Chapter 48: The Return Journey
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The tracked vehicle sped through the roads between the insect nests. Because the queen was in the car, all the insect races chased after the tracked vehicle, paying no attention to Novisane and Zhu Di.
In front of the co-driver’s seat of the tracked vehicle was an LED screen displaying various red dots. Hanchester glanced at it, made a turn, and circled to another street. The insect races followed suit, but the tracked vehicle was faster. The window opened, Hanchester almost didn’t slow down as he charged toward Novisane and Zhu Di.
The two were prepared. In the instant the car rushed towards them, they jumped up, grabbed the roof of the car, and slid in through the window.
The scent of Alpha pheromones instantly filled the entire car compartment, overwhelming Dong Du’s temples. However, the two quickly regained control, and the wind carried the scent out through the window.
“Go to the outskirts.” Zhu Di said to Hanchester.
Hanchester made a sharp turn, making the tracked vehicle turn around.
The queen was stepped on under the feet of the three people in the back row. As soon as it entered the car just now, Dong Du had handed it over to the other two.
He administered several doses of anesthesia. At this moment, the queen was silent, losing its humanoid form, resembling a puddle of rubbery clay.
Dong Du, silently sandwiched between the two, rushed out from the inside alone. The outcome was self-evident, so no one in the room asked him about his teammates.
The tracked vehicle kicked up large amounts of yellow sand. After reaching the outskirts, it quickly entered a vast area of tracked vehicles. The mechanical extension sounds kept ringing, followed by the sound of artillery firing. The bombardment and the screeching of the insect races almost made people’s ears ache.
The queen was swiftly transferred to the battleship. The battleship took off and soared out of the atmosphere. After the sharp wail of the giant armored insects, they also took to the air. They rushed towards the battleship but couldn’t ascend further after reaching a certain height. The heavy bodies restricted their flying altitude.
“Retreat.”
Novisane and Zhu Di gave the order simultaneously. The flying ship descended from the clouds, soldiers disembarked from the tracked vehicle, which was autonomously bombing. After the soldiers boarded, the flying ship quickly ascended, fully withdrawing to the main ship.
The insect races lacked technology and couldn’t penetrate the atmosphere, providing significant security for the human retreat.
Dong Du was almost dragged off the flying ship by Novisane. He returned to the main ship of Yars. Novisane handed him a brain-busting stick, “Snap out of it. We’re about to return to the Black Gold Fortress.”
“Return for what?” Dong Du looked dejected. The curls on his head hung softly on his cheeks. “Just need to send the queen back, right?”
“Have you forgotten?” Novisane sat beside him, raising his hand to gently rub his hair. “Your good friend is getting married. You need to go back for the wedding. Moreover, the queen has been captured. There’s no point in landing again. We can’t exterminate the insect races in the Wandering City.”
“Li Sheng, Li Sheng’s wedding is still some time away, isn’t it?” Dong Du’s hands were clasped together, and his two thumbs kept rubbing against each other. He felt uneasy, even somewhat reluctant to go back. Originally, he was looking forward to Li Sheng’s wedding.
“Dong Du.” Novisane patted his back. “Look at me.”
“What am I looking at you for? What’s good to look at?” He was somewhat irritable, unwilling to lift his head, and couldn’t listen to comforting words. His hands were clenched tightly, fists trembling. Afterward, his shoulders trembled lightly, and he buried his head low, so low that Novisane couldn’t see his expression at all.
Novisane didn’t speak anymore. He gently patted Dong Du’s back as if coaxing a baby to sleep, allowing the spot in front of Dong Du to become thoroughly wet.
He quickly took a deep breath and stood up. He refused Novisane’s company. What Dong Du needed now was quietness, or rather, he needed an outlet for venting. With two teams of more than a dozen people, only he walked out alone in the end. He felt very guilty.
The gangways of the two main ships had already connected. Dong Du returned to Clos main ship from the gangway. He walked towards the living quarters. Soldiers coming over would hurriedly hide when they saw him. He didn’t want to see anyone. However, contrary to his wishes, when he reached the living quarters, he ran into Zhu Di at his own door.
He opened the cabin door without saying a word. Once inside, he wanted to close it. He didn’t want to hear anyone trying to console him.
Zhu Di blocked the door with one foot, forcefully squeezing into the living quarters. His expression was indifferent, and even his voice had no emotional fluctuations. He said, “Are you planning to keep avoiding like this?”
“What am I avoiding?” Dong Du stiffened his neck, turned his face away, unwilling to make eye contact. “I need to rest. Get out.”
“Their deaths are not caused by you.” Zhu Di caught Dong Du’s chin, forcing him to make eye contact. “Your Highness, no one will blame you.”
“But I will blame myself!” Dong Du forcefully pushed Zhu Di away. Holding his head, he squatted down, “Why me? Why am I the only one alive? Do I deserve it? Why can’t I die together with them? Why isn’t anyone else alive!”
