“I can save you, but I need a favor from you these next two days,” Qi Yu said to the sub-female zerg, leaving no room for refusal.
“Sure, sure, as long as the gracious zerg saves me, that’s all that matters. Don’t even mention two days of help; I’d help the gracious zerg every day without a problem,” the sub-female zerg agreed without hesitation, nodding his head. However, as he lowered his gaze, a trace of disdain flickered through his eyes unnoticed.
This place was a den of dragons and snakes; even if he got out, not following the agreement wouldn’t matter much…
Qi Yu said nothing. Due to his inherent caution, he didn’t trust this zerg. Although he was about to save the zerg, he couldn’t omit the necessary warning, “Be careful.”
As his words fell, an invisible red light flashed by, and the sub-female zerg felt his previously stiffening body warm up. In the next second, he watched, wide-eyed, as the ropes binding him completely disappeared.
The sub-female zerg widened his eyes, stiffly observing the places where the ropes had been bound around him. Now, there wasn’t even a trace of the ropes left.
Blinking in surprise and fear, he looked up at Qi Yu, his disdain already vanished. With an unsettled voice, he asked, “How did you do that?”
Qi Yu remained silent, merely gazing at the sub-female zerg with an air of profound mystery. Under such scrutiny, the sub-female zerg had no choice but to set aside his thoughts, struggling to his feet. His gaze swept around, only to see that not a trace of the ropes, not even ash, remained.
What kind of method was this? Those were ropes that could bind an A-level sub-female zerg! And now they were gone?
A shadow fell over his heart. Under the firelight, the blue tint on his face gradually faded, but even so, his mood was far from good.
The strength of the zerg before him undeniably told him one thing: he couldn’t run away.
The expression on the sub-female zerg’s face was hardly pleasant as he looked at Qi Yu. After a moment, he slightly lowered his head and spoke with a tone verging on respectful.
“What does the gracious zerg require of me?”
The sub-female zerg, motivated by Qi Yu’s strength, dared not harbor any contempt. At the same time, he felt somewhat intimidated. Being an A-level sub-female zerg, he hadn’t even seen what weapon was used. This was an unprecedented unknown force, the most terrifying kind. He hadn’t encountered such a force before and didn’t even know where to run.
But now… Although the other had saved him, he had his principles. If the other asked him to do something he was unwilling to, what should he do? Although he appeared carefree, he lived by the code of repaying kindness and avenging wrongs. He didn’t know what the gracious zerg was thinking at this moment.
Qi Yu saw through Nanda’s thoughts at a glance. Using his mental powers was also a way to discipline the sub-female zerg. Seeing that the sub-female zerg had set aside his plans, he coldly uttered three words, “Mine obsidian.”
Nanda froze, somewhat perplexed. He was to mine obsidian? Despite being a leader in his own right, this was…
Meeting those deep aqua eyes, he silently swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. If mining stones repaid his debt, then so be it.
Seeing his intimidation take effect, Qi Yu didn’t waste any more time. His gaze fixed on Nanda, his voice still ice-cold, “You just said you know the locations of five obsidian stones.”
Nanda fell silent. Was this zerg only remembering that? Given his situation just now, shouldn’t he have said whatever was easiest to say? That’s typical zerg behavior, right?
Feeling the gaze on him turn colder, he shivered, unable to utter a word, his face breaking into a visibly guilty smile, his voice barely audible, “Four have been taken away; I only know of one now.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“But rest assured, I have a way to find obsidian. I can definitely find five pieces for you within two days.”
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Qi Yu didn’t waste time, saying to Nanda, “Lead the way.”
Continuing along the corridor, Nanda didn’t know why, but walking beside this zerg, he didn’t feel the cold, likely due to the flames from the torch. Nanda glanced at the torch a couple of times, then shifted his gaze away.
Silently, they walked for about an hour or two, until Nanda could no longer bear the quiet, “This area has been mined before, you might end up…”
Not long after they set out, the zerg beside him had mentioned taking a detour. Now, after walking for more than ten minutes and seeing the increasingly familiar surroundings, Nanda couldn’t help but warn him.
