Boom…
Violent explosions echoed one after another overhead. In the basement, Qin Sang looked up at the ceiling, where dust was raining down, and worried whether this place could hold up.
“How’s the battle going?”
Qin Sang walked over and sat down next to Xu Lin, leaning in to look at the tablet in his hand. It was displaying real-time footage of the fighting outside.
Xu Lin shook his head. “Not good. Conventional weapons have limited effectiveness against these interstellar bugs. As for large-scale destructive weapons, we don’t dare use them in densely populated areas—and unfortunately, those are exactly the places where the bugs are most numerous.”
As he spoke, Xu Lin pulled up satellite cloud images from around the globe.
Viewed from outer space, many large and small black fissures had appeared across the blue planet. And the number of bugs pouring out of these cracks varied—precisely matching the distribution of human populations.
“These disgusting things can sense human presence.”
Qin Sang wasn’t just making that up—it was a conclusion the authorities had drawn after the last interstellar bug attack.
Another finding was that the interstellar bugs could control native Blue Star insects. This control was similar to how the black energy masses had fused with local bugs before.
The authorities hadn’t described the exact differences in detail, but Qin Sang guessed it had to do with the properties of the energy. That was why native insects had become so hostile toward humans. As for native mutant plants and mutant animals, there had been no reports of them actively attacking humans so far.
Well, she was getting off track.
Anyway, as Qin Sang watched those interstellar multi-legged bugs struggling to break free from the fissures, she had a gut feeling: if they weren’t eliminated as quickly as possible, once they got out and took control of the native mutant bugs, it would spell catastrophe for humanity.
As the battle grew fiercer, this thought became a global consensus.
But as the saying goes—whatever you fear will come.
The battle had only been going on for a little over ten minutes, and while the number of interstellar multi-legged bugs killed seemed large, it was still a small fraction of the total.
Qin Sang couldn’t help but glance toward the stone gate.
—
“Is there any surveillance footage from the stone gate?”
Xu Lin shook his head. “That area was cleared out. There are cameras, but very few.”
Even so, Xu Lin’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he began pulling up feeds from surveillance probes around the stone gate. Five minutes later, an image appeared on the screen.
This feed came from an official drone. The drone had been left behind at a camp about five or six hundred meters from the stone gate, forgotten amid the sudden aerial battle.
Xu Lin activated the drone and turned its camera toward the stone gate—just in time to see it flickering.
“Are more bugs coming?”
Last time, a wave of taming bugs had arrived. After fighting off the interstellar bugs, some had returned to the Loess Secret Realm through the stone gate, while others had roamed across Blue Star to clean up the mutant insects.
Now, the stone gate was flickering again. Qin Sang hoped that more taming bugs would come through.
Even if they didn’t let humans form contracts with them, she would be eternally grateful if they could just help deal with the interstellar multi-legged bugs.
Unfortunately, the stone gate flickered several times—but no taming bugs appeared.
Instead, the battle overhead began to shift.
The interstellar multi-legged bugs, which had been showing signs of weakness, suddenly stopped moving in place. Everyone thought they’d gone haywire—but then, as if transformed, they began coordinating their actions.
For example, if a fighter jet attacked a multi-legged bug from one fissure, but due to its length couldn’t be shot down directly, nearby multi-legged bugs would pitch in to help.
Their movements suddenly became so organized—it was clear that a commander had appeared on the scene.
That made things even more difficult.
The chaotic, disorganized mob of interstellar multi-legged bugs had suddenly turned into a disciplined army of soldiers. This battle, which had never looked winnable, had now tilted decisively.
The once-formidable unmanned combat drones began crashing and exploding one after another. The secondary disasters from the explosions directly caused numerous human casualties.
All of this was broadcast live for the entire world to see.
People everywhere clenched their fists, their eyes red. At that moment, only one thought filled everyone’s mind: We cannot retreat! Even if it looks like certain death, humanity must not back down!
