Rolling mountains stretched endlessly, the earth blanketed in lush green vegetation.
When the zergling reached the edge of a crystal-clear stream, Xia Jin hopped down nimbly. She stretched her limbs before crouching down, cupping a small amount of water in her hands to drink.
“This mountain spring is quite good.”
It was pure nature, entirely free of pollution.
She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water. She looked like someone who had stepped out of a 2D world, utterly flawless.
The zergling, which had been running for twenty-four hours, crawled to a spot not far away. It sliced through a tree with a single strike and began gnawing on it.
This was to replenish the energy it had consumed during its overnight sprint.
Meanwhile, the infestor caught a small rabbit and swallowed it in one gulp.
For these insects, whose energy utilization efficiency was incredibly high, this small amount of food was enough to sustain them for a long time.
Xia Jin began walking slowly upstream along the creek.
The two insects followed at a short distance behind her.
Suddenly...
A pitch-black iron arrow descended from the sky, flying straight toward her.
Clang—
The zergling reacted almost instantly, lunging forward to block the path of the Queen.
The arrow struck as if hitting solid steel and was deflected entirely.
Her gaze immediately locked onto the person who had fired the shot.
It was a young man with a cloth wrapped around his head, holding a recurve bow. Seeing his arrow blocked, his expression froze in a daze.
Xia Jin crouched down and picked up the iron arrow that had landed to her left.
Judging by the trajectory, the target had been her left foot.
In other words, the goal wasn't to kill her, but to capture her?
Swoosh—
Another projectile flew—a spine this time—but unlike before, it was infused with a flowing light.
It was vitality.
This was a power that warriors could only obtain after reaching a certain level of cultivation.
The energy contained within this single arrow was astonishing. It actually pierced through the zergling's outer shell and triggered a small explosion inside its body.
The zergling took two steps back, glaring fiercely at the distance.
The shooter was a Tier 4 warrior.
Seeing that the insect was still standing after taking the hit, the man was momentarily stunned.
At that moment, the infestor lurking in the grass began a full sprint, charging toward the enemies.
Its speed wasn't particularly fast—at least, it was far slower than a practitioner's.
However, because the distance wasn't great and its size was massive, the terrifying creature reached the group in just five or six seconds.
“Hiss—! What kind of monster is this?”
They had been careless. They were so focused on the young girl that they had forgotten such a horrific insect was following close behind her.
The moment the infestor closed in, a brilliant light erupted from a warrior's hand as he swung his weapon down toward the insect's massive body.
Splat—
The strike clearly hit its mark, causing a spray of thick, foul-smelling liquid of a complex color to erupt.
But at that exact moment, the infestor's body braked sharply. It whipped its tail around, and a long, thin spine descended at a speed nearly impossible to track, plunging straight into the man's abdomen.
His whole body jolted. It took two seconds before he looked down blankly at his stomach, which had been impaled by the massive blade-like spine.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and he couldn't find the words to speak.
“Old Third!” someone shouted from behind in a rage.
Unfortunately, Old Third quickly lost consciousness.
When the needle was withdrawn from his body, he didn't seem dead yet. However, thin threads of flesh began to appear on his arms. He stumbled a few steps, swaying, before slowly turning his head.
“Old Third, are you okay?”
The man's voice trembled as he looked at the bloody wound in the other's abdomen.
The others nearby saw the scene and retreated in panic.
In the next second, Old Third actually raised his weapon and charged at the nearest person.
Infection successful!
Vitality erupted from his hands as he unhesitatingly hacked off the head of one of his subordinates.
“Damn it!”
Everyone realized it now—Old Third was being controlled.
At the same time, the zergling launched its attack on the group.
A strange liquid landed on a dozen people, instantly binding them.
These men felt as if their minds no longer obeyed them and their bodies had lost all control. They stood rooted to the spot, dazed.
Then, the zergling charged with its scythe-like claws raised. With several swift slashes, it sent multiple heads flying.
“No—!”
The remaining men turned to flee.
It was too late. The zergling sprinted past their flank and turned elegantly, blocking their path.
Only then did the girl standing on its back lightly jump down to the ground.
Though her stature was petite, Xia Jin felt she must look quite majestic flanked by two terrifying insects.
As expected...
With a series of thuds, the remaining dozen or so men fell to their knees.
“Please, Miss, have mercy! Please spare our lives!”
The leader—the one who had called out to Old Third earlier—had completely lost his previous fury. Only terror remained on his face.
Initially, he had been captivated by the beauty of this short black-haired girl and wanted to capture her alive. He had assumed the zergling was simply a magic beast she had raised. He figured that with their superior numbers, they could kill the beast and the girl would have no choice but to surrender.
How could he have imagined things would turn out like this?
Rate on N.U.
