Chapter 40
"…What's wrong?"
Yael felt a little pain from his grip, but seeing that something was obviously wrong with Caesar's expression, he did not struggle and asked hesitantly.
The department store was not far behind them. Caesar took two steps at a time and pulled him to the escape passage. Hearing this, he said briefly, "It's a star thief."
Yael's pupils shrank slightly.
Although wars with other races have stopped in recent years, pirates have become more rampant, burning, killing and looting everywhere. Planets that are targeted will inevitably suffer a disaster. Most of the disasters are small in scale, but they are as annoying as locusts.
I often see pirates attacking somewhere on the news, but it seems far away from my life until this disaster unexpectedly befalls me.
"Hold on tight."
As if he thought the speed was too slow, Xize suddenly turned around, his dark eyes were cold.
Before Yael could react, an arm tightly wrapped around his waist and half lifted him up. After a moment of dizziness, he was put down and found himself in the corner of the escape passage.
"Wait for me here for a moment, okay?"
Yael took a deep breath, suppressed his panic, and nodded.
"……wait for me."
Xi Ze pursed his lips and couldn't help but press the male insect's head. It seemed as if a piece of his chest collapsed, making him worry before he left.
The female insect quickly disappeared behind the door. Yael calmed his racing heart and slowly regained his sanity.
He looked a little depressed, and woke up the computer to call the police center.
The communication seemed to be interrupted by something and was directly disconnected. When I looked again, the signal bar had been cleared, and even the optical computer itself was affected and stuck.
"Damn it."
Yael closed his computer and was thinking about how to notify the ignorant insect swarm outside when he heard the distinctive sound of an air raid alarm.
It turned out that Xi Ze went to sound the air raid alarm.
He felt relieved.
I almost forgot that large buildings in the edge galaxies are equipped with air defense alarms to facilitate the transmission of information about attacks in the first place.
Department stores are built with special materials that can resist artillery attacks to a certain extent and facilitate the evacuation of insect swarms.
Military females are very sensitive to situations like this and can handle emergencies very well. He doesn't need to worry about anything and can just stay here and wait for Xize to pick him up.
"Bang--!!"
The next second, the door to the escape passage was knocked open, and frightened insects came running in one after another, walking hurriedly down the stairs.
"Why are there thieves here? Call the police!"
"Damn it! No signal! Those guys turned on the jammer! I can only ask the planet's central control station to quickly find out what's wrong...!"
The situation gradually became a little chaotic. Yael was bumped and quickly leaned against the triangular area of the corner to avoid being swept down.
It was hard to deny that his heart was beating very fast now. He was overwhelmed by the surge of panic and could only pinch his palms to keep calm.
Come back soon.
Yael closed his eyes, grasped the laptop tightly with trembling fingertips, and muttered silently.
…
After the air raid alarm successfully sounded throughout the city, Xize did not leave immediately. After pondering for a moment, he took out his computer and entered a series of secret commands into it.
And the communication actually broke through the blockade of the jammer and successfully connected to the other side.
"The central city was attacked by pirates. Please help contact the central control and send a team to support immediately..."
Xi Ze passed on the instructions in an orderly manner, and then he went against the tide of insects to break into the top floor of this large building. In the sight of the terrified working insects, he kicked open the door of the control room.
"Bang--!!"
He was still cursing inside, wondering who had turned on the air raid alarm, but was caught off guard by the loud noise and his voice was stuck in his throat.
"It is a serious crime to break into the control room without permission! Guards, arrest him!"
The female insect in a military shirt stood up straight and shouted angrily. The surrounding female insects immediately rushed towards the female insect with white hair and golden eyes in the center.
This problem has already happened and it is troublesome enough, but there are still people who are so blind as to dare to break into the control room. They really don't know what is good for them!
The female insect tugged at the crooked collar and spat fiercely.
"Activate level 1 defense immediately."
Xi Ze said coldly, staring at the female insect behind the guard with gloomy eyes.
