Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Yale's mind went blank.

Unconsciously, he reached out to touch the back of the female insect, only to feel a damp warmth in his palm.

Blood gushed out from under the shirt, flowing through his fingers and palm like an uncontrollable spring.

"…Xi Ze?! Xi…"

His voice was hoarse, and he spoke in a panicked whisper, trying to press down on the wound but unable to stop the blood from spurting out.

"It's alright."

Xi Ze's Adam's apple rolled as he swallowed the sweetness at the back of his tongue. He reached out and pulled the male insect's hand back, pressing it against his chest, hidden in his shadow.

The long-lost scent of gunpowder and blood seemed to awaken something. The insect patterns suddenly burned hot, as if they were spreading and growing.

He could feel a faint crack opening up on both sides of his shoulder blades, as if something was about to emerge from within.

The male insect in his arms seemed to be extremely uncomfortable, and even in the dim light, Xi Ze could see that he was overly pale.

Was he frightened?

Xi Ze didn't ponder too much. Half-closing his eyes, he remained hyper-focused, sensing the chaotic and abrupt changes happening within his body.

"Phew..."

The proud-looking female insect blew on the barrel of his laser gun. With his left hand gripping a safety rope, he swiftly descended from the invisible small hovercraft, landing agilely in the middle of the street before unleashing a string of curses.

"I KNEW IT!!"

"I f*cking knew it! The only one who could make that money-hungry Xie family stop their black market dealings with explosives and choose to cut off their own tail for survival is indeed you, you bastard!"

How long had it been since he last experienced such frustration, having halted mid-way through a planet's genocide due to a lack of equipment?

Anto, that soft persimmon who could be crushed with a single squeeze, didn't have the backbone for this. Neither did the decadent and cowardly royal family of the Empire possess such resolve. The one who could directly grasp the lifeline of the space pirates—

Sure enough, it was this devil who had crawled out of hell right before him.

Herrick raged, but quickly regained his composure. After a few heavy breaths, he let out a bizarre laugh.

"What's the point? To hide your tracks, your assembled army must be hiding on an ungoverned scrap planet, unable to come to your rescue in time—"

"In that time, I'll have stripped your skin and made a fine rug."

The surrounding space pirates burst into laughter, watching their leader stroll forward with leisurely grace, approaching the male insect kneeling before him.

"Damn it! That bastard cut off my arm just now, Boss! Avenge me!"

A pirate, beads of sweat on his forehead, summoned the courage to shout. Their leader waved nonchalantly, twirling the gun in his hand.

With a "click," the still-smoking barrel was pressed against the hair of the insect before him.

"Speak. Did I not just pierce through your throat?"

His tone chilled, his fierce gaze shifting suddenly as he saw the cloth covering the insect's body slip down, revealing a pair of eyes.

As deep as an unfathomable black hole, yet luminous with the intensity of furious flames, were two glaring orbs that seemed like haunting will-o'-the-wisps.

At just one glance, Herrick was rooted to the spot, his mind blank, and even his breath seemed to vanish.

That palpable anger ignited him, stirring suppressions rooted in his genes and bloodline, awakening a hysterical cry of both fear and submission.

"Clack."

The gun slipped from his rigid fingers, hitting the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As he stood still, Xi Ze suddenly moved.

A series of faint cracking sounds echoed as the fabric on his back bulged irregularly, resembling a butterfly struggling to break free from its chrysalis. After a rapid undulation, it tore through his clothes with a sharp "rustle"—

A massive, bloodied shadow emerged and swiftly unfolded into a pair of bony wings stretching several yards wide!

"!!!"

Herrick, standing behind him and still in disbelief, was undoubtedly the first victim of this unexpected transformation.

He was almost instantly swept away by the bony wings, and if he hadn't activated his shield in a split second, he might have been bisected.

"Boss! Are you alright?!"

The pirates, baffled by the sudden change in the battle, rushed over in panic, trying to help Herrick up from the ground.

At that moment, a sliver of moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the dim path ahead.

One of the pirates caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and instantly widened his eyes in horror, "That's... Wha..."

The male insect gently placed the insect in his arms on the ground and stood up.

Behind him, the bony wings were composed of countless intricate bones that expanded and contracted rhythmically, like breaths, exuding a restrained, metallic luster.

Along the edges of the wings were countless vicious bone spines, sharp enough to pierce through defense armor effortlessly.

