Chapter 108: Disappearance

Chapter 108: Disappearance

Human blood differs from that of the insectoids, to the eyes of the beasts, it's akin to a feast for gluttons. Visibly, those ravenous creatures relentlessly pursued in the direction Fang Yun had left, their roars incessant, barely concealing their excitement. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that virtually all the beasts emerging from the ground encircled Fang Yun.

Those military females, ordered to protect the males' safety, could only surround Fang Yun within the inner circle, striving to fight off the outside attackers. But facing the dense swarm of incoming beasts, they gradually began to falter. Many military females were crushed by the beasts' pincers, breaking bones and tendons, their screams unceasing.

General Joyce, seeing his comrades fall, his eyes instantly reddened. He desperately fired while retreating towards the starship, "Damn it! Retreat quickly! Have you lost your minds! Did you hear me when I told you to scatter and retreat!!"

The last sentence was almost bellowed out in madness. Protecting the males was indeed crucial, but if it meant sacrificing countless soldiers, it was simply not worth it. Those military females heard General Joyce's command, their jaws clenched, hesitation flashing in their eyes, but not a single one retreated.

Obedience to orders was their duty. Before departure, Admiral Giles had given instructions: these two males must not suffer any mishaps!

The battle was intense, casualties mounting. Gunfire mixed with the earth-shaking tremors, causing a ringing in everyone's ears. At this moment, a figure clad in black combat gear suddenly leaped lightly into the protective circle. He grabbed the terrified Fang Yun, using his martial arts skills to carry him away from the spot. The beasts immediately abandoned the fighting military females, surging towards them like a tide.

Seeing this, Ludwig's expression changed, his voice laced with anger, "Amber! Are you crazy!"

He was so panicked that he forgot formalities.

Amber keenly sensed the beasts' desire for human blood. He retreated with Fang Yun to another open area. His gaze was fierce, one hand wielding a sword to deftly slay the approaching beasts, the other pulling Fang Yun behind him as he coldly said, "Retreat first!"

General Joyce, seeing this, felt gratitude in his heart and hurriedly said, "Quickly retreat!"

As the military females swiftly retreated, Ludwig suddenly charged into the encirclement, forcefully tearing a bloody path. His sharp claws had killed countless beasts, stained with crimson blood, and he swiftly thrust towards Amber's back—

He wanted to take advantage of the chaos to kill Fang Yun!

Fang Yun, originally hiding in panic behind Amber, was startled when he met Ludwig's murderous gaze. In this critical moment, Amber suddenly shouted, "Ludwig! Retreat quickly!"

Ludwig frowned at him, unwillingly saying, "But..."

"There are no 'buts', retreat quickly!"

Amber's sword pierced through the beast blocking his way. Under Ludwig's cover, he pulled Fang Yun onto the starship. The hatch closed, and it immediately took off, blocking the crazed beasts outside. Everyone finally had a brief respite.

Upon entering the cabin, the military females rushed over, asking anxiously,

"Sir, are you alright?!"

"It was thanks to you earlier; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to retreat in time!"

"I didn't expect you to be so skilled. You're better at killing beasts than us!"

In any era, life is precious. No one is willing to die for someone unrelated. They had already lost many comrades in their desperate protection of Fang Yun. If Amber hadn't intervened in time, the casualties would have been even heavier.

Amber always felt that the sudden surge of beasts was too coincidental, more like a deliberate act than an accident. He looked up at Sivray standing at the back of the group. The man was like a shadow, lacking presence. Everyone was surrounding Amber, expressing gratitude and admiration, but Sivray stood far away, motionless.

"I'm fine. Everyone, quickly treat your wounds and leave this place as soon as possible."

Amber declined the medic's examination, instructing them to first save the severely wounded military females. There were no shortage of soldiers with broken limbs in the group. The starship was filled with wails and the pungent smell of blood.

Ludwig shed his combat metamorphosis state, collapsing into his seat in sheer exhaustion for a rest. The bloodstains on his face had turned a dark brown due to the passage of time, creating an oddly decadent and eerie allure against his pale skin.

His claws retracted, revealing hands with distinct joints that now hung limp, marred by many shocking wounds. The deepest one exposed the ghastly white of bone.

Ludwig closed his eyes, panting heavily, feeling an unbearable pain in his head. Military females undoubtedly unleashed tremendous power during metamorphosis, but they inevitably suffered the agony of rampant mental energy after the battle.

