Chapter 35: Belly Rub
The interior of the Qixiang is a huge ring structure.
011 sniffed the pure energy in the air and unconsciously wanted to drift over, but quickly restrained himself. "This has to be a trap! No, no, I can't go over there!"
Thinking of this, he shrank back to the host, lying in the host's arms and looking ahead at Uriel operating the detector.
"Are we the only ones here?" 011 looked at the yellow dot above him, puzzled. "What kind of rescue mission is that? Everyone's dead."
Such a large map was filled with deathly silence.
As if sensing his thoughts, the young professor in front of him suddenly spoke up, "Although no signs of life have been detected, we cannot determine whether all the crew members here have been killed."
"Our main mission this time is to get to the core and bring back the detection data. Everyone must be careful." His dull smoky-gray eyes swept over everyone present.
011 held his chin with his paw. It was the first time he saw Uriel speak such a long paragraph. It seemed that this place was really dangerous.
"But nothing can faze me, Red Panda!" He immediately became excited again, wagging his tail gleefully. "It doesn't matter if we don't have a crew. We can take credit for it when we get back."
Didn’t he help the poor NPC escape danger during the last virtual assessment?
Feeling the host rubbing the tip of his ear, 011 floated up again and decided to take the lead. The next second, the host grabbed his paw and held him in his arms again.
Then a line of words appeared on the host's light brain: [It's very dangerous here, I'm very scared, can Yaoyao stay with me?]
It can be said that he understands the red panda's thoughts very well.
"Don't be afraid, host. I'll definitely stay by your side and protect you this time!" 011 instantly felt a sense of responsibility. He looked at the pitiful host and patted his head with his paw. Now, he was the host's only support.
He nestled back into his host's arms, watching as Uriel opened the third hatch after detecting no signs of life.
But this time, the moment the hatch opened, 011's sensitive sensors detected a faint scent of blood. At the same time, Uriel's straightforward voice rang out, "The crew quarters begin on the third floor."
"Although no signs of life were detected, to prevent the equipment from overlooking any low-health casualties, we must search every room starting from this floor."
There seemed to be a power supply problem on this floor. 011 looked at the pitch-black darkness inside the third-floor hatch and unconsciously hugged his tail.
"The power hasn't been restored for such a long time, I'm afraid the humans inside are already in danger." He peeked into his host's arms and suddenly remembered something: there was no sign of any violent damage to the hatch between him and here.
Why did the Qixiang run aground?
A starship used for exploration should not attract the attention of the people coming over.
011 instinctively felt alert.
Galliard had the same idea as him. The blond young man was tracing the appearance of the red panda in his memory in the void, but his eyes grew colder and colder.
Lu Tai's talent is not outstanding, and his ability is not the best in the entire military academy. The only thing that deserves a second look is that he is the host recognized by the red panda.
So the fact that a new student like Lu Tai appears here must be related to the red panda.
In fact, Galliel had guessed a long time ago that he was not the only one who knew about the existence of the red panda, but he was unable to say it out loud due to some force. Now seeing Uriel's abnormality, his idea was further confirmed.
This madman.
In other words, the red panda has no physical body now. If it really had a physical body, it would probably be kept by this madman for research.
Galliard's fingertips trembled.
He inexplicably didn't want to see this scene.
011 didn't know what these humans were thinking. He didn't want to admit he was scared, so he used the excuse of being cold, and then he crawled directly into the host's combat uniform. [Host, I'm not scared.]
He muttered to himself, watching the host and his group step into the darkness, and the ears on their heads turned into airplane ears.
Fortunately, these humans still had some brains and did not have to act separately like in the horror movies 011 had seen. Instead, they decided to look for the power supply cabin on this floor first. They looked at the map on the wall with a flashlight and walked towards the passage on the right.
It is still dead silent here.
There was only the sound of combat boots clattering against unknown water stains on the ground. 011 could not help but bury himself further in the host's arms as he smelled the increasingly strong smell of blood, leaving only a pair of trembling ear tips exposed.
