Chapter 64#

Monster#

Ning Feng’s heart tightened, and he immediately retreated several steps.

Splash!!

The next moment, a dark figure burst out of the water, lunging straight at him.

Hiss!!—

Ning Feng rolled on the ground, nimbly dodging, then turned and activated his anti-gravity device, leaping up and down several meters away. But the thing gave relentless chase, snapping at his heels until he reached the other side of the pool, where it finally stopped.

Across the pool, the two sides confronted each other in silence.

Now, Ning Feng could finally see the full appearance of this “thing.”

A monster.

It was a monster.

Its body was withered and brown, its nails sharp as knives, its skin covered in patches of hard scales mixed with sticky fluid. Compared to its reed-thin limbs, its head, covered in purple-red blood vessels, appeared especially large. Looking closely, there was a 【G】 symbol on its forehead, like a brand scarred into the skin.

Its eyes had no whites, just pitch black. When it saw Ning Feng looking over, it grinned wide, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth that stretched all the way to the back of its ears.

At first glance, it looked like a giant mutated monkey.

Or perhaps a mutated… human.

The engine whirred loudly, and Ning Feng could faintly smell something burning. He suspected the condenser in his body had already been damaged by this scene before him.

What is this?

What the hell is this?!

He recognized the scales on the monster’s skin—this was the unique carapace of the insect race. But why was it growing on a human body?!

Suddenly, his chip recalled the mouth shape the old man in the small shop had made at him.

【Bug】.

Though he had mentally prepared himself and had even imagined human-insect hybrids before, he never expected it to look so horrifying, so much so that just one glance felt like torture.

While Ning Feng observed the monster, it was also sizing him up.

【Human? No, it’s a robot.】

【A robot… can’t bite through it. What to do?】

【Oh right, the chest. He said, bite the chest.】

…

It crouched down, scratching at the edge of the pool, its pitch-black eyes gleaming with wild light, as if searching for the best place to bite. Ning Feng suddenly realized that although this monster looked human, its thoughts and behavior were already indistinguishable from the insect race.

If it were a human, biting the neck would kill instantly. But for a robot, the engine—equivalent to a heart—was placed in the chest. The insect races he had encountered before only relied on swarming tactics, pouncing on mechs to tear them apart, or swallowing larger bugs whole. Yet this monster actually knew to target weak points.

Who told it?

Hiss!!

Suddenly, the monster opened its mouth wide, letting out a piercing screech, and its entire body sprang up like a coiled spring, leaping forward directly in front of him. Ning Feng snapped back to reality, swinging his arm to block. Taking advantage of the moment the monster retreated, he jumped out of the battle circle and circled back to the other side of the pool.

The two sides continued to confront and circle around the pool.

Although Ning Feng could eavesdrop on the monster’s muttering and had an equipment advantage, the monster’s scales were far too thick, and it had no metal on its body whatsoever. The dagger couldn’t inflict any real damage, and even the electromagnetic energy only slowed it down a tiny bit. He kept looking for an opportunity to attack its head, but the monster was surprisingly agile, retreating every time it sensed his intention to strike.

For a time, the battle reached a stalemate.

【Warning! Engine overload detected!】

【Warning! Condenser temperature too high!】

The engine’s roar grew louder, and a yellow warning light began flashing in the bottom right corner of his display. Warning after warning echoed in his receiver, mingling with the incessant insect chatter. Ning Feng furrowed his brow and directly blocked the system warnings.

Normally, his equipment wouldn’t overheat so quickly. But today, because he had been busy investigating and hadn’t paid attention to replenishing his oil, the friction between parts had increased. If he kept ignoring it, whether it would be scrapped was a matter for later; for now, he was afraid it would just shut down mid-fight.

Thinking this, Ning Feng clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Luckily, he had informed Qu Yan beforehand. Checking the time, if he could hold out for another fifteen minutes, Qu Yan would definitely notice something was wrong and notify the guards.

Right, just fifteen more minutes.

Ning Feng steadied himself and focused on the immediate danger.

But then the monster suddenly stopped moving. It tilted its head and stared at the robot, as if it were… thinking?

This eerie behavior made Ning Feng deeply uneasy, and he tightened his grip on the dagger.

Suddenly, the receiver picked up a voice.

【You can understand me.】

Unlike the earlier frantic tone, this voice was deep and cold, as if echoing directly from within its chest. Ning Feng paused, and his body immediately tensed further.

Seeing this, the monster’s large black eyes narrowed.

【You really can understand.】

Ning Feng ignored it, merely pressing his fingertips harder against the dagger.

【You’re a robot. Why can you understand? Why? Why?】 The monster tilted its head—not at a slight angle, but a full 90 degrees. 【No one can understand us, unless you are one of us.】

【Are you an insect?】 It seemed puzzled, leaning forward as it continued to question, 【No, you’re a robot.】

Suddenly, its eyes flew wide open, and it lunged ferociously, but Ning Feng, already on guard, dodged again. Seeing its intent seen through, the monster snorted in anger, its claws scraping against the cement floor with a grating sound.

【He said, there was once a human who could understand too.】 Suddenly, it let out a low, chuckling laugh, sounding like teeth gnawing on bones. 【But he died.】

Hearing this, Ning Feng was completely stunned.

The person it mentioned happened to be someone he knew—himself. Even if there were others who knew, they had to be insectoid. But who was this “he” that the monster kept referring to?

Human? Insect?

Or was it a monster, like itself?

Shaking its head and pacing in a circle, the monster thought for a moment.

