This particular Zerg squad belonged to the private forces of the elder who had long been at odds with Direna.
In his view: these wretched humans wandered about every year at this time, practically delivering themselves as food. Only an idiot would let them slip by.
All that talk about "jeopardizing the greater plan" was nonsense. He wasn't some coward who shirked responsibility. These human brats without mecha? Killing them would be child's play.
"Elder, should we move in right away?"
"You bunch of dim-witted fools—if we act now, we'll be exposed immediately! Can't you see those old geezers standing right there?"
"Elder, you are indeed the most wise and mighty… but didn't Queen Direna instruct us not to act rashly?"
At that, one companion noticed the elder's antennae twist more menacingly. He hurriedly jabbed the speaker with his pincers in warning.
Unfortunately, the fool didn't get the hint and snapped loudly, "You shameless thing, why did you jab me for no reason?"
The elder lashed out with a long leg, silencing him instantly. Then his sharp, violent gaze swept across his subordinates as he barked coldly:
"You'd better remember who it is you should be listening to. Don't you dare bring up that coward Direna to me again. Believe me—once I feast on the fresh blood of thirty of these brats, I will ascend as the new Zerg King of Aoki Star. As for Direna, she'll be nothing but my defeated underling."
"Oh, great one, you shall be invincible!"
"Invincible! Invincible!"
The brainwashed pack chanted in unison, completely forgetting Direna's strict warnings. All that remained in their minds was the joy of their leader's impending rise as king.
Their exchange was carried out in the unique Zerg tongue—a frequency so low it couldn't be intercepted or translated without specialized instruments. Naturally, Xie Xingyan remained unaware of the looming danger.
Before leaving, the elder drained the silenced subordinate dry, leaving behind only flecks of dark brown mucus as proof of the struggle that had taken place there.
Meanwhile, Xie Xingyan moved alone. The other students traveled in pairs or trios, but she had always been used to working by herself.
In her past mission worlds, betrayal had been all too common. Though she knew she needed to adapt to teamwork in the interstellar corps, it wasn't something she could change overnight.
Mentor Tonis checked the class's current locations on his light-brain. Good—thirty red dots, all present and accounted for.
The other two instructors teased him when they saw how restless he was.
"This place is safe. Let your cubs grow on their own. Look at you, jittering like a fool—it's embarrassing."
Tonis had been uneasy, but their banter distracted him enough that his faint sense of dread eased away.
The Zerg squad, eager to capture more prey, headed toward the denser student groups.
Because of that, Xie Xingyan wasn't an immediate target. For the moment, she was safe and began her herb-collecting task.
The place was a veritable paradise of potion ingredients. Expanses of herbs spread across the land—though each patch usually grew only one type.
She focused intently, scanning for other varieties. Soon, she spotted a lush patch of barnacle-vines not far ahead.
Perfect. That was one species she hadn't collected yet. What luck!
But as she bent down to gather them, she noticed something beside the roots—thick, dark brown mucus.
Her heart sank. The stench was foul. If she remembered correctly, this was exactly what the interstellar net had described as Zerg blood.
At once, she stopped collecting herbs and snapped a holovid of the scene, sending it to Tonis.
To be safe, she also pressed her communicator.
Tonis heard the device on his belt beep. His expression darkened—he was the first instructor to receive a distress signal.
When he saw the sender was Xie Xingyan, his blue pupils contracted sharply. This star pupil of his would never call unless it was urgent.
"Xingyan, why did you—"
"Teacher, forgive me for interrupting. I just discovered Zerg blood here—and it's fresh."
"What? Xie Xingyan, are you certain?"
"Check the image I sent to your mainbrain. You'll see for yourself. I'm on my way back to you now."
Before he could respond, she cut the call and dashed toward the rendezvous point.
Tonis heard her labored breathing and guessed the situation was serious. He immediately opened the image on his wrist display.
When he saw it, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Stay alert—there are Zerg nearby!"
The other instructors gawked at him like he'd gone mad.
Tonis knew his words alone wouldn't convince them. He quickly projected the holovid.
The sight of the dark brown mucus by the barnacle-vines wiped the smirks from their faces, replacing them with fear.
Once, they too had been trained mecha warriors. Their first instinct was to alert the Aoki Star garrison before the threat escalated.
The next, they all drew their combat mecha from their spatial buttons in unison.
Meanwhile, Xie Xingyan was running for her life. Panic gnawed at her—without a mecha, she stood no chance against the Zerg.
She thought of her otherworldly treasures stored in her space. Those cultivation-world artifacts could only be powered by spiritual energy—and she had none. The few spirit stones she possessed were reserved for Bi'er and Xiaotian's cultivation.
It was a vicious deadlock.
Wait—she still had the system's shop!
She opened it with her mind. Disaster—mecha were far too expensive, and while she could afford a laser sword, such a weapon alone couldn't kill a Zerg.
She was already running so hard her throat burned, and still multitasking frantically.
Then her worst fear appeared—a giant Blood Fang Worm. Its gleaming white pincers and mandibles dripped with vile mucus.
When it spotted her, it sped up, rushing toward her.
Xie Xingyan veered into a zigzag escape path, but the gap between them shrank fast. At most ten more seconds and it would catch her.
Inside her space, Bi'er and Xiaotian spun in anxious circles. They'd already decided—exposure or not, they would intervene if necessary. As long as their sister survived, nothing else mattered.
"Host, you still have that rebound shield you purchased!"
Right! How could she have forgotten? Relief washed over her.
Still, it was a temporary item with limited uses. Xie Xingyan clenched her teeth and began counting silently every time the monstrous insect was flung back by the shield.