Hermes had already sensed Lin Kong approaching. His ears twitched slightly, and he turned to look toward the dense forest behind him. Sure enough, he spotted a familiar figure standing in the distance. The murderous aura raging around him abruptly calmed, as if a blazing fire had been doused by water.
Lin Kong met Hermes’ gaze and, for a moment, didn’t know what to say. Awkwardly, he stepped out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind and muttered, “You guys…”
After a moment’s thought, Lin Kong decided it was better to pretend he hadn’t seen anything. After all, killing zergs wasn’t exactly something to brag about. “You two take your time talking. I didn’t hear a thing, I’ll head inside first.”
After speaking, Lin Kong gave a sheepish laugh, quickly turned around, and hurried into the cave without daring to look back once. He could still feel those two burning gazes on his back, as if they were trying to pierce right through him.
Xue Po finally snapped back to his senses at that moment, but he paid no attention to Lin Kong. Instead, he stared at Hermes in shock and exclaimed, [Hermes, even with our strongest psychic powers, we can’t possibly fight a Zerg King! You’re walking straight into death!]
[It’s the King, and we are its subjects — the psychic imprint has been etched into our minds since birth. You wouldn’t even have time to fight back; it would crush you instantly!]
Of course, Hermes was well aware of that possibility. But…
[If it comes down to it, I’d rather be crushed to death than devoured.]
Either way, it would end in death — he would rather go down fighting.
Xue Po opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but before he could, the Zerg King’s summons echoed in his mind again. Gripping his head in pain, he cried out, [The Zerg King is calling us again!]
This kind of pain clung to them like a shadow, day after day for decades. Just as Hermes had said — they were nothing more than puppets.
Hermes, too, heard the Zerg King’s summons. His voice was calm as he said, [If you want to go, then go. If the Zerg King asks, just say I was seriously injured during a hunt and can’t fly.]
With that, he turned and walked into the cave, leaving a trail of clear footprints in the vast, snowy landscape — and leaving Xue Po standing there, stunned.
On the surface, Lin Kong looked like he was simply sitting by the fire to keep warm, but in reality, he had been paying close attention to everything happening outside. When he saw Hermes walk in, he finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “You’re planning to kill the Zerg King?”
[Mm.]
Hermes gave an unguarded reply as always. He sat down on a stone next to Lin Kong, his chiseled profile bathed in the fire’s orange glow, adding a softer hue to his otherwise sharp features. His eyes, however, remained deep and unreadable as he said, [The Zerg King is in its molting phase and needs new energy to sustain it. It has already sensed the presence of my psychic power — it will do everything it can to devour me.]
[I’ll bring you plenty of prey.]
[Lin Kong, stay inside the cave tonight. Don’t go anywhere.]
It sounded almost like Hermes was leaving his last instructions — yet his tone was so calm, so steady, it was as if he were merely heading out for a casual hunt and would be back by morning.
Hearing this, Lin Kong’s heart lurched uncontrollably. “You’re really going?” he asked. “You’re going tonight?”
[I can only delay it until tonight,] Hermes replied. [If I wait any longer, it will realize something is wrong.]
Lin Kong’s expression shifted slightly. “But tonight is the Blood Moon,” he said. “If you’re exposed to its light, your body will start to corrode.”
Of course, Hermes was well aware. [The moonlight is even more corrosive to the Zerg King,] he said calmly. [I’ll wear the divine cloak — it will shield me from the light.]
Of course, if he was exposed to the moonlight, there would be nothing he could do about it.
Lin Kong thought to himself that the divine cloak could only shield the body — it wasn’t as if it could offer perfect, all-around protection. He lowered his head, poking at the ground with a stick, a bit unhappy. “Is there really no way you could not go?”
Hermes glanced at him. [If I don’t go, I’ll die anyway.]
Lin Kong choked on his words. “Then what if you end up dying anyway?”
Hermes hadn’t really thought about that possibility. But if he truly died, perhaps he would feel a bit reluctant to leave Lin Kong. After a brief silence, he spoke, [I’ll bring you many, many prey — enough for you to last for a long, long time.]
Lacking the words for anything more poetic, Hermes spoke in his own way. In his mindset, as long as there was enough prey, survival was assured. Before he died, he would make sure to gather enough for Lin Kong.
Hearing this, Lin Kong felt a strange surge of heat rising in his chest. Unable to hold back, he threw the stick in his hand to the ground, stomping it with force. “Prey, prey, prey! I’m not the Zerg King, a glutton who only knows how to eat!”
Was he really just worried about Hermes’ safety?!
This was the first time Hermes had seen Lin Kong act so bold, but surprisingly, he wasn’t angry. In fact, for the first time, he patiently asked, [Then what do you want? Animal pelts? Bird eggs? Wild fruits?]
Lin Kong felt even more frustrated. “I don’t want anything!”
After speaking, Lin Kong picked up the stick from the ground, casually rinsed it in the water, and turned his back to Hermes, continuing to roast the meat. He mumbled something under his breath, though none of it was pleasant.
