Chapter 107: Ambush

Chapter 107: Ambush

Amber had no idea what Fang Yun was thinking, and even if she did, she would only laugh. With an eye patch on, she leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed, resting and conserving her energy. Her left hand tightly gripped the long sword, remaining vigilant even in her sleep.

"Boom!"

After an unknown amount of time, the starship suddenly shook violently, jolting all the insects awake from their slumber. Amber sat up straight, removing her eye patch, only to see countless dark creatures swarm around them, densely covering the portholes. The largest one was nearly half the size of the starship, slamming into the windshield with a loud thud.

Amber furrowed her brows. "What is that?!"

"They're Bloodsucking Spiders."

Ludwig lifted his head for a glance, calmly turning off the light panel. "These beasts live on blood. They must have smelled us and came out in droves to hunt. We don't need to go down there; the solvent will take care of them. They're just small fry."

As if to validate his words, the starship, under attack, automatically activated its defense system. A thin tube emerged from behind the ammunition outlet, spraying the solvent used for cleaning in all directions. The Bloodsucking Spiders, corroded by the solvent, screamed in pain, falling off the portholes one after another.

While clearing the ambush of these beasts, the starship slowly descended toward Quarga Star. The loudspeaker overhead echoed General Giles' voice:

"Our combat team has arrived at Quarga Star. Please check your equipment and land in an orderly manner to set up camp. Due to the darkness and low visibility, our detectors are obstructed, so be prepared for sudden dangers. Initiate Level One Alert!"

Because there were many new recruits in this legion, his voice was particularly stern, fearing any unexpected situations.

Amber put on her combat helmet and goggles, preparing to join the group. Ludwig glanced at the sword in her hand and directly took a rifle from the adjutant, handing it over with a teasing tone. "You might as well discard this toothpick stick. On the battlefield, a rifle is clearly more suitable. After all, you only have two hands, and it's best to get rid of some burdens."

A toothpick stick?

Hearing this, Amber paused in her steps, looking down at the sword in her hand that could cut through iron like butter. She thought to herself, how could Ludwig call this a toothpick stick? She almost laughed in anger.

"No need. I have a light gun, and with this sword, it's enough."

Amber firmly rejected the long rifle in Ludwig's hand and disembarked from the starship with the female soldiers of the Black Eagle Legion, leaving Ludwig standing there in surprise. General Joyce couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. He patted Ludwig on the shoulder. "Well, I've always said that male insects are best at making unreasonable demands."

Ludwig raised his eyebrows slightly at the comment, his protective nature flaring up. "Unreasonable demands? Where did he make unreasonable demands? A gun and a sword are enough. Carrying full gear all over your body makes you look like a fool."

General Joyce remained silent because he felt that Ludwig, blinded by love, looked more like a fool.

The place where the starship landed was a safe zone detected by instruments, chosen because it had the least amount of energy minerals and the fewest beasts. Stepping on the brownish ground, Amber found it harder than ordinary rocks. She had to use her inner strength to forcibly break off a piece, revealing many glittering fragments mixed within. She wondered if they were the energy minerals they mentioned.

"Sir, this is your first time here, isn't it?"

Sifflay appeared ghost-like behind Amber. He smiled warmly, showing no signs of disappointment over Fang Yun's "infidelity," and for some reason, he dared to approach Amber.

Turning around, Amber found Sifflay's behavior increasingly unusual. "How so? Have you been here before?"

Sifflay shrugged, his azure eyes, upon closer inspection, were not entirely clear. They seemed to hide something deeper. "No, this is my first time too. I heard it's very dangerous here, with accidents happening at any moment, so I wanted to remind you."

Amber listened with interest. "Is that so? But I feel that your danger might be greater."

Was Sifflay threatening him? Unfortunately, once the situation became chaotic, it was uncertain who would come out on top.

They stood together, speaking, separated by only a few steps, both wearing pleasant smiles. It inevitably made the insects feel a subtle tension. Fang Yun had just picked up two energy bars from the logistics department to replenish his strength. He ran over excitedly, wanting to give one to Sifflay. After all, the taste of energy bars was much better than that of nutrient fluids. Unfortunately, they were expensive, so not many were provided. It was only due to the face of the male insect that the quartermaster gave him two.

"Sifflay! Look at what I brought for..."

Fang Yun rushed over from a distance but suddenly stopped when he saw this scene. His expression changed, appearing somewhat stiff. He felt that Amber and Sifflay seemed to be getting too close, as if something was subtly slipping out of his control.

Hearing his name, Sifflay looked at Fang Yun, his smile unchanged. "Sir, did you need me for something?"

Fang Yun paused before saying, "Oh... nothing. I just got an energy bar from the logistics department. Are you hungry?"

