MASG chapter 63

 

The wind blew across his face.

Mo An didn’t care about anything else. He knew only that the camp had been attacked and that Xia Yu would be the main suspect. Xia Yu was in charge of the entire capture operation and brought the people out. The attack was clearly aimed at Xia Yu.

Therefore, Mo An found this insect, which had appeared out of nowhere, particularly displeasing.

Mo An had never seen such a large land creature before. Two years ago, he had seen a sperm whale in the deep sea, but that was in seawater. Without the buoyancy of water, an excessively large creature on land would put pressure on its internal organs. But this strange creature didn’t care about natural science. It appeared out of nowhere, and ordinary bullets couldn’t harm it.

Since it couldn’t be harmed, he decided to kill it. Mo An followed its movements. If this worm were in the water, even at 150 meters, let alone 15 meters, it might not be able to do anything to him. Meng Qingqing said that a siren could defeat an emperor squid.

But now, it flew higher, and the wind blurred Mo An’s vision. After his eyeballs were covered in tears, his world returned to clarity.

What kind of insect was this? Only now did he truly grasp its nature. It resembled a giant dragonfly, but far uglier. Its compound eyes alone were terrifying, densely packed across its head. Everywhere within reach were sharp, black, barbed spines; its wings were likely its weakest point.

Mo An drew his gun and fired, striking the base of a wing!

The entire wing fell as if made of glass dropping from a height. At the same time, the bug reversed its direction and fell. The people below were terrified by this scene, but Xia Yu didn’t have a chance to fully assist Mo An because the ground was under continuous attack!

The bug was relentless—one of the most vigorous species in nature.

A team member who had helped Xia Yu escape was grabbed by a bug, and its mouthparts entered his two legs. Blood gushed out as he screamed in pain, knowing he was about to be completely chewed up. Having emptied his bullets, Xia Yu opened the laser blade at the gun muzzle and lunged straight at the bug.

The blade pierced the bug’s body, but it still couldn’t destroy its central nervous system.

“Neck vertebra! Neck vertebra!” Mi Dou recalled completely. He had seen this kind of bug before and dissected it with Lao Gui. “Break its neck vertebra!”

The bug’s neck vertebra? Xia Yu didn’t understand the term, but if it was similar to a human body, the bug’s neck vertebra would also be a vertical central line. He swiftly drew his blade and slashed horizontally across the bug. Green blood sprayed all over him. With a clack, it seemed he had really cut through something.

The bug, which had been feasting, flailed its forelimbs twice and collapsed, motionless, on the ground.

Mi Dou rushed out and pulled the injured soldier from its mouth. Luckily, only the lower leg had been eaten, and a mechanical leg could replace it. He tore open his clothes to bandage the soldier’s wound, but more bugs were appearing around them. Unlike humans, they had no fear of death or pain and emerged from the soil ready to fight. Moreover, they were not mindless creatures. Clearly, this ambush was their group’s strategy.

Everyone was engaged in a bitter battle, and the number of injured people was increasing.

The sound of the drones gave Xia Yu a shot of adrenaline. He calmed down when he heard them flying. There were hundreds of drones, all of which were human-controlled “swarms.” Silver Fang sat in the command room, issuing final orders.

Yan Xia was also nearby. “How did it get this bad? Who’s responsible?”

“It’s Xia Yu.” Silver Fang looked at the screen, which was full of bloodshed and scattered limbs.

“Maximize firepower to recover losses,” Yan Xia ordered Silver Fang.

Silver Fang nodded. Yan Xia had once been his teammate, but now she was in a high position. Two seconds later, Yan Xia spoke again. “Why haven’t you opened fire yet?”

“The drones are identifying friend and foe.” Silver Fang scanned all the small screens and, two seconds later, opened fire.

The most advanced drones hovered above the camp. First, their devices classified all targets as “living” or “non-living,” then distinguished their own from the “living.” The process took one and a half seconds. Once identified, bullets rained down like the descent of gods.

The sound of gunfire gave the remaining ground forces a chance to breathe.

The drones switched from a relatively stationary state to pursuit mode, whipping up an artificial wind and relentlessly hunting down every bug. Xia Yu and Mi Dou quickly dragged the wounded to the edge of the tents. Support drones arrived immediately, locked onto the wounded, and raised the barrel of the tranquilizer gun.

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!

After a brief sound, the wounded received hemostatic and pain-relief injections, maximizing the chance of saving lives and limbs. A pain-relief needle also hit Xia Yu’s shoulder. He looked down and pulled out the red needle. Just after removing it, another hemostatic injection hit his left shoulder.