They had been here before, conducting a thorough exploration, yet not a single obsidian stone was found with the detection equipment.
Qi Yu stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Nanda. Without uttering a word, the sight of those deep aqua eyes immediately filled Nanda with dread. He halted his words mid-sentence, wanting to cry but finding no tears.
Alright, he might as well have said nothing. He’ll just keep his mouth shut.
Nanda thought resentfully, about to continue following Qi Yu, when he noticed that the zerg in front hadn’t moved on but was staring at the earthen wall beside them.
Qi Yu had sensed the presence of a black mineral in the dark soil not far from here, about twenty meters from the corridor, identical to the obsidian described in the StarNet data. The mineral was very close to the corridor, making it suitable for extraction.
Thinking of the obsidian soon to be in his possession, a hint of joy involuntarily appeared on Qi Yu’s face, hidden by his mask so no one saw it.
He deftly stepped back a few paces to Nanda’s side, pointed to the spot, and succinctly commanded, “Dig.”
“Dig?”
Looking at the area, riddled with holes from previous diggings, Nanda’s mouth twitched.
—Could his benefactor zerg be foolish?
Could there still be obsidian in such a place? It seemed unlikely even dust remained. His benefactor was so confident; could he have been deceived by the zerg?
Yet, facing those deep aqua eyes, he dared not voice these thoughts, merely swallowing hard and asking with some difficulty, “How to dig?”
He had seen that his benefactor zerg had brought no tools.
Qi Yu’s gaze instantly fell on Nanda’s back.
“This won’t do.”
Understanding Qi Yu’s intent, Nanda instinctively stepped back. However, before he could take two steps, he suddenly felt a chilling coldness rapidly envelop him at a terrifying speed.
He looked at the distance; he had been about eight steps in front of his benefactor zerg. Now, having stepped back…
Nanda’s expression froze, and he let out a dry laugh, his face showing a desire to cry but failing to, changing his statement, “We, we can negotiate.”
What exactly was this heating device? The heating range was only ten steps, and now he had nowhere to run…
But more than anything, Nanda wanted to know why this zerg’s method of seeking help was so peculiar, especially eyeing his wings.
Were sub-female zerg’s wings meant for digging stones?
Really?
Although his wings were incredibly sharp, the deadliest weapon on his body, they surely weren’t meant for digging stones, were they?
Thinking this, Nanda felt his body temperature dropping further, almost giving him the sensation of soon becoming a frozen zerg. Facing those deep aqua eyes, he felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
“Do you not have wings as well? Why use mine?” Nanda asked with a mournful face.
He finally understood; this zerg was using him as a laborer and gave him no chance to refuse. If it weren’t for the fact that this zerg had saved him, if it wasn’t because he couldn’t win against him, he… well, he would just have to stay away from this individual in the future.
With a heavy heart, Nanda reluctantly unfurled his dearly cherished wings.
Qi Yu was seeing the sub-female zerg’s wings for the first time, and he couldn’t help but take a closer look. The wings were about as long as the sub-female zerg’s arms, sparsely feathered, and the same color as the sub-female zerg’s hair, displaying a pale red hue. Beyond that, there wasn’t much to note.
Qi Yu’s body also possesses wings, but unlike the sub-female zerg’s, the male zerg’s wings have more feathers, soft and floppy, useful only for a few flaps, and incapable of flight.
After a brief glance, Qi Yu lost interest. He placed the torch on the ground, stepped back two steps, and pointed towards the earthen wall just six meters away from him.
Nanda: …
Despite his grief and indignation, Nanda had no choice but to slowly approach the earthen wall, manipulating his wings to begin digging for obsidian.
The wings are the most powerful weapon on a sub-female zerg’s body, making the digging speed comparable to any tool. It didn’t take many swings before a pile of earth appeared in front of Nanda, and a few minutes later, he was obscured within the newly dug tunnel.
