” Bai Tang said, clearly displeased with these people who seemed ready to repay kindness with betrayal. After speaking, he turned to walk back the way he came.
“If what you said is true, why aren’t you jumping in? Why are you going back instead?”
“Yeah, exactly…”
The man whose arm Herslet had broken earlier was the first to speak. Hearing many others echo his doubts, he felt even more justified.
“I’m going back to kill the insect queen. If you want to come with me, fine. But I’m not responsible for whether you make it out or not.”
These people were really annoying. He and Herslet had just saved them, and now they dared to question him.
Hearing this, the others hesitated. Bai Tang and Herslet were a Guide and a Sentinel—they definitely had the ability to escape. But the rest of them didn’t; they were just ordinary people. And if those two had really meant to harm them, why bother saving them in the first place? Wouldn’t that be completely unnecessary?
Thinking that way, they started to feel ashamed of their earlier suspicions.
“Thank you—please get out safely,” someone finally stepped forward and thanked them.
Once someone took the lead, more people followed and came forward to express their gratitude. The man with the broken arm, however, looked terrible. He couldn’t bring himself to say thank you and could only glare at Bai Tang with resentment.
“Ah—!” The man screamed as his right leg was suddenly broken. It was Herslet who had struck.
He dropped to his knees in front of Bai Tang, looking just like someone begging for mercy.
Herslet grabbed the man by the hair and growled, “If I see that look in your eyes again, you won’t be leaving at all.”
The move had a dangerous, almost wicked air to it. Bai Tang was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, “Ah He, just let them go.”
No one else dared provoke the Sentinel. One by one, they jumped into the water and left.
The system recorded the brief shift in the male lead’s demeanor. Herslet grabbed the man and tossed him into the pool—his fate now left to chance.
The people who hadn’t jumped yet: “!!!”
They quickly sped up and fled.
Soon, only Bai Tang and Herslet were left by the pool.
Herslet had already returned to normal. He gently adjusted Bai Tang’s collar, his voice as soft as always. “Tang Tang, you go first. I’ll go kill the queen.”
Bai Tang shook his head and gave Herslet a small push. “I’ll go. A’t, you go first.”
He was afraid of water, so there was no way he’d be jumping in. After they burned the insect queen’s body, Qiu’er could teleport him out.
“No, it’s too dangerous.” Herslet refused to let Bai Tang stay behind alone.
“Tang Tang, the insect queen is almost fully matured,” the system warned. Once a new queen reached maturity, it would produce a massive number of bugs. Time was running out.
Bai Tang gritted his teeth. “The new queen is almost fully matured. We need to hurry and kill it.”
Neither of them would back down, so in the end, they decided to return together.
When they got back to where the queen was located, Bai Tang pulled out barrel after barrel of gasoline from who knows where.
“Hurry up and help pour it on!”
Seeing that Herslet was still taking time to examine the contents of the gas can, Bai Tang couldn’t help getting a little angry.
Did he not care about his own life at all? Still playing around at a time like this!?
You couldn’t really blame Herslet—gasoline had long since become obsolete in the future. Everything ran on new, clean energy sources. Having never seen gasoline before, Herslet couldn’t help taking a few extra glances.
A faint flush of annoyance colored the young man’s cheeks, and the way he glared angrily was unexpectedly cute.
Under Bai Tang’s glare, Herslet quickly snapped out of his distraction and poured the gasoline evenly over the insect queen’s body.
Bai Tang took out a matchbox, struck a match, and set the insect race’s core aflame.
“Come on! There’s still one more queen,” Bai Tang shouted, dragging Herslet toward the next location.
With gasoline acting as an accelerant, the insect queen let out a shrill, piercing cry as thick black smoke billowed from the massive cocoon.
“Looks like the bugs in this world aren’t edible after all,” the system said regretfully. When will I get to taste that roasted insect delicacy again?
But Herslet suddenly scooped Bai Tang up and headed back toward the pool.
“There’s still one more—one more!” Bai Tang struggled to get down, only to have Herslet swat him lightly on the butt again.
“Don’t worry. The new queen won’t be born,” Herslet said, pulling out a small button—it was a remote detonator.
At some point, Herslet had planted explosives in the new queen’s chamber, and even Bai Tang, who had been hiding in the hive for a long time, hadn’t noticed.
Herslet pressed the button, and one by one, the tunnels exploded.
Before Bai Tang could tell him that he couldn’t swim, Herslet jumped into the pool with him.
Because he was carrying someone, the system couldn’t use teleportation to take Bai Tang away.
Cold river water rushed into his nose and mouth, flooding his lungs. Bai Tang flailed helplessly, and in the next moment, something pressed against his lips—Herslet was giving him air. The grip around his waist tightened.
Herslet held Bai Tang securely as he swam upward, checking on him frequently along the way.
The squirrel had a natural fear of water, and Bai Tang couldn’t stop his body from trembling as the underwater scenery around him constantly shifted.
Suddenly, everything went dark—Herslet had covered Bai Tang’s eyes. In his mind, he heard Herslet voice: “Don’t look.”
The voice was so gentle that, miraculously, Bai Tang no longer felt afraid. Obediently, he closed his eyes. Though he could still feel the current rushing around him, the warmth and strength against his back reassured him—it was Herslet’s arms holding him.
When Bai Tang opened his eyes again, Madam Bai was the first to notice. “Tang tang’s awake—he’s finally awake!”
Madam Bai clutched her son, weeping with joy. She had nearly lost her only child.
It was all over now.
