The windshield shattered with a crash. The Zerg, enraged, thrust its sharp scythe-like mouth straight toward the soldier in the main cockpit. The rocket launcher fired again, blasting the scythe Zerg into pieces. In an instant, orange-red flames scattered the creature, the shockwave making even the seat cushion beneath them tremble.
“Hey!” Shi Yuxing leaned forward from the back seat to check on his injuries—and in that instant, blood flooded his vision. His hands trembled—not just from the high-concentration alpha pheromones, but from the shock before him. The soldier had been pierced from his left shoulder through his abdomen, blood gushing in torrents. His mouth overflowed with blood as he made gurgling sounds. “You… run…”
Shi Yuxing didn’t know what to do. This man had just been telling him about his future happiness—and now this. He was a doctor, one of the best—how could he not even have the strength to call for help?
The soldier saw the panic in his eyes. Hot fluid was rapidly draining from his body. He knew he couldn’t be saved, so he began fumbling for the inner pocket of his military jacket.
“I…” Shi Yuxing could only manage one word. He saw a metallic key glinting. A bloodied hand reached out, and the soldier lifted Shi Yuxing’s hand, pressing the key into it. “Give… it to… her… please—ugh!” He couldn’t hold it back any longer—a gush of dark blood sprayed out. His bloodshot eyes, strained to the point of agony, entrusted him with something of utmost importance—and with his most sincere wish.
He wanted Shi Yuxing to live, and to deliver the key to his home to his wife and daughter.
Shi Yuxing’s eyes were red-rimmed. Watching this soldier he’d only just met die in agony before him, tears burst forth like a broken dam. The key and the back of his hand were imprinted with the soldier’s burning bloodstained palm print. He murmured: “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you…” His head felt as if a spiked blade had been twisted inside it. His breathing was short, his mind foggy—he didn’t even realize his pheromones were leaking uncontrollably.
In the distance, an exhausted alpha clutching his right arm rushed toward Shi Yuxing, silently praying he wouldn’t come to harm. Halfway there, a crisp, refreshing floral scent hit him in the face like a punch—his nasal passages cleared as if he’d inhaled menthol.
Magnolia fragrance spread at the speed of light. The intoxicating floral scent left betas on the battlefield dazed.
But the alpha soldiers, already reeling from S-class pheromones and now struck by even higher-grade omega pheromones, fared worse. Several of them wobbled like elusive wide noodles in a hotpot. People walked as if on ice, struggling to find balance.
Gu Lingzhou, locked in combat with a giant scythe Zerg, could only occasionally glance toward Shi Yuxing. He shouted into the communicator: “Yuxing! Can you hear me?!” The mech’s blade clashed with the scythe Zerg’s mouth, metal scraping against metal.
Piloting the mech was draining his mental strength and energy. Facing a giant Zerg almost as tall as the mech itself, he found himself losing ground. Gu Lingzhou gritted his teeth and swung with effort, knocking off half of the Zerg’s jaw.
He panted heavily, his eyes fixed on the creature before him. But the second attack he expected never came. The swarm of Zerg suddenly froze, ceasing all movement—then he watched them frantically surge in one direction.
Beads of sweat rolled down the forehead of the alpha supporting Shi Yuxing. The magnolia scent was too potent—even though this was his second time experiencing it, and he’d been mentally prepared, his body still couldn’t handle it.
Normally, an omega’s pheromones would arouse an alpha’s desire. But at this moment, Shi Yuxing was like a released poison bomb. The alphas didn’t think about marking him—they wanted to flee, just as they would from a high-grade alpha. Lower-grade alphas were like puppets with their spines removed; if not for their comrades catching them, they would have collapsed to the ground.
The mech’s cockpit shielded Gu Lingzhou from Shi Yuxing’s pheromones. He didn’t know what was happening to the alphas outside. He piloted the mech to follow Wen Lan and the fleeing Zerg, when voices gradually came through the communicator.
“Gu Lingzhou? Gu Lingzhou, can you hear me? Why didn’t you tell us Shi Yuxing is a high-grade omega?! Is his heat starting? The pheromones are choking!” An Bao’s voice came through. At that, the mech stopped and turned toward Shi Yuxing. An Bao clutched his head. “Fuck—even S-class can barely take it. What the hell did your wife eat? The Zerg are scared off!”
On the other side, the steady alpha endured the suppression from the high-grade pheromones while simultaneously releasing calming pheromones to prevent Shi Yuxing from losing control. Shi Yuxing’s stomach churned; his inner thigh burned—no, his entire body was on fire. The unbearable pain made him want to tear that patch of flesh out.