Qi Yu, still holding the torch, followed into the freshly dug tunnel.
After more than ten minutes, Qi Yu stepped back again to avoid the flying dust. Meanwhile, he observed the zerg whose digging speed had slowed in front of him and coldly said, “Dig another ten meters forward.”
Hearing this, Nanda didn’t respond. Waving his wings in despair, his face numb, Qi Yu’s view was blocked by clods of earth as he stood holding the torch, occasionally using his mental power to check on the progress.
While they were busy at work, on the other side of the inner circle of Obsidian Star, several military ships were stationed. Zergs in military uniforms, equipped with protection and various gears, were continuously entering the newly dug tunnel.
“Report to the admiral, the survey is complete. There’s indeed a large deposit of obsidian a kilometer beneath the surface.”
“Nearby star thief and adventure groups are converging here, including the North Zone’s famous Golden Eagle and Hanging Star. According to reports from various places, other regional star thieves and adventure groups seem to be stirring, with a few suspected of heading this way.”
Inside a warship, a zerg stood straight, loudly reporting to the zerg seated in the principal seat. If Qi Yu were present, he would recognize the zerg in the principal seat as his nominal queen, Mo Yan, whose majesty now completely overshadowed his gentleness. His golden eyes were sharp, his demeanor calm, exuding a solemn and powerful aura that commanded respect.
In the office, Mo Yan, sitting at his desk, remained expressionless upon hearing the report. He pondered for a moment before asking, “Have the adventure groups led by Nanda, Li Zhai, and Jiang Songsong left Obsidian Star?”
When he returned, the StarNet was abuzz. The zergs of Obsidian Star quickly spread the news of his matching, reaching him. Those who could enter the inner circle were generally A-level sub-female zergs. Without strong equipment support, it was difficult for B-levels to survive here. Upon his return, he saw these adventure groups nearly clash with his soldiers.
The zergs he brought were mostly B-level, supported by the empire’s technology to move freely in this environment, armed with numerous weapons, not easily provoked by ordinary zergs. Knowing their limits, the groups did not rashly attack.
However, with many zergs here, their potential union was a concern. Though unlikely, he couldn’t gamble with his subordinates’ lives. Hence, he chose to delay his marriage with his newly matched male and expelled the zergs confronting his soldiers.
“No.”
The reporting zerg shook his head.
“Li Zhai and Jiang Songsong’s adventure groups have united to resist us. As for Nanda’s group… it’s strange. Since encountering our zergs a few days ago, Nanda has vanished. Only his four henchmen have been seen, including in this operation.
Rumors suggest Nanda was trapped in a tunnel by his team over uneven loot division, but it’s uncertain.”
The speaker’s expression turned odd, baffled by how such a situation could arise. Mo Yan was unfazed, familiar with such possibilities. Such incidents were rare among star thief groups but not among adventure groups.
He instructed, “Ignore them.”
“Tell all zergs to be on alert, pair up, and call for emergency help if in danger. If unresolved, return first.”
The subordinate nodded, his expression serious but puzzled.
Mo Yan explained, “Currently, only adventure groups are nearby, and we can scare them off. Star thief groups entering in a few hours won’t be as easy. Our zergs’ levels are too low. Adventure groups might listen to us, but star thief groups… Remember the admiral killed in the star thief group crackdown?”
Adventure and star thief groups are often confused, but they’re entirely different. Zerg adventure groups are numerous, driven by their innate aggression and love for exploring resource-rich, harsh environments, valuing the adventure itself.
Star thief groups, in contrast, only target lucrative planets for robbery, engaging in theft, assault, and even murder. Comprising fugitives and malevolent zergs, they live by the blade.
Upon hearing this, the younger zerg’s expression changed.
Seeing his understanding, Mo Yan said, “Let’s go check the survey site.”
___
[T/n] 3 updates this week!? 🎊
Ooooh, this is gonna be fun! ☺️🍿 Thanks for all the updates!!
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Thank you for the update! ❤
Ahaha, looking forward to their meeting.🍿