Countless calls to join the battle began flooding global online platforms and social media apps.
Earlier, only the combatants had said their goodbyes to their families and prepared themselves to die. But now that the interstellar multi-legged bugs had gained the overwhelming upper hand, it had instead ignited humanity’s fighting spirit.
More and more ordinary people began picking up weapons, volunteering for battle, and saying farewell to their loved ones. They too were about to head to their own battlefields.
And it was in this solemn, tragic moment that the worst-case scenario unfolded.
A series of thumps rang out nonstop as, finally, some interstellar multi-legged bugs broke free from the black fissures and fell directly onto Blue Star’s soil.
“Let’s go.”
Qin Sang watched the bugs on the tablet—now rampaging and summoning native insects—and said this to Xu Lin beside her.
Then she stood up, hopped in place a few times to loosen up, and pulled combat gear out of her space to put on.
This time, it was close-quarters combat. She needed her helmet, gloves, and combat boots. Her weapons had to be placed within easy reach.
Xu Lin was preparing in the same way.
Both of their phones were in their jacket pockets, still lit up. On Qin Sang’s phone, the screen was open to a group chat with her parents, where she’d written some reassuring messages.
Because she had her space, Qin Sang didn’t actually believe she would die.
On Xu Lin’s phone, the screen was open to his private chat with Qin Sang—the one where they’d discussed their plans for this trip. In the input box, he’d typed a few words but never sent them.
—
Thump, thump…
The moment they stepped out, both of them ran into interstellar multi-legged bugs. Each bug was surrounded by dozens of second-evolution native insects.
Seeing this, Qin Sang really wanted to curse out loud.
These native bugs just never stopped coming!
As for the interstellar multi-legged bugs—there were two of them. She and Xu Lin would each have to handle one.
That was the plan, anyway. Still, she released Little Gold and the tabby cat. The tabby hadn’t undergone second evolution and wasn’t contracted to Qin Sang, but it was more than strong enough to handle second-evolution native bugs.
As for Little Gold, Qin Sang sent it to coordinate with Xu Lin.
She had no choice. As skilled as Xu Lin was, his laser weapon just wasn’t as good as her Dragon’s Roar Bow. And he didn’t have a space to duck into for cover when things got hairy.
The two of them worked in perfect silence, not speaking. They simply drew their weapons and attacked their respective targets.
With her very first strike, Qin Sang could tell that these interstellar multi-legged bugs were significantly stronger than the previous wave of interstellar bugs.
She immediately reported her findings to Xu Lin via their wireless comms.
Xu Lin was simultaneously sharing his own analysis.
They both confirmed that the bugs’ back shells were too hard. Attacking head-on was a waste of effort.
Their weak point was their underbellies—but unfortunately, those were covered in dense rows of legs. Though the bugs could rear up to attack, whenever they tried to strike the belly, the legs around it would form a defensive ring.
Seeing that, Qin Sang wanted to curse again.
These damned bugs were way too sneaky.
She tried to create distance, but found that difficult too.
They were already surrounded by native mutant bugs. There was no way to pull back—unless she could fly!
But could Qin Sang fly?
Unfortunately, no. Maybe someday in the future, but right now? Definitely not.
Seeing this, Qin Sang thought of her signature move. But looking up at the multi-legged bug still striking at her, she knew the opportunity would be hard to seize.
If she failed on the first try, the bug’s legs would tear her apart.
She sighed. Her peripheral vision caught Xu Lin’s fight, about a hundred meters away.
Xu Lin’s battle was actually going a bit easier than Qin Sang’s—thanks to Little Gold’s help.
Little Gold might just be a youngling, but that bug was something else. The moment it saw the multi-legged bug, it let out a fierce cry and leaped straight up, bouncing off Xu Lin’s head and landing right on top of the bug’s. At this very moment, it was still locked in a battle of wits with the creature.
Seeing Little Gold bouncing around on the multi-legged bug like a golden flea, Qin Sang couldn’t help but want to laugh.