【No, he said he didn’t die. He wants to find him. Find him.】 Then it lowered its head slightly, as if in doubt, or perhaps talking to itself. 【But where is he? Where is he? Where is he?】

Watching it crouch there motionless, Ning Feng felt a shudder run through his chest cavity. The sensors were already burning out from the heat.

Ten minutes. Just ten more minutes.

He tried to slowly back half a step, but the moment he moved, he saw the monster tilt its head. At an agonizingly slow pace, it turned to lock eyes with him, its gaze so chilling it made his metal skin crawl.

【Oh… I see.】 It slowly narrowed its eyes and smiled. 【You know where he is.】

The engine gave a crackle, and Ning Feng’s vision flickered white as he saw the monster launch from the other side of the pool, charging at him with astonishing speed. He didn’t dodge. Instead, he met it head-on. The moment they clashed, he raised his hand and released a burst of electric current.

Crackle!!

Blue-violet electricity coursed through their bodies. The monster shrieked and staggered back a few steps, the faint smell of burning wafting through the air. Relying on his superior strength, Ning Feng pinned the monster to the ground, pressing his dagger firmly against its throat. But his own body had been shredded by its sharp claws.

【Let go! Let go!!】 The monster struggled desperately, its body covered in sticky fluid.

“You think I want to touch you? If it weren’t for the fact that you’re still useful, I’d have killed you by now.” The mechanical parts sparked with flashes of light. Ning Feng felt his whole body burning, almost hot enough to kill him.

Five more minutes.

He glanced at the warning signals on his interface, which had turned a glaring, piercing red. Even the little light on top of his head began to flicker. He could clearly feel his movements becoming sluggish. Furrowing his brow, his voice was soft but laced with killing intent.

“Talk. Where did you come from?”

The monster bared its teeth with a hiss, saying nothing.

“Not talking? Then let me guess.” Ning Feng’s lens shifted.

“You’re a human-insect hybrid, with a 【G】 branded on your forehead, just like the crates of synthesizing agent. Either this symbol represents your master’s name, or it represents where you came from. Judging by your skinny frame, even before you turned into a bug, you were malnourished. Probably never had enough to eat.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a space pirate.”

Feeling the body beneath him go rigid, Ning Feng knew he was right. He gave a lazy smile. “Who were you delivering the synthesizing agent to?”

Hearing this, the monster grinned. 【You’re not worthy of knowing!】

The next moment, it suddenly erupted, breaking free from his grip.

Ning Feng dodged, narrowly avoiding the ambush. But as he turned to retreat, his joints emitted a dry, grating sound. What should have been a swift movement appeared agonizingly slow in his lens. Before he could exert force, the world spun, and he found himself pinned to the ground, unable to move.

“Screw you!” Ning Feng released another high-voltage shock. But the monster spat out a mouthful of thick, brownish liquid. He watched helplessly as the electric current flickered twice before dying out completely.

Damn it!

The engine hummed and whined. Ning Feng’s chest cavity trembled slightly.

【Hehe, I know. We all know now.】 The monster let out a few strange laughs, its sharp claws pressing against the spot where the engine was. It slowly lowered its face, and the scorching, foul stench of its breath immediately filled his vision. Leaning close to his face, it whispered.

【You. Are. Him.】

In an instant, Ning Feng’s vision wavered, and his sight went white.

He only heard the sound of claws ripping into his chest, and the harsh grinding of his engine being compressed. Weak currents leaked out, sending tremors through his entire body. Suddenly, a stream of strange data flashed before his eyes, and then his thoughts went blank.

Nothing could be heard. Nothing could be seen.

Suddenly, a loud crash. Somewhere in the distance, it sounded like thick metal had been brutally blasted apart. Then, right before his eyes, the head of the monster on top of him exploded like a watermelon.

Bang!!

Thick bodily fluids splattered all over him. Ning Feng lay there, dazed, unable to move. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He hadn’t even fully processed what had just happened.

“A Feng!!”

The next moment, a familiar voice pierced through the mist of blood, bursting into his receiver. But it sounded a bit strange.

Because in his memory, he had never heard that arrogant man scream someone’s name so desperately, let alone his own name.

Was he hearing things?

Ning Feng, a little disoriented, slowly turned his head and was immediately pulled into a tight embrace.

“Carrot! Are you okay?!”

So it was Qu Yan.

For some reason, Ning Feng let out a sigh of relief, and his engine began to slow down.

It’s nothing much. He was just scaring himself with hallucinations.

“I’m fine.” He grinned crookedly and patted Qu Yan on the shoulder.

The latter said nothing, ignoring the sticky mess of blood and brain matter, holding the man tightly. The headless body lay sprawled across Ning Feng, its limbs twitching slightly.

Guards, fully armed and ready, poured in through the violently breached iron door like a school of fish, blocking the view of those outside. So Ning Feng didn’t see the stunned figure standing beyond the crowd.

Yin Beichen held a gun, residual energy still faintly dissipating from the muzzle.

Because he had fired from too close a distance, his right hand was burned by the energy splash from the door panel, red and raw, with some patches of skin already turning white. But he seemed oblivious, his blue eyes fixed on the tightly embracing figures. His expression grew stiffer and stiffer, and the hand hanging at his side clenched tighter and tighter.

And Josie, who had arrived on hearing the commotion, stood at the farthest edge, one arm crossed over the other. First, he looked at Yin Beichen’s frosty face, then turned to Qu Yan, and finally settled his gaze on the filthy robot, his eyes narrowing slightly.