ICAWZ Chapter 206

As the night quietly slipped away, the crimson blood moon gradually sank beyond the horizon, replaced by the rising sun emerging slowly from behind the distant mountains.

Hermes opened his eyes and saw that unidentified species waking as if from sleep. It groggily got to its feet, then stumbled outside, crouching by the stream near the cave to wash its face and rinse its mouth.

His face was fair and clean, though he had rubbed his skin so hard that it turned slightly red. His eyelashes were thick and dark, matching the inky black of his hair. As Lin Kong tilted his head and wiped the water droplets off his arm, he glanced in Hermes’ direction—

It was the gaze of a predator watching its prey, yet it seemed far too harmless, buried deep within those dark, glossy eyes, leaving only a striking beauty reflected in the sunlight.

Lin Kong no longer seemed afraid of Hermes. He even smiled slightly and greeted him first, saying, “You’re awake.”

Hermes stared at his face, pausing briefly for two seconds before shifting his gaze away, expressionless. He couldn’t quite understand why this “unidentified species” had suddenly changed from avoiding him at all costs the day before to smiling at him now.

But that had nothing to do with him.

Without acknowledging Lin Kong, Hermes rose and stepped out of the cave. Dust clung to his robe, yet as if repelled by an unseen force, it soon slid off, leaving no trace behind.

Ignoring me?

Lin Kong scoffed inwardly. So high and mighty for someone with such a tiny jj. His attitude was arrogant, but after spending years in the entertainment industry, Lin Kong refused to believe he couldn’t charm a so-called primitive man living in the forest.

Undeterred in the slightest, he slung his backpack over his shoulders and spoke up. “Going hunting again? Aren’t you hungry? Skipping breakfast?”

“Your face is injured. Do you want some medicine?”

“I still have some biscuits in my bag. Do you want one?”

Hermes frowned at his words—Lin Kong was talking too much. Without warning, his right hand shot out, fingers closing tightly around Lin Kong’s throat. A suffocating sensation surged through him instantly.

[Say another word, and I’ll kill you.]

So this big pervert does have emotions, huh? Good. The last thing Lin Kong wanted was dealing with a complete ice block.

Even with his throat caught in a death grip, he showed no fear. Instead, he stubbornly clutched Hermes’ hand—colder than a corpse—and forced him to loosen his grip just enough. After a fit of violent coughing, he finally managed to rasp out, “I… I was just… cough… worried about you…”

“If you think I’m too noisy… I’ll stop talking…”

Lin Kong coughed so hard that his eyes turned red, tears dampening his thick lashes. In that moment, he looked even more fragile than the softest, most harmless creature in the dense forest.

Hermes narrowed his eyes slightly at his words, tilting his head as he stared at Lin Kong. The movement was stiff, almost like a glitching machine. His crimson pupils remained filled with an unrelenting killing intent.

[What is… worry?]

“…”

Good grief. That question completely stumped Lin, the Academic Failure, Kong.

“Worry is…” Lin Kong struggled to find the right words, then pointed at the burn marks on Hermes’ face, left by the moonlight. “Not wanting you to feel pain.”

“Look at your face—it got burned so badly. That must hurt a lot, right? That’s why I’m worried about you.”

Yeah, right.

Hermes still didn’t understand what “worry” meant, but he grasped the word pain. At last, his grip on Lin Kong’s throat loosened. Closing his eyes with indifference, he murmured something in a language Lin Kong couldn’t understand:

[My life belongs to the King.]

From the moment they were born, their mission had been placed upon their shoulders—to guard the King, to sustain the King, until the very end of their existence.

Pain was insignificant.

King? What king?

Lin Kong clutched his throat and took a few steps back, his mind racing. Does this big pervert actually have a leader? Or maybe… a lover? Some untouchable white moonlight from his past?

Otherwise, why would he look so willing to throw away his life for someone else?

Damn it. If the guy already had a white moonlight, could he still manage to seduce him?

Lin Kong rubbed his empty stomach, then suddenly steeled his resolve. Who cares if he has some untouchable lover? One way or another, I’m turning this man over to my side. I haven’t even had a proper meal—who has the time to worry about morals and etiquette?

“Your life is your own. Why give it to someone else?”

Hermes didn’t respond. Without warning, a sharp burst of mental energy shot out, slicing through the cold air. It grazed past Lin Kong’s ear, shearing off a few strands of his black hair.