Although he wasn’t afraid of pain and could heal himself, according to the drones’ logic, he was classified as wounded and needed help. More support drones arrived. The bug swarm on the ground gradually retreated. Xia Yu wiped the sweat off his brow and looked up. That was the most dangerous place.

“Damn… Why isn’t that thing dead yet?” An injured soldier helplessly raised his empty gun.

“Commander Mo An… is in danger!”

“Why aren’t the drones going to help him?”

Others were arguing, and Xia Yu’s mind was in chaos. Despite having one wing missing, the giant bug could still fly. How much ammunition would the drones need to take it down? Suddenly, Mo An, who had been standing steadily on the bug’s back, seemed to slip.

He fell off the bug and began to free fall. Xia Yu instinctively ran forward and stretched out his arms to catch his brother.

“A Ni!” Xia Yu measured the distance, knowing hope was slim. But he couldn’t bear to watch Mo An die in front of him. He was willing to risk his life and be crushed to pieces by Mo An just to catch him.

Mo An’s falling speed was increasing, but an even greater danger came from above. The giant bug had finally broken free of human control and was charging at Mo An. It was clearly a self-aware bug seeking revenge on humans. In this moment, the air became a hunting ground for the bug to capture prey.

Where’s the gun? The gun in his hand? Xia Yu searched the ground frantically. Even one bullet would allow him to take down that damn bug!

The wind howled, lifting sand from the ground. The ground drew closer to Mo An, and so did Xia Yu. Earlier, he had only focused on holding the defensive line, unaware that one of Xia Yu’s hands was missing!

The blood was blinding. Mo An held a dagger in his mouth, the blade brushing his lips.

The people below were desperate. They couldn’t catch Commander Mo An. The drones circled the bug, unable to seriously injure it. They could only watch it fall. The bug wouldn’t give up its prey. With just over ten meters to go, the bug finally caught up to Mo An.

Its mouthparts fully opened, and the stench of blood hit. It was ready to feed. Just before it made contact with its prey, Mo An’s gaze grew cold as he stared at it. His hatred wanted to pierce each of its compound eyes. When its mouthparts touched his right hand, Mo An’s legs flicked like a fishtail, regaining his balance at the moment of impact.

Ordinary humans could never do this, but Mo An was different. He was a merman, and his waist muscles could swing a heavy, powerful fishtail that stored immense strength.

The laser blade in his hand lit up immediately. The cyan-blue blade shot from his palm and pierced the bug’s mouthparts. He guessed this was the bug’s only weak point. Only striking here could kill it.

Xia Yu’s injuries became bright red in Mo An’s eyes again, like blazing fire. The bug didn’t expect its hidden weak point to be breached, but it was too late to withdraw. Free fall was Mo An’s greatest danger, but now it became his weapon. With a forceful push of his arms, he stabbed deeper and followed through downward.

A vertical wound tore open!

One flew upward to escape; the other fell downward to kill. Hunter and prey had swapped positions, like in the ruthless food chain of nature.

The bug countered Mo An’s speed; the wound continued to widen. Mo An slid down its mouthparts and broke through its abdomen, reaching the stomach. With five or six meters left, he finally released the blade and bent his knees to land. The bug was too weak to take off or soar; it fell as if chasing him.

At his landing point, Xia Yu waited to catch him.

Xia Yu’s arms were still stretched forward. Mo An collided into his embrace, making him dizzy instantly. Before he could speak, Mo An knocked him away, as if he were being carried off in a hug. When he regained his awareness, he was rolling with Mo An, wrapped safely as if by an unpredictable current taking him to safety.

Xia Yu’s body sank into Mo An’s broad embrace. The control center badge pressed against his chest. Xia Yu couldn’t see the sky or the ground; he could only see Mo An’s face clearly. His nose was wounded and the corners of his mouth were cracked with a hint of blood. Yet, the look in his eyes was calm and stable, filled with the deep strength of the ocean.

“Don’t move. Don’t be afraid.” Mo An said, his hands squeezing tighter and pressing against Xia Yu’s lower back. “I’ll take you away.”

Take him away? Where? Xia Yu realized that he had been knocked unconscious by the tremendous downward force, as if he had been thrown into a drum. He still didn’t stop. After flipping again, Mo An pressed him down, arching his back high and shielding Xia Yu’s face and vision. Xia Yu’s severed limb had begun to regrow, and the wound was no longer exposed to the bone. He quickly turned the open surface downward, fearing blood would splatter.

