Chapter 40

Chapter 40

"…What's wrong?"

Yale felt some pain from Xi Ze's grip, but seeing the latter's obvious distress, he didn't struggle and hesitantly asked.

The department store wasn't far behind them. Xi Ze took two or three steps at once, rushing Yale towards the emergency exit. He tersely said, "Pirates."

Yale's pupils constricted.

Although wars with other races had ceased in recent years, pirates had become even more rampant, pillaging and burning wherever they went. Any planet that caught their eye was inevitably doomed. Most of these incidents weren't massive, but they were as annoying as locusts.

Pirate attacks on various locations were often reported on the news, but it seemed distant from Yale's life. That was until this disaster suddenly struck close to home.

"Hold on tight."

As if he thought they were too slow, Xi Ze suddenly turned his head, his dark gaze cold and sharp.

Before Yale could react, an arm firmly circled around his waist, lifting him up. After a moment of dizziness, he was set down and found himself placed in a corner of the emergency exit.

"Wait for me here just a moment, okay?"

Yale took a deep breath, suppressing his disoriented emotions, and nodded in agreement.

"…Wait for me."

Xi Ze pressed his lips together, unable to resist patting the male insect's head. A sense of emptiness in his chest made him worry even before he left.

The female insect swiftly vanished behind the door. Yale calmed his racing heart and gradually regained his composure.

His expression turned stern as he activated his light computer to contact the alarm center.

However, the communication seemed to be disrupted and was abruptly disconnected. When he looked again, the signal bar was empty, and even his light computer was affected, freezing up.

"Damn it."

Yale closed his light computer, pondering how he could alert the oblivious swarm outside. Suddenly, the distinctive sound of an air-raid siren blared in his ears.

So Xi Ze had gone to trigger the air-raid siren.

A sudden wave of relief washed over him.

Almost forgot, large structures in the peripheral star systems were equipped with air-raid alarms to promptly convey news of attacks.

Moreover, department stores were constructed with special materials that could withstand bomb impacts to a certain extent, facilitating evacuation and relocation in case of a swarm attack.

Military Omegas were highly alert in such situations and capable of handling emergencies admirably. He had no need to worry unnecessarily; all he needed to do was stay put and wait for Xi Ze to come and fetch him.

"Bam——!!"

In the next instant, the emergency exit door was slammed open, and a stream of panicked insects rushed in, their footsteps hurried and urgent as they descended the stairs.

"Why are there space pirates here?! Call the authorities! Quick!"

"Damnit! No signal! They must have activated a jammer! We can only hope the planetary control center notices something's amiss soon…!"

The situation was quickly becoming chaotic. Yale was jostled, and he promptly nestled himself into the safety of a triangular corner by the wall to avoid being swept down in the commotion.

It was undeniable that his heart was pounding fiercely. An overwhelming tide of panic surged within him, but he could only clench his palms to maintain a semblance of calm.

Hurry back.

Yale closed his eyes, his trembling fingertips gripping the light computer as he murmured silently.

...

After the air defense alarm successfully echoed through the city, Xi Ze didn't leave immediately. After a moment of contemplation, he took out his light computer and entered a series of secret commands.

The communication managed to break through the jammer's lock and connected smoothly to the other side.

"The central district is under attack by space pirates. Help me contact the central control and dispatch a squad here for support immediately..."

Xi Ze conveyed the orders in an orderly manner. Then, against the tide of insects, he entered the top floor of the massive building. Amidst the terrified gazes of the working insects, he kicked open the door to the control room.

"Bang——!!"

Inside, someone was still angrily cursing about who had triggered the air defense alarm. The sudden loud noise caught them off guard, leaving their voices stuck in their throats.

"Breaking into the control room is a severe crime! Guards, seize him!"

A bizarrely dressed female insectoid, in a military-style shirt, straightened up and bellowed, causing the surrounding females to rush towards the white-haired, golden-eyed one in the center.

This mishap was already annoying enough, but for someone to dare barge into the central control room, it was sheer audacity!

The female insectoid adjusted her crooked collar and spat fiercely.

