“Chapter 44”

"Chapter 44"

"Following the task coordinates, Rei traversed a long, dark tunnel. As the iron door detected life forms, it slowly opened."

The scene in front of her was a vast expanse of charred land, contrasted by a huge dark silhouette in the distance.

"The uninhabited zones of Vitalli Star weren’t far from urban areas; they had been rooted by alien species of Black Tower level and above, sandwiched between several city districts."

"As a result, Vitalli Star had to construct layers of protective shields and walls. But alien species continued to multiply, breaching the barriers and invading human territories once their numbers exceeded capacity."

"This necessitated regular excursions by ability users to the transition zones of uninhabited areas, to clear low to mid-level alien species, thus maintaining a precarious peace."

[Your Majesty, the leading alien species in the core area is nearing maturity, with only two months left.] Gaia reported, ​​

"'That human is here for the alien species,' Rei said casually, stepping onto the blackened ground as she walked out of the iron gate."

"All the battling alien species seemed to hit a pause button, their eyes turning in a certain direction, bodies trembling slightly."

"And the huge shadow lurking in the distance began to stir gently."

"Thorny vines spread out from Rei as the center, growing and extending outward."

"The alien species' hierarchy ranged from high to low: Calamity, Leader, Black Tower, Malevolent, Mutant. For Rei, capturing a few Malevolent-level species was as simple as child's play."

"The vines, following Rei’s intent, automatically locked onto the ten most mature Malevolent-level alien species nearby. Other trembling, ugly monsters within range were merely restrained in their movements for the time being."

"Rei, seemingly bored, touched the bodies of the alien species, treating them like pets being teased. The vines slowly eroded into their bones, and in a few seconds, the ugly, bizarre creatures dissipated into black mist, leaving behind only the bones Rei deliberately spared."

"After filling the device with bones, Rei glanced curiously in the direction of the core area."

"[Your Majesty?]"

"Rei smiled faintly, 'Let's go see how that human is faring.'"

"As Rei moved along, guided by her senses, she occasionally encountered humans moving in the opposite direction."

"Their wounds oozed hot blood, faces etched with panic and despair, as if they had abandoned all will to fight."

"When Rei finally leisurely arrived at Horn’s location, she found him lying in hiding, his breathing steady, apparently not having engaged in any combat recently."

"Rei stood to the side, observing him curiously for a long time."

"'Ah, I’ve run into a big problem. This guy is tougher than I expected,' Horn mumbled to himself, 'Maybe I can report false information, wait for those useless higher-ups to come here themselves, and then let them realize the seriousness. What do you think?'"

"Upon hearing this, Rei inquired curiously, 'Doesn’t the Union's upper echelon care about the people on this planet?'"

"Horn paused, seemingly pondering for a moment, then slowly answered, 'You could say that, but not quite... After all, Vitalli Star was taken from the insect species, and not many ordinary people dare to settle here. Initially, it was mostly desperados and ability users who operated in this area. But... this is all public information, aren’t you aware of it? Seems like you’ve only recently arrived on Vitalli Star.'"

"The Leader-level alien species, not too far from them, seemed to sense something as well, reaching a delicate balance between its invasive instinct and an inherent fear, choosing to stay put."

"'Is that thing watching us?' Horn frowned, his body instinctively assuming a battle-ready stance."

"'You can’t kill it.'"

“……”

"Horn slowly rose from the ground, his eyes sharply focused on her, and sneered dismissively, 'Do you have a better idea?'"

"Rei's young, pale face showed her usual indifference. She seemed to harbor no intent to kill towards the seventh-level ability user, speaking in an exceedingly casual tone, 'I've encountered an unexpected gain.'"

"She would not fall to the alien species, but humans might."

"Perhaps even all humans on the planet."

"The difference was merely in the timing of the Sword of Damocles’ descent."

"She could grasp this sword of death, deciding whether or not it should fall."

"Thorns had imperceptibly begun to climb over Horn’s body."

"His pupils contracted slightly, sensing something amiss too late. He swiftly drew the dagger at his side, cutting down the vines, which seemed almost alive in their agility."

"—But it was still too slow."

"A slender vine had already wrapped around Horn’s throat, tightening slowly, as if about to claim his fragile life."

"Rei's eyes suddenly sparkled."

"As if anticipating this, Rei stepped back a few paces, raising her hand to release countless black threads, forming an impenetrable protective barrier."

"Metal fragments within a kilometer radius hurled towards her with a thunderous crash!"

"Under her focused control, the metal shards instantly sharpened into lethal blades, shimmering with dangerous red light, piercing through the outer layer of the black thread barrier."

"Horn struggled to maintain consciousness amidst this life-or-death struggle. His senses were amplified to the extreme – the sound of his heart pounding wildly, his uncontrollable gasps, the friction of metal colliding."

