The Second Kingdom (IV)
The Meganeura dragonfly clearly had a predetermined direction. The weight of three adults and a young dragonfly had no effect on it at all. They spiraled upward, their view widening. Their previous suspicions had been correct; they were truly inside a tree the size of a city.
The small room they first encountered was low and airless, likely near the base of the giant tree. Later, they passed through a small hole and arrived at a hollow area near the center of the trunk. There, countless pores and branches filled the hollow area, supporting the giant tree and nourishing all the creatures within, including the insects.
After flying for about ten minutes, the dragonfly had already shaken off most of the pursuing insects. Its size was one of the largest, and its power was overwhelming.
The giant dragonfly flaps its wings and flies high, and other winged insects cannot keep up with its speed.
They continued upwards, finally landing at the treetops. From there, they could survey the entire Second Kingdom—from the trunk upwards, the insects grew denser and denser. Near the canopy, the insects were so dense they could be described as obscuring the sun. Swarms of bees followed by swarms of locusts, beneath which swarmed the countless tiny legs of centipedes...
They had just forced their way through a huge insect formation.
Shi Xiaofeng was completely stunned. Even though he studied medicine, he couldn't adapt to seeing so many giant insects circling around him.
However, since they knew Liang Qing was still alive, these difficulties were nothing to them. Liang Baobao, in particular, had a completely new spirit.
He had awakened, stretched out his bare hands, and tried to pry the wings of a distant fly, licking his lips as he did so, as if he wanted to devour it alive. Nie Yun, Shi, and Xiaofeng combined their strength to barely restrain him from breaking free from the harness.
Liang Qing appeared silently before them. With a faint smile, she deliberately approached from Nie Yun's blind spot, snatched Liang Baobao from the safety harness, and lifted him up high.
Nie Yun was stunned, and Liang Baobao was even more stunned. His pretty eyebrows were knitted together on his chubby little face, and he looked at Liang Qing with a chubby and unhappy expression.
"Hey, we've only been apart for half a day, and you don't recognize me?" Liang Qing pretended to be serious.
Nie Yun was the first to react. She clapped her hands happily and echoed, "Bao Bao! Aunt Liang Qing is back!"
Liang Baobao still had a chubby face, Liang Qing's appearance reflected in his big eyes. Then his mouth pursed, and big tears oozed out. It was a silent cry, full of grievance.
Liang Qing's heart softened, and sadness welled up. She hugged Liang Baobao tightly and kissed him again and again: "I'm back, don't cry, don't cry, I went to fight monsters! I killed a lot of monsters! Come on, praise me!"
It's really hard for a one-year-old to praise someone. Liang Baobao suddenly put his hand on Liang Qing's collarbone, trying hard to identify whether the person in front of him was Liang Qing.
Liang Qing smiled and let him watch. She turned her head to look at Shi Xiaofeng and Allen who were still standing there: "Are you stupid too?"
The next second, a vague, babyish voice suddenly came out of Liang Baobao's mouth——
"Mother."
Liang Qing opened her eyes wide in surprise: "What did you call me?"
"Mother."
It was clearer than the previous one, and even more persistent.
Liang Qing laughed and rubbed his bloated head: "Be good, it's Liang Qing, not mother."
"Mom." Xiao Baobao tilted his head and looked at her for a long time, then leaned heavily against her and sighed maturely.
Liang Qing hugged the little guy tightly and looked at the other three: "Did you teach him?"
Alan and Shi Xiaofeng shook their heads in unison.
Nie Yun was standing by, tears welling up in his eyes. He sobbed and said, "Of course not! After we left, I didn't even dare to mention your name in front of Bao Bao. How could a child's first words not be 'MAMA, DADA', but 'Mom'?"
Although Liang Qing muttered, "You make me look many years older when you call me that," he couldn't hide the smile on his face.
After a brief separation, the four of them reunited, their faces filled with joy. Liang Qing looked at the dragonfly standing nearby. The dragonfly, which had been standing motionless, suddenly began to walk in a funny manner, apparently leading the way.