Herslet wasn’t by Bai Tang’s side when he woke up—he was busy handling the aftermath.
He had long suspected there was a mole within the Alliance. After Simona’s betrayal came to light, he was sure the mole would try to contact her. So, he and Madam Bai devised a plan: she would pretend to be swayed by Simona and “steal” the defense layout of the Shelley Estate’s study.
Sure enough, Simona took the bait, true to her arrogant nature. She used the fake defense plans, which led to the complete annihilation of the insect race. Their invasion plan became their death sentence.
With both the new and old queens destroyed, the Alliance could enjoy peace for at least the next 500 years.
Online, Herslet Shelley was hailed as a hero of the Alliance.
Bai Tang was absolutely delighted. His beloved was being admired by millions—it made him as happy as when he got to eat delicious pine nuts.
“Tang tang, come eat some fruit,” said Madam Bai, offering a peeled apple.
“Thank you, Mother.”
Now that Bai Tang understood the plan between his mother and Herslet, he wholeheartedly supported his man. He gave Madam Bai a big, bright smile, leaving her stunned with joy.
It was rare for Bai Tang to be this affectionate. Overwhelmed with emotion, Madam Bai dropped her usual noble demeanor and gave the little squirrel an enthusiastic round of head rubs.
Bai Tang, his hair sticking up in messy tufts, looked utterly bewildered. His wet, glistening eyes stared at Madam Bai with a kind of aggrieved “why me?” expression, as if silently accusing her.
“My son is just too adorable~” Madam Bai cooed, ruffling his head again with affection.
Meanwhile, the media had their microphones and lights trained eagerly on the Alliance’s hero on stage, firing off one carefully prepared question after another.
“May we ask, what are Major General Shelley’s standards for choosing a partner?”
This wasn’t just idle gossip from the media—it was a question countless single guides who admired Herslet were dying to know the answer to.
“I already have someone I love,” Herslet said, gripping the medal hanging around his neck and looking directly into the camera. “This honor doesn’t belong to me alone—it belongs to every defender of the Alliance. I wouldn’t be standing here today without the support of the person I love.”
The reporters leaned in, alert. As far as they knew, Herslet wasn’t married. He had been engaged, but that engagement was called off. So who was this “beloved“?
The guides in the audience had similar thoughts. One of them couldn’t hold back and stood up. “If what you’re saying is true, then show him to us!”
Herslet paused, as if considering something. Everyone assumed he was about to admit he had made it up—until he raised his wrist and placed a call on his communicator.
“Hello~ Ah He, I saw you on TV~” came a soft, childlike voice through the mic, transmitted clearly to every corner of the venue.
Sweet and tender, it brought an involuntary smile to many faces.
“Do I look good?” Herslet asked, easily imagining Bai Tang on the other end, cuddling a squirrel plushie while speaking to him.
“You look super handsome!”
Even without seeing the person behind the voice, everyone now believed Herslet’s words. Just hearing that adorable, sweet tone was enough. If his lover sounded this soft and cute, then no wonder even someone like Herslet—the battle-hardened steel of the military—had been completely disarmed.
“I saw sooo many guides who like you,” the boy’s tone suddenly shifted. “You’re not allowed to look at them—no matter how good-looking they are, you’re not allowed to look. Got it?!”
The Major General’s fiancée was clearly very jealous. The crowd leaned in even closer, eager for more.
“Alright, I won’t look at them. I’ll only look at my Tang Tang.”
“Hmph, fine. I’ll believe you this once.”
“Tang Tang, when are we getting married?”
Everyone held their breath along with Herslet, waiting for the reply from the other end of the call.
“We can go now.”
The voice didn’t come from the communicator—it came from the entrance of the venue.
Gasps echoed through the crowd as cameras immediately turned toward the sudden appearance of Herslet’s fiancée—Bai Tang—and the flashes went wild.
“Hurry up, or the civil affairs office will be closed,” the boy said, smiling brightly like a blooming flower.
As Herslet rushed toward the door and led the boy out, it was as if the reporters could hear the sound of thousands of single guides’ hearts shattering.
Years later, two white-haired elders sat hand-in-hand by the lakeside.
“This is where I got your breakup letter,” Bai Tang said, pointing at the nearby willow tree.
“Tang Tang, I didn’t write that. I never agreed to it,” Herslet replied, kissing his pouting lover’s cheek. Even after all these years, Tang Tang was still unbearably cute.
“I don’t care. The moment I arrived, I got your breakup letter.”
“Okay, okay, it’s my fault. Lord Tang Tang, punish me however you like.”
Herslet could feel his body failing. If he died first, Tang Tang would be heartbroken.
He forced himself to smile and opened his palm. Back when they were younger, the little squirrel used to gnaw on his palm whenever he was angry.
Bai Tang brought the hand to his lips, but didn’t bite. “Then your punishment is… in the next life, you have to find me quickly. If not, I won’t want you anymore.”
“I will. I’d never let you go…”
A warm breeze drifted past, and the drooping willow branches brushed the lake’s surface, sending ripples through the still water.
Bai Tang leaned against Herslet’s now lifeless body. Only when the last bit of warmth faded did he call out to the system.
“Qiu’er, let’s go to the next world.”
“Okay~”
Bai Tang’s soul was drawn out. Just before stepping into the teleportation array, he looked back one last time at the pair of hands by the lake—still tightly clasped, even in death.
Ah He… wait for me.
Author’s Note:
This world has come to an end. Let’s continue the sweetness in the next one!