Chapter 46: Interstellar War
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Wandering city was filled with yellow sand, and thick gray clouds seemed to press directly on the rooftops. The air was dry and stuffy, requiring forceful expansion of the chest to draw in even a bit of oxygen.
Dong Du’s throat was filled with dust, making it almost impossible to see his teammates nearby. However, the massive bodies of the bug were not hidden by the sand and dust.
The giant beetle was guarding the church. The outer battle was chaotic, but these giant beetles formed a circle with their backs to the church. They only attacked enemies under their feet and hadn’t moved outward at all. The goal of diverting the surrounding bugs through the chaotic battle might not be achieved.
Dong Du spat out bloody saliva. Little Treasure obediently leaned in his hands, and Chu Xuhuan was right beside him. They were hiding in a corner, not speaking. The only sound between them was the heavy breathing.
“Oh, what a coincidence.” Tang Wencen rolled in against the wall, accompanied by a gust of cold wind. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his tongue pressed against his cheek, gasping, “Long time no see, Little Prince. You seem quite leisurely.”
“You’re not bad either.” Dong Du waved at him, exaggeratingly saying, “No missing limbs, no broken legs. You’re doing well.”
Tang Wencen smirked, giving up on his sharp tongue. He scanned the surroundings. “Just you two?”
“The others are with the medics,” Dong Du peeked outside, but the sandstorm obstructed his view. He could only see a rough estimate. Ash Wolf, Lion, Qi Lin, and Xue Nancheng; two of them pulling a medic, all four in a desperate escape. They looked disheveled, but he didn’t spot Hill.
Medics shouldn’t be on the battlefield, but if they broke through to the center and got seriously injured without treatment, the mission would be even more likely to fail. In other words, Gneville and Cui Ningfang seemed more like two pawns, useful if they made it to the center but ready to be abandoned if they couldn’t.
They understood, and Gneville and Cui Ningfang understood too.
“Dragging on like this is not a solution,” Dong Du tapped the hilt of Little Treasure’s knife, his eyes reddened by the blowing sand. He asked Tang Wencen, “What about your other team members?”
“We dispersed to break through, to avoid getting caught in one sweep.” Tang Wencen was still rubbing his bruised face. “What’s your plan?”
Dong Du counted on his fingers. “We currently have seven combatants. We’ll use five of them to create a diversion, attract the attention of these bugs, and then let the other two with the medics sneak into the center.”
Current medical technology could allow movement as long as you had a breath left. However, it had a significant drawback. If the wound was too large, it required stitches, so they needed the medics to survive.
The three rushed to the opposite underground parking lot. Their arrival scared the six people hiding inside, but at least they didn’t act impulsively. After seeing the newcomers, the six put down their weapons.
“Your Highness, are you injured?” Gneville’s voice choked, but luckily, she didn’t burst into tears.
Dong Du didn’t have time to comfort her at this moment. He explained the plan to the six and then continued, “The task of leading Gneville and Cui Ningfang to the center is entrusted to Lion and Ash Wolf. You two have been pirates for so many years; your escape skills should be better than Qi Lin and Xue Nancheng. The remaining five of us, get ready. As soon as we rush out, open fire immediately.”
“Why not involve more people? Just the five of you; won’t it be insufficiently loud?” Cui Ningfang expressed some concern.
“The others’ task is to attract as many bugs as possible to the periphery. If they join our plan, some bugs will inevitably move toward the center, leading to more bugs in the central area.” Dong Du quickly explained and then looked at the others. “Are you ready?”
After receiving affirmative answers, Dong Du rushed out first. Sparks flew as Little Treasure struck the cement ground. Dong Du’s wrist turned, the heavy blade swung, and a massive beetle lost its legs. By the time the entire bug collapsed to the ground, the bug’s head had already rolled far away.
Chu Xuhuan’s gun was also accurate. He destroyed a beetle’s eye with two shots, then used the miniature rocket launcher on his arm to blast the bug’s head to pieces.
“I find that cold weapons are much more effective against these guys than guns!” Tang Wencen, rabbit-like, weaved through the beetles. He opened the communication on his wrist and reported the situation to the main ship.
He could become a general not because of his martial skills; he couldn’t fight these bugs alone. But Dong Du was genuinely formidable. The heavy blade in his hands moved like a nimble thread. By relying on his feet and shoulders, he quickly slaughtered several beetles.
But there were too many bugs. The casualties of one or two, or even a dozen, didn’t matter to them. They might even eat the corpses of their own kind.