Sifflay seemed to deliberately provoke the conflict between them. His eyes flickered as he glanced at Amber, gazing affectionately. "Not hungry. You can give it to Sir Amber. He might be hungry. I have something to do, so I'll leave first."

With that, he turned around and left, leaving the mess for Amber to deal with.

Fang Yun clenched his fists, barely restraining himself from rushing up to punch Amber. He growled softly, "Amber! What do you want? Isn't it enough that you're spouting nonsense in front of everyone? Now you're trying to take Sifflay away from me! Why do you have to target me?!"

"Take away?"

Amber sounded as if she had heard something amusing. "Sir Fang Yun, I think you misunderstood something. I have no interest in Sifflay. As for your relationship breaking down, you should look for the reasons within yourself."

She glanced at Andrew nearby and said meaningfully to Fang Yun, "This place doesn't belong to you. If you stay here any longer, you'll really become an insect."

An ordinary person could maintain their true self in a normal class system. But once they fell into the colorful and luxurious world of the insect race, who knew what they would become in the end? Fang Yun's last human traits were being gradually assimilated. Perhaps soon, he would slowly degenerate into an insect, no different from those debauched male insects in Heiz City.

Fang Yun's expression changed, feeling that Amber seemed to know his background. "What do you mean?!"

But Amber had no intention of entangling further. She turned around and left. Seeing this, Fang Yun grabbed her shoulder. "Do you know something?! Tell me!"

"Clang—"

It was the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Without warning, Amber drew her sword and fiercely slashed at Fang Yun's shoulder, the force heavy and accompanied by the sound of wind. Fang Yun felt his shoulder sink, unable to withstand the force as he fell to his knees with a thud, his face pale with pain and panic. "What are you doing?!"

Amber could now be certain that the person who attacked her in the bedroom that day wasn't Fang Yun. He simply didn't have the heart for it. She looked down at Fang Yun from above, pressing the cold tip of her sword against his face. Her obsidian eyes flashed with a hint of pity, whispering in a voice audible only to the two of them:

"The slave in Saint Teran Arena, you ordered him to poison me, didn't you?"

Hearing this, Fang Yun's pupils contracted, and he instantly broke out in a cold sweat. "What are you talking about? I don't understand!"

Amber lowered her gaze indifferently and uttered a sentence. "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. Fang Yun, live well. I hope you won't be killed by Sifflay."

If he unfortunately died on the battlefield, it would be considered his fate. But if he survived and returned, the female slave in prison would come forward to testify about the poisoning, which would be enough to ruin his reputation.

Many military females were watching them nervously, wondering why these two male insect lords would suddenly start fighting. Some insects were already preparing to inform General Giles. Fortunately, Amber only spoke a few words before sheathing her sword, leaving Fang Yun kneeling there in shock.

That night, the troops set up camp on the spot to rest and recuperate. General Giles dispatched a reconnaissance squad to pilot miniature aircraft to search for the lair of the "Gourmand." Finally, they determined that there was a large number of living creatures beneath the energy mines in the southeast direction.

"Get plenty of rest tonight. We'll depart early tomorrow morning!"

General Giles knew that tired soldiers couldn't fight well. The two-day and two-night journey had already left the troops feeling exhausted. He ordered them to stand guard in shifts and take turns to rest.

The male's tent was the deepest within the army's encampment and also the most comfortable. Amber knew there were patrols outside, and it wasn't until the late hours of the night that she finally managed to wrap herself in blankets for a brief nap.

Ludwig had just finished a meeting in the main tent. Afraid of waking Amber, he didn't enter to look for her but instead sat outside the male's tent with the soldiers, keeping watch through the night. Concerned that a campfire might attract other beasts, they refrained from lighting one, merely finding a spot to lean against as they gazed at the stars.

Joyce and Ludwig sat on the ground, staring at the boundless night sky, unable to help sighing, "Ludwig, what do you think our future fate will be?"

Ludwig tipped his head back to take a swig of the energy drink. Because of the sharp drop in temperature at night, he exhaled visible breaths of cold air as he spoke: "Killing, ceaseless killing—that is the destiny of a female soldier."

After he spoke, he suddenly remembered the sleeping male in the tent behind him, and he couldn't help pausing. His gaze softened for a rare moment: "Until you find the insect that can make you stop killing…"

Joyce smiled. "The battlefield is actually pretty good. Do you have any plans for what comes next?"

Plans?

Ludwig needed to kill a male, win a battle, then return home to marry Amber. The goal was simple and clear, but unfortunately, only one could be revealed: "Joyce, let's win this battle."

The corner of Ludwig's lips curled up in a bold and unrestrained smile, his eyes brighter than ever before: "Let's see if you advance faster this time or if I advance faster. That guy Lusuti must regret not coming along; he's always loved to join in the fun."