"Activate Level One defense immediately," Xi Ze commanded coldly, his gaze darkening as he stared at the female behind the guards.

"...It's you?" The female seemed to have suddenly realized something, her expression turning excited as she signaled to the guards. "Unauthorized activation of the alarm, disrupting city order - seize him!"

Now, there would be no deduction of his bonus. As for whether there were actually space pirates approaching, he had never believed it from the beginning; after all, no starships had shown up on the radar.

Knowing that the female before him wouldn't heed any advice, Xi Ze didn't bother wasting words.

The surrounding females charged forward like bullets, but he remained still, simply waving his hand gently.

Rays of mental energy as sharp as steel needles shot out, piercing precisely into the mental landscapes of those females, rendering them instantly incapacitated. They fell to the ground with thuds, stirring up a faint dust cloud.

"Initiate Level One defenses immediately."

His molten-gold eyes narrowed predatorily, fixating on the stunned female insectoid in the center. "I won't repeat myself a third time."

"Yes, yes, yes...!"

The female scurried away in a panic, activating the defense systems. Whether the star pirates were coming or not, her priority was to preserve her life from this monstrous being.

Peering through the transparent shield of the control room, one could see the external night sky shrouded in an impenetrable blackness, devoid of stars and moons. Beyond the thin layer of clouds, there was only a nebulous, chaotic darkness.

Seemingly devoid of anything, yet upon prolonged observation, one would inexplicably shudder as if an immense creature, invisible to the naked eye, lurked within, carelessly peering down at the terrified, insignificant insects below.

...

"Boss... Boss?"

A cautious voice echoed, clearly hesitant to disturb the leader who had closed their eyes for a rest, but duty-bound to approach with this unpleasant task.

Leaning back in the chair was a resting female insectoid with closely cropped hair. A menacing scar stretched across most of her face, severing the left eyebrow.

His chiseled features were profound, even with his eyes closed, his intimidating and assertive aura was undeniable.

Exasperated, Herrick impatiently kicked the drone away—

"What's with all the barking?! Speak up if you have something to say, or get lost!"

The face became even more menacing as the eyes opened, revealing deep crimson irises that seemed to have absorbed blood, causing the drone to tremble in fear. He rose from his chair with a crisp crack of his shoulders.

"Report, Commander! Ju—Just now, we suddenly detected an activated air defense alarm in the locked district. The deputy squad leader instructed me to seek your approval... What should our next move be?"

"Hmm, so soon?" Herrick was surprised but then considered that with the insect there, it was plausible they could predict the situation. However...

"Didn't Anton say he was severely wounded and on the brink of death? How unreliable is this intel?"

Herrick rolled his eyes in extreme dissatisfaction, but having already benefited, he couldn't back out now. "Stick to the original plan."

"Yes, sir!"

The camouflage shrouding the warship gradually dissipated, exposing its fierce and pitch-black true form. It loomed ominously above the city, high-energy particle cannons loaded and extended from the hull, aimed downward.

"This area is secured."

One of the subordinates reported, while the deputy commander in charge of the control panel nodded and glanced at Herrick, who was busy with communication nearby.

"After keeping him captive for so long, didn't you think of implanting more trackers? The only one you have was from ten years ago when you sneaked it into him while he was injured? And it can only be used once???"

Herrick was utterly speechless. He had seen fools before, but never such an absurd one.

"Never mind... As long as we have one, we'll just eliminate him this time to eradicate any future threats."

He pressed his optical computer against the control panel, and upon receiving the signal, a screen immediately unfolded, with a faint red dot blinking on it.

"I was originally planning to systematically sweep through this galaxy, but who could have predicted this mishap? I suppose I can only consider myself unlucky. After all, death comes to us all sooner or later—"

Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Under the relentless barrage of particle cannons, buildings crumbled, dust billowed, and some insects that hadn't managed to escape were buried beneath the rubble. The once tranquil urban area was instantly transformed into a screaming hellhole.

The previously reluctant defender, an omega, was now stunned, his legs weakening at the sight before him. "I-I can't believe it's real...!"

