The worker insects worked quickly and efficiently, finishing the task in no time. Then, Jiang Chan was carefully transferred into this "luxury pet cage."
The cage had no door, but Jiang Chan knew she couldn't escape. Inside the palace, the Queen and Kazzak were not far away, and more guards lurked in the shadows.
Alyssa let out a deep, satisfied hum. Her enormous compound eyes never left Jiang Chan. Then, a tentacle coiled around something and presented it to Jiang Chan.
It was a crystal, the size of a fist, emitting a blinding red light, with what appeared to be flowing molten lava inside. As soon as it approached, Jiang Chan felt a burning pain on her skin, and the surrounding air seemed to distort.
High-energy crystals! The energy source upon which the Zerg depend for survival! But for humans, this thing is a source of extreme poison and radiation!
Jiang Chan shrank back in terror, shaking her head frantically.
Alyssa's tentacles stopped, and the flashing of the lights in her compound eyes slowed down, as if she were puzzled. Why wouldn't her pet eat such delicious food? She offered it forward again.
The burning sensation intensified. Jiang Chan could almost smell the pungent odor of her skin being scorched. She could no longer bear it, letting out a short scream and abruptly waving her hand to shoo away the tentacle.
Alyssa's tentacles quickly retracted. The crystal fell onto the gel floor with a soft "hiss," leaving a small dent.
The Queen's massive body seemed to freeze for a moment, and the light spots in her compound eyes flickered with confusion. She looked at the crystal, then at the terrified Jiang Chan, and let out a few bewildered buzzes.
From the shadows nearby, Kazak's cold compound eyes swept over the scene, a fleeting, almost imperceptible, mocking emotion flashing across his face.
Jiang Chan huddled in the corner of the cage, her heart pounding, cold sweat soaking her back. The Queen's "favor" had almost cost her her life. This place wasn't a palace; it was hell!
Jiang Chan spent the rest of her days in this magnificent cage. Alyssa seemed to genuinely "cherish" her new pet.
Every day, the warm yellow worker insects would bring something: a viscous liquid with a sweet aroma, some clean water, and small pieces of something edible, similar to fruit. The worker insects moved clumsily but carefully, quickly leaving after placing the food without ever glancing back.
Queen Eliza spent most of her time in an area deep within the palace, partially obscured by hanging biological structures. Jiang Chan could hear various strange buzzing sounds, slight crackling noises, and sometimes soft flashes of light coming from there.
She guessed it was the Queen's "laboratory." Alyssa often stayed there for most of the day, only occasionally coming out to check on Jiang Chan.
Kazzak, however, was different. He frequently moved around the palace, handling affairs. Sometimes other high-ranking Zerg guards would enter, emitting low, rapid buzzing sounds as if reporting something to him.
Kazak always responded briefly, or simply nodded silently at his armored head. His presence was overwhelming, like a cold stone, making the atmosphere in the entire palace somewhat oppressive.
Jiang Chan was constantly in danger. Once, just as Alyssa returned to the laboratory, a high-ranking guard on patrol silently approached Jiang Chan's cage.
The guard's carapace was dark green, and its compound eyes gleamed with a malevolent light. It extended one forelimb, but the end of that forelimb was not a claw, but a nozzle-like opening.
Suddenly, a stream of dark green, pungent-smelling slime gushed out and shot towards Jiang Chan inside the cage!
Jiang Chan quickly rolled to the side. The slime landed with a "splat" on the moss pile where she had just been sitting, instantly emitting white smoke and corroding a large hole in the moss, even denting a section of the gel floor beneath. If that acid had sprayed on someone…
The dark green guard let out a few sharp squeaks, seemingly pleased with its prank. It wanted to do it again, but just then, a puzzled buzz came from the laboratory. The dark green guard immediately withdrew its forelimbs and quickly retreated into the shadows, as if nothing had happened.
Jiang Chan huddled on the other side of the cage, staring at the large, smoking hole in the ground, filled with lingering fear. She was just a toy, and could be "broken" by these powerful creatures at any moment.
Kazak observed all of this. He never intervened, but occasionally, his cold compound eyes would sweep over Jiang Chan, devoid of any warmth, as if assessing the durability of an object.
Jiang Chan forced herself to calm down. Fear was useless; she had to observe, she had to find a way to survive. She began to pay closer attention to Queen Elizabeth.
She found Alyssa to be quite special. Aside from showing genuine curiosity about her "pet," Alyssa seemed... somewhat uncomfortable with the other Zerg.
When Kazzak or other high-ranking Zerg report to her, her tentacles curl unconsciously, her massive body tilts slightly to the side, and the light in her compound eyes flickers less regularly, as if she is trying to understand what the other person is saying, or perhaps... wants to end the conversation as soon as possible?
Only when she returned to her laboratory area would the buzzing become lighter and more focused.
On one occasion, Kazak emitted a long string of rapid buzzing sounds at her, his compound eyes flashing intensely, as if he were arguing fiercely about something.
As Alyssa listened, her enormous head drooped slightly, and one of her tentacles unconsciously curled around a small piece of metal, kneading it absentmindedly.
Her compound eyes weren't even fully focused on Kazzak; instead, they were drifting towards the band of light flowing above the palace. Only when Kazzak's voice stopped did she seem to awaken, uttering a muffled single syllable that meant "I understand."
Jiang Chan's heart skipped a beat.
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