Liang Qing motioned for them to follow. After walking for a while, they left the dense insect nest and stopped under a large artificial leaf. The veins of this leaf were as thick as fingers, and it was bubbling with something like nutrient solution.
"Come on, you can ask any questions you have. It's safe here."
"How did you survive?"
"How could Dragonfly listen to you?"
"Why don't these bugs attack us!"
It really was a question asked by one person. Liang Qing placed Liang Baobao on her lap, and Liang Baobao was hugging her arm tightly, afraid that Liang Qing would disappear again.
"I need some time to figure out the first question." Liang Qing began to sort out the clues to the other two questions.
"I met someone, a woman who could cross-dress."
…
Three hours ago.
Liang Qing used the communicator stolen from Xia Ya to intercept their team's internal messages and learned that Nie Yun and his team had been tracked and targeted.
At this point, Liang Qing had basically confirmed his guess about Xia - she showed up so rashly, ostensibly to ask for trouble, but actually just to get close to him and test his strength.
Since Xiya hadn't shown any signs of aggression, Liang Qing wasn't sure of her true intentions. Liang Qing only knew that the most valuable thing about him was Liang Baobao. Wherever Liang Baobao was, the aggression level would rise.
She randomly pressed a few buttons on the communicator, and several nearby insects flew over. Apparently, the communicator had been modified, and the sound frequency it emitted was capable of controlling and commanding the similarly modified giant artificial insects.
Liang Qing selected a mantis and infiltrated Party A's team with impunity. As long as the communicator kept sending frequency commands, the insects wouldn't attack Liang Qing. Liang Qing could even use them to attack players, including Party A.
In other words, the person who controls the insects has a suicide squad, and the player can hide behind the scenes and act as an invisible killer.
The mantis that obeyed Liang Qing lived up to everyone's expectations and quickly caught a mosquito that was responsible for patrolling for Xia nearby, and in the process injured the player who was controlling the mosquito not far away.
When the man was thrown in front of Liang Qing, she almost laughed out loud.
Covered in dust and with a broken leg, the man looking at him with resentment turned out to be an old acquaintance: the young Jason.
"Are you Party A?" Liang Qing effortlessly controlled his resisting hands and took off his name badge.
The team formed by Xia and her followers is called "Legion of Hope". She has marked the level of each player under her. Jason's level is "Platoon Leader", which is only higher than "Engineer" in military chess.
"Hey, you've become a platoon leader, how many soldiers do you manage?"
Jason was held by Liang Qingbei's wrist, and he turned back to glare at her with gritted teeth: "There are more people than you brought! Do you believe that I can let the bugs bite you to death with just one order?"
Liang Qing shrugged: "When you gave up on Allen and us, you hoped that I would die a miserable death. Otherwise, how could you convince yourself to betray your companions with peace of mind?"
After Liang Qing said this, Jason's face changed. She sneered in her heart: "Tell me, what did you tell Xia Ya? What good things do we have that she is thinking about?"
Jason didn't answer her question directly: "You can't beat Xia. One-third of the modified insects here are her assets. You, Party B, will lose this round."
Liang Qing: "But I like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds the most."
She gestured slightly, and the mantis that was originally still and clamping the mosquito suddenly swung its "guillotine". In a few seconds, the mosquito was cut into pieces, and its metal organs fell to the ground one by one.
Liang Qing smiled at Jason's pale face and said, "The bugs I brought with me are better at fighting than you. Didn't you say Xia Ya is better than me? What if I told you that she was also my full-time driver? I even rode on her back for a long time. Those golden wings are really beautiful."
Liang Qing seemed to be quite confident in what he said, and Jason had also seen Xia Ya's special skills, so he subconsciously believed that Liang Qing had really fought Xia Ya face to face...
Jason still insisted, "Don't you dare do anything to me! I'm a bonded character in the game, and there will be retribution if you hurt me! I'm still a minor!"
Liang Qing raised an eyebrow: "Do you know now that you are a minor? When you sold our information, why didn't you consider that Bao Bao was still a baby, and your former teammate Allen was also a minor?"
"Didn't you say at the time that your guardian was dead? Who would avenge you?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you killed your guardian yourself." Liang Qing said this with a cold tone in his voice.