Hermes fixed his gaze on the unidentified species before him, eyes filled with danger. Slowly, he spoke, enunciating each word with chilling clarity:

[Your life belongs to me.]

[Tomorrow, I will kill you.]

Hermes wasn’t threatening Lin Kong—he was simply informing him. He truly intended to kill this unidentified species tomorrow. Keeping him around was too much trouble.

For example, during a hunt, the unidentified species had no wings and couldn’t fly, forced to stumble clumsily behind at an unbearably slow pace.

Meanwhile, Lin Kong was so shocked by his words that he nearly choked on his own breath, his face turning deathly pale. Kill me tomorrow? Wasn’t that way too soon?!

With the shadow of death looming over him, Lin Kong no longer had the heart to pity the animals Hermes hunted. Hiding behind a tree, he watched as the black-robed man rampaged through the dense forest, slaughtering everything in his path. The piercing screams of dying creatures echoed relentlessly, and soon, the ground was littered with withered corpses.

Sin upon sin… Lin Kong thought grimly. So much bloodshed—sooner or later, karma will catch up to him.

Lin Kong mumbled to himself while mourning his fate for tomorrow, an inexplicable sense of shared doom creeping over him—like a fox grieving for a fallen rabbit. His gaze drifted absently, and then—he caught sight of something. A dark figure streaked across the sky like a swift bird, landing lightly on a tree branch nearby. A voice, sharp and laced with unmistakable hostility, rang out:

[Hermes—!]

The black-robed man had a pair of pure black wings behind him, instantly reminding Lin Kong of a crow—an omen of misfortune. When the figure pulled back his hood, a rugged and untamed face was revealed. His short red hair was sharp and striking, his deep green eyes glowed with an eerie intensity, and his skin was just as pale as Hermes’.

Hermes had been in the middle of hunting a mid-sized, long-necked Piru beast. At the sound of the voice, he unceremoniously tossed his half-dead prey to the side. With a powerful sweep of his enormous golden wings, he soared into the air, his black ceremonial robes billowing fiercely in the wind. His voice was cold, edged with recognition:

[Gayan?]

The red-haired man was clearly furious: [This is my territory! Who gave you permission to hunt here?!]

The temple had four divine attendants, and the dense forest was divided into four regions, each ruled by one of them.

Hermes was far too bloodthirsty—his relentless hunting spree had unknowingly led him into Gayan’s domain.

Hermes’ expression remained as cold and unshaken as an eternal glacier, not a single ripple of emotion surfacing. His voice was devoid of any inflection, yet somehow, an undeniable arrogance seeped through: [So what if I’m here?]

[You’re asking for death!]

Gayan burned with fury, gathering a massive surge of mental energy before launching it at Hermes. In an instant, the two clashed, their figures weaving through the dense forest in a blur of attacks and evasions.

Two dark silhouettes streaked through the air, moving so fast that only their afterimages remained. The shockwaves of their battle rippled outward, striking the towering trees around them. One after another, the colossal trunks gave way, crashing down with thunderous roars.

“Boom—!”

“Boom—!”

Lin Kong had originally been hiding on the sidelines, enjoying the show. But as tree after massive tree came crashing down, he scrambled to dodge, panic overtaking him: Damn it! One lunatic wasn’t enough—now there’s another one?!

Gayan was locked in combat with Hermes when his gaze suddenly flickered downward. He caught sight of a figure frantically fleeing through the wreckage, and a dark gleam flashed through his eyes: [What incredible vitality!]

Gayan abruptly broke away from Hermes’ attack, his right hand clawing through the air as he lunged toward Lin Kong. Threads of mental energy wove together like an intricate web, ensnaring Lin Kong in an instant—then, with a sharp pull, they tightened around him.

“Ngh—!”

Lin Kong couldn’t help but cry out in pain. He felt a powerful force pulling at his soul, the agony almost unbearable, as if someone were skinning him alive. Desperately, he struggled, his vision blurry, and turned his gaze toward Hermes’ direction: “S… Save me…”

Lin Kong had no idea if Hermes would actually come to his aid, but he knew one thing for sure—he was his last lifeline. After all, he was Hermes’ “prey”, and dying at someone else’s hands didn’t seem right, did it?