"...It's you?" The female insect seemed to have suddenly realized something. Her expression suddenly became excited. She signaled to the guards around her, "He sounded the alarm without permission and disturbed the city's security. Catch him for me!"
This time he didn't have to deduct his bonus. As for whether there were really pirates coming, he never believed it from the beginning to the end. After all, the radar did not detect any trace of any starship.
Knowing that the female insect in front of him would not listen to his advice, Xi Ze did not waste any more words.
The female insects around him rushed forward like cannonballs. He stood still and waved his hand lightly.
The mental force as hard as steel needles flew up and pierced accurately into the mental images of those female insects, instantly making them lose their fighting power. They fell to the ground with thuds, raising fine dust.
"Activate level 1 defense immediately."
His molten-gold pupils shrank like a beast, staring at the female insect with a dull expression in the center, "I don't want to repeat it a third time."
“Yes, yes, yes…!”
The female insect ran to activate the defense system in a hurry. Regardless of whether the pirates attacked or not, at least she could save her life from this monster.
Through the transparent protective cover of the control room, one can see that the night sky outside is dark and gloomy, with no stars or moon. Beyond the thin cloud layer is a blurry and chaotic black.
Although there is clearly nothing there, if you look at it for a long time you will feel an inexplicable shudder, as if there is something huge lurking in it that cannot be captured by the naked eye, and is wantonly spying on the panicked tiny insect swarm below.
…
"Boss...Boss?"
A cautious voice sounded, obviously not daring to disturb the boss who was resting his eyes, but he had to take on this difficult task.
A female insect was leaning against a chair with her eyes closed, her hair shaved very short and a hideous scar running across most of her face, severing her left eyebrow.
His facial features were three-dimensional and deep, and even with his eyes closed he couldn't conceal his fierce and domineering aura.
Herrick was so annoyed that he kicked the female insect away with his foot.
"Why is the dog barking so loudly?! If you have something to say, say it now! If you have something to say, say it now!"
That face looked even more terrifying when he opened his eyes. The deep red pupils seemed to be full of blood, so red that it made his heart palpitate. He stood up from the chair and moved his shoulders with a click.
"Report to the boss! Just now, I suddenly detected that the air raid alarm was activated in the locked-down city. The deputy regiment commander asked me to ask you... What should we do next?"
"So fast?" Herrick was a little surprised, but thinking about it, the bug was right there, it was possible to predict it in advance, but -
"Didn't Anto say that he was seriously injured and nearly died? Is the news so unreliable?"
Herrick rolled his eyes in dissatisfaction, but he couldn't give up halfway after receiving all the benefits. "According to the original plan."
"yes!"
The disguise covering the surface of the starship gradually dissipated, revealing the fierce and dark body underneath, which was pressing down heavily over the city. The high-particle cannon was loaded and extended from the hull and aimed downwards.
"This area has been blocked."
The deputy commander who was in control of the control panel modestly as his subordinates reported the situation. He looked at Herich who was on the phone next to him.
"You've kept him locked up for so long, but you never thought of implanting more trackers? The only one you have is the one you secretly placed ten years ago when he was injured? And it can only be used once???"
Herrick was speechless. He had seen idiots before, but he had never seen such an idiot.
"Forget it, forget it... It's enough for me to have him. I'll just kill him this time and prevent him from causing any trouble in the future."
He placed the computer against the control panel, and after receiving the signal, a screen with a faintly flashing red dot unfolded directly.
"I was originally planning to sweep this galaxy in order, but who would have thought that this would happen? I can only blame myself for my bad luck. Whoever dies first is dead anyway—"
Bang!
BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!
Under the intensive sweep of the particle cannon, buildings collapsed, dust flew everywhere, and some insects that didn't have time to escape were crushed under the ruins. The originally harmonious city area suddenly turned into a screaming hell.
The female insect, who had been forced to activate her defense, was stunned. Her legs went weak at the sight in front of her. "It's actually true...!"
When he looked back again, the female insect with white hair and golden eyes had disappeared. If it weren't for the guards lying on the ground wailing, he would have thought it was just an illusion.