In Silver Springs, while seeking refuge in a safe house, John recounted his past dungeon experiences, including one where his former companions had a bonded character, a near-adult teenager, who had backstabbed the adult player he belonged to.
This young man, with black hair and blue eyes, and accurate marksmanship, could only be Jason.
Jason hadn't expected his past to be exposed. His face paled, and he gritted his teeth in silence. Liang Qing didn't waste any time talking to him. He waved his hand, and a shadow fell over Jason's head. He looked up in panic, and Mantis walked coldly in front of him.
The sickle with a cold metallic gleam hung above his neck.
His will to survive was completely aroused. "I'll tell you! She wants that Liang Baobao! She's particularly interested in your child! I only told her the personnel structure of your team and everyone's basic information! I have no idea what she'll do next! Believe me! Seriously!"
"Liang Baobao? What does she want Liang Baobao for?"
The mantis's knife dropped another inch.
"I really don't know! She just asked me what was so special about Liang Baobao!"
"What did you say?"
"I said it seems not..."
Liang Qingxin was telling the truth at this moment, because during the short time Jason spent with the team, Bao Bao spent most of his time sleeping, no different from an ordinary baby.
"Do you know where the base or factory where they transform insects is?"
Jason had only heard rumors among the players of Party A and didn't know the exact location. More accurately, Xia's control was strong, and her players, assigned to different areas, were unaware of each other's existence.
Among these people, some were responsible for transforming the giant insects, some were responsible for communication, some were responsible for recruiting more players, and some were responsible for distributing modified killing weapons to other Party A players...
Jason was just a "platoon leader" with no one under him. He had only met Xia once, so naturally he knew nothing about the core matters.
He thought for a long time and pointed to the top of Green Cliff's head - "It is said to be close to the treetops."
Liang listened to Jason's story about Xia, and he became more interested than ever before in this rival he'd only just met. Her ability to rally the A-players to form her own faction within a short time of the dungeon's start, and to operate so effectively, truly earned her top 20 ranking.
Liang Qing's fighting desire burned at the thought of fighting against such a person.
"You are of no use to me anymore." Liang Qing whistled and threw his communicator to Mantis. Mantis cut off the communicator and returned to standby mode.
Jason sat down on the ground.
"Since you are a minor, I will not take your life myself. You can take care of yourself what to do next." These were the last words Liang Qing threw to Jason.
…
"But the dragonfly brought here has not undergone any modification. How can it obey your orders?" Shi Xiaofeng pointed at the giant creature that had been standing beside them.
With the protection of the giant dragonfly, the surrounding insects almost automatically avoided the area where they were.
This ancient animal, which should have disappeared from the Earth's animal atlas, is like the ancestor among all insects.
"I saved it." Liang Qing shrugged.
Soon after receiving the message from Xiya's subordinates, Liang Qing, wearing Jason's badge, reunited with Xiya's subordinates. She claimed that she was ordered to help track down and capture Nie Yun and his ilk.
The two men who sent the message had no doubt about Liang Qing's identity and set off with her according to the direction given by Nie Yun and his team's communicator. As they were about to leave, they ran into the Xiya team transporting new insects.
An Indian woman was leading the charge. She was directing a dozen ants to drag several large, specially constructed cages. Inside, fluttered several small, unusually colorful red dragonflies. They were clearly juveniles, and one of them spotted Liang Qing from a distance and stared at her intently.
Liang Qing's heart moved, and a strong urge surged in his chest. These red dragonflies might be of great use.
She noticed that the badge on the woman escorting Qingting showed her rank as a division commander. The two men who had led her to block Shi Xiaofeng and the others were also division commanders at the highest level.
"Is this a new weapon?"
They made way for the team transporting the cages, and Liang Qing asked his two companions casually.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. It's not your place as a platoon leader to care about such confidential matters." One of them wanted to suppress Liang Qing's curiosity.
Very good, Liang Qing smiled slightly, and while the two were not paying attention, he used a knife to kill them silently. It was also at this time that Liang Qing sent the first message to Shi Xiaofeng and the others.
After hiding the two unconscious people, Liang Qing took off the "Division Commander" badge and hung it on his chest, then directly caught up with the Indian woman.