Yet, when he turned back, the blond, golden-eyed omega had vanished. If not for the guards sprawled on the ground, wailing in pain, he might have believed it was all an illusion.

"Why did he leave?! Who's going to protect this place... Help me! —"

Thanks to the timely alarm, most of the insects in the district had successfully evacuated and found suitable hiding spots. The department store, acting as a hub, was the most crowded.

Shaking rumbled from above as intensive bombardment sent chills down every witness's spine. Dust rose from the feet of those fleeing, their terrified screams and gasps echoing relentlessly.

Yale donned his hat to shield himself from falling debris and used his scarf to cover his mouth and nose. Hunched in a corner, he held his breath.

Panting heavily, he fixated on the smashed entrance, but the familiar figure never appeared. With a hint of exhaustion, he closed his eyes momentarily.

In the next instant, a powerful force pulled him into an embrace—

"Are you alright?"

A familiar voice sounded in his ear, accompanied by a hand gently caressing his face, wiping away a few streaks of dust.

Yale hadn't even opened his eyes when he distinctly sensed the palpable thud of his pounding heart finding solace.

"I'm fine." He removed the scarf from his face and gazed at the female insect before him. "What should we do now?"

"They mentioned that there's a passage behind the department store, connecting to the other district. Should we head there?"

This was the information conveyed to him by the insects who had just escaped, with a few even attempting to pull him away, though their offers were declined.

However, before the female insect could respond, a deafening explosion rocked the air above them, accompanied by the most violent tremor yet.

"!!!"

Yale instinctively shielded his head, feeling the female insect's body pressing firmly against his. Her two arms wrapped around his waist, her palms supporting the back of his skull as she nestled him securely in the corner, protecting him from the flying debris.

Straining his eyes open to look ahead, Yale's heart sank. The passage was now blocked by fallen slabs; they couldn't proceed.

Once the shaking subsided, Xi Ze released his hold and crouched down, facing away from Yale. In a low command, he said, "Climb on!"

A weight that was neither heavy nor light settled upon his back, yet it elicited an unparalleled gravity in Xi Ze's expression. This was a pressure that even his previous extreme weight-bearing training could not replicate.

And so he realized that there could be no margin for error in this "burdened traversal."

Rushed breaths fanned against the nape of his neck, and the male's arms tightened around his shoulders. Though still trembling, concern couldn't be concealed in his voice, "Are you sure? Maybe you should put me down and let me run on my own. Your leg is still healing..."

"I'm fine. My Alpha, you weigh nothing at all. You can hold on to me even tighter... Don't worry, everything will be okay."

Xi Ze tried to discern the path amidst the chaos, soothing his companion with a gentle tone.

He had faced such disorder countless times and was almost an expert at it, but the male on his back had certainly never experienced this. It wouldn't be good if he were to be traumatised by the fear.

The wiring had been disrupted, causing the lights to flicker irregularly, and with the rising dust, finding a safe spot became a challenging task.

"Should we get out of here?"

As the building appeared increasingly unstable, on the verge of collapsing, Yale couldn't help but grow anxious, whispering into the ear of the female.

"Hold on."

Distracting some of his attention to reply, Xi Ze continuously scanned the devastated surroundings, as if confirming something. Eventually, he backed up continually until they reached the edge of a restaurant's floor-to-ceiling window.

At that moment, the relentless bombardment outside finally ceased, seemingly in preparation for another round. The female insectoid tensed up, instantly exerting force with his legs to shatter the glass and leap down from the third floor.

"!!!"

A chilly wind, carrying the lingering scent of gunpowder, whistled past his ears. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Yale instinctively buried his face into Xi Ze's shoulder, stifling the cry that rose to his throat.

"Alright, open your eyes. We're on the ground now. Take a deep breath... Yes, breathe normally...!"

The piercing ringing in his ears subsided, replaced by the deep voice of the female insectoid. With great effort, Yale managed to pry his eyes open, only to find himself lying in Xi Ze's arms within a dim and cramped space.

Regaining some composure and strength, he sat up and coughed softly. "Where are we? It seems the bombardment outside has stopped...?"