"Yet, there was no sound from the white-haired girl’s direction."

"Only a single sharp blade managed to penetrate each layer of the barrier, barely grazing Rei’s cheek, leaving behind a fine cut."

"The slight blood seepage was noticed by Horn."

"The black threads were Rei’s tendrils of power, and the metal, albeit barely, served as Horn’s tool for sensing everything."

"Just as the thought of seizing a vulnerability arose in his mind, the defensive black lines suddenly shifted, transforming into a violent tempest that overturned everything!"

"The metal fragments attempting to strike her were swept away by an immense, invisible force field, shattering into dust in every direction."

"Horn spat out blood violently; controlling such a vast number of metal pieces, each requiring meticulous attention, was constantly depleting his willpower."

"Barely lifting his eyelids to look at the white-haired girl, he saw she merely stood still, her expression calm, appearing completely unscathed."

"Her eyes still held a sense of curiosity as she observed him."

"A bone-chilling coldness suddenly crawled up his spine."

"This person... was 'observing' him, as a child might observe a group of crawling ants."

"He had encountered a similar feeling before, those lofty beastly eyes seemingly indifferent to his attacks."

"But Rei's effect was calmer, more unpredictable."

"...Insect species."

"Cursing inwardly, Horn slightly moved his fingers, subtly trying to regain control of the metal."

"But all he saw was the white-haired girl smiling faintly, the slender thorns restraining his movements becoming more menacing, pushing him towards the brink of death."

"His consciousness was slowly engulfed, and in his final moments, Horn vaguely felt like a puppet at her mercy."

"The trembling metal shards ultimately failed to move again."

"Rei stood in place, her gaze indifferent as she looked at the now unconscious human. She touched the wound on her face, which seemed to have already healed."

"'Your Highness? What is this?'" Nolan had apparently completed his task and found Rei with Ural."

"'The Union once captured high-class insect species as prisoners,' Rei said as she walked towards the fallen Horn, removing his light-brain and forcibly shutting down all communication functions. 'His mental world is shattered. Once he wakes up, bring him back to the villa.'"

"'Yes.'"

*

"Nolan took responsibility for this task, while Ural stayed by Rei’s side."

"By the time they returned to the city area, it was already late at night."

"The city's lights were as bright as daylight, and many people were still out enjoying the nightlife."

"Passing by an unmanned convenience store, Rei entered out of curiosity. She glanced at the human food but left uninterested."

"'Rei?' Ural, sensing that Rei had expended some energy, suggested, 'There's plenty of food back at the villa. Let's head back.'"

"Rei nodded slightly."

"'It's so annoying, why is the star-web so slow today?!'"

"'Right? I've complained so many times, but it's still not fixed. Usually, any malfunction is resolved in half an hour.'"

"'A friend in the next district sent me a message at three in the afternoon, and I only received it an hour late.'"

"A few people sat in the convenience store’s lounge area, loudly complaining about today’s star-web network issues."

"Rei glanced at them briefly before quickly diverting her gaze."

"The Ability User Association was open 24/7."

"When the staff received several alien species bones from Rei and Ural, their faces showed a mix of fear and admiration. They carefully examined them, then continued with a strained smile, 'The bones will be checked and processed within twelve hours. The task system will automatically update and determine the final grading.'"

"Rei nodded slightly and left with Ural, heading back to the villa."

"Nolan seemed to be still busy in the basement with Horn, while Chloe and Nathaniel hadn’t returned yet."

"Ural, having somehow learned the skill of 'cooking,' had prepared a large table of dishes for Rei and continued to busily work in the kitchen, delighted yet feeling it still wasn't enough."

"Rei ate without much enthusiasm."

"Since returning to the normal insect society, her chronic hunger had gradually eased, and her need for food was no longer as urgent as before."

"[I have completed the initial infiltration of Vitalli Star’s network,]" Gaia suddenly reported."

"'Let's rest for a few hours,' Rei suggested."

"[Understood,]" Gaia responded, "[Your Majesty, Carissa and Deryan have been inquiring about your condition several times today, asking if they should deploy troops as backup.]"

"'It's not the time yet,' Rei said languidly, 'Cruel, war machines, blindly obedient, lovers of aggression... these are the general impressions the Union has of the insect species.'"

"Humans are strange creatures."

"They are adept at seeking benefits through cunning means and have grown accustomed to the insect species' straightforward and brutal style over millennia."

"Thus, they often forget that the insect species have long since highly anthropomorphized, fully capable of understanding all human knowledge and methods."

"—And Rei was diligently learning from them."

"Like them, she played her pieces in the shadows, laid traps, and waited patiently for her prey."

"Finally revealing her winning hand in the midst of the game."