"Why did you leave?! Then who will guard this place... Help me——"
Since the alarm was sounded very timely, most of the insects in the city had been successfully evacuated and found suitable defensive locations, and the department stores that served as intermediaries were the most congested.
There were horrifying noises coming from overhead, and the intensive bombardment made every witness feel terrified. The fleeing people stirred up dust under their feet, and the emperor's screams and gasps of fear continued to ring out.
Yael put on his hat to block the falling rocks, covered his mouth and nose with a scarf, and hunched over in a corner.
He was breathing rapidly, staring at the door of the passage that was knocked open, but he still couldn't see the familiar figure. He closed his eyes exhaustedly.
But the next second, a strong force came, and he was suddenly pulled into an embrace——
"Are you okay?"
A familiar voice rang in his ears, and a hand touched his face, wiping away the few streaks of dust.
Before Yael opened his eyes, he clearly felt the sound of his hanging heart falling to the ground.
"I'm fine." He put down the scarf on his face and looked at the female insect in front of him, "What should I do now?"
"They said there's a passage behind the department store that connects to the other side of the city. Should we go there?"
This was the message conveyed to him by the insect that had just escaped. There were also a few enthusiastic people who wanted to pull him away, but they were all rejected.
But before the female insect could answer, a huge explosion suddenly occurred above her head, and at the same time, the most violent shaking occurred.
"!!!"
Yael subconsciously hugged his head, feeling the female insect's body pressing tightly against him. Her two arms were wrapped around his waist and back, with her palms supporting the back of his head, protecting him tightly against the corner of the wall and blocking the flying sand and stones.
He forced his eyes open and looked forward, his heart sank: the passage had been blocked by fallen stone slabs and he could not go any further.
When the vibration stopped for a while, Caesar loosened his arms, half-knelt down with his back to Yael, and shouted in a low voice, "Come up!"
The weight on his back was not heavy, and even a little light, but it made Xi Ze look extremely solemn. It was a pressure that even the weights that challenged his limits could not give him.
——So he knew that this "heavy-load crossing" would not allow for any mistakes.
He breathed in panic behind his ears, and the male insect wrapped his arms around his neck. He was still trembling, but he couldn't hide the worry in his voice. "Is it okay? Or you should let me go and run by yourself. Your legs will be better..."
"It's okay, my Lord, you're not too harsh at all, you can hold me tighter... Don't worry, it'll be okay."
Xi Ze tried hard to identify the road in the chaos, and softened his voice to comfort her.
He had faced this kind of chaos countless times and could even be said to be very familiar with it, but the male insect on his back had definitely never experienced this before, and it would be bad if he was frightened and left with a shadow.
The wiring was damaged, the light bulbs were flickering, and with smoke and dust everywhere, it became difficult to find a safe place.
"Shall we go out?"
Seeing that the building was becoming increasingly precarious and looked like it would soon collapse, Yael couldn't help but become worried and whispered in the female insect's ear.
"etc."
Xi Ze paid some attention to answer him, his eyes moving constantly around the devastated place, as if confirming something, and finally retreated to the edge of a floor-to-ceiling window of a restaurant.
At this time, the intensive bombardment outside finally stopped, as if preparing for the second round. The female insect's expression froze, and her legs exerted force instantly, breaking the glass and jumping down from the third floor.
"!!!"
The cold wind wrapped in the lingering smell of gunpowder whistled past his ears. Before he realized what was happening, his eyes closed automatically. Yael buried his face in Cize's shoulder and swallowed the sound that surged into his throat.
"Okay, open your eyes, we are already on the ground, take a deep breath... yes, breathe normally...!"
The sharp tinnitus weakened and turned into the low voice of a female insect. Yael opened his eyes with difficulty and found himself lying in Cecil's arms, with a dark and narrow space in front of him.
He regained his rhythm from over-breathing, and after regaining some strength, he sat up and coughed a few times, "Where is this? The bombardment outside seems to have stopped...?"
After leaving the building, the view suddenly opened up, but it was no longer recognizable as it was before. There were ruins everywhere. The place that was bustling just now was now so quiet that only the sound of killing could be heard.
