Chapter 59: Falling Off the Horse

Chapter 59: Falling Off the Horse

Ji Jing used himself as bait; every time the insectoid tried to descend, he would launch an attack.

Compared to swords and blades, the Silver Fox's built-in firepower system was much more powerful. Although it didn't directly kill the insectoid, it burned a large hole in its wings and hit its abdomen twice.

Ji Jing didn't linger in combat; after landing a successful strike, he immediately increased the distance between himself and the insectoid.

The large insectoid was thrown off by his guerrilla tactics. Whether it was Ji Jing's provocation or the effect of his charm, the insectoid, which had initially been eyeing the medicinal fields below, gradually focused all its attention on Ji Jing, as if he were the most delicious morsel.

Ji Jing lured the large insectoid upward, but how could his flying speed compare to that of the insectoid?

Several times, the insectoid's front limbs had already grabbed Ji Jing, but he managed to escape each time.

If not for the protection of the powered exoskeleton, Ji Jing would have been torn apart by the insectoid's barbed limbs.

Ji Jing could sense that this large insectoid wasn't attacking him like it did Zamba; instead, it was trying to capture him.

After several rounds, Ji Jing and the insectoid had flown to the height of the mountain peak. The medicinal fields and elves below were temporarily safe, but the elves' hearts were filled with anxiety.

Previously, many elves disliked Ji Jing, the half-elf, whose hair and eye color clearly marked him as a Night Elf, shunned by the Mother Tree. However, due to Doma's orders, no elf dared to show outright hostility toward Ji Jing.

But now, the half-elf they despised was fighting the terrifying insectoid alone, just to protect them.

Many elves felt ashamed of their previous prejudices and were deeply concerned for Ji Jing.

Many guards drew their bows and shot arrows at the insectoid from a distance, but just like Zamba's attacks, the rain of arrows had little effect on the insectoid's hard shell, causing no real damage.

Ji Jing panted slightly. His successful escapes weren't due to his agility but because he used mental energy to attack the insectoid's nervous system at critical moments, slowing it down enough for him to escape.

But this couldn't go on forever.

If the person wearing the powered exoskeleton were Luo Ke, he could easily kill the insectoid. But the one facing the insectoid was Ji Jing, who had no combat experience.

Even so, Ji Jing still found a moment to think—

It seemed that every time he thought he was strong enough, reality always told him: No, you're far from it.

Once he found a way to save the original owner's soul, he would definitely go to Luo Ke to learn mech operation and take one of his mechs on his next outing!

"Achoo—"

Far away, in the Capital Region defenses of the Rose Galaxy, Luo Ke suddenly sneezed. He had just returned from the front lines and hadn't even taken off his tight combat suit when he felt his optical brain vibrate.

"General, are you alright? You haven't rested in a long time. Should we check your health?" A guard took Luo Ke's sensor helmet, looking worried.

Luo Ke removed his gloves and rubbed his nose, speaking in a muffled voice, "I'm fine."

He glanced at his optical brain, and the next instant, his pupils dilated.

—It was a location coordinate sent by the Silver Fox.

His usually stern expression finally changed, revealing uncontrollable joy.

"Ji Jing..."

Mentioned by Luo Ke, Ji Jing held his breath. His calf had just been grazed by the insectoid's tentacle. Even with the protection of the powered exoskeleton, the pain was unbearable.

Ji Jing didn't know if his leg was broken, but the situation clearly couldn't drag on any longer. The powered exoskeleton's firepower system had only one round left. If he couldn't kill the insectoid soon, things would only get worse.

Thinking this, Ji Jing made a feint to draw the insectoid's attention, then suddenly unleashed all his mental energy, giving the insectoid an invisible mental assault.

While the insectoid was dazed, Ji Jing aimed the powered exoskeleton's firepower at the insectoid's soft abdomen, "Silver Fox, attack!"

In the next instant, a micro-miniaturized antimatter round shot toward the giant insectoid. The projectile was so small it was almost invisible to the naked eye, but when it struck the insectoid's abdomen, it exploded with a loud bang.

A large hole appeared in the insectoid's abdomen, and flesh and fluids splattered everywhere.

Ji Jing dodged the splatter and circled around to the insectoid's back, landing directly on it.

As the insectoid thrashed in pain, Ji Jing's powered exoskeleton quickly transformed into a sharp broadsword.

Ji Jing gripped the hilt with both hands and, using all his strength, plunged the broadsword into the gap where the insectoid's head connected to its body, then levered it upward with a mighty heave.

With a crisp "crack," the insectoid's head separated from its body.

The massive insectoid fell downward, its legs still moving involuntarily, even though it was dead, its body still reacting out of instinct.

Exhausted, Ji Jing fell with the insectoid's corpse, too weak to flap his wings anymore.

"Ji Jing—"

A cry of alarm rang out, and in Ji Jing's vision, a crimson dragon appeared. This dragon wasn't the kind from ancient China but the winged dragons from ancient Western fantasy.

Before losing consciousness, Ji Jing even thought: Ah, it's Long Su. I wonder if he can breathe fire...

Long Su caught Ji Jing with his claws before he hit the ground.

Long Su had never been so tense before, as if he were holding a snowflake, afraid that the slightest pressure would shatter Ji Jing.

After landing, Long Su transformed back into human form. Before he could crouch down to check on Ji Jing, Doma rushed over.

"Ji Jing, are you alright?"

But unfortunately, the unconscious Ji Jing didn't respond to Doma's question.

Seeing Ji Jing's pale face and the blood on his left leg, Doma was more panicked than when Zamba was injured, "Call the healer! Quickly, call the healer!"

Long Su was pushed aside by Doma, feeling somewhat at a loss. Although he was also very worried about Ji Jing, it was clear he had arrived too late.

Ji Jing was already surrounded by several elves, and Long Su couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. He shouldn't have avoided Ji Jing; if he had stayed by his side all along, nothing would have happened to him.

Thinking of this, Long Su looked at the massive insect corpse nearby and frowned as he went over to examine it.

Although the dragon territory did not have insectoids, Long Su had encountered them before. He quickly identified this as an insectoid scout.

The unconscious Ji Jing had already been carried away by the guards to find the shaman. Doma, feeling somewhat relieved, also walked over to Long Su's side. As the chieftain, he needed to consider the safety of the entire elven tribe.

Before Doma could ask, Long Su explained, "This is an insectoid scout. Their main task is to find suitable planets for the insectoids to reproduce. It's a good thing Ji Jing killed it; it can prevent other insectoids from being drawn here.

However, since a scout has already appeared on this planet, there's a possibility that more insectoids will show up. You need to be prepared for what comes next."

Doma nodded solemnly.

At this moment, a herbalist stepped forward and handed a fox-head necklace to Doma, saying, "Chieftain, we found this in the herb fields. It seems to have fallen off Ji Jing."

Doma took it, "Alright, I'll take it back to Ji Jing."

"Wait!"

When Long Su saw the necklace, he felt a strong sense of familiarity, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

"Is this Ji Jing's necklace? Can I take a look?"