But that one glance also gave her an idea.
Xu Lin, still in the middle of his fight, suddenly heard Qin Sang’s voice through his earpiece. After listening to her battle plan, he smiled. Sure enough, Sang Sang was someone truly formidable!
Little Gold, still hopping around on the bug, also received instructions from Qin Sang.
As for the tabby cat, still fighting the native bugs—that one was swatting energy cores out of them one claw at a time, with no need for her direction at all.
The two interstellar multi-legged bugs, twisting and fighting for their lives, had no idea what Qin Sang was planning. Instead, as more and more native bugs answered their summons, they pressed their attack even harder.
Qin Sang didn’t fight back with full force. Instead, she gave ground bit by bit, retreating as she fought.
Over on his side, Xu Lin was doing the same.
Soon, the distance between them had stretched to about two hundred meters.
Suddenly, Qin Sang dodged to the side and, in the motion of pulling back, nocked an arrow and drew her bow.
The multi-legged bug across from her let out a scornful screech, twisting its body as if to throw off her aim.
Seeing this, Qin Sang’s lips curled upward. After drawing the bow and taking full aim, she suddenly swung the bow in a different direction and loosed the arrow without readjusting.
The entire motion was fluid and seamless—from turning the bow to releasing the arrow to hitting the target took less than twenty seconds.
A heavy thud echoed as something massive hit the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The interstellar multi-legged bug across from Qin Sang let out a sharp, piercing shriek and lunged at her.
But Qin Sang had already nocked another arrow and aimed it at the charging bug. Seeing this, the bug twisted defensively again.
Over on the other side, Xu Lin—now that his opponent had been taken out by Qin Sang—immediately turned around and charged toward her position. As for Little Gold, despite its stubby legs, it shot forward as if riding flaming wheels.
While the interstellar multi-legged bug was fixated on Qin Sang’s drawn bow, Little Gold had quietly scurried under its belly. Carefully dodging the dense forest of legs, it bit down hard on the bug’s underbelly.
Sssssss—
Another piercing shriek rang out, and short-legged Little Gold had already squeezed its entire body through the hole it had bitten open, burrowing straight into the bug’s belly.
Ssss—Qin Sang let out a similar sound of disgust. Then, seizing the opportunity while the bug was writhing on the ground in agony from the abdominal pain, she grabbed an arrow and tossed it to Xu Lin. She pulled out another one for herself. The two of them ran up close to the bug and, catching it off guard, each drove an arrow straight into it.
Of course, they were holding the arrows by hand and plunging them directly into the bug’s head.
Watching the creature stop its twisting and struggling, Qin Sang and Xu Lin exchanged a smile. One of them extracted the energy core, while the other reached into the carcass to pull out Little Gold.
“Don’t—don’t come closer!” Qin Sang held up a hand, stopping Little Gold as it approached, covered head to toe in the bug’s black, sticky fluids.
That was just too filthy!
Feeling its contractor’s disgust, Little Gold looked utterly wronged.
Xu Lin chuckled, pulled a bucket full of water from his space, and gave Little Gold a thorough rinse.
As for the surrounding mutant bugs?
They had already begun scattering in all directions the moment the two interstellar multi-legged bugs were killed.
And the tabby cat wasn’t about to let them get away. With a few meows, it charged in and unleashed a flurry of cat-paw punches.
Qin Sang looked at the two bug carcasses on the ground. She really didn’t want to put them into her space—they were too dirty.
Xu Lin said, “Leave them here for now. These are our trophies. No one’s going to touch them at a time like this.”
Qin Sang looked out at the other battles raging in the distance and slowly nodded.
That was true. Right now, everyone had only one thought—kill, kill, kill. Claiming spoils was something for after the battle.
And whether anyone would even be alive after this battle was another question entirely. Because the gap in strength was just too vast.
Some had already been stained with blood. Some had already fallen. And all Qin Sang and Xu Lin could do was keep fighting.
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