"Hey, I'll take them to the factory with you."
The Indian woman was obviously more wary of Liang Qing who suddenly appeared than the two people before her: "Who are you? I have always been acting alone."
As she spoke, she had already drawn her weapon and pointed it at Liang Qing. Liang Qing remained calm, using her special skills to check the Indian woman's personal information. She was no slouch, ranking 89th overall, and one of her skills was "Close Combat." Liang Qing decided to take her time.
"This time is different. I received direct orders from Shia."
"What evidence do you have?"
"She told me that with your fighting ability, you'd have no problem getting into the top 50. It's a shame you're only in the bottom 100 after four rounds of dungeons. Don't rush to contact her. She's busy hunting down an important third-party team and doesn't have time to answer your messages."
For a second, the Indian woman's face showed a subtle expression of someone's thoughts being exposed. She put away the communicator and raised her chin in a nonchalant manner. "You are also the division commander? I didn't see you during the division assembly. Does Xiya asking you to assist me mean she doesn't trust me?"
Liang Qing smiled slightly: "I didn't see you when Xiya and I fought side by side on a confidential mission."
The Indian woman frowned and subconsciously asked, "What secret mission?"
"This is about the transformation plan for these little dragonflies, so don't ask too many questions that you shouldn't ask." Liang Qing put his knowledge into practice.
The Indian woman's emotions were stirred. "You can also participate in the transformation? So, you want to come out of the factory? Have you really seen the Meganeura dragonfly?"
Liang Qing snorted contemptuously and did not respond.
The Indian woman's expression became much more humble. "Party B has already cracked the spiders and ants' siege method. Several of our people have also died. If we wait any longer, by the time Party B gathers its strength to resist, it will be too late."
"I know." Liang Qin's expression showed an unchallengeable confidence and determination.
Seeing that she was being tight-lipped and unwilling to reveal any useful information, the Indian woman moved her lips and said, "That..."
"Tell me, what do you want?" Liang Qing glanced at her arrogantly.
No matter how cunning you are, it's all for your own benefit.
The Indian woman, her initial defensiveness gone, said, "I hope the factory is still short of workers. If so, I'd like to transfer to another position."
It turned out to be someone in Xiya's team who was dissatisfied with their division of labor and was being picky. Liang Qing could understand that. For an Indian woman to transport such important strategic materials alone, without help, was extremely risky. Furthermore, the mother of these little dragonflies was a prominent figure.
The transformation factory is different. Once you enter, you can not only get a steady supply of materials, but also do not have to be exposed to the combat environment.
There is no doubt that those who can work in the transformation factory must be Xia's confidants, and their ability level must not be low.
Liang Qing waved her hand and answered ambiguously: "We have to go. You've wasted too much time."
Liang Qing pretended to push the transporter, but found that it didn't budge at all. The Indian woman stepped forward to explain, "This transporter is a mall prop. It can only be recognized by my fingerprint. No one else can push it."
She showed Liang Qing how to unlock the car with her fingerprint. The moment the car started moving again, Liang Qing took advantage of her unpreparedness and attacked her again.
The Indian woman fainted silently. Liang Qing swept the weapons and ammunition from her body and then went to check the little dragonfly in the cage.
Those red dragonflies were incredibly intelligent. Witnessing everything that had just happened, they were already flapping their wings excitedly in their cage. However, the innermost dragonfly, weakened by the lack of food and water during the entire journey, had a shrunken abdomen.
Liang Qing rummaged through his Qiankun bag and pulled out the wings Liang Baobao had found in the small room. He folded them up a few times and dropped them into the straw cage. The starving dragonflies immediately rushed over to share them.
Seeing that they were no longer on guard against him, Liang Qing pushed the transport truck to the edge of the cliff, opened the cage, and released the little dragonflies.
The little dragonflies circled in place but didn't leave immediately. They spread their wings and flew slowly, forming an "O" shape above Liang Qing's head.
