Chapter 59 The Surprise Attack A flicker of doubt crossed Hawthorne's eyes. ...
A flicker of doubt crossed Hawthorne's eyes.
Lovin wasn't fond of the bugs that frequently sent him signals. He might have played with them like toys when he was little, but he stopped as he grew older, especially in recent years, after arguing with them about the real and fake older brothers, and he hasn't sent any signals since.
However, under these circumstances, it was very strange that Lovin suddenly sent him a signal half a month ago. The signal was sent from Lan Kuo Star, where the protective shield was inexplicably activated and then inexplicably damaged.
Loxis, however, said that he received a message from Lovion a week ago, in which Lovion was out relaxing.
Hawthorne looked at Loxian and asked, "Did you really receive a communication from Lowein a week ago?"
The breach in the protective shield of Lankuoxing was clearly insufficient for any small or micro-sized spacecraft to pass through; only an insect could possibly get through. However, the outside was the unprotected universe, so Lovin must have done this because the situation was critical.
In contrast, his body must have suffered severe radiation damage, yet he did not communicate for help, not only to them, but also to Locksis, with whom he had a better relationship.
Was it because Loween didn't trust them, or had Loween lost consciousness, or perhaps his communications couldn't reach them?
Several thoughts flashed through Hawthorne's mind, and he felt a little annoyed at his own negligence. He didn't know why, but he had been subconsciously ignoring Lovin's presence for the past few months. Was he really getting old?
Loxis didn't show anything unusual. Instead, he lowered his eyes and pondered as Hawthorne spoke, looking quite hesitant. He said, "Actually... Lovin told me half a month ago that he was going to go and clear his head. Then I called him but he wouldn't answer. I thought he was just playing around and I was afraid you would worry, so I didn't tell you."
"Does that mean something has happened to Lovin?" His face showed some worry and anxiety, much like an older brother concerned about his younger brother.
Loxis's anxiety seemed genuine; after all, he was Lowein's brother, and Lowein had no conflict of interest with him. He should think that way, but for some reason, Hawthorne felt a sense of unease.
Hawthorne said in a deep voice, "It's hard to say. I'm checking one by one. If Lovin has sent you a message, let me know immediately."
Loxis nodded and stepped forward, saying, "These are some locations he sent me before; perhaps investigating from these angles might be helpful..."
...
During the few days of the voyage, the atmosphere on the starship was unusually heavy. The crew members, who used to chat and play cards loudly, would sneak from one room to another like thieves and play quietly.
No insect dared to provoke that strange black-haired insect.
Doris was the same at first, but he was always restless and liked to wander around. As he wandered around and found that there was no danger, he became even bolder.
These past few days, Doris has been secretly observing the blond boy brought back by the black-haired monster. The boy seems gentle and polite, but in reality, he only has a superficial relationship with all the insects. In short, he keeps a distance from them, unlike them who can put their arms around each other's shoulders, drink, and brag without any restraint.
Moreover, the boy's gaze was almost entirely focused on the black-haired monster. He kept calling out "Brother! Brother! Brother!" to them, which made the other monsters, who had initially been skeptical about the coincidence, believe that the sticky bug must be the younger brother, and the one who didn't chase it away out of annoyance must also be the older brother.
Thanks to his younger brother, although the black-haired monster has been in a bad mood these past few days, he hasn't taken any action against them.
So Doris became even bolder.
That day, Doris couldn't resist her curiosity about the blond boy. Taking advantage of the black-haired monster's absence, she said, "Hello, I'm Doris. I haven't asked your name yet. What's your name?"
The blond boy nodded slightly to him. "Hello, I'm Lovein."
From his tone of voice and posture, one could tell that he had received a good education, unlike the insects of their Chaotic Star Sea. Of course, he was also completely different from the casual demeanor of that black-haired monster insect.
Doris reached out and, out of curiosity, tried to poke Loween's face. The face that used to be covered with strange scars was now smooth and new, without a trace left.
Talos appeared just in time, grabbed him by the back of the collar and pulled him back, asking, "What are you doing?"
This bug is the younger brother of the black-haired monster bug, personally certified by him. Do you dare to poke it? Don't you have a death wish?
