Chapter 136: “Missed you, Husband.”
Once that face was separated from the tentacle, it became like a lump of dead meat, devoid of vitality.
Shen Zhuo put the face into a bag.
He looked up at the Bug Mother. In his eyes was a hostility Fu Qishang had never seen before, his tone oppressive and fierce:
“No matter what conflicts I had with Xun Qing, we are both humans.”
“Humans should not appear on the Zerg.”
Even hatred was a matter between humans.
The matter between him and Xun Qing was finished; it should have ended with a human killing a human.
It could not, and absolutely would not be allowed, to involve other species.
Shen Zhuo was exceptionally clear-headed at this moment, just filled with an inexplicable rage.
After quickly cutting off a tissue fragment from the Bug Mother with his dagger, he forced himself to look elsewhere.
Shen Zhuo was stunned again.
The human faces nearby… were also ones he recognized.
And he had seen them just a few days ago.
On the list of missing persons Du Feng had given him.
Shen Zhuo’s neck stiffened as he looked over them one by one, actually recognizing more than half of the familiar faces.
Missing persons, and some soldiers from the border he had seen before.
Without exception, they had become part of the Bug Mother’s body.
Why were they here?
What exactly was going on?!
Shen Zhuo took a deep breath.
He had originally thought that after the events at the Royal Palace, the Bug Mother here was just a remnant.
But the scene before him now made him realize that the Zerg issue was far from over.
What was happening with the humans here?
Back then, Feng Ling too… how did he make Tia into a Bug Mother?
All these questions made Shen Zhuo feel cold all over.
Just as Shen Zhuo was lost in thought, a sudden change occurred.
The Bug Mother’s massive fleshy body began to pulsate rapidly and rhythmically.
In the distance, Wei Qi’s gunshot rang out, followed by a red signal flare rising into the sky.
Shen Zhuo’s gaze snapped into focus. He instantly retracted all his wandering thoughts, forcing himself to concentrate completely in a split second.
A red signal flare represented absolute danger.
They needed to evacuate immediately.
Shen Zhuo and Fu Qishang immediately packed the test tubes, called all the students, and started sprinting toward the mechs.
But they hadn’t run fifty meters.
A colossal object appeared behind everyone, instantly sweeping up giant boulders from the ground.
Fu Qishang wanted to look back, but Shen Zhuo stopped him with a slap on the shoulder.
“Everyone, run! Don’t look back!”
Just then, they heard a massive crash.
The sound of something slamming into the ground with explosive force.
Three hundred meters wasn’t a short distance.
The moment Shen Zhuo boarded his mech, he saw the scene of the Bug Mother’s tentacles dragging a mech down from the sky and smashing it into the ground.
Shen Zhuo’s expression froze. Reflected in his slightly dilated pupils were tentacles shooting up one after another from the Bug Mother’s body.
Like giant pythons covered in human faces, they stood upright in the air in an attack stance.
The mountains shook and the earth trembled, like the apocalypse.
The mech was smashed to pieces by the immense power of the tentacle in an instant. Debris from the mech vaulted high into the sky, smoke billowing, before falling back to the ground amidst sparks.
Tiny cracks began to appear on the ground, spreading at an abnormal speed.
The scene was shocking and terrifying to the extreme—
Those tentacles were all coming in their direction.
Wei Qi moved at top speed to block in front of the students. His mech’s arm transformed into a high-speed cannon, firing at the tentacles entangling Chu Baixian’s team from behind.
Chu Baixian and Feng Muya led everyone to evacuate, while Ai Li provided sniper cover from a higher position away from them.
Fu Qishang saw the tentacles about to catch up.
[Gravity Manipulation] caused the few tentacles closest to them to slam onto the ground with a terrifying crash.
Seeing this, several students with combat abilities in Class S stepped forward.
But before they could reach the tentacles, they were stopped by a black shadow.
“Go, all of you.”
They happened to be in a very small range where the communication signal worked, so everyone could hear the boy’s cold but resolute voice.
“Your Majesty!”
“Shen Zhuo?!”
Shen Zhuo activated the mech’s flight mode, blue flames erupting from under the mech’s wings.
“That is an order! Go!”
The boy’s jawline was tight, his eyes sharp.
He raised his hand to grip the broadsword on the mech’s back. The ancient blade unsheathed with a hum, a flash of cold light passing by.
Chu Baixian’s team happened to sweep right over them.
He looked down and saw Shen Zhuo, but he didn’t stop him.
Instead, he led the other students flying toward the transport plane in the distance.
As he passed, Chu Baixian said:
“Ten minutes. We’ll wait for you.”
Shen Zhuo lowered his body slightly:
“…Received.”
In the next second, Epiphyllum pheromones exploded outward in all directions.
The mech burst forth with immense power, rushing toward the slender tentacles that were trying to grab the departing mechs.
While Shen Zhuo maneuvered the mech to dodge agilely, the gravity control behind him caused the tentacles to pause eerily in mid-air the moment they fell, as if time had momentarily frozen.
Seizing the opportunity, Shen Zhuo swung the ancient sword and slashed down with force.
The faces on the tentacles roared and wailed in unison, the sound of weeping piercingly harsh.
Dozens of tentacles in front of him snapped in response.
On the other side, the excellent coordination between Feng Muya and Ai Li also dealt with the tentacles pursuing them in the air.
Shen Zhuo looked up and saw that Feng Muya had also drawn her blade.
Amidst Ai Li’s precise sniping from high altitude, the girl piloted her mech, taking advantage of the split-second pause when the tentacles were shot through to slash with her cold blade, crisp and clean.
In the time it took for a few arcs of light to flash in the sky, Ai Li made a hand gesture to Shen Zhuo.
“Fu Qishang, let’s go.”