This was the cruelty of war.

In the beast attack just now, Ludwig lost two of his old comrades, not because they were incompetent, but because they shielded Fang Yun, standing in front of him to be brutally bitten through their throats by the Gourmands, devoured to the last, leaving no trace of their bodies behind.

Ludwig's chest swelled with anger and sorrow, yet he had nowhere to vent it, numbing his nerves with pain instead. He couldn't help clenching his fists, causing the barely healed wounds to split open again, blood dripping slowly to the ground, eventually pooling into a small puddle.

In a daze, it seemed someone had taken a seat beside him, lifting up the injured hand to apply medicine, their movements gentle. Ludwig opened his eyes to see Amber approaching with a medical kit. His pupils, still blood-red, appeared somewhat demonic in the shadows as he rasped out, "Sir..."

Amber cleaned Ludwig's wounds meticulously before evenly applying a special coagulant gel, frowning slightly. "Why didn't you go to the military doctor to treat your wounds?"

Ludwig exhaled slowly, his expression somewhat grim. "I only have superficial injuries. Bosh and the others, to protect that male, were devoured by the beasts, leaving no remains. And there's Nanla... he lost an arm."

The saliva of Gourmands was toxic; once bitten, it would corrode the limb's nerves, making reattachment impossible.

Ludwig's voice was icy, laced with bone-chilling coldness. "Nanla was already engaged, waiting for this battle to end so he could return to Hais City to get married. But to protect that male, his hand was savagely bitten off..."

What awaited him? A broken engagement? Discharge from service? Ludwig dared not imagine it, gritting his teeth. "You shouldn't have stopped me earlier; I should have killed him!"

Amber wrapped the wound tightly with gauze, thinking how much harm Fang Yun had caused. Unfortunately, in this incident, he was at most an accomplice; the real mastermind was someone else. "Ludwig, with so many insects watching, killing him would have brought trouble upon you. Moreover, this beast attack came very suddenly. I suspect some insect is playing tricks."

At Amber's words, Ludwig suddenly lifted his eyes. "Who?!"

Amber didn't reveal the identity, after all, he didn't have concrete evidence. "In any case, the plan to kill Fang Yun is postponed. Try to keep him away from the battlefield during this time. The beasts are extremely sensitive to his scent of blood; if they catch a whiff, it will cause a disaster."

Ludwig said coldly, "A useless person like him shouldn't even be on the battlefield; he's nothing but dead weight!"

Ever since Amber rescued Fang Yun from the beast tide, he had been in a state of shock. He hid in the far corner at the back of the starship, trembling uncontrollably, his face pale as he muttered, "I want to leave here... I want to leave here... This place isn't fit for humans..."

The medic tried to come over to treat his wounds, but Fang Yun reacted violently, as if triggered, pushing him away forcefully. "Don't come near! Stay away from me!! All of you, get lost!"

Joyce hurried over at the commotion. His usual smile vanished, replaced by disgust and irritation. He managed to maintain his patience. "Sir Fang Yun, medical resources are scarce in the squad right now. I hope you won't be unreasonable. Please get your wounds bandaged immediately. Many soldiers are waiting to be treated!"

If circumstances permitted, Joyce truly wanted to kick Fang Yun out to feed the beasts. The Third Prince must have been blind to recruit such an incompetent male into the squad. It was infuriating how the beasts kept chasing after Fang Yun relentlessly!

Fang Yun looked up in panic. "When will the squad return to Hais City? I don't want to stay here. You need to find a way to send me back! Please, take me back!"

He had never encountered such a terrifying scene in his life. Beasts as tall as half a man chased him relentlessly, tearing apart the bodies of the military females, limbs flying everywhere. He had survived today by luck, but what about tomorrow? The day after?

Joyce's expression grew increasingly grim. After so many years of fighting, this was the first time he heard such an absurd request. "Sir, deserters are never allowed on the battlefield. Not only me, but even General Giles wouldn't agree. If you're so afraid of death, why did you join the Black Hawk Corps in the first place?!"

His voice wasn't loud or soft, but many female soldiers nearby heard him, their various gazes—of surprise, contempt, and disdain—sweeping over, nearly drowning Fang Yun.

"I..."