Hermes stared at Lin Kong’s back, unable to stop himself from raising his hand. However, before his fingertips could touch the edge of Lin Kong’s clothing, a shivering voice suddenly came from outside the stone door.
[C-Can I come in…?]
It was Xue Po.
He hadn’t gone to the temple after all, but instead stood outside the cave door, cautiously poking his head in. His golden hair and eyelashes were dusted with snowflakes, making him look somewhat ridiculous.
Lin Kong turned toward the voice in surprise and asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”
Xue Po, however, sniffed the air and stared hungrily at the roasted meat in Lin Kong’s hands, asking, [What are you roasting? It smells so good.]
Lin Kong: “…”
Divine attendants didn’t need to eat. It was far more efficient for them to absorb life force directly. At least, when Lin Kong had tried to feed Hermes before, the latter refused to eat anything. The only thing he had ever consumed was milk candy.
Xue Po, however, was most likely an exception. After entering the cave, he made himself completely at home, sitting by the fire and devouring most of the freshly roasted meat Lin Kong had prepared. Lin Kong’s face darkened with frustration.
Hermes quietly observed him, [Have you been to the temple?]
While eating, Xue Po mumbled, [Hmm, no… didn’t you say we’d wait for the Blood Moon to rise before going?]
He had actually chosen to align himself with Hermes.
Hermes furrowed his brows, [Aren’t you afraid of dying?]
At these words, Xue Po paused, his movements slowing. [Like you said, whether we go or not, we’re still dead. Might as well take a gamble. But if we really kill the Zerg King… our race won’t be able to reproduce anymore.]
As soon as Lin Kong heard the word “reproduce” he immediately perked up. He moved closer to Xue Po, disagreeing, “Having children is meant to bring them happiness, not to make them suffer. It’s bad enough that they’d be enslaved by the Zerg King every day, with their lives at risk. I’d rather die than be born into a miserable place like this.”
Xue Po rubbed his chin thoughtfully. [You make a good point. We can’t even protect ourselves, so worrying about reproduction is useless.]
Lin Kong glanced around, feeling like something was off. “Are you two the only ones going to kill the Zerg King? What about the other one with the red hair?”
Xue Po asked: [Who? Gayan? He’s one of the Zerg King’s most “loyal” subordinates. There’s no way he’d join us.]
Xue Po’s words sounded somewhat loaded, but it had to be said, his guess was pretty accurate.
As the sun began to set, a shadowy figure suddenly zipped through the air, landing lightly in front of the temple. The newcomer removed the brim of their hat, revealing a head of fiery red short hair — it was none other than Gayan.
Gayan hesitated for a moment at the entrance before stepping into the temple. When he first heard the Zerg King’s summons, he had been torn about whether to come or not. In the end, the thought of obedience won out. After all, Hermes and Xue Po would be coming too — if they were going to die, at least he wouldn’t be the only one.
He had intentionally slowed his pace, planning to let Hermes and the others arrive first while he waited in the back to observe. But he never expected the vast temple to be completely empty. The only presence there, aside from the massive, looming figure of the Zerg King in the center, were swarms of golden-shelled worker ants devouring the dirt on the ground, using their sticky saliva to process the material for constructing the temple. The rustling sounds echoed through the empty space.
[My King.]
Gayan knelt on one knee before the Zerg King, his mind filled with confusion and doubt. He quietly wondered why Hermes and Xue Po hadn’t arrived yet. Had they been eaten by the Zerg King? Or…
[Gayan—]
The Zerg King’s deep, anger-laden voice shattered his train of thought. [Why is it only you who has come? Where are Hermes and Xue Po?!]
Gayan: […]
Gayan had always preferred to work alone, but now, for the first time, he truly understood the importance of alliances. For example, today, it was only him, foolishly rushing over, only to find out that those two damn fools hadn’t even shown up!
Regret. Gayan was filled with nothing but regret. He stood up from the ground and tentatively asked, [My King, should I go and fetch them?]
As he spoke, he had already slowly backed toward the door, eager to make a swift exit.
However, the next words from the Zerg King made Gayan break into a cold sweat:
[Gayan, are you afraid I’ll kill you?]
Upon hearing this, Gayan’s face changed drastically. With a loud thud, he fell to his knees, [My King, my life was granted by you. As long as you wish, you can take it back at any time!]
The Zerg King said nothing but slowly crawled closer, its massive body moving toward Gayan. As it drew near, Gayan could even see the wrinkles on its aged skin, and he held his breath in nervous anticipation.
If the Zerg King had a human form, it would probably be smiling now. [Is that so?]
Gayan paled and nodded, [Yes, truly.]
The Zerg King stared at him with a pair of pitch-black eyes, as if trying to discern truth from lies. After a moment, it slowly turned and crawled to another spot. Its deep voice echoed in Gayan’s mind, making him feel lightheaded and dizzy. [Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.]
[I have a task for you. Go find out what Hermes and the others are doing, and tell me before dawn.]