Doris said, "I was just curious. He had such a severe radiation injury before, and there are no professional hospitals in this lousy place. I thought he was definitely beyond saving. I didn't expect that strange bug, uh... Boss's medicine actually worked. He has fully recovered now."
Doris almost blurted out the words because she had thought too much in her mind, so she quickly covered them up.
Hearing their words, Lovin subconsciously touched his face. He must have been unconscious for a long time. When he was rescued by that merchant ship, his consciousness was intermittent, so he didn't feel much of the injuries on his body.
Was it really that serious back then?
His brother saved him.
If only he had been awake then, he could have seen his brother sooner.
However, Lowe was still sincerely grateful to fate for allowing him to successfully find his brother in this vast universe.
"I remember I was in an escape pod before I completely lost consciousness. Do you know how my brother met me and saved me?"
Doris said, "Why don't you ask your brother? He'd probably be better at telling us than we are."
Upon hearing this, Lovin quietly pursed his lips, "I asked, and he said he picked it up as soon as he saw it."
Doris chuckled, "Theoretically, it's not wrong, but it's a bit complicated in practice."
Seeing Lovin's expectant gaze, Doris embellished the story of the day, recounting how he had displayed great power in defeating the Crimson Star Pirates' Second Fleet, how he had suddenly cut his arm to retrieve a chip, how he had rushed forward at an unusually high speed, and how he had smashed the hatch of the escape pod with his bare hands—a whole series of events.
Lloyd was also stunned by what he heard.
This description sounds more like a superbug than a normal worm.
However, through his vivid description, Loween gained a better understanding of what happened that day. While he was amazed and impressed, he also felt a little disappointed. His brother was really strong now and didn't need his protection. On the contrary, he needed his brother's protection.
And that chip... It turns out it had always been inside my brother's body. When he was taken away, he must have been protecting that little chip carefully, hoping to one day return home. It's just that that day has been far, far away.
Lowe was crestfallen; he was so useless...
Suddenly, his head was patted lightly. "What nonsense are you thinking about now, you little crybaby?"
A black-haired, dark-eyed male insect appeared beside him at some point, a teasing smile on his face.
Loven instinctively covered his head to avoid being slapped, and retorted, "I don't like to cry."
Murphy scoffed without hesitation, “Fine, the tears just have to fall on their own.”
Murphy walked slowly ahead of him, waving with his back to him.
"Come help me out! I need to locate the ship, so I might not have the energy to steer. This part is yours. Help your brother win back your brother-in-law, and you'll be the smartest brother in the world."
Lovey-N's: ...
Distracted by Murphy, Loween's sadness lessened considerably. He knew his brother had done it on purpose, and he needed to cheer up and try to help his brother.
but.
"...Your claim of being the smartest is really just a perfunctory response."
"uh-huh."
...
During the past few days of tracking, Murphy felt that something strange had happened.
His mental perception should have been unobstructed, but recently it has been inexplicably intermittent, and even occasionally completely interrupted. This is why this tracking has taken so long.
Although it cannot be ruled out that the distance was too far and the signal was poor, Murphy still sensed that something was wrong.
Something interesting happened to the little butterfly.
...
Attiyah was not in a hurry to return to the base. Nehmeya had long regarded that place as a thorn in his side and would definitely keep a close eye on its movements. His target was elsewhere.
"On January 6, 1727 (New Calendar), a rebel group launched a surprise attack on the federal prison. The federal prison fell, and tens of millions of prisoners fled. Please be aware, all insect people."
Although federal prisons are called federal prisons, they are essentially prisons for female insects. 99% of the insects there are convicted of harming male insects. The subconscious self-protection of those female insects who have been humiliated and abused has become the reason for the Supreme Court to convict them.
Most of the so-called injuries are just minor cuts and bleeding; if treatment is delayed, the wounds become invisible.
But because of this small, unintentional harm, these innocent female insects have to work day and night in this dark and dreary prison to atone for their fabricated crimes, while the culprits are drinking, chatting, and humiliating the next female insect in a bustling banquet hall... How ironic.
Atia slowly walked into the prison, the daylight seemingly dividing the inside and outside of the gate into two worlds of black and white.
Outside, the sunlight was just right, but inside it was damp and dark.
"..." The brown-eyed female insect, almost emaciated from days of exhaustion, raised her eyes in a daze.
