Chapter 69

Chapter 69

The entire command center inside the warship was almost covered in white secretions, hiding most of its original surface. Many hung from the ceiling, with ribbon-like tendrils extending from various instruments or walls, slanting across the walkway that ran through the command center.

A thick, cloying, almost rotten scent permeated the command center.

The King Insect was perched in the middle of the command center, right on the command console. It wasn't even covered in a carapace; the entire command center was its nest.

It stirred, and the console lights flickered. The warship rumbled to life—the deep thrum of startup.

It was then that Ye Mo realized it wasn't simply using the warship as a nest; it had somehow taken control of the warship.

Ye Mo's mental energy flooded out, completely taking over the warship. His mental energy penetrated the interior of the command console, where the pipes and wiring were filled with white, spiderweb-like strands.

The King Insect reared up, looking at Ye Mo, and let out a low hiss—much quieter than the ones Ye Mo had heard before. Then, it quickly secreted a transparent fluid.

These transparent droplets fell onto the white secretions. Almost upon contact, the white secretions visibly softened and eventually melted away like snow, revealing what lay beneath.

First, a few white eggs appeared, then the seat in front of the command console, and finally, from within the interwoven, web-like material, a young face emerged. His complexion was still rosy, as if he were merely lost in a sweet dream.

The white secretions continued to melt away, revealing several other people around him. Some were sitting in chairs in front of the command console, while others had collapsed onto the console itself.

Among them were young people, barely more than teenagers, and middle-aged technicians in their work uniforms.

Ye Mo stood by the door, gripping his sword tightly, watching them with a sorrowful expression he himself was unaware of.

The first young man opened his eyes. His head slowly turned toward Ye Mo, but his gaze wasn't focused; his pupils were clouded, merely clumsily mimicking the act of looking.

Then, the others around him began to move as well. They slowly tore away the white substances still clinging to their bodies.

The process resembled something being re-hatched, breaking free from a cocoon, and Ye Mo's arrival had interrupted their hatching.

The young man was the first to stand up. There was a large hole in his chest, filled with an unknown white substance. The exposed skin on his arms and legs gleamed with an eerie, waxy sheen.

This formed a stark contrast with his still-rosy face.

He stood in place, a dagger in his hand. The others started moving after him, but they were the ones who first advanced toward Ye Mo. At first, their movements were somewhat stiff, but they gradually became more fluid, eventually moving as they had in life.

Ye Mo held his sword horizontally before him.

Their movements weren't fast, giving Ye Mo ample time to react.

Lin Huixuan, back in the base's command center, had already noticed that something was wrong with Ye Mo's situation.

The surveillance had returned to normal, but Ye Mo had taken over the warship's systems, making it impossible to see inside. He tried to contact Ye Mo, but each attempt went unanswered.

At that moment, everyone still in the hall received the same order: "Go check on what the young prince is doing."

They began searching for Ye Mo's location and, after confirming it, headed toward the warship.

Just as they were gradually approaching the warship, the base alarms blared again.

"The Insect Tide is attacking again. Alert: underground incursion."

Several squads quickly organized their attacks.

An abnormal number of King Insects were bursting from the hall's floor, leaving almost no room for respite.

One of the team members stood on a maintenance gantry. His specialty was throwing knives, and he had been positioned at a high vantage point from the start, supporting his teammates. Watching his companions reach higher ground and begin attacking calmly, he finally let out a slight sigh of relief. Flicking the blade between his fingers, he clicked his tongue. "It's like they've gone mad."

Inside the warship, the white secretions around Ye Mo had already been cleared away, or rather, most of the white secretions in the command center had been sliced apart or cleaned up during the chaotic battle.

The chairs and tables originally in the command center were now scattered across the floor.

Their strength was astonishing, and like snakes, they continued to move even after their heads were severed. Fortunately, they couldn't use mental energy as they had in life.

The young man's dagger had long been broken by Ye Mo. Facing Ye Mo's sword blade, he blocked it with his forearm.

The others had already had their legs severed by Ye Mo, rendering them immobile.

This time, Ye Mo didn't hesitate. He had anticipated the next move—he would sever the young man's forearm, then his shoulder, and finally his legs.

But the sword blade didn't move as Ye Mo had expected. It pierced through the opponent's flesh but then lodged in the bone, unable to advance further.

Ye Mo's pupils contracted slightly.

Seizing this moment of hesitation, the opponent struck Ye Mo's unprotected abdomen with a fierce punch. Taking advantage of Ye Mo's momentary slackness, he crossed his forearms in front of himself, pressed against the sword blade, and strode forward.

Ye Mo, with his back against the wall, never let go of his sword. He used it to hold off the young man, keeping him at bay. The opponent's strength was astonishing, and he continued to press forward slowly, trying to close the distance.

But the blade, sharp enough to sever a King Insect's body, only cut through his flesh before lodging in the bone, making no further progress.