Not far away, Hermes’ eyes narrowed at the sight, a cold flash of anger flickering in them. With a swift motion of his right hand, countless blue light dots suddenly surged around him. His mental energy, vast as the sea, carried an unmistakable killing intent as it surged toward Gayan. In an instant, it enveloped him like a silken cocoon, and with it, Lin Kong was freed from Gayan’s grasp.

The forest erupted into chaos, a wild storm tearing through the air, with flying sand and stones scattering in every direction.

Lin Kong seized the brief moment to catch his breath. Not daring to stay any longer, he clutched his throat, coughing painfully as he stumbled toward safety. But before long, a violent explosion echoed from behind him.

“Boom—!!!”

Gayan broke free from the mental cocoon, and the gathered energy exploded with force, shattering the surrounding trees in half. Despite having already fled far away, Lin Kong was still caught in the shockwave and was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.

He scrambled to look back, only to see Hermes and Gayan locked in combat once again. This time, their mental energy had clearly been depleted, and they resorted to hand-to-hand combat. Their hands became like blades, each strike drawing blood.

Lin Kong, having not eaten, found himself exhausted and unable to keep running. He decided to take refuge behind a tree and watch the fight unfold. Honestly, he hoped the two would end each other, but then he remembered how Hermes had saved him earlier, which made him feel conflicted.

The battle raged from dawn until dusk. As the blood moon began to rise, Hermes seized the opportunity to strike with ruthless force. With a swift, brutal motion, he severed one of Gayan’s arms.

[Ah!!!! My arm!!]

Gayan’s right arm was severed, and blood mist sprayed out in a violent burst. With a pained scream, he staggered back several steps, his gaze fixed on Hermes, filled with murderous hatred.

[Hermes! I’ll remember this debt!]

The blood moon was about to rise, and though Gayan was unwilling, he had no choice but to leave. He glanced up at the sky, paying no attention to his severed limb on the ground. With a flap of his wings, he pressed his hand to the wound and awkwardly took to the air, retreating into the night.

Hermes, however, was in no better condition. His black robe had long turned to ash during the earlier battle. A deep, bone-revealing wound marred his right shoulder, and thick blood dripped steadily from the gash, pooling into a dark puddle on the ground.

“Thud—!”

Hermes watched as Gayan flew off, his body swaying unsteadily before he finally collapsed onto the ground with a loud crash.

At the same time, a blood-red moon slowly ascended from the horizon, casting an eerie glow through the tangled branches of the trees, making the scene even more haunting.

Struggling, Hermes tried to move, seeking shelter in a nearby cave, but after the intense battle, his strength was all but depleted. The soft light of the moon bathed him, but it felt like scalding lava pouring over his skin. The exposed flesh burned instantly, sending up a plume of white smoke as the searing pain radiated through him.

“Mm…”

A sound, broken and agonizing, finally escaped Hermes’ lips, a raw, human cry of pain. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he raised his head to look at the blood moon, his veins bulging and his handsome features contorting in an almost savage way, as if he could crush that moon with his bare hands.

The divine attendants cannot be exposed to the blood moon, for it corrodes them into a puddle of mush. Even the Zerg King is forced to take shelter in the temple during the blood moon, as it holds the same deadly effect on him.

Just as Hermes tried for what seemed like the hundredth time to rise, only to collapse heavily to the ground, a coat suddenly fell from the sky and wrapped around his exposed skin.

“Are you okay?!”

Lin Kong, seeing Hermes’ body smoking from the burn of the red moon, was startled. Despite his usual indifference, he couldn’t bear to watch a living person die in front of him. He quickly removed his own coat and wrapped it around Hermes.

“I’ll take you back to the cave!”

Lin Kong, being a man, despite feeling weak from days of hunger, still had enough strength to carry on. He hoisted Hermes onto his back with difficulty and, taking careful, unsteady steps, made his way towards the cave where they had rested the night before. Deep down, he silently hoped that this perverse figure wouldn’t repay his kindness by killing him.

Hermes, for reasons unknown, didn’t struggle. He laid limp on Lin Kong’s shoulder, slipping into a semi-conscious state. In his mind, a deep and distant voice echoed over and over, causing his brow to furrow involuntarily.

[Food…]

[I need food…]

The Zerg King was calling them again.