Exiting the building, they were greeted with a broad expanse, though it was unrecognizable from its original form. Ruins stretched as far as the eye could see, and the once bustling area was now eerily silent, save for the chilling winds.

This only heightened Yale's unease.

Xi Ze had already taken off his coat to cushion the male beneath him. Now, clad in a sharp shirt and military trousers, he was crouched on one knee, using the cover to survey the situation outside.

"...

Yale leaned against the shattered wall, his mind numb, his gaze involuntarily following Xi Ze's retreating figure.

He had no idea what was to come next, but as long as he could see the male insect, his panic seemed to subside.

Before he could catch his breath, however, a barely audible tread of footsteps echoed from behind the ruins.

Xi Ze swiftly turned around, swiftly scooping up the still-dazed Yale and placing him in a deeper corner, not too far away, just a stride apart.

Shortly after Yale was concealed, a triumphant shout rang in his ear, "I told you! He's right here!"

Xi Ze paused, his eyes suddenly lifting.

Peering through the cracks in the debris, he saw that the once-deserted street had been commandeered by pirates, who were scattered thickly, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Fortunately, these were mostly cannon fodder-level pirates, armed with no high-tech weapons. They had been sent to probe the area and exhaust their target.

"The boss said, whoever takes his head can be promoted to squad leader, managing a hundred insects!"

This reward was even more alluring than a vast sum of star coins. The pirates were all aglow with excitement, eager to rush forward and claim the insect's head.

"Brothers! Charge ahead!!"

Xi Ze cast his gaze downward, snapping a protruding steel rod and testing its weight in his hand.

Actually, the spot he had chosen wasn't bad. Though it was destroyed, it had fortuitously formed a shallow bomb shelter. As long as they guarded the entrance, they could prevent those star pirates from infiltrating.

Mental power could only disrupt the consciousness of the alien creatures, temporarily paralyzing them. It was clearly not effective against these relentless star pirates...

Therefore, he had no choice but to employ the most direct and cost-effective method.

Xi Ze lifted his eyes with indifference, clenching the rebar in his hand.

Yet at that moment, he felt a subtle tugging at the hem of his garment.

Bowing his head, he encountered a pair of obsidian-like eyes, filled with unabashed concern and worry, shining as brightly as the gemstone itself.

"…Be cautious."

"Very well."

He offered a soothing smile to the male drone even as he plunged the reinforcing bar in his hand in one swift motion.

"Thrust!"

The sharp tip of the steel rod pierced through the necks of several pirates in quick succession.

It was a fatal strike.

Before they could react, a series of chilling and gruesome sounds of flesh being sliced echoed—

"Thrust! —Thrust! —Thrust!"

Xi Ze smoothly withdrew his hand, ignoring the splatters of blood on his face and body. He casually unbuttoned the first button of his shirt.

"Come."

He suddenly smiled, his molten gold eyes narrowing slightly, like a predator preparing for the hunt.

...

Indeterminable time passed, and the corpses had piled up around this devastated area, forming layers upon layers.

The dark, thick blood had seeped deep into the snow, converging into several serpentine rivulets that spread out in all directions.

The desperadoes, their eyes bloodshot, charged frenziedly without any semblance of reason. One would fall, only for another to trample over his corpse, granting scarce respite.

Yet, after dozens or even a hundred rounds, not a hint of fatigue was visible on Xi Ze's face.

However, there were simply too many pirates, and the male insectoid was, after all, not a genuine war machine. Still recovering from severe injuries, his body could not endure such intense combat. Yale could see fine cracks appearing on the male insectoid's forearm, and fresh blood seeping through the back of his shirt.

"Brothers, charge! He can't hold on any longer!"

A sharp-eyed pirate noticed this anomaly and yelled excitedly, but in the next second, Xi Ze expressionlessly sliced off the insect head from his neck.

"Spurt!"

The clean and swift sound dampened the pirates' morale, sending a chill down their spines. They slumped, hesitating whether to continue their assault.

The military omega stood there with an indifferent expression, his golden eyes devoid of any emotion. He felt neither pride in the multitude of fallen enemy insects nor contempt for the weaker soldiers who served as cannon fodder.