His sensors are much more sensitive than humans, and become even more sensitive when he is nervous.
011 twitched his ears, and suddenly realized that something seemed to be wrong. [1.2.3.4.5.6…]
Uriel brought quite a few people this time. It was said that they were an elite squad of the military, with a total of fifteen people. But at this moment, the footsteps seemed to include one more person.
Click, click, at the end of the crowd.
"Host, are there any survivors sneaking in?" 011 said, and immediately thought of the horror movies he'd seen before. His tail was trembling in the host's arms, but he didn't dare look back. "I think I heard a new footstep in our group."
[Host, please take a look.]
Because he overlapped with someone in the team, it would be difficult to be discovered if he didn't listen carefully.
Lu Tai rubbed the head in his arms, his eyes inadvertently moving around the crowd, and when he fell on the last figure, he calmly withdrew his gaze.
[Host, did you see that?] 011 The cat peeked out from the host's arms, its eyes showing both curiosity and fear.
Just when he was thinking about whether to tell the Uriel brothers and Galliel about this, he suddenly saw Galliel, with a gentle and warm expression, flash at an extremely fast speed, jump up with a movement that could not be captured by the naked eye, raise his weapon and point it in a certain direction.
Invisible waves passed through the air, and when 011 came to his senses, he heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground in the silent circular corridor.
Then the blond young man threw a glow stick that was flashing red light and hit it, instantly igniting a fire.
011 was frightened and quickly shrank back. If Galliard treated him like this, then the person was definitely not alive. He looked up and wanted to ask the host what that thing was, but because of the light of the fire, when he looked up, his eyes met the densely packed and entangled limbs on the ceiling.
011 was terrified. Those creatures were no longer human. They were covered in green skin and looked like shiny beetles. They were hanging in the air like a monkey trying to reach the moon.
It looks both funny and scary.
He instantly floated out of the host's arms without a second thought, grabbed the black hair with his claws and pulled it aside, "Run, host! There's a monster overhead!"
011 has a very sensitive sensory module.
He used to think this was a good thing, but now he wishes he could just ask other seniors to help him take it off.
When Lu Tai was pulled by him, he also saw the thing above his head and reached out to hold the red panda in his arms. He stepped back to avoid it and quickly took out his weapon to attack the thing.
His behavior soon attracted the attention of others.
As the light shone over, everyone realized that the sky above them was densely packed with these humanoid monsters. 011 lay in the host's arms, fearful yet wanting to protect the host, his paws trembling. "Host, judging by their clothes, they seem to be the crew here."
He had never faced such a situation before. He wanted to hide back in the host's consciousness space but was afraid of being called timid, so he could only puff out his chest and pretend not to be afraid at all.
Looking at it this way, 011 really noticed something was wrong.
He tugged at the host's hair, "Host, let's go to the power supply cabin and turn on the electricity! These monsters seem to be afraid of light, and they retreat when they are exposed to it."
Although 011 was so frightened that its paws became limp, it still tried its best to assume the responsibility of an auxiliary system and help the host escape from danger as quickly as possible.
"Okay, let's go to the power supply cabin. Don't be afraid. I'm relieved that Yaoyao is so powerful." After rubbing the tip of the red panda's ear to comfort it, Lu Tai looked at the monster that was stuck to the wall like moss and slowly retreated.
The fact that these things damaged the power distribution and secretly hid above people's heads in the early stages shows that they are intelligent.
So try to leave quietly.
When 011 saw that the host was about to leave, he called up the map he had taken when he just came in and wanted to give the host some directions.
It turned out that he and the host had just turned around and taken a few steps when the monsters behind them suddenly stopped fighting with the army and surged towards them like waves.
It's just like iron sand being attracted by a magnet.
[Host, is there something on you?] 011 didn't expect to be discovered just after sneaking away. Could it be that there is something on the host that has attracted so much attention from these monsters?