But Hermes knew that he absolutely couldn’t return at this moment. The stench of blood on him was too strong, and with his injuries, the Zerg King would only see him as food to be torn apart, before continuing to hatch the next divine attendant.

The law of the jungle was one of survival of the fittest.

Hermes, thinking of this, struggled to open his crimson eyes. His sharp nails silently pressed against Lin Kong’s throat in the dark. Beneath his hand, he could feel the warmth of the other’s skin and the steady pulse of his heartbeat, carrying an unmistakable threat:

[If you dare run, I’ll kill you.]

Lin Kong glanced at the stream nearby, tempted to toss the perverted man into it to feed the fish. But remembering his plan to cling to the golden thigh, he held back.

He flashed an innocent smile, even though Hermes couldn’t see it.

“You saved me today, and now you’re so badly injured. How could I run?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

Lin Kong felt like he had real talent for acting. After speaking, he continued carrying Hermes, eventually finding the cave where they had rested earlier. On the way, he also discovered the suitcase he had left by the stream and dragged it back along with him.

Once they reached the cave, Lin Kong carefully laid Hermes down, removing the coat that had been covering his face. He then used a flashlight from his backpack to illuminate Hermes’ wounds. The moment he looked, he was startled: “How did you get such a huge hole in your shoulder?!”

For minor wounds, Lin Kong could help with treatment, but this kind of severe injury—forget about the wilderness, even in a hospital it would be fatal.

Hermes remained silent. Due to excessive blood loss, his face was unnaturally pale, almost chilling to look at. The pain brought by the moonlight constantly tormented his nerves, and even his usually calm demeanor showed a hint of agitation.

[Get away!]

In the jungle, injured animals must find a secluded place to recover, as blood not only attracts the attention of predators but can also lead to the killing of weaker members by their own kind.

Hermes should have healed alone, but now, with this strange being, Lin Kong, by his side, he felt an intense sense of unease. He even considered killing him.

Kill him…

Eat him…

Use his blood and flesh to replenish himself…

Hermes lay on the ground, his head barely turning as he searched for Lin Kong’s figure. His mental energy was completely exhausted, and he could no longer control the other, but his crimson eyes still glowed with a dangerous light in the darkness.

[Come here…]

Perhaps due to his weakened state, Lin Kong felt that the mental communication from Hermes had become much fainter. He rummaged through his suitcase, pulled out a first aid kit, and crouched down beside Hermes, looking at him with confusion.

“Did you call me?” he asked, unsure whether to be concerned or frustrated.

Is he schizophrenic? Just a moment ago, he told me to stay away, and now he wants me to come closer?

Hermes licked his sharp teeth, his eyes fixed on Lin Kong’s exposed neck: [Come closer.]

Hearing this, Lin Kong placed the flashlight aside and leaned in, though he didn’t get too close. He lowered his head and began unbuttoning the torn clothes of Hermes, revealing a strong, chiseled body, as if sculpted from marble. However, the gaping wound on his shoulder, with blood and flesh spilling out, looked rather frightening.

“Hang in there, I’ll help you treat the wound.”

Lin Kong, after speaking, opened the first aid kit and found some disinfectant and cotton swabs, carefully tending to Hermes’ wound. His movements were gentle, and he occasionally looked up at Hermes, seemingly concerned about causing him any pain.

Taking advantage of Lin Kong’s closeness, Hermes silently opened his mouth in the darkness, intending to bite into his neck and drink the fresh, sweet blood.

However, at that moment, Lin Kong suddenly looked up at him, as if sensing something, and abruptly asked, “You don’t plan on biting me, do you?”

“…”

Hermes paused, his fingertips already quietly elongating. He had no concept of tearing off the mask, only narrowing his eyes as he focused on Lin Kong’s neck and heart, contemplating how to strike and kill this prey in one swift move.

Lin Kong, however, did not show fear. Seeing that Hermes remained silent, he took it as tacit consent.

Lin Kong hesitated for a moment, then, unsure of what decision he had made, suddenly slowly pulled down his collar and brought his neck closer to Hermes’ mouth. “Alright, you can bite me.”

Lin Kong intentionally pressed his neck against Hermes’ cold face, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He felt like he was gambling with his life, yet his voice was low and harmless:

“I won’t run, I’ll behave…”

“But… can you not drain all my blood? Can you kill me the day after tomorrow instead…?”

 

 

 

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