Fang Yun's lips quivered, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he struggled to utter a single word: "I..."

He merely believed himself different from the cowardly male insects of Alirik Star, that war was no big deal, and that the adoring gazes should linger on him forever...

But he forgot that he was just an ordinary man.

Just as Joyce's lungs were about to burst with anger, Sifflay suddenly stepped forward, speaking softly, "Commander Joyce, Sir Fang Yun must have been frightened. Let me tend to his wounds."

His azure eyes held no aggression, coupled with the well-known engagement to Fang Yun, Joyce didn't think much of it, frowning, "Then it's yours to handle."

With that, he gestured for the medic to leave, leaving a medical kit for Sifflay.

All the insects aboard the starship were in a frenzy, for according to the instruments, there had been no signs of beasts in that area, yet they inexplicably emerged from underground. If the cause couldn't be found, it would affect future battle plans.

Sifflay opened the medical kit, speaking gently, "Sir, let me apply medicine for you. It wouldn't do if it became inflamed."

Fang Yun resisted less against Sifflay, shakily extending his hand for treatment, filled with guilt, "Sifflay, I'm sorry..."

This female insect treated him so kindly, yet he had entangled himself with Andrew, truly betraying Sifflay's affection.

Sifflay merely smiled, "Don't say that, it's what I should do."

After bandaging Fang Yun, he surveyed the surroundings, seeing no insect paying attention, then lowered his voice, "Actually, if you wish to return to Heiz City, there might be a way."

Fang Yun's eyes lit up at the words, gripping Sifflay's wrist in excitement, "Sifflay, you have a way, right?! You can take me away from here, right?!"

Sifflay smiled faintly, "Of course."

He leaned close to Fang Yun's ear, whispering something that made Fang Yun's expression change several times, appearing uneasy, "Is this really possible?"

Sifflay enticed, "It's the only way. General Gales has found the gluttons' lair, and there will be a larger battle tomorrow. If we don't escape now, it'll be too late."

The wind howled outside the porthole, the twilight boundless. This barren planet had existed quietly for countless years, devoid of vegetation, with countless energy ores buried deep beneath the surface.

According to the original battle plan, the team was supposed to infiltrate the beast's nest after dawn, but General Gales hadn't anticipated the sudden attack, resulting in casualties. Forced to postpone the plan, he allowed the team to rest for two days, but during recuperation, a communications soldier suddenly rushed over in panic, delivering a shocking news:

"General, it's bad! Sir Fang Yun has escaped!"

General Gales' expression changed at the news, "What did you say?!"

The communications soldier was out of breath, "When we were tallying equipment tonight, we suddenly noticed a micro-flying vehicle missing. Checking the recorder revealed that Sir Fang Yun had secretly taken it. We don't know if he's returned to Alirik Star!"

"Bang!"

General Gales was livid, slamming the table hard, losing his composure, "The fuel in the micro-flying vehicle isn't enough to get him back to the capital. It will run out of fuel and have to make an emergency landing halfway through. There are only chaotic deserted stars nearby. What if something happens?! What are you all doing? A flying vehicle goes missing and you notice it now. Quickly search for its location!"

The communications soldier hesitated before delivering another piece of bad news, "The positioning function on that flying vehicle seems to have been removed. Currently, we can't retrieve Sir Fang Yun's coordinates."

He braced for the storm to come, but General Gales merely muttered a foul curse, put on his military cap, and left the cockpit in a hurry to convene an emergency meeting.

"If he's escaped, then so be it. Perhaps Sir Fang Yun is already back in Heiz City, no need for us to worry."

No insect showed concern for Fang Yun's departure. Ludwig even wanted to open a bottle of wine to celebrate, and Commander Joyce dramatically covered her mouth, feigning surprise, "Goodness, Sir Fang Yun actually escaped secretly?"

Ludwig stroked his chin, "By the Insect God, this is one of the best pieces of news I've ever heard."

The other commanders also didn't react much, with some insects tentatively suggesting, "General Gales, why don't we proceed with the battle plan first, and once the beasts are eliminated, send a team to look for Sir Fang Yun. Otherwise, delaying the Emperor's orders won't end well for any of us."

"When the beasts are eliminated?!"

General Gales flew into a rage, pounding the table, "Then you won't have to find Sir Fang Yun. Just build him a grave on Quarga Star!"