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

Time seemed to slow down. Ye Mo even had a moment to peer into the opponent's split flesh and see the bones—silver in color, with a beautiful sheen.

Then, the already-dead young man stepped back, withdrew his arms, and used his shoulder to meet Ye Mo's sword blade, pressing Ye Mo against the wall once more. Freeing his hands, he attempted to choke Ye Mo. Ye Mo adjusted the angle of his sword, crouched down, slipped out from under the opponent's arm, turned around, and struck his back again.

Once again, the blade got stuck in the bones. The opponent was stronger than Ye Mo, and Ye Mo's arm trembled slightly from the excessive strain.

Soon, Ye Mo's other hand also gripped the blade itself. His mental energy instinctively flowed along the sword, continuously channeling into it.

Ye Mo's entire body tensed up. The sword blade faintly showed cracks, much like Ye Mo's own body.

Ye Mo mobilized more mental energy, layering it onto the sword through his body.

He couldn't actually control his mental energy freely. Ye Mo's use of mental energy had always been crude and clumsy, only able to mobilize a small portion of it. Or rather, his body had always been driven by his mental energy.

Most of his mental energy had a mind of its own, constantly spreading outward and bringing back vast amounts of unnecessary information.

It was like a sword without a hilt—touching it would cause injury. This was the first time Ye Mo consciously took hold of the blade itself.

Just that little bit was remarkably effective. The sword blade finally advanced, slowly sinking a fraction deeper into the bone.

Ye Mo felt as if all the blood in his body was burning. He could hear the sound of every joint in his body grinding against each other.

But at that moment, Ye Mo suddenly regained clarity. The mental energy that had been spreading aimlessly halted its momentum and began moving purposefully in one direction. Finally, the mental energy that had been dominating him was drawn out of his body, pulled away from the warship.

It traversed the boundless wilderness, drifted toward the canyon, and then shattered above it, falling into the depths like snow.

To any who could see it, it would be a scene more magnificent than the Milky Way or the starriest sky.

A crack appeared on Ye Mo's sword. The pain belatedly spread from his palm—the back of the sword had sunk deeply into his hand from the excessive force.

The sword, made of expensive and rare metals, had finally reached its limit. It snapped in the middle, fragments scattering across the floor.

Almost instantly, the previously suppressed young man twisted around, pressed Ye Mo's shoulders down, and slammed him onto the ground with a loud crash.

His other hand then tightly clamped around Ye Mo's throat.

Ye Mo's subordinate brushed against something cold and slimy.

He reached out, grabbing its wrist—icy, not like skin, like metal. Ye Mo coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, tasting slightly salty.

Ye Mo's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the white secretions dangling from above.

The faint scent of blood permeated the command room, which was filled with an intense, strange fragrance.

The King Insect, stabbed by Ye Mo at the struggle's start and now barely alive in a corner, twitched.

Lin Huixuan was still trying to contact Ye Mo. He had delegated command authority, focusing solely on Ye Mo. After who-knows-how-many attempts, Ye Mo's feedback finally appeared in the channel, identical to before.

"All normal."

...

Norton's psychic force forcibly invaded Arnold's psychic domain. Arnold's expression shifted from its earlier ferocity, calming down the moment Norton entered his psychic field.

Norton was all too familiar with this state.

Such an invasion was excruciatingly painful. Norton always prepared for resistance, but he had already killed several Graths this way, including his father. They had all remained quiet, even docile, allowing Norton to kill them.

Arnold's body suddenly twitched, then began to tremble slightly. He raised a hand, feeling for Norton's arm, and placed his hand on it gently—so lightly it could hardly be called resistance.

But Norton's psychic force halted. His consciousness was within Arnold's psychic domain, making him acutely aware of any changes.

The psychic energy Arnold had released out of control gradually calmed, shifting from a raging storm to a tranquil stillness.

Norton hadn't released his grip, but his force had lessened considerably.

Arnold stirred. "Brother."

His voice was hoarse. "So beautiful."

Arnold continued haltingly, "Did you see it, Brother? The sky is snowing glowing flakes."

Norton's hand still covered Arnold's eyes. After a long pause, he finally responded with a soft "Hmm."

...

After receiving the response, Lin Huixuan felt slightly relieved, but another report soon came in.

"Secretary-General Lin, the warship has been activated. The command center received no signal."

The warship stationed in the hall was for emergencies and could launch immediately.

Lin Huixuan keenly sensed something was wrong. He contacted Ye Mo again, but the feedback remained the same: "All normal."

He quickly compared this response with the earlier ones. Lin Huixuan couldn't help but slam the table—it was identical to the earliest feedback, received before Ye Mo even entered the warship. This meant that since Ye Mo boarded, there had been no new responses. Something was just repeating Ye Mo's earlier reply.

"Immediately activate additional warships and prepare for pursuit."

"Initiate forced communication with the warship."