As he was thinking this, he didn't notice the increasingly serious look on the blond young man's face as he quickly arrived and noticed the situation.
Galliard recalled the words of the red panda as soon as he entered the door and the abnormality here, and suddenly he had a guess. In fact, he had also felt vaguely attracted since entering this area.
These crew members were probably attracted by that thing and became like this for some reason.
As for Lu Tai...
The only abnormality about him was that the red panda was by his side.
Could it be that the target of that thing is the red panda?
Galliard clenched the energy gun in his hand. He was not confident that Lu Tai could protect the red panda. He lowered his voice and said, "I can go with you to the power supply cabin."
As if sensing their thoughts, the monsters rushing forward were quickly blocked by the army brought by Uriel.
[The monster is coming! Let's run!] 011 didn't care too much about Gary's joining, even though as a member of the protagonist group, Gary's aura would likely lead to various unexpected events.
But with the protagonists around, there will definitely be hope of rescue even if times get tough.
011 thought so, and used his tail to signal the host to make sure they were following, then he quickly floated forward.
Because we had already walked for a distance, the power supply cabin was actually just two corridors away, but as we got closer, the number of monsters around us increased a lot.
Fortunately, I brought Gary with me so I could barely cope with it.
011 floated in front of the power supply hatch. Frightened, he clutched his tail and burrowed back into his host's arms. "Host, do you think there are more monsters in here?"
He peeked around in his host's arms but didn't dare to look.
Another thing quickly came to mind.
[Host, do you have a strange feeling?] 011 had been so nervous that he had ignored it, but now he suddenly remembered that those monsters had an energy very similar to the energy ball he had felt when he first entered the starship.
He had heard from his predecessors that some worlds would have some wandering data, and the wandering data would shuttle back and forth in many worlds and gradually form a special energy group.
The energy group will unconsciously absorb energy to strengthen itself.
And the way they replenish their energy is to devour the important characters in these worlds.
The more important it is to the world consciousness, the more plots there are, and the more energy it brings to the energy group. However, in the later stage, consciousness will gradually emerge and begin to intentionally destroy the small world, which will become a virus that the system world is afraid of.
Is there such an energy ball hidden in this world?
No wonder world consciousness is so weak.
011 was extremely nervous, fearing that the host and Galliel would also be attracted and assimilated by this energy ball.
Just as he was worried, a line of words gradually appeared on the host's computer: "Yes, but it's not that strong. I only realized it after you reminded me. I just vaguely feel that something is urging me to go to the core."
This sentence is proof of that.
"Host, you can't go any further! The creatures there will grab you and eat you!" 011 knew his guess was probably true, so he quickly pried open the panel and notified headquarters of the anomaly.
Although he thought he was very capable, he was still a little worried that he wouldn't be able to handle it since it was his first time encountering this kind of thing.
After the data was transmitted, 011 saw that the host refused to speak, so he tugged at the host's hair with his claws and shook it. "This host is truly dangerous. After he eats you, he'll probably be even more powerful. Even I might not be able to handle him."
Before the headquarters came up with a solution, he could only try his best to prevent these important characters from going to the core and giving away their heads.
However, 011 felt that the most important thing now was to eliminate the monsters here, otherwise these controlled puppets would definitely find ways to send them to the core.
Just as he was thinking this, the invisible fluctuations in the air suddenly increased, and an inexplicable impulse took root in his mind.
[Hungry…] 011 felt dizzy, and he unconsciously developed a special feeling of hunger, which made the faint energy aroma in the air seem particularly alluring.
He shook his head to get rid of this terrible thought but found it was useless. The aroma was like a fusion of all his favorite foods.
011 felt that his four claws were no longer under his control, so he struggled to pry open the host's palm and get out.
It wagged its tail and flew towards the source of the fragrance.
011 was extremely anxious. Looking at the wall so close to him, he quickly used his points to exchange for an hour of semi-solid state. He could touch things, but others could not see him.
Sure enough, the next second he crashed into the wall.
He shook his head to wake up a little, but his consciousness was soon taken over by terrible hunger again.
