ICAWZ Chapter 211

Xue Po had been trying to distance himself from the situation, but upon hearing those words, he was so furious that he nearly fainted. His face turned ashen, and his fingers trembled as he pointed at Lin Kong, demanding, [What did you just say?! Who are you calling ugly?!]

He was as beautiful as a flower in full bloom, the most stunning of all the divine attendants in history. Did Lin Kong even have eyes? How dare he call him ugly?!

Xue Po was so enraged that his two sharp fangs emerged, and he nearly lunged forward, itching to take a bite out of Lin Kong.

Seeing this, Lin Kong immediately hid behind Hermes, peeking out cautiously as he shamelessly spouted nonsense with wide, innocent eyes. “Xue Po, I know you want to take me away, but I’m already Hermes’ prey. You’d better give up on that idea.”

Xue Po’s face froze: […]

What the hell? What kind of ridiculous nonsense was Lin Kong spewing? When had he ever said he wanted to take him away?!

Lin Kong continued to pour fuel on the fire. “Even though you said you’re more beautiful than Hermes, that you’re more favored by the Zerg King, and that you could crush him with just one finger, these things still have to follow a proper order, don’t they?”

One baseless accusation after another, Lin Kong dumped all the blame onto Xue Po, leaving him utterly dizzy from the onslaught. Just as he finally regained his senses, he saw Hermes suddenly flip his right hand—

“Boom!!!”

Xue Po immediately unfurled his wings and shot into the air, narrowly dodging Hermes’ attack. The unfortunate tree behind him, however, wasn’t so lucky—it was cleaved in half with brutal force, crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom.

Perching on the treetop, Xue Po touched his face in alarm. Only after confirming he was unharmed did he explode in fury. [Hermes! You actually attacked me over a mere prey?!]

Hermes withdrew his attack effortlessly, his long silver hair flowing despite the still air. His crimson eyes were coated with an icy frost as he declared, [He is my prey. Stay out of it.]

Hermes had only intended to give Xue Po a warning—he hadn’t truly meant to strike. After speaking, he turned without a second glance and strode into the cave, dragging Lin Kong along with him.

“Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy, will you?”

Lin Kong was practically being hauled inside. He grabbed onto Hermes’ arm, struggling to free his wrist. “Where did you go this morning? Why didn’t you call me?”

Hermes paused mid-step at Lin Kong’s words, tilting his head slightly to glance at him. [Have you ever seen a hunter bring their prey along on a hunt?]

So, he had gone hunting.

Lin Kong wasn’t bothered by Hermes’ mocking tone. Instead, recalling what Xue Po had said earlier, he cautiously asked, “Are you hunting so many prey to offer them to the Zerg King? Is it really that powerful?”

Hermes frowned. [Who told you that?]

Lin Kong hesitated for a moment. “Xue Po. He told me. He also said you’d offer me to the Zerg King and that I should hurry up and run.”

At those words, Hermes let out a cold laugh. [Then why didn’t you run off with him just now?]

Who told you to come back so early?

Lin Kong had the keen instinct of a small animal—he knew that if he so much as uttered the word “escape” in front of Hermes, he’d drop dead on the spot. So instead, he lowered his voice and said, “I’m not running. I’ll stay with you.”

Ever since arriving in this world, the first “person” Lin Kong had seen was Hermes. Gayan was too fierce, and Xue Po had a smile laced with hidden daggers. By comparison, Hermes might have been cold as ice, but he had an unexpectedly reliable presence. Was this… some kind of imprinting instinct?

Hermes remained indifferent. [Is that so? Then you’ve probably made the wrong decision.]

Lin Kong blinked. “Why?”

Hermes replied coldly, [Because everything Xue Po said was true.]

He really would kill Lin Kong and offer him to the Zerg King—it was only a matter of time.

After speaking, Hermes paid no mind to the suffocating silence that followed. He turned and walked to the stone bed to change his clothes. Stripping off his stark white shirt, so bright it was almost blinding, he replaced it with a pure black clerical robe, finally feeling a long-lost sense of comfort.

Like a venomous serpent returning to its dark, damp nest, no longer forced to endure the harsh glare of the sun.

Lin Kong had been too caught up in their conversation to notice earlier. It wasn’t until Hermes removed his shirt that he saw the long, jagged scratch running down his back. He stepped closer and tugged at Hermes’ black robe. “How did you get hurt?”

Hermes had no intention of answering. His voice was cold and low, laced with an unspoken warning. [It has nothing to do with you.]

He didn’t want any entanglement with Lin Kong. The more they became involved, the less purely prey the other would remain.

The day to offer tribute to the Zerg King was fast approaching, yet Hermes still hadn’t accumulated enough life force. His previous injuries from battle had yet to fully heal, and this morning, he had gone out hunting again. The feathered dragon lying outside the cave was today’s prey.

“Oh.”

Lin Kong responded casually, without much concern. True to his carefree nature, he didn’t press further and simply let it go. He picked up the dirty clothes from the ground and walked over to the stream, crouching down to clumsily scrub them. These were among the last few pieces of clothing he had left—he couldn’t afford to be wasteful.

Hermes stood inside the cave, frowning as he watched Lin Kong busying himself. Then, without a word, he stepped out into the scorching sunlight. He didn’t spare a glance at the half-dead feathered dragon on the ground—he simply reached out, seized its throat, and ruthlessly drained the last remnants of its life force.

The creature was as massive as an elephant, but in mere moments, it withered like a punctured balloon. Feathers scattered in waves, drifting to the ground one after another, until all that remained was a bare, shriveled husk.

Hermes flipped his wrist, and a small, glassy-blue orb of light appeared in his palm. His expression darkened—clearly, this amount of life force was far from enough. With a furrowed brow, he flexed his shoulders, feeling the deep, bone-deep scratch across his back. He needed to start thinking about how to deal with the Zerg King in the coming days.

…Or should he just kill Lin Kong?

The thought settled in Hermes’ mind, and his gaze darkened as he fixated on the unidentified species not far away. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a sense of irritation stirred within him.

Sensing the weight of a stare behind him, Lin Kong instinctively turned around—only to find Hermes standing there with a stormy expression. He raised an eyebrow. Was Hermes upset because he hadn’t shown enough concern for his injury just now?

This was definitely not a good sign.

Lin Kong had a daily habit—he had to cling to this golden thigh at least once to feel at ease. Quickly finishing his washing, he wrung out the clothes and hung them over the bushes to dry before striding straight toward Hermes. “I have some hemostatic medicine in my bag. Do you want to use it?”

As always, Hermes was stingy with his words. [No need.]

Lin Kong thought it was actually a good thing Hermes didn’t want the medicine—he could save it for himself. But as his gaze casually swept across the ground, he suddenly noticed the feathered dragon’s withered corpse and immediately perked up with interest. “Hermes, do you still need this carcass? Can I have it?”

The feathered dragon was worthless to