Chapter 131

Chapter 131

As Deenlie killed the first King Insect, Adrian flicked his wrist, the sharp blade gleaming with cold light.

"About time, huh?"

He looked down into the rift. In the section where they stood, the gunfire had stopped for a bit since their landing. With all that heavy fire, this was the only opening.

Even King Insects that could take the bombardment wouldn't risk getting hurt; they preferred spots without gunfire.

The King Insects would catch on quick and swarm over here. Unlike what most people think about bugs being fearless, that's more like the ones the King Insects drive and control. The King Insects themselves were more cautious.

Adrian glanced back at Arnold with a slight smile as he warned, "They're coming, Arnold."

Arnold stepped up too, staring into the rift. Up ahead, he could already see the first wave of King Insects crawling up the walls of the rift.

They were packed together, scrambling over each other to get here. Every now and then, one would leap over the others, using them as stepping stones.

Deenlie frowned. "Try to toss their bodies back into the rift."

Otherwise, they'll pile up and get in the way.

Adrian and Arnold both grunted in agreement.

The livestream chat was already going crazy.

"This many is terrifying. You only see numbers like this in a King Insect nest."

"In a King Insect nest, there are tons of regular bugs, not nearly as tough as the King Insects."

Some people had doubts.

"Three Graths and they're not retreating? Yeah, they're strong, but can they really hold them off? Wouldn't it be smarter to fall back to that low wall behind them?"

But once the King Insects crawled up from the rift and the fight started, all the doubters shut up.

"I'm speechless. One every three seconds. I can't chop cabbage that fast."

"I'm hyped. Just went to the kitchen and chopped up two cabbages. My application for the next military academy is definitely going in!"

"Watching them kill bugs always makes me think I could do it too. That's probably why the Graths, at the request of an international organization, recorded and released footage of them killing King Insects. The first year, countries listed it as essential study material, but by the second year, it got bumped down to an elective."

"No, no, no, it's not the same. That footage only showed one King Insect. And watching the Graths fight for real today, I suddenly realized—did they purposely slow down back then? That footage was a whole minute long."

"I gotta say, that 'whole' minute blew the entire interstellar community's minds back then."

"Graths: 'See? Got it? If not, we'll slow it down just a little more, okay?' Us: 'We're totally lost.'"

As time went on, the Graths had all moved back from the edge of the rift. Piles of King Insect bodies were piling up on the ground, and the three began to spread out.

Halfway through the fight, even the livestream audience had stopped freaking out, seizing the chance to closely watch the Graths fight.

"Stared for a bit, my eyes hurt. I'm only good for replays, slowed down ten times."

Ye Mo had been hanging back a little behind them. Arnold was the closest to him, and Ye Mo knew him the best. Eventually, Ye Mo stayed right by Arnold's side.

At first, he instinctively flinched away from the King Insects. When he reached for his waist and grabbed nothing, Ye Mo realized he was just looking at a distant image beamed in from some remote wandering starfield.

Later, Ye Mo got used to tuning everything else out and just focusing on Arnold. He didn't realize how easily he was following Arnold's moves. Back in the classroom, watching the Graths' combat videos with his classmates, he could barely keep up with even the purposely slowed-down moves, gasping right along with everyone else.

So when Arnold started acting off, Ye Mo noticed right away.

First, Arnold's movements froze for a second. Ye Mo held his breath, instinctively wanting to step forward, but before he could even react—

Arnold's psychic energy went haywire, sweeping across the whole battlefield. Psychic Blades were raining down wildly all around him.

Deenlie and Adrian, off in the distance, sensed it instantly.

The second Arnold's psychic energy spiraled out of control, Adrian was in mid-air. The King Insect under him twisted around, opening its terrifying mouth, trying to throw Adrian off.

At almost the same moment, Adrian's eyes went wide. He turned his head to look at Arnold.

The King Insect kept coming. Without even looking at it, Adrian kept his eyes on Arnold. He leaped over the insect, landed, skidded a bit, and then charged straight at Arnold.

The King Insect's body crumpled behind him, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The chat barely had time to freak out before it was all over. They hadn't even noticed anything wrong.

"Scared me to death! How can you zone out mid-fight? I nearly had a heart attack, Prince Adrian!"

On the other side, Deenlie dispatched the King Insect in front of him with equal efficiency, then, without a moment's hesitation, headed straight for Arnold.

Arnold felt his heart pound heavily. Gripping his sword, he stumbled and dropped to one knee, the blade slanting into the ground to support himself.

This feeling was all too familiar. Arnold tried to control his psychic energy, but as always, it was useless. He could only watch helplessly as it continued to spiral. Soon, he would lose control of his body, lose consciousness, and descend into full-blown madness—becoming a vessel for psychic energy, a killing machine.

Ye Mo was right beside Arnold. He couldn't touch him, could only watch, pacing anxiously around him.

Arnold had stopped, but the King Insects hadn't. On the contrary, they sensed something and surged forward even faster than before.

The King Insect closest to Arnold reacted first. It twisted its body, screeching as it charged at him.

Arnold caught it in his peripheral vision. Enduring the headache and physical discomfort, he tried to stand and raise his sword. But the moment he moved, his knee barely lifting off the ground, he crashed back down heavily, the sword plunging back into the earth.

Ye Mo had forgotten this was just a holographic projection. Instinctively, he spread his arms, shielding Arnold, his back to the King Insect.

Arnold looked up toward Ye Mo. For a split second, Ye Mo almost thought Arnold saw him.

But Ye Mo quickly snapped out of it and turned his head.

Just an arm's length away, the King Insect that had been charging at them had fallen. Deenlie stood on its body, pulling out his sword.

Adrian had already reached Arnold. He crouched down, checking on him, looking steady.

Deenlie jumped down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

For once, Adrian didn't complain. He looked up and exchanged a glance with Deenlie. "It's bad. Get them out of here."

As he spoke, a low growl rumbled from Arnold's throat.

Deenlie nodded. His psychic energy swept across the battlefield, sending an immediate retreat order to the nearby Grath soldiers.

Psychic Blades continued to appear randomly nearby. One grazed Deenlie's cheek, leaving a shallow cut because he dodged a beat too slow.

Arnold instinctively gripped his sword hilt, then quickly let go. Unable to control his psychic energy or access the Grath's specific channel, he could only whisper, "Kill me, brother, before I turn my sword on you."

A rogue Grath was nearly impossible to control, especially on a battlefield. He would only burden them.

Besides, Arnold loathed what he became when he lost control—like a hideous beast.

Before Adrian or Deenlie could speak, Arnold added, "You know it's nothing."

As long as Ye Mo was there, they would meet again.

Ye Mo crouched down beside Arnold, listening quietly. When Arnold said to kill him, Ye Mo unconsciously clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, stinging slightly.