But it made him even more uneasy.
Xi Ze had just taken off his coat and placed it under the male insect. Now he was wearing a neat shirt and military pants, squatting on one knee, observing the situation outside from the cover.
“…”
Yael leaned against the broken wall, his mind was blank, and his eyes could not help but follow Cesar's back.
He didn't know what would happen next, but as long as he kept looking at the female insect, he seemed to be less panicked.
But before he could catch his breath, a series of extremely subtle footsteps sounded from behind the ruins.
Xize turned around abruptly, picked up the still confused male insect quickly, and put it in a deeper corner, but not too far away, within a stride's reach.
Soon after Yael was hidden, he heard a triumphant shout in his ears, "I told you! He's right here!"
Xi Ze paused, then raised his eyes suddenly.
Looking out from the gap in the ruins, the originally empty streets had been occupied by pirates at some point in time. They were scattered so densely that it was almost impossible to see the end at a glance.
But fortunately, these are basically cannon fodder-level pirates without any high-tech weapons in their hands. They were sent to explore the way and consume the energy of capturing the target.
"The boss said that whoever can kill him can cut off his head and present it to us! Then he can be promoted to team leader and manage 100 bugs!"
This reward was even more tempting than a huge amount of star coins. All the pirates were excited and eager to rush up to snatch the bug head.
"Brothers! Charge!"
Xize lowered his eyes, broke off an exposed steel bar, and held it in his hand to feel it.
The place he chose was actually quite good. Although it was destroyed, it happened to form a low air-raid shelter. As long as the door was guarded, the pirates could be prevented from breaking in.
Mental power can only confuse the consciousness of other bugs and make them temporarily lose their ability to move. It is obviously not applicable to these relentless star pirates.
We can only use the most direct and cost-effective method.
Xi Ze raised his eyes indifferently and clenched the steel in his hand.
But at this moment, there was a slight pulling sensation at the hem of the clothes.
He lowered his head and saw a pair of dark eyes, as bright as obsidian, with undisguised worry and concern.
"…Be careful."
"good."
He smiled soothingly at the male insect and thrust the steel bar in his hand directly in one direction.
“Puff!”
The sharp end of the steel bar pierced through the necks of several pirates.
One fatal blow.
Before they could come to their senses, the sounds of cutting flesh and blood rang out one after another, making the listeners tremble with fear.
"Puff!--Puff!--Puff!"
Caesar pulled his hand away swiftly, ignoring the bloodstains on his face and body, and ripped open the first button of his shirt.
"Come."
He smiled suddenly, and his molten golden pupils shrank slightly, like a beast about to enter hunting mode.
…
After an unknown amount of time, corpses had already filled the area surrounding the ruins, even piling up into several layers.
The dark black blood had already seeped deeply into the snow, gathering into several winding underground rivers that spread out in all directions.
Those desperate criminals were blood-thirsty and rushed forward completely losing their minds. When one fell, another stepped on his body, leaving almost no time to breathe.
But after dozens or even hundreds of rounds, Xi Ze's face did not show any sign of fatigue.
But there are still too many star pirates, and female insects are not real war machines after all.
He had just recovered from a serious injury, and his body simply could not withstand such a high-intensity fight. Yael had already seen tiny cracks on the female insect's forearm, and fresh blood seeping out from the back of her shirt.
"Brothers, hurry up! He can't hold on any longer!"
A sharp-eyed thief also noticed the difference and shouted with great excitement, but the next second, Caesar took the insect head off his neck with an expressionless face.
“Puff!”
The sound was as crisp and clear as ever, and it startled the star thief who had just been excited. Then he became listless again, hesitating whether to continue rushing forward.
The female soldier standing there had an indifferent expression, her golden eyes were empty. She was not proud of the large number of enemy corpses in front of her, nor did she look down on the weak cannon fodder.
He just stood there with his weapon in hand, like a wall of defense that could not be climbed or knocked down, exuding an almost inorganic strength and coldness.