Gayan seemed to understand something, and with surprise, he looked up at the Zerg King. [Do you suspect Hermes is planning to betray you?]
The Zerg King did not answer, but instead said, [If it’s true, bring his corpse to me.]
Gayan asked, [And if it’s false?]
The Zerg King responded, [Then bring his corpse to me as well.]
Hermes’ psychic power was unlike that of ordinary zerg kin. If the Zerg King were to strangle him, it would require a significant amount of effort. This was precisely the kind of task that Gayan was most suited for. As for Xue Po, he was hardly a threat — always preoccupied with his own vanity, with the weakest abilities. The Zerg King didn’t even consider him a concern.
[…]
Gayan could no longer remember how he had left the temple. He was already drenched in cold sweat, and as the biting wind and snow hit him head-on, a chill swept through his entire body.
When the crafty rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. If Hermes and Xue Po die, Gayan didn’t think he would survive in the Zerg King’s hands. The Zerg King kept him alive only because he still had some use.
As the sun gradually set, a blood-red moon suddenly rose above the treetops, staining the pale sky with its crimson glow. Hermes saw that the time was right and, along with Xue Po, stepped out of the cave. The two of them wore pitch-black robes that almost blended into the night.
Lin Kong followed behind them, his face scrunched up like a steamed bun. “You’re really going?”
Hermes didn’t want to answer this repeated question for the umpteenth time. He raised his hand and released a sphere of light, placing a psychic barrier in the air that locked Lin Kong inside the stone cave. [I told you, stay in the cave and don’t come out.]
If Hermes’ psychic power had once been as thin as a hair, now it was like a thick vine the size of a thumb. Just the indestructible psychic barrier alone spoke volumes about his strength.
Lin Kong was stunned. “You’re locking me in here? What about water? What about bathing?”
Xue Po, who was nearby brushing his curly hair, casually pointed at Lin Kong. [So dumb. This psychic barrier is to protect you. You can go out, but no wild beasts will be able to get in.]
Lin Kong paused for a moment. “Then when will you two be back?”
Xue Po shrugged. [Change your mindset. Maybe the two of us will never come back.]
Xue Po truly believed he would die; the only difference was that dying after a fight would be a more honorable way to go.
Hermes hadn’t said a word from the beginning. In the darkness, he quietly watched Lin Kong, his eyes nearly merging with the blackness. Half of his face was hidden under the shadow of his hood, making him appear even more profound and handsome.
“Lin Kong, wait for me to come back.”
He didn’t use psychic energy to communicate this time; instead, he used the human language Lin Kong had taught him. His deep, hoarse voice mixed with the wind and snow, adding a hint of warmth.
Hermes wanted to come back alive.
He hated the cold winter, preferred the warmth of the fire in the cave, and there was also that loud, annoying human.
But wild animals couldn’t learn to say farewell with sentiment, so after Hermes said that, he left. He spread his sharp wings behind him and with a “whoosh!” flew into the vast, dark night. Xue Po followed closely behind, quickly disappearing from view.
Lin Kong stood at the entrance of the cave, momentarily dazed. He thought to himself, as expected, Hermes was a cold-blooded creature. Even at the brink of life and death, he wouldn’t say a few soft words. He must have watched too many romantic dramas.
It was cold outside, and Lin Kong’s legs had grown numb from standing for so long before finally returning to the warmth of the fire. His mind was a blank, his heart a jumbled mess, as he wondered what he should do if Hermes didn’t return.
Suicide, perhaps?
Not really, Lin Kong was afraid of pain and couldn’t bring himself to do something so drastic.
Living?
But for Lin Kong, that seemed a bit difficult, and without Hermes, life would feel rather meaningless.
He was lost in his thoughts, completely unaware of the dark figure that had appeared outside the cave entrance. The pair of eerie green eyes gleamed with cold light, resembling a hunting dog that had caught the scent of blood in the forest.
[Is that the same prey from last time? Hermes didn’t kill him after all…]
When Gayan saw Lin Kong again, he was not without surprise. He had traveled all the way from the temple, exhausting considerable effort to find Hermes’ cave, only to discover that it was Lin Kong inside.
However, it wasn’t so bad. Winter prey was hard to find, so absorbing the other’s life force and having a good meal would do just fine.
Gayan thought to himself, a flash of maliciousness crossing his eyes. He raised his hand, ready to attack. However, a psychic barrier was suddenly set up outside the cave, sending him flying several meters back, crashing into the snow with a sharp “thud.”
Lin Kong heard the noise behind him and was startled. He immediately stood up from beside the fire, shouting, “Who is it?!”
[It’s me!]
Gayan clutched his chest and got up from the ground, forcing a cruel smile at Lin Kong. However, he was secretly shocked. He hadn’t expected a psychic barrier to be set outside the cave, because with Hermes’ previous strength, he wouldn’t have been able to do something like this.
“Redhead?!”
Lin Kong cursed himself for jinxing it. Why was this person so susceptible to being mentioned? He retreated cautiously while asking, “What are you here for?”
Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