Fresh blood still trickled down them, dripping onto the snow.

"Scram! You bunch of fools!"

Herrick's face was livid as he fiercely kicked a pirate aside, using the ground to roll back onto his feet.

Upon seeing the scene before him, his expression seemed to freeze for a moment before a savage, bloodthirsty grin gradually spread across his face.

"That's right... This is more like you! This is what makes it exciting!"

"..."

Xi Ze tilted his head slightly. Beneath his disheveled hair, a brilliant golden gleam flickered in his eyes.

...

The battle that ensued was, for most of the pirates, the only chance they'd ever have to witness a clash between top-notch powerhouses.

It was a grand, intense showdown.

No living creature dared approach within dozens of meters of the battlefield, fearing that even the slightest brush with the conflict could cost them their lives.

A frigid mental energy storm raged, emitting a chilling roar that would make insects cower. It swirled together with the flapping of bony wings, stirring up gusts of icy wind that sent shattered ice fragments flying everywhere.

"..."

The newly grown bone wings still felt somewhat awkward, while Herrick lunged at them like a crazed dog.

Xi Ze's forehead creased as he took a few hits on his shoulder.

But the moment he fully immersed himself in the battle, the combat instincts ingrained in his bones gradually resurfaced. Xi Ze raised his forearm to block Herrick's fierce blow, a glint of icy coldness flashing in his eyes.

No longer purely defensive, he kicked with enough force to break one of the female insectoid's ribs, sending it flying several meters before it managed to stop.

"Keep going."

Xi Ze chuckled softly, a hint of madness flickering across his brow. He watched as Herrick revealed his sharp claws like a wild beast, dashing towards him with incredible speed.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!!

While the intense battle raged on, the neglected pirates began to stir, creeping towards the motionless Yale lying on the ground.

"Hey, what's that over there? Let's sneak a look. Maybe we can capture it and use it to threaten this male insectoid..."

Yet, most of them were sent flying by Xi Ze's keenly detected bone wing before they could get close, splattering blood and triggering another round of wails.

"Hmm? Who's in that cloak, huh? So precious to you that you're being so cautious?"

Herrick narrowed his eyes, flapping his bone wings to swiftly bridge the gap between them. He began to engage the female insectoid in a close and entangled combat.

Xi Ze remained silent but grew more ruthless with each move, barely giving his opponent a moment to catch his breath.

Amidst the flurry of attacks, Herrick managed to squeeze out a sarcastic laugh, "So precious? Now I'm even more curious. Does it have something to do with how quickly you regained your mobility?"

Anto might be foolish, but he wouldn't hide such crucial information. It was likely true that the female insectoid had escaped a week ago.

However, considering the current situation, it seemed more probable that the female insectoid had used some method to deceive the fool and recover from her severe injuries in record time.

Could it be the item in his embrace?

The terrifying sensation from earlier still lingered in Herrick's mind, yet it wasn't enough to make him retreat cowardly. He could only speculate that it was some sort of high-tech device capable of disrupting one's focus.

Even assuming such power exists, why hasn't it been used to escape their predicament… It shouldn't pose a threat for the time being.

While Xi Ze was occupied, someone more perceptive moved closer to Yale and, taking advantage of the female insectoid's distraction, lifted the garment away —

The pirate was momentarily stunned.

It was a male.

And not just any male; a stunning, refined one who should have been nurtured in royalty, pampered under the adoration of countless stars, never meant to be in a filthy, bloody battlefield, lying in icy snow.

"Male! It's a male! Holy...!"

His companion, coming back to his senses, excitedly whispered, but before he could reach out, a flying knife pierced through his neck.

"..."

Sounds seemed to echo in his ears, yet they were too muffled to discern.

Yale's brows knitted in immense distress. The burst of mental energy earlier could only sustain for an instant before the overwhelming pain forced him into unconsciousness.

Yet, he was aware of their current predicament. He remembered the injured queen, the repressed emotions fermenting, and the chaotic spiritual energy relentlessly surging, expanding in his mind like a relentless pressure.

"…Xi Ze…"

He murmured hoarsely, his fingers spasming as he grabbed a handful of snow, feeling an icy chill seeping into his palm.

As if hearing his whisper, a strong gust of wind blew, finally silencing the bothersome flies around him.

Risking further injury, Xi Ze flapped his bone wings, momentarily breaking free from his struggle with Herrick. In that fleeting moment, he swooped down to deal with the surrounding space pirates, decimating them.