A massive crash followed. The huge bug landed and accelerated, charging toward them. Mo An closed his eyes and pressed Xia Yu firmly to his chest. He covered his ears with his palms.

Boom! Dust flew everywhere!

The drones lost their targets momentarily, flying blindly around the rising dust and wind. Mi Dou, who was outside, couldn’t get in. He continuously shouted at the drones, “We need support!” The dust seemed to block the sunlight, making everything look dark and gray. Silver Fang and Yan Xia anxiously watched the big screen and received news that the support team would arrive in one minute.

One minute passed, and the dust began to thin.

The bug’s body began to take shape, its semi-transparent wings pressed against the ground. Fully armed support troops approached cautiously with their guns raised. The bug’s wings twitched slightly as countless red laser dots were aimed at them, waiting to fire.

“Don’t shoot!” But the wings moved again. The person trapped underneath lifted the heavy wings and carried the already unconscious Xia Yu. Before losing consciousness, Xia Yu had tightly pressed the wound on his left hand with his right hand, and that position hadn’t changed.

“Captain Xia is injured. Need support!” Mo An carried him horizontally; the fabric on his shoulder had already been cut by the bug, revealing a bright red wound. To prevent Xia Yu’s blood from staining him, Mo An put on a mask, leaving only his deep, intense, wild eyes visible.

Mi Dou saw everything clearly and rushed over with the others.

By the time Xia Yu regained consciousness, two hours had passed. He was lying in a clean, cold hospital room with an IV needle in the back of his right hand. He looked at his left hand, which was completely healed.

A brand new left hand… Xia Yu moved his fingers, getting used to using it again. At that moment, the door opened. Mo An and Mi Dou walked in, each looking more miserable than the other.

“You’re awake?” Mi Dou’s eyes were dark and bruised as if he had been punched.

“What happened to you?” Xia Yu cupped Mi Dou’s face, breathing heavily with distress. He looked toward Mo An. “Are you injured too?”

“It’s fine. Just surface wounds.” Mo An tossed and caught the apple in his hand. A bandage was stuck across the bridge of his nose, and his shoulder was wrapped in gauze. He looked at Xia Yu, who was within reach. His eyes held a complicated emotion, but it quickly turned into joy. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. How could I be anything but fine?” Xia Yu couldn’t read his gaze and suddenly became alert. “How are the team members? What did Silver Fang say? Does Yan Xia want me to report?”

“Don’t get so worked up.” Mo An tossed an apple to him. “I’ll handle things over there.”

“Yeah, yeah, let Mo An handle it. He’s the best at dealing with those people.” Mi Dou rubbed his eyes. He still didn’t know who had hit him—maybe the bug or maybe his own people. Everything had been too chaotic for anyone to see clearly.

But Xia Yu still refused to relax, because he could see the seriousness in Mo An.

Whenever Mo An furrowed his brows, his deep-set eyes were shadowed even darker, giving him a defiant edge, as if he found everyone displeasing. Something else had definitely happened—something they hadn’t told him.

“That bug… is it dead?” Xia Yu asked again. “I suspect it was incubating inside Ma Jiayuan the whole time, waiting for the right moment to attack us. This whole thing isn’t just about a fake believer anymore. They clearly have another belief. They worship a bug called ‘Yehuai.’”

“I already reported all of that to Yan Xia.” Mi Dou handed him a cup of warm water. “You just rest first. In a day or two, we’ll all go see Yan Xia together.”

“What about those cult members? Was the bug dissected?” Xia Yu sipped the water, but his mind was still on the case. “No, I need to go check.”

“Just rest. Leave everything to us.” Mo An said coldly, giving Mi Dou a look. “Dou Dou, come out with me.”

Mi Dou nodded, let go of Xia Yu, and followed Mo An out of the room. The moment they stepped out, their expressions changed, weighed down by anxiety.

“What should we do? Are they really going to blame Xia Yu?” Mi Dou was about to cry. “It’s not even his fault.”

“If the higher-ups want someone to blame, they’ll definitely find a scapegoat.” Mo An rubbed his wrist. Then, after deep thought, he said something shocking. “Do you dare do something big with me?”

“W-what thing?” Mi Dou asked nervously.

Mo An took a deep breath, then suddenly smiled. “I want to ‘steal’ Xia Yu away. Let’s take him and run first.”