The retreat started with one pirate, who went mad due to extreme fear, screamed, dropped his weapon and ran away. Then came the second, the third... until most of the pirates stopped attacking.
"... Rushing forward would mean death. How about we contact the boss?"
"You're going to die! If the boss finds out that we are like soft-footed shrimps, we won't live to see tomorrow!"
"Then go for it! Go for it!... You don't even know if you can survive even a second! Idiot!"
Those pirates were obviously not as organized and disciplined as the army. They rushed forward to fight with ruthlessness, but when they were scared, they would cherish their lives more than anyone else. The stalemate did not last long and even infighting broke out.
Herrick was enjoying the battle when he found that the situation had come to a standstill. He figured out what was going on and kicked over the conductor's chair.
"What a bunch of cowards!!"
He enlarged the projected image, intending to carefully observe the current condition of the female insect, but suddenly his eyes narrowed, a look of surprise appeared on his face for a moment, and then a sly smile gradually appeared on his face.
"I was wondering why you had to stand there all the time... So that's how it is."
He walked over, snatched a pager from the console, and connected to the leading pirate on the ground.
"Hey? See that collapsed building? The one behind the female insect."
A positive voice came over the communicator, and Herrick smiled maliciously, "Good - now, go and smash the place to pieces."
…
The star thieves, receiving no known instructions, suddenly began to climb up the ruins where the male insects were hiding, and began to break through the walls and move the rubble one by one, like ants frantically gnawing at a collapsed mountain of sugar.
Caesar's pupils shrank suddenly.
He couldn't move away from the entrance behind him, and there were still countless thieves rushing up in front of him to hold him back.
The ones beside and behind him could not hold on any longer and were rapidly disintegrating the ruins, gradually creating a gap.
This is not a solution.
Xize's eyes were fierce, and his mental power burst out, shaking away all the star pirates around him.
Then, regardless of the blood oozing from the corners of her lips, she wrapped the male insect in her coat and held it in her arms, quickly breaking through the encirclement.
The captured star thieves also started to react and saw the bug in his arms. They were still confused.
"Hurry up! Don't attack him and kill yourself. Aim at the bug he's holding and hit him!!"
There was a hazy blackness in front of him, and the movements of the outside world were blocked out by the coat. The only real sound in his ears was the sound of the female insect's heart pounding against his chest, and his rapid breathing.
The smell of gunpowder filled my nostrils, and hot blood was even gushing out.
It was the first time for Yael to be so close to a real battlefield. His body instinctively made him tremble and even convulse.
But Xi Ze was holding him tightly, as if he wanted to hold him in his arms.
After that roar, no matter how many malicious attacks Diao Zuan launched, none of them actually hit him.
The female insect is fulfilling what he once said -
[As long as I am alive, I will not let you get hurt. ]
Then the out-of-control fear and terror were soothed, and heat surged to the hot head, and it felt like something was drilling out of the skull at the corner of the forehead.
He had a splitting headache and almost fainted.
"……Well!"
But the body holding him suddenly froze for a moment, and staggered a few times without standing steadily, causing the clothes in his arms to fall off, and suddenly waking up the drowsy male insect.
Yael shook his head while enduring the severe pain, but before his black vision could focus, a hand pressed him back into his arms, preventing him from showing his head.
The pirates who were about to catch up with him stopped and suddenly burst into cheers, as if they had already won the war.
"...Boss! The boss is here!"
"If you don't want to die, get out of the way!...Everyone, pay attention! Look at the boss's amazing gun skills!"
Click.
The sound of a trigger being pulled.
Bang--
The muffled sound of the bullets leaving the gun, with an incomparable aura of ferocity, pierced the air with a roar, leaving behind a series of slow-motion afterimages.
A very slight "puff" sound piercing through flesh and blood rang in my ears.
Yael's pupils shrank, and blood splashing was reflected in his dark eyes, like flourishing red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.
The female insect's body trembled violently for a moment, but she didn't lose her strength or relax at all. She held him firmly under her body and whispered hoarsely.
"…Don't be afraid, it's okay."
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