Shen Zhuo saw the gesture and didn’t look back again.
Instead, he took Fu Qishang and chased after Chu Baixian and the other students ahead at maximum speed.
Until they completely exited the strange magnetic field and linked up to Du Feng’s communication channel.
The man’s voice transmitted from every mech.
“Do not engage in prolonged battle. Return to headquarters as soon as possible.”
Shen Zhuo and Fu Qishang boarded the transport plane last. Behind them, Ai Li and Feng Muya also flew in a few seconds after the plane started.
Once out of the mech, Ai Li’s hair was almost soaked.
His first words were:
“Oh my god… why was that bug covered in human faces? Scared me to death!”
Feng Muya also jumped down from the cockpit. She wasn’t wearing a skirt today.
The slightly tight training suit wrapped around her, revealing the girl’s beautiful, fluid curves.
“That Bug Mother seemed to hesitate when it saw me. Was it because of Mom?”
Shen Zhuo sat aside to rest, shaking his head.
His fingers rested on his abdomen; he felt a bit uncomfortable for some reason.
Like he had eaten something bad.
Truly terrible timing.
Shen Zhuo recovered slightly, looked up, and said:
“It’s because of rank. Before, humanoid Zerg mistook me for a Bug Mother. I think this Bug Mother main body probably also treated you as a part of itself because of your rank.”
This was also the reason Shen Zhuo stayed behind to cover the retreat.
The Bug Mother’s tentacles were too fast. Perhaps by being there, he could buy time by confusing it, at least ensuring the others’ retreat.
But he hadn’t expected Fu Qishang to stay behind as well.
Fu Qishang unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to Shen Zhuo, then unscrewed another for himself.
After chugging half the bottle, Fu Qishang spoke with lingering fear:
“I didn’t think about anything. I saw you stay behind, so subconsciously I didn’t leave. I thought I could help you.”
Shen Zhuo nodded and raised his water bottle toward him. “Thank you. You really did help me.”
Fu Qishang suddenly smiled, his face a bit red, and clinked his water bottle against Shen Zhuo’s.
“I thought you would say I disobeyed command.”
“I trust you guys.” Shen Zhuo glanced at Fu Qishang, then at Ai Li, who was wiping his hair not far away, and Feng Muya, who sat down to stretch her arms.
After the Royal Palace incident, they seemed to have formed a bond stronger than friendship.
It was absolute trust in one another.
The peace of mind to entrust one’s back to each other.
Believing they could definitely solve the problem, believing they could definitely go home together.
That was why Shen Zhuo’s orders were so decisive, without the slightest drag.
“That’s inevitable. We are all very strong.”
Ai Li was very happy and went over to distribute a candy to everyone.
“Is that so? Then should I trust you guys a little less? You little brats.”
A voice drifted over faintly. Chu Baixian had settled the other students.
He lazily sauntered in front of the group, raised his hand to snatch the gummy candy from Shen Zhuo’s hand, tore it open, and bit into it.
“If anything happened to you, Du Feng would kill me.”
Although Chu Baixian said this, there wasn’t a hint of nervousness on his face.
“But you trust us too.”
Ai Li looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and grabbed another piece of candy for Shen Zhuo.
“Nothing is more difficult than overturning the entire Empire.” Feng Muya curved the corners of her mouth. “If we can do even that, what is there to be afraid of?”
Chu Baixian snatched the candy from Shen Zhuo’s hand again, stuffed it into his pocket, turned around, and waved his hand:
“Go do the things only you can do. Neither we nor Du Feng are as fragile as you imagine.”
“The era of us being heroes has passed. Now, as commanders, we can only cower in fear within our comfort zones.”
Chu Baixian stopped walking, shook the candy in his hand unceremoniously:
“This candy isn’t bad. Remember to prepare two portions for me next time; the one at my house likes sweets too.”
Ai Li responded and glanced at Shen Zhuo.
After Chu Baixian left, he asked Shen Zhuo softly, “What did he mean by ‘cower’ just now?”
Shen Zhuo finally got to eat the candy Ai Li brought over. He chewed it and then said:
“On the battlefield, anyone can die, except the commander.”
“Once the commander dies, the army’s morale collapses, leaving the group leaderless. All decisions become empty talk.”
Feng Muya chimed in from the side: “The commander is equivalent to the military flag that stabilizes people’s hearts.”
“As long as the flag is there, the people’s hearts won’t scatter. So commanders must ensure they don’t fall, no matter how difficult the situation—”
Feng Muya looked at them. “Unless the entire army is wiped out. Then the commander will serve as the final combat force, fighting to the end.”
“They aren’t afraid of death; they cannot die.”
Ai Li pondered for a moment, seeming to have gained a new understanding. He looked in the direction Chu Baixian left with a bit more reverence.
“Then Commander Du is even more…” Fu Qishang spoke halfway, then heard Shen Zhuo’s phone ring.
The three of them immediately hooked arms and walked away, saying things like “I’m hungry, let’s find something to eat,” “Let’s go shower together, so much sweat,” and “Ahahaha, we didn’t see anything.”
Leaving Shen Zhuo alone to slide open the video chat and slowly walk toward his rest room.
His stomach still hurt a little…
He would see a doctor later.
Shen Zhuo pressed his abdomen a few times with his fingertips, confirming it wasn’t an internal organ issue, before looking at Du Feng, who had just connected.
“Are you okay? Are you injured?” Du Feng looked extremely anxious.
Shen Zhuo sat on the velvet chair and shook his head. “Not injured.”
The boy leaned his head against the back of the chair, holding the phone very close.
His face filled the screen.
“I just missed you…”
Shen Zhuo paused, lowered his voice, and with a raspiness born of exhaustion that sounded seductive, slowly breathed out the last word:
“Husband.”
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