Almost at the moment the Indian woman fell to the ground, the system began to play the battle situation again—
[Second Kingdom dungeon progress reached 2/5, currently 176 players remaining, the score between Party A and Party B is 84:40. Also, a Party B player has unlocked a key clue, and they will receive an additional 10,000 points! Congratulations to all Party B players for receiving a bonus group meal!]
As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Qing's account was filled with 10,000 points. At the same time, a meal appeared before him, containing a bottle of purified water and a hamburger. While the food wasn't sumptuous, 48 hours had already passed in-game. For many players on the second side who were starving and still making no progress, Liang Qing's gesture was undoubtedly a blessing.
An idea came to her mind.
At the same time, the dancing movements of the small dragonflies circling in the air also attracted an unexpected guest. A shadow covering the sky and the sun fell on Liang Qing. She looked up and saw a giant red dragonfly, unprecedented in size, hovering above her head, slowly descending in altitude.
The giant dragonfly's appearance silently beckoned the smaller dragonflies toward their mother. Perhaps it was because the dragonfly was so beautiful, unlike the other insects transformed from cold metal, it possessed a natural, sacred beauty, and was completely non-aggressive, which was why Liang Qing didn't make any defensive moves.
She tilted her head back and watched the giant red dragonfly land in front of her.
The thought that popped into her mind: What a pity, she can't communicate with it.
A new message popped up on her phone: [Congratulations to player A80F23LQ for summoning the "Ancient Meganeon Dragonfly." The Meganeon Dragonfly is a crucial clue to clearing the level. The system will exceptionally upgrade your player level to Level IV. From this upgrade, the system rewards a special skill point: Telepathic Communication. During the dungeon, you can communicate with any non-human creature or plant NPC. No human language is required, and all communications remain confidential between you and the NPC!]
Liang Qing's eyes lit up: What happened to Xiaya's wings suddenly not smelling good anymore?
She stared at the giant dragonfly and thought to herself, "Can you hear me? Can you see me? I'm right below you. I'm human."
With almost no time delay, a silent message flooded into her mind: I can see you and hear you, otherwise why do you think my child is dancing around you for so long.
Liang Qing: ...
Very good, the ancestor of insects is indeed quite cool.
Meganeura: Do you still want to rescue your friends? Let’s go, don’t waste time.
Liang Qing: As an NPC, you are quite good at keeping up with the progress of the dungeon game.
Meganeura: ...
Liang Qing explained the whole story of his acquaintance with the giant-veined dragonfly, and Shi Xiaofeng looked at the dragonfly leading the way in front with infinite sympathy.
"The child was kidnapped, and the mother's way of repaying her debt is to work for us, tsk tsk."
Liang Qing shook her head. "It's not just a job. She was also dormant in the giant tree. Xia Ya and the others must have used the child to lure her out. They probably wanted to transform her into a super weapon. She's a carnivore. She's had a great time eating all the way here."
Speaking of food, Liang Qing suddenly thought of something very important. She opened the package, took out the double rice she had saved, and handed it to Liang Baobao with a smile.
"Can you eat now?"
Liang Baobao raised his chubby face and said proudly: "Mom." Then when he grinned, two rows of cute crooked little teeth were exposed.
Liang Qing was surprised: "You've grown so big!"
She hugged him lovingly and prepared to put the food into the baby's dishes. But the moment she lowered her head, Liang Baobao gobbled up the meal.
His hands and body were all covered in food, but the lunch box was spotless. Liang Baobao licked his lips and returned to his well-behaved and cute appearance.
Liang Qing looked at the three people in surprise: "How long has he been hungry?"
Shi Xiaofeng raised three fingers, wanting to cry but unable to, "God knows, we always give him the best food!"
Nie Yun counted on his fingers: "After hearing your voice and knowing that you would meet up with us, he ate a large bag of fruit puree, two chicken legs, a Big Mac, and a plate of fried noodles..."
Alan added: "And five sausages and a large pizza."
Because Shi Xiaofeng and the other two had been effectively defending, the system had been rewarding them with food supplies. The best of the food indeed ended up in Liang Baobao's stomach.
Liang Qing was silent for a moment, picked up Liang Baobao and weighed him, he looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven.
She looked at her teammates seriously and said, "To make a living, we must work hard."
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