A bug had appeared in front of his cell, dressed in black combat gear, with silver hair and red eyes, and looked somewhat unfamiliar.
When these prison inmates heard the alarm that seemed to shatter the heavens, the guards had already sent them back to their cells. The cells were well soundproofed and well-lit, so once they entered, it was pitch black. They could only rest by feeling and get up to work when the guards rang the bell.
Undoubtedly, with this method of imprisonment, insects die almost every few weeks, but their lives are not lives, not even as important as those prospecting machines.
Therefore, before this insect entered, the brown-eyed female insect did not know what had happened. However, since it was not a jailer who entered, she felt a sense of relief.
"Cotton."
Cotton...
The first thought that flashed through the brown-eyed female insect's mind was confusion. Who was Cotton?
Then he remembered, ah, it was Cotton.
The insect called out his name, not the cold and aloof number 2617, but Cotton. He hadn't heard his own name in a very long time; it was forbidden to call each other by name in prison.
"You are...?"
Having not spoken for so long, his voice was hoarse and his tone was strange. He opened his mouth several times before finally managing to utter those two words.
The silver-haired female insect crouched down in front of him, her crimson pupils looking him straight in the eye. Although those eyes were crimson, Cotton felt an unparalleled gentleness and warmth from them.
He heard the insect say slowly, as if soothingly, "I've come to fulfill my promise; I've come to take you home."
In fact, this promise was not a promise to Cotton in this life, but a promise from a previous life. In his previous life, he did not even see Cotton one last time, nor did he have the opportunity to lay a bouquet of flowers at his grave. He only received this message in endless pain and confusion, and was forced to accept it. That was all.
"ah……"
Cotton's mouth remained slightly open, his eyes fixed blankly on the silver-haired female insect in front of him. Tears streamed down his thin, bony face as he asked in a hoarse voice, "Legion Commander, is that you?"
...
Palmer, holding the roster in his hand, reported, "The number of registered insects is not as high as we thought. Doctors have already been assigned to treat them. They all suffer from severe overwork and malnutrition and need to be recuperated slowly."
They selectively released female insect criminals who were guilty of harming male insects and sent them to live on another planet, while those insects who had actually committed crimes continued to undergo labor reform here, but they modified the labor hours to ensure that there was a certain intensity but would not cause physical damage.
Palmer looked much more relaxed. Several of his close friends were alright and were currently receiving treatment. They could even joke around with him occasionally, which made him the happiest.
"Well, the specific placement tasks can be arranged by the insects below. With such a big move, Nehemiah can't possibly not react, so we must prepare early."
"yes."
The legion was already waiting at the port for the handover. Atia took Palmer aboard the flagship and prepared to return to headquarters.
Palmer looked at the sharp figure walking ahead with some concern.
Although the raid was indeed unexpected, they were ultimately outnumbered and had to expend more energy. It's likely that the legion commander hasn't slept a wink in the past two days and nights.
I wonder if the tiger's body can handle it.
Palmer said, "Legion Commander, you've been taking the medication the doctor prescribed, haven't you?"
"..." Atiya indeed fell silent for a moment. He had barely had time to drink water in the past two days, so how could he possibly remember to take his medicine?
Attiyah did not answer and walked away.
Palmer was a little worried and wondered if he should go over and say a few words of advice. However, after taking a few steps, he saw that the Legion Commander was heading towards the infirmary, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Legion Commander still cared about this child.
...
Less than half an hour later, an energy bomb from an unknown direction suddenly struck the starship.
The sudden attack caused the starship to shake, and the repeated bombardments seemed to have been planned in advance, blocking the only path ahead.
Attia stared at the star map, methodically directing his fleet to disperse. This level of attack was not too dangerous for these battle-hardened insects.
It was Nehemiah, arriving faster than he expected; it seemed he was truly starting to panic.
At the same time, Attia noticed a string of red dots behind Nehemiah on the star map. He zoomed in on the screen and, sure enough, found the Golden Iris emblem on the main ship behind it, indicating it was the Imperial army.
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Author's Note: Thank you AAA for the gift! Love you so much! [starry eyes][heart eyes][cheers]
Thank you "Mec" baby for the nutritional solution! [Confetti][Confetti][Go Mec]
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