He simply held his weapon, resembling an impregnable fortress, exuding an almost inhuman strength and coldness.

The retreat began with a pirate, driven mad by intense fear, who screamed, dropped his weapon, and fled. Then came the second, third... until most of the pirates ceased their assault.

".... Charging forward is just suicide. Should we contact the boss?"

"You're crazy! If the boss finds out we're cowards, we won't live to see tomorrow!"

"Then you go! You charge! ...You don't even know if you'll survive a second! Idiot!"

Unlike a disciplined military force, these pirates lacked organization. Their aggression relied on pure ferocity, but once intimidated, they valued their lives above all else. Soon, internal disputes erupted within their ranks.

Herrick, who had been enjoying the spectacle of the battle, noticed the deadlock and angrily kicked over his command chair.

"A bunch of cowards!!"

Zooming in on the projected image, he intended to closely assess the current state of the omega. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, a moment of surprise flickering across his face before it twisted into a menacing grin.

"I told you why he was standing there all the time... So that's how it is."

He strode over and snatched a communicator from the console, connecting it to the communication channel of the leading space pirates on the ground.

"Hey? Do you see that collapsed structure? The one behind the female insect."

An affirmative voice echoed through the communicator, to which Herrick replied with a malicious grin, "Excellent – now, go and reduce that area to rubble."

...

The space pirates, seemingly receiving new orders, suddenly began climbing up the ruins where the male insect was hiding. They started smashing walls and moving debris as if ants were frenziedly devouring a collapsed sugar mountain.

Xi Ze's pupils constricted.

The entrance behind him couldn't be left unguarded for a moment, while countless space pirates were still charging at him from the front.

The pirates around and behind him were unstoppable, rapidly dismantling the ruins and carving out a gap.

This situation wouldn't do.

Xi Ze's gaze was fierce, and his mental power burst forth, repelling the surrounding band of space pirates.

Then, disregarding the blood trickling from the corner of his lips, he wrapped the male insect in his coat and embraced him tightly, swiftly breaking through the encirclement.

The stunned pirates also regained their wits. Seeing the insect in his arms, they understood everything.

"Quickly follow! Don't attack him, it's suicide. Aim for the insect he's holding!"

Darkness engulfed his vision, with all external noise blocked by the coat. The only tangible sound was the thudding of the female insect's heart against his chest, along with its labored breathing.

The scent of gunpowder filled his nostrils, and warm blood still gushed out.

Yale had never been this close to a real battlefield before. His body instinctively trembled and convulsed uncontrollably.

But Xi Ze held him tightly, as if trying to embed him into his embrace.

After that fierce roar, despite the barrage of malicious attacks, not a single one landed on him.

The female insect was fulfilling what he had once said—

"As long as I draw breath, I won't let any harm come to you."

Thus, the unbridled panic and fear were soothed, replaced by a surge of heat that surged into his feverish skull, as if something was drilling through his forehead.

His head throbbed fiercely, threatening to plunge him into unconsciousness.

"Ugh!"

Yet, the body holding him suddenly stiffened for an instant, staggering as if losing balance, causing the dazed male insectoid in his arms to jolt awake.

Yale gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain and shook his head, but before his darkening vision could refocus, a hand pressed him back into the embrace, preventing him from lifting it.

The star pirates closing in behind them came to a halt, only to suddenly burst into cheers as if they had already won the battle.

"...Boss! It's Boss!"

"Move if you don't want to die! ...Everyone, watch out! See Boss's godlike gun skills!"

Click.

The sound of a trigger being pulled echoed.

Bang—

The muffled report of the bullet exiting the barrel, despite its silencer, carried an unparalleled sense of peril as it sliced through the air, leaving a trail of slow-motion afterimages.

A barely audible "pfft" resounded near his ear, the sound of flesh being pierced.

Yale's pupils constricted, his dark eyes reflecting the splatter of blood like vibrant red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

The female insectoid's body trembled violently for a moment but did not show any sign of weakness or relaxation. Instead, it held him firmly beneath it, its voice hoarse as it whispered reassuringly.

"...Don't be afraid, everything will be alright."