The omega beside him stumbled. The man quickly wrapped an arm around his waist, his expression worried. “Where does it hurt?” The moment he spoke, Shi Yuxing’s hand clenched the alpha’s sleeve. He leaned forward, his stomach spasming like an electric shock. “Ugh—” Foreign matter burned his throat. His vision blurred. Shi Yuxing collapsed to his knees, clutching the dirt, biting his lip and sobbing.
Undigested food remnants mixed with traces of blood seeped into the soil. The arm around his waist tightened as the alpha knelt beside him. “It’s okay. Just get it out—you’ll feel better once it’s out.” Gentle fir scent soothed his back, the motion like comforting a child.
His reddened eyes looked toward the distant swarm of Zerg. He slowly pushed himself up and finally stood. “I couldn’t save him,” his vocal cords felt like they’d been rubbed with sandpaper, “but my pheromones can still save many people.”
The alpha’s pupils contracted sharply. His dry, cracked lips parted. “Yuxing… don’t go.”
A thunderclap seemed to boom overhead between them. Shi Yuxing took a step forward—his wrist was caught in an iron grip, the large hand tightening. Shi Yuxing looked down. “Gu Lingzhou, my pheromones can affect the Zerg, can’t they? Or even control the Queen?” The man’s lips remained parted, but no sound came out. Shi Yuxing continued: “You hid this from me to keep me from knowing my pheromones could affect the Zerg, right?” The defeated alpha didn’t know how to respond, nor dared to nod in acknowledgment.
Watching this big dog before him lower his gaze, Shi Yuxing thought this guy didn’t seem 32 at all—he was just as childish as an 18-year-old. His crow-wing lashes fluttered. He wondered how Xiao Zhou was doing. Then, he looked seriously at the man before him, and with dirt-and-blood-stained hands, he reached up and touched his face—almost as punishment. Shi Yuxing stood on tiptoe and quickly pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth—so light, lighter than a feather.
The alpha’s eyes widened slightly. He stuck out his tongue and licked his own lips. Shi Yuxing’s eyes were that beautiful light tea color. The discomfort caused by the high-grade pheromones all melted away in that kiss that could hardly be called affectionate.
“Tell me the truth. I promise I’ll come back alive, okay?” Shi Yuxing’s slightly hoarse voice tugged at his nerves. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he nodded unconsciously.
The real General Gu, who had witnessed everything, gritted his teeth, veins bulging at his temples. The one without the communicator—he wished he could punch him flying.
“General,” a voice came through the communicator, “Southwest, seven o’clock direction—the Zerg are migrating en masse. Target movement is fast. Location sent.”
“Understood.”
Shi Yuxing slowly nodded. “3S-class pheromones can counteract certain factors released by the Queen, thereby affecting the commands she gives to other Zerg.”
“So, my pheromones just now essentially forced these Zerg to retreat?”
The alpha paused, then nodded.
Shi Yuxing looked thoughtful. “But I don’t know how to use pheromones to control these Zerg, and I didn’t intend to make them retreat. If anything, I’d rather they all die.”
The tall man before him silently placed both hands on his shoulders. Their gazes met. Shi Yuxing exhaled: “I’m thinking—maybe they retreated not because my pheromones can control them or the Queen.” There was a note of certainty in his voice. “Gu Lingzhou, let’s catch up to them now. We might find the Queen.”
…
An Bao swallowed hard and turned, shouting: “Everyone—move at full speed toward the moving coordinates!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
Gu Lingzhou’s tone was icy. Taking advantage of Shi Yuxing climbing into the passenger seat of An Bao’s starship, he grabbed the older man and pulled him aside. The two alphas’ auras clashed like two cannons planted in the middle.
“What are you doing?” Da Ling asked calmly.
Shi Yuxing’s real husband was furious, his grip on the other’s collar making his fingertips turn white. “After the war, I’ll find a way to send you back.” His teeth made a faint grinding sound as he released the man’s collar.
Da Ling gave a mocking smile, smoothing his collar. “You can try.”
An Bao couldn’t stand the sight of those two. He honked twice and rolled down the window. “Hey, you two are blocking the way!” He honked twice more, urging them on.
Once they were moving, An Bao’s two-person mini-starship followed close behind the lead vehicle. “Do you really think following them will lead us to the Queen?” he asked abruptly—there were only him and Shi Yuxing inside, so it was obvious who he was asking.
Shi Yuxing stared out the window at the debris of buildings everywhere. The glass reflected his weary profile.
“My pheromones likely muddled or disrupted the signals the Zerg were receiving—the Queen’s commands disappeared, making them mistakenly believe she was dead. The underlying code of these Zerg is to protect the Queen. Following them, even if we don’t find the Queen, we can still keep hunting them down.” Shi Yuxing’s gaze gradually turned ruthless. These Zerg had destroyed his home, harmed countless innocent people—he would stop at nothing to kill them all.
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