Tang Wencen’s report quickly brought results. Clos and Yars both dispatched combat ships, concentrating on strafing and bombing the central area. However, as Tang Wencen had said, guns had limited effect on the bugs. Faced with strafing, they instinctively shielded their eyes and necks, making it difficult to penetrate their back and abdominal shells.
The beetles could fly, and the support of the combat ships in the air was practically useless. Still, it did have some effect. Some beetles took flight, making more passages available on the ground.
Seeing this situation, Dong Du immediately sheathed his blade and charged forward, burying his head. Hill, who had disappeared before, rushed from the side. The female alpha’s speed was extremely fast, almost crossing the encirclement of beetles at the same time as him.
After a few people broke through the encirclement of the beetles, they hid in various corners. Tang Wencen’s teammates also took the opportunity to rush in, but everyone remained silent. Unconsciously, they gathered beneath the statues outside the church. The statue was over ten meters tall, and the painted platform at its feet was hollow.
The beetles seemed to understand the situation and, after breaking through the defense line into the central area, surprisingly did not pursue.
Thirteen people crowded beneath the platform, with not even an extra gap. Despite the tight space, nobody complained.
Cui Ningfang stood next to Dong Du, holding something resembling cotton candy in his hands. He distributed these items to everyone, saying, “If you have minor wounds, stop the bleeding yourselves.”
As he distributed the items, his shirt was strained, and a silver pendant leaked out from his collar. After giving out everything, he attempted to tuck the pendant back into his collar. Gneville suddenly whispered, “Coupled with the doctor?”
Cui Ningfang nodded, gently placing the pendant inside his collar and patting his chest.
The heavy breathing beneath the platform gradually calmed. Dong Du took a deep breath and said, “The one inside with my face is the queen. Pay attention to the target. Once you catch it, find a way to retreat immediately.”
Everyone here, including the two medics, had a potent tranquilizer. A single dose was enough to tranquilize ten oxen.
Prepared, they broke in through different windows. Dong Du rolled as soon as he entered, and the corners of his eyes were filled with dark red blood. His eyes were fixed on the queen sitting in the statue’s lap.
The queen indeed had his face. Upon seeing him, she seemed excited, and gave a brief, sardonic laugh. “You’re quite capable. This is the second time. It seems my children aren’t trying hard enough.”
No matter how many times he saw it, Dong Du still found a bug with his face disgusting. He averted his gaze but witnessed an even more horrifying scene when he turned his head—a bug without a face, arms like electric drills, skewering Ash Wolf and Cui Ningfang through with red syrup-coated dates.
The bug that killed the two of them had bones shifting under its skin. In no time, it grew Ash Wolf’s face, then Cui Ningfang’s face. Seeming bored, the bug threw them aside, using another soft hand to pierce their skin and implant two wriggling larvae.
Similar scenes were playing out in several places in the church, resulting in six casualties as soon as they entered.
Chu Xuhuan’s eyes were so red it seemed they would bleed. He stared fixedly at Ash Wolf but had to grit his teeth and close his eyes eventually.
Time seemed to slow down for Dong Du. Everyone moved at half speed, and he saw Gneville collapsing, covering her mouth and crying. He saw Tang Wencen quickly shooting at a deformed bug.
“Hey.” Suddenly, the queen called out to him, and Dong Du immediately snapped out of that strange state.
Seeming dissatisfied with Dong Du’s neglect, the queen jumped down from the statue and walked up to him, saying enthusiastically, “What names are popular among humans now? I gave myself a name, Bai Yu. Do you think it sounds good? Does it match this era?”
Dong Du remained expressionless. “It’s quite fitting.”
With a tranquilizer in his right hand, he thrust it towards the queen’s neck, but was intercepted halfway. Dong Du had considerable strength, but the queen easily blocked him.
Dong Du and the queen locked eyes. Seeing this, Hill took advantage of the distraction and rushed forward. However, just as she leaped, a deformed bug wrapped its tentacles around her ankles, slamming her forcefully to the ground.
“Don’t move her,” the queen gently exerted force, breaking the tranquilizer in his hand, pushing Dong Du aside and crouching in front of Hill. “My goodness, is this what a woman looks like? Women seem nice too.”
It pinched Hill’s chin, observing her like inspecting an object. Gradually, the bones in it’s body made cracking sounds, and in no time, it completely replicated a copy of Hill.
Dong Du slowed his breath. It had been many years since he felt this powerless.
The queen didn’t pay any attention to them; to him, they were just toys. If he fancied one, he would play around with it a bit. If unsatisfied, he would let his children destroy it. They were no threat to him.
That’s why the beetles didn’t pursue.
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