Behind him, the relentless female insect pursued, forcing him to turn around and defend, pushing Herrick away to prevent accidentally harming the unconscious male insect.

"Male... insect?"

Herrick gazed at Xi Ze's distorted expression in surprise, enunciating each word carefully, "You... would actually protect a male insect?"

In the next moment, he felt a searing pain as his shoulder was pierced. He grunted, beads of cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. Yet, his gaze remained fixed on the thick bandages wrapped around Xi Ze's neck, sensing something hidden beneath them.

Contemplating a possible theory, excitement flickered across Herrick's eyes, causing them to narrow slightly.

"You... You've become the male insectoid's slave?"

"And you? A slave? Hahahahaahahaha..."

It was as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He laughed so hard that he momentarily forgot about the attack, barely able to catch his breath.

"Good heavens! The renowned... has actually become a lowly slave! I must be dreaming, right?!"

But as he laughed, his anger gradually escalated until he was almost shouting hysterically.

"How could you sink so low! What's the point in living such a degraded life? ! If you had any backbone at all, you should have killed yourself when captured!"

Xi Ze had initially been indifferent to this crazed female insectoid, but the last sentence caught his attention.

Military females valued honor and dignity above all else. Once these were lost, they were considered outright failures. Why would they continue to live without any value?

While existence had its reasons, slave females were indeed at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and for a military female to fall into such a position was a severe humiliation.

But... recalling Yale's furrowed brows and disapproving gaze, his incessant chatter about the sanctity of life as he patiently tended to his wounds, and the gentle warmth in his eyes as he watched him gradually recover, all sense of shame and hatred seemed to fade into the background.

It was as if only a soothing calm remained, allowing every wound to heal slowly while the severed flesh grew back frenziedly.

He was lost in thought for a moment before he finally laughed softly, a hint of resignation mixed in.

"I won't die, and that's none of your damn business."

Xi Ze didn't bother with further banter and simply overpowered Herrick, leaving him no room to complain or resist.

Herrick was an A+ grade male insectoid, and after years of struggle in the vastness of space, his innate abilities were quite impressive, enabling him to hold his own against Xi Ze in their fierce exchange.

Fueled by anger, he discarded his weapons altogether and began exchanging blows with Xi Ze, their clash so intense that no other insect dared approach within several meters. The surrounding structures even suffered further damage from the commotion.

...

Heat.

Such intense heat...

A scorching heat engulfed his entire body, eventually surging towards his head as if violently carving out a new world, unyielding even to the icy snow beneath him.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the heat gradually subsided.

Yale struggled to open his eyes, his vision still blurry. He could barely make out two entangled figures, seemingly locked in a deadlock.

His gaze swept over the bloodstains on the female's back, the deep red stinging his eyes. He instinctively pressed his lips together, his rusted mind struggling to process.

"…Xi Ze!"

Feeling his way, he picked up the gun from the ground and threw it at the opportune moment. Both females shifted their actions simultaneously, rushing to grab the weapon.

The gun changed hands several times, being held then released, before both pairs of hands finally pressed it down in the middle.

"…Ugh!"

Herrick gritted his teeth, veins bulging in his arms as they trembled uncontrollably. His strength was ebbing away, the gun's barrel slowly aligning with his temple.

The female pinning him down was still recognizable from years ago, her sharp features and ruthless execution unchanged.

The torments didn't seem to have left many scars on him; only resilience was visible, not distortion.

Years ago, Xi Ze was the same. Leading the First Legion to quell unrest, he stood tall on the main warship, his uniform crisp and orderly, casting a distant and indifferent glance from beneath his cap's brim.

With a simple "Clean them all out," he effortlessly demolished the star pirate gang that he had painstakingly built over the years.

Back then, he swore that if given the chance, he would mercilessly torment this male insect, making him weep at his feet, begging for mercy.

So when the foolish Antonio came knocking, he inexplicably agreed...

Who could have predicted that it would actually succeed? Damn it, he really brought him down!

"Hey... Do you still remember... who I am...!"

The barrel of the gun drew closer.

Herrick blinked away the sweat trickling into his eyes, glaring fiercely at the male insect on top of him, forcing himself to speak.

He didn't know what to say, but suddenly, he felt an intense panic. It was as if he had to speak now, or never get the chance again.