The host's anxious voice seemed to be separated by a layer of water film and he could not hear it clearly. Then it became farther and farther away. When he came to his senses, he had arrived at the hatch of the fourth floor.
[No! You can't go through!] 011 One paw tried hard to hold the other paw to prevent it from touching the combination lock next to it.
But it was no use, he still stretched out his claws.
Just as 011 was crying, he suddenly remembered something and stopped abruptly. [Hahaha, idiot, it's useless! I don't even know what the password is!]
See how this bad guy lures him over.
Thinking that it had noticed his thoughts, the fluctuation seemed to pause for a moment as if it was speechless.
[Stupid, stupid, lelele!] 011 was no longer afraid and instantly became proud, wagging his tail in triumph. However, before he could feel the air movement shift position, coming from the air vent above his head.
011: ...
[Tonic!] He hadn't expected this energy to be so bad. He tried to struggle, but it was useless. It was like a genetic attraction that pulled him towards the air intake. [I'll never call you an idiot again, woooo! QAQ]
However, begging for mercy was of no use. 011 was controlled to open the air vent and drilled directly in.
He was small in size and was forced to make twists and turns. Even if he wanted to find a place to get stuck, there was no place to stand and he could only float forward like a dejected little rag.
At this moment, a message suddenly appeared on the panel.
011 quickly opened it and saw it was a message from headquarters. He instantly felt relieved. "Great! Only 20 minutes left to lock onto this world!"
He just needs to hold on for 20 minutes!
When the time comes, he will pretend to join, chat with the virus and flatter it to make it dizzy, and secretly delay time until the seniors come in!
[Hahahahahahaha, how could there be a system as clever as mine in this world!] 011 wasn't scared anymore.
He was controlled to float towards the core of the Qixiang, and finally came to a locked hatch. The exceptionally pure aroma of energy was like the wine he had accidentally tasted before, making him dizzy and dazed.
But 011 still tried hard to rub his round face with his paws to keep himself as awake as possible.
He watched as the hatch in front of him gradually opened, revealing a green ball of energy. He waved his claws stiffly and smiled, "Hello, hello! I finally see you! My most admired virus... no, energy ball!"
011 was so proud after he said that, the virus must have been immediately fascinated by him.
Just as he was racking his brains to think of a few more words, the green light emitted by the energy ball opposite flashed, as if he was a little worried that eating this thing would affect his IQ.
"You're so majestic and powerful! You're practically our System Work Department's idol!" 011 didn't notice anything was wrong, and twitched the tips of his ears with an expression of admiration.
The appetite and hostility of the energy group on the opposite side had indeed decreased a lot.
011 thought his delaying technique was working, and he didn't notice the wave entangled with the tip of his ear, which seemed to be a little curious.
The next second, he inexplicably felt a sense of consciousness from this ball of green energy.
[Your delay is useless, little idiot. Those guys will just end up being my food like you. But if you make me happy now, I can play games with you for a while and eat you slowly.]
[Like, touch this weird thing on top of your head.]
The strange energy repeated an indistinct muttering.
[It’s not a weird thing!] 011, who didn’t expect his elaborate plan to be discovered, covered his ears with his claws in anger. He didn’t believe how powerful this energy ball was.
However, in order to delay a little longer, he hummed twice and slowly put down his paw.
He wagged his tail. Although he didn't know why this guy liked it so much, he still said, "Do you want to touch this thing? It's softer than the tip of my ear. If you eat it now, you'll never be able to touch it again in your life!"
He would just endure the humiliation for now, and when the seniors arrived, he would teach this bad energy a lesson.
Sure enough, the person on the other side was immediately attracted to him.
While wagging his tail, 011 suddenly remembered that he had not yet told the host about the situation. This idiot host would not really just barge in to save him!
"I don't think so. With so many layers here, it would probably take a long time just to decipher them." He muttered to himself, and hurriedly and secretly informed the host that he was safe, mainly to ask the host not to come looking for him.