Joyce pursed his lips, knowing full well he couldn't beat the other man: "Ludwig, you're still so competitive. But Lusuti definitely won't be able to come. His family is busy arranging a mating for him with a male. Maybe by the time you get back, that guy will already be engaged."

Ludwig murmured, "How fast."

If he found a despicable male, perhaps Lusuti's entire life would be ruined.

Just as Joyce was about to say something in response, Ludwig suddenly sat up from the ground, directly drawing the light gun from his waist. His angular face looked somewhat stern in the night, and he asked in a deep voice, "Did you hear something?!"

Joyce frowned. "Sound? What sound…?"

Before he could finish speaking, a crack appeared in the ground, growing larger and larger. Countless black, lustrous armored insects emerged from it, the smallest being more than half the height of a person. They were the "Gluttons"!

Their bodies resembled spiders, but they had a pair of sharp pincers. In order to devour energy minerals, they had been digging deeper into the ground, which prevented detection by instruments. Now, sensing the scent of an unfamiliar race, they immediately mobilized to hunt, tearing open a nearly three-meter-wide fissure in the ground. This caused the nearby mountains to shake violently, with rocks tumbling down.

The surrounding patrols also noticed something amiss. As they fired their guns, they anxiously warned in harsh voices:

"It's bad!! There's a beast attack!! Go quickly and tell General Giles!!"

"Alert! Alert!"

"Hurry and escort the two lords to the safe zone!!"

The moment the ground split open, Ludwig and Joyce rolled on the spot and rushed into the tent behind them. Ludwig's first thought was to save Amber, but he saw that the other party had already woken up. With inner strength infused into her long sword, she stabbed downward fiercely, hitting the Glutton emerging halfway from the ground right on target. She actually pierced the armor that even a light gun had difficulty penetrating.

Red blood spurted out, inevitably splashing some crimson onto Amber's side face, making those dark eyes look fierce and merciless, like a general who had seen countless battles.

Damn it!

General Joyce's eyes widened in shock at the sight, cursing inwardly. The male Ludwig had found was too formidable, daring to kill beasts?!

Ludwig was also stunned for a moment. Coming to his senses, he hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "How are you? Are you injured?!"

Amber deftly pulled out her sword, shaking off the bloodstains on the blade. Her brows furrowed, and her speech rate was faster than usual: "No, there are still many Gluttons underground. The team needs to evacuate quickly. Once they emerge, they will destroy the ground structure. The nearby mountains have already started to crack!"

As if to verify her words, the tremors in the ground grew stronger in the next moment. Countless broken stones tumbled down from above, collapsing the specially made military tents.

Amber immediately fled the tent with Ludwig and the others, evacuating urgently toward the starship. In that instant, all the female soldiers entered combat mode. Their eyes turned red, their ten claws grew into sharp blades, and their speed reached an unbelievable level. They could tear apart the Gluttons' armor with their bare hands and mangle their brains, creating a rather bloody scene.

And Ludwig was undoubtedly the most formidable among these insects. In the most primitive combat state, firearms would only become a burden. Only their own weapons were the most powerful. His amber eyes had now turned into a dangerous blood red, his expression fierce as he swiftly reaped the lives of those Gluttons.

Amber wasn't idle either. After infusing her long sword with inner strength, it became indestructible, even more formidable than the female soldiers' claws. Each swift, accurate, and ruthless thrust severed the beasts like watermelons, her achievements not inferior to Ludwig's. Many female soldiers watching nearby were dumbfounded.

Ludwig turned his head to discover that the male hadn't stayed put at all. His blood-red pupils faintly revealed the strange golden Plague Totem, his pale cheeks splattered with blotches of blood. Half of his face hidden in the night seemed eerie yet strangely beautiful. His voice was low, barely concealing his anger: "Get on the starship immediately. You should evacuate to the safe zone like Lord Fang Yun. It's the duty of female soldiers to exterminate beasts!"

"Fang Yun?"

Amber had no intention of putting away her sword, smiling as she countered, "Are you sure he retreated to the safe zone?"

Fang Yun's tent was not far away. Although female soldiers rushed in to save him when the beasts attacked, it was beyond Fang Yun's ability to handle such a situation for the first time. He was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he crawled out of the tent. Unfortunately, he accidentally injured his arm, and the scent of human blood attracted a large number of beasts chasing after him. Even with forty to fifty elite female soldiers surrounding him, they couldn't cope.

"Help! Help! Who will save me!"

Before setting out for Quarga Star, Fang Yun was full of enthusiasm to fight, but reality differed from imagination. He had never seen spiders bigger than cars in his life, scaring him so much that his legs went limp. While frantically dodging the beasts emerging from underground, he retreated toward the starship under the protection of the female soldiers. However, he didn't expect that those Gluttons seemed to have targeted him, relentlessly pursuing him.

Fang Yun was on the verge of collapse: "Why do you keep chasing me?!"