“Because, other than you, no one can bring the queen out.” Zhu Di turned and left the living quarters. “Your Highness, this is not something you can choose.”
The door closed, and inside, there echoed an almost breakdown into sobbing.
He had abandoned them.
***
War raged just a few layers of the atmosphere away, yet the Black Gold Fortress remained remarkably calm. The streets were bustling with people, still arguing over trivial matters.
When the two main ships broke through the atmosphere into the Tower Docking Area, everyone on the streets stopped, looking up at the ships, uttering prayers.
Xi Yuan and Brovill were already waiting on the platform. As the spaceship doors opened, the two rushed up urgently, their eyes fixed on the door of Clos main ship.
Four soldiers carried a rectangular freezer and walked out first. Everyone held their breath; this was the queen, the origin of all calamities.
The freezer was directly taken to the research institute. Brovill prayed for the soldiers returning from the battlefield one by one. The icy fingertips, wet with holy water, touched Novisane’s forehead for the first time in a sincere blessing. “May the Lord bless you, Your Excellency.”
Novisane nodded to the young bishop, “Thank you.”
Brovill widened his eyes in shock. “Fina, did you hear that? The big villain actually said thank you to me.”
“People can change, Lord Bishop. His Excellency, the Prime Minister, must have realized the importance of the Lord,” Fina replied softly, keeping her eyes closed.
Blessings continued until the end, but there was no sign of Dong Du. Xi Yuan frowned, inquired with Zhu Di, and learned that Dong Du was fine, probably still inside the main ship. Xi Yuan sighed in relief.
His younger brother, who used to be just a spoilt and helpless child, surprisingly, he feared that he might sacrifice himself on the battlefield.
Guided by a soldier, Xi Yuan arrived at the door of Dong Du’s living quarters. He asked the soldier to leave, then raised his hand to knock on the living quarters’ door.
Dong Du quickly opened the door. He looked freshly tidy, with water droplets still on his face. His expression was somewhat indifferent. “What’s the matter?”
“You haven’t come out. I came to check on you.” Xi Yuan sighed. He knew about the situation on the battlefield. At this moment, he couldn’t be angry with Dong Du, but Dong Du’s attitude made it difficult for him to say comforting words.
The two walked out of the spaceship together. Xi Yuan said as they walked, “Qin Yi’s wedding will be attended by many dignitaries from the Capital Star. When you were in the Capital Star, your relationship with them wasn’t great. Be cautious.”
Dong Du nodded with a weary expression.
When they came out, the welcoming team in front of the spaceship had long withdrawn. This was exactly what Dong Du hoped for. He bid farewell to Xi Yuan and walked towards the research institute alone. No one was outside, not even the sound of wind rustling the trees.
But inside the institute was the opposite—busy. All the lights in the lab were on, gathering all the research elites from Clos and Yars. In front of them lay a freezer covered in a layer of frost, and they were examining the queen’s DNA.
Dong Du inquired from several people and found out that Xu Yiling was also in the lab. He lingered at the door of the lab for a while, suddenly feeling it inappropriate to enter. So he left the institute, planning to wait until Xu Yiling finished work to find her.
He wandered outside the research institute in a daze, unsure whether to go back or wait for Xu Yiling here. While he was indecisive, Raptor found him.
The little robot held a small basket, gliding on wheels towards him. “Master, welcome back.”
In the basket were small bread rolls. When it learned he was returning today, Raptor specially went to the Qin family to ask Li Sheng to make them.
Dong Du, like a refugee who had been hungry for a long time, devoured the bread hungrily. He raised his hand and touched the robot’s head. “Thank you, Raptor. It’s really delicious.”
“Master, don’t be sad.” Raptor extended its mechanical arm and gently patted Dong Du’s head. “Your return is the happiest thing for Raptor.”
The little robot accompanied Dong Du outside the institute, and they finished a whole basket of bread rolls together, finally waiting for Xu Yiling to finish work.
Xu Yiling was not surprised to see him. The top doctor of the research institute looked frighteningly pale, and her eye sockets were even slightly swollen and red. She sighed softly, “You really shouldn’t cry. Your eyes get swollen. Your Highness, your eyes are still very red.”
Dong Du rubbed his eyes. “So are yours.”
“Let’s go have a cup of coffee.” Xu Yiling smiled at him, then turned back into the research institute.
Xu Yiling had a dedicated office in the institute, all arranged by Cui Ningfang. It was cozy, like a small home, with a small bar counter that had a coffee machine.
She started making coffee. “Your Highness, what brings you here?”
Dong Du clenched his fists in his pockets. After a moment, he relaxed and handed something from his palm to Xu Yiling. “I’m sorry.”
Xu Yiling stared at Dong Du’s palm for a moment before reaching out to take what he handed her.
It was Cui Ningfang’s necklace.
“I never expected him to come back alive, Your Highness.”
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