011 used his claws to edit a paragraph, and was about to send it when he suddenly heard a loud "boom" behind him.
He turned his head and saw a figure appear in his sight.
Good news, it’s not the host.
The bad news is about one of the protagonists, Gary.
It is still a great tonic for this broken energy ball.
And most importantly! Since Galliard doesn't have ears, he'll definitely eat the energy ball straight away. Thinking this, 011 quickly waved his paw to signal him to leave. "I'm fine, go!"
Then I suddenly remembered that he couldn't hear at all.
Although Galliard is also very powerful, he is definitely no match for this monster that has eaten many people!
This energy attraction is fatal to them!
011 was thinking about whether to buy a pair of ears and a tail for him in the mall, but the next second he found that Galliard did not seem to be attracted by the energy. The other party's gun was aimed directly at the energy ball in the center and shot out.
The huge energy explosive bomb merged into the energy ball but only made a light sound like cracking melon seeds before disappearing instantly.
011 didn't know how he had the courage to come here, but he couldn't let the important people be swallowed up, otherwise the energy ball would become more powerful and if it ate some other people, the world would probably collapse.
Seeing the energy ball spreading its tentacles and attacking Galliere, who was covered in blood and scars, he hurriedly flew towards Galliere without caring about anything else.
Then he bit the tentacle of the energy ball and pushed Gary behind him back with his tail.
011 howled very fiercely and bit down, intending to attract attention. However, he did not expect that the tentacle would be directly bitten off by his mouth full of small sharp teeth, and turned into abundant energy that slid down his throat to his core.
[Hehe! Now let's see who gets eaten!] He hadn't expected the system to be able to devour energy. He instantly shook his tail, became excited, and bit even harder.
I don’t know if it’s because 011’s initial level was very high, but the energy ball was quickly suppressed.
The energy instantly sent out a panic wave, but soon calmed down, slowly floated up, and gradually shrank. 011 thought it was trying to escape, so he bit the tentacle even harder and dragged it.
The next second, a ball of green energy rushed towards him and went into his wide-open mouth.
Indescribable whispers rang in my ears.
[Eat, eat! After you eat, you'll be assimilated into my nutrients! The system and the small world's data are different, so you can't digest energy by swallowing it. You fool will eventually be bloated to the point of energy collapse! Hahaha!]
011 also felt his stomach swelling instantly.
He whimpered pitifully, and his eyes seemed to be blocked by something and he couldn't open them at all. Finally, he fell straight down from mid-air.
Therefore, he did not see the faint green light floating greedily on him as if thinking about where to start, but it was quickly swallowed up by the stronger white light.
The short, plump red panda's limbs stretch out, and its hair fades away, gradually revealing its pearly, lustrous, and eye-catching skin underneath.
011 felt pain all over his body, and his body seemed to become particularly heavy. He was half conscious and thought he was going to fall to the ground, but he ended up falling into a hot embrace unexpectedly.
His thin eyelids gradually became lightly pink due to the soreness in his stomach.
"..." Galliard's heart skipped a beat, and before he could come to his senses, his palm was sunk into a lustrous white. Even through his black combat gloves, he could feel the softness that inexplicably made his throat tighten, and his five fingers sank deeply into it.
The boy was not overly thin, and just a slight touch of his slender hands revealed soft, snow-white flesh.
011 just felt uncomfortable in his stomach. He remembered that when he ate too much before, the host used his hands to rub his stomach, so he raised his somewhat soft palms and groped unconsciously. His face also rubbed against the man's chest unconsciously, wiping away the tears on his chest.
He had no self-awareness at all, and instead felt extremely aggrieved because of the host's lack of understanding this time.
011 didn't know that he was in human form now. He became very clingy when he felt uncomfortable. He unconsciously stepped on the flexible muscles under his palms to relieve the discomfort, and hummed with red eyelids.
"Host, you are so stupid. My stomach hurts so much this time. Why don't you help me rub my stomach?"
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