Glimpsing the sound of warships landing on the edge of his vision, the star pirates grew restless once more, eyeing the male insectoid hungrily. Xi Ze's expression remained indifferent, but he abruptly tightened his grip on the arm he held.

The barrel of the gun was now fully turned, aiming directly at the pirate's temple.

"Herrick..."

Clenching his teeth, Herrick spoke through gritted teeth, attempting to divert the male's attention, but in the next moment—

Bang!

A muffled gunshot echoed, and blood splattered instantly.

The male's eyes widened to the point of tearing, his face twisting in disbelief.

The immense force of the impact had seared half of his face, leaving behind a bloody hole that punctured through his temple, reeking of burnt flesh.

Assured that the pirate was dead, Xi Ze pulled out his gun and, without turning back, fired a few shots at the pirates surrounding Yale. They fell to the ground immediately.

"This is the First Army of the Planetary Guard! The Feishan Star Pirates, you are surrounded. Surrender your weapons immediately..."

A warning blared from the approaching warship, immediately freezing all the pirates on the ground in their tracks. They panicked and scattered chaotically, turning the battlefield into a mess.

Xi Ze furrowed his brow, not even bothering to wipe the blood off his face as he rushed towards Yale.

However, at that moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

The invisible warship hovering in mid-air trembled, revealing its massive form as it unleashed a frenzied barrage of particle cannons across the battlefield.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The particle beams spared no one. The pirates hit by the salvos let out cries of agony, transforming the battlefield into a crimson hell.

The leading military female, realizing too late that there was a hidden warship in the sky, paled and immediately barked out an order, "Stop that warship!"

But it seemed to be too late. Their own ship, having already partially landed to deploy their vanguard, needed to recharge before it could ascend quickly. That small window of time was more than enough for the particle cannons to sweep through the area.

"Damn it!"

The admiral was still down there!

The military omega abruptly stood up. "Second Squad, immediately approach the warships in mechas and disable their offensive systems! Third Squad, descend and establish a protective barrier to safeguard the citizens!"

"Acknowledged!"

...

On the ground, Yale barely endured a wave of excruciating pain before another one surged forth.

He could barely keep his eyes open, drenched in cold sweat as his vision grew increasingly blurry.

Boom!

A scorching particle beam streaked past him, turning a nearby ruin into a mess. Sprayed debris narrowly missed hitting him.

"…Get away from there quickly!"

Amidst the intense ringing in his ears, the omega's voice pierced through, partially rousing Yale from his haze.

Perhaps due to worry and urgency, Xi Ze failed to dodge the barrage of lasers behind him, sustaining a broad scrape on his back. He stumbled, suppressing a pained groan.

"..."

Yale's Adam's apple bobbed, and his thin lips pressed into a downward curve, revealing his immense displeasure.

The scattered mental energy storms, as if sensing his foul mood, began to spontaneously converge once more, condensing to the point of near tangibility.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Not a single ray of light could penetrate the depths of his pitch-black irises, yet a faint hint of an intense crimson flickered within them.

The chaotic and disordered mental energy was instantly unleashed, coalescing into a tightly-knit, icy crystal structure that formed an invisible yet incredibly sturdy barrier in mid-air.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The particle lasers seemed to have collided with an indestructible wall, bouncing off in all directions. Some even rebounded, snapping the cannons that had fired them.

The commander, who was in the midst of directing his team to initiate a rescue operation, was stunned. It took him a moment to regain his voice.

"What... What is going on?!"

Scanning the battlefield, he lowered his head, spotting nothing extraordinary apart from their admiral...

Wait, who was that?

The admiral seemed to be rushing in a certain direction but was blocked by something, preventing further progress. Not far away stood a slender insectoid, its eyes seemingly fixed on their position.

In a daze, he thought he saw the creature raise its right hand, fingers curling into a grasping gesture...

"We leave NOW!"

Upon realizing the attack had failed, the deputy commander instantly regained his composure and swiftly turned to flee the encirclement.

He pushed the starship's engines to their maximum capacity while bellowing at his subordinate, "Activate the jump point!"

Fixated on the space before him warping and swirling into a miniature black hole, he knew that within mere seconds, no, mere moments, the starship would successfully escape.

"Hurry... Hurry up!!"

But just as they were about to enter the jump point, the entire vessel jolted to an abrupt halt, one second before the transition!

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Warning! Unknown force intrusion! Warning…"

The control panel before him suddenly scrambled, its red lights flashing wildly.

The deputy captain, on the verge of collapse, gasped and roared, "What's going on?!"

"I don't know! It's out of control all of a sudden!"

All the space pirates were drenched in sweat, desperately trying to repair and propel the ship, but the starship remained stubbornly stationary, even showing signs of imminent collapse.

Unseen by them, an invisible hand clutched tightly onto the tail of the starship, forcibly holding it in place.

The originally gentle mental energy, fueled by anger, became sharp and icy, piercing through every crevice and dismantling the central AI of the starship with devastating force.

And then—

Click.

Click, click, click…

Countless fractures burst forth from the seemingly invincible surface of the starship, originating from a mere thin crack that spread like a spiderweb until it exploded with a tremendous force.

Crack, crack, crack—Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!!

As the invisible giant hand slowly tightened its grip, the enormous starship began to twist and deform bit by bit.

It was as if it were being drawn into a black hole, gradually turning into a pile of scrap metal.

"What... is happening there?"

The commander stared at the scene in the sky with disbelief, muttering in shock.

His mind went blank, almost forgetting where he was. It wasn't until the buzzing in his ears was replaced by the sounds of battle that he snapped back to reality.

"Second and Third Squad! Intercept that starship immediately!"

And at this moment,

The members of the Star Pirates gazed at their screens with ashen faces, their eyes fixed on the flickering red light that illuminated a progress bar nearing its end.

"Beep... beep... beep... beep...!!"

"The power system's degradation - ninety-seven percent, ninety-eight percent..."

In their despairing gaze, the progress bar finally reached its terminal point, emitting a piercing beeping sound.

"Power system completely compromised! Initiate emergency escape protocol immediately!"

In the blink of an eye, the unstable jump point began to dissipate gradually.

Defeat was inevitable.

The vice-captain, seeing the encircling army, paled and slumped into his chair in defeat.

"How could this happen..."

He couldn't comprehend how the situation had turned so drastically against them in just a few hours. Their captain had inexplicably met a gruesome end at the hands of a male insectoid, and now the entire Star Pirate crew found themselves captured alive.

"..."

A warm liquid trickled down his cheek, blurring his vision with a faint tinge of blood.

Yale managed to regain his composure, diverting his gaze from the starship.

He reached up to touch his face, realizing belatedly that he had overexerted his mental power, causing his aching right eye to weep blood.

"Male Sovereign?!"

The voice of the female insect echoed from afar, sharply warning, "Don't release any more mental energy!"

Yale blinked, attempting to dissipate the unfamiliar and overwhelming mental force.

As it dissipated, a metallic taste rose in his throat, while the searing pain in his mind subsided slightly.

"Cough... Hecough!"

Bending over, he coughed violently, his thin spine trembling with each spasm. He barely managed to hold onto the wall to prevent himself from collapsing.

"Are you alright?"

Xi Ze's bone wings fluttered, and he swiftly descended before the male, extending his hand to embrace the male, supporting him so he wouldn't collapse.

When the intense pain subsided slightly, Yale lifted his gaze in a daze.

Then, his pupils constricted as he reacted strongly, swatting away the female's supportive hand. He stumbled backward a few steps.

Xi Ze's actions froze.

If he wasn't mistaken, his reflection was in the depths of the male's dark eyes, yet within them was stark loathing and fear.

The air suddenly turned quiet, as if time had come to a standstill.

"... What's wrong?"

He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and soft, almost cautious.

Yale panted silently, his vision turning black in waves, but the image of the female was incredibly clear.

His retinas reflected the exquisite and eerie patterns of the male's scales, a ring of tiny scales surrounding those golden eyes. The hand that had just supported him was like a steel claw.

Behind the male, the expansive bone wings, even when retracted, were enormous and shimmered with a dark luster. The spines on them were grotesque, still dripping with fresh blood.

A strong sense of foreignness and disharmony overwhelmed Yale, nearly suffocating him.

After a brief stalemate, Xi Ze cautiously took another step closer, whispering, "Male Lord..."

"Stay back!"

But Yale instinctively blurted out, his tone filled with rejection and disgust.

Author's Note:

Herrick: Hey...! (Wanting to catch up and buy some time)

Xi Ze: Bang. (Cold.jpg)

Villains often die from talking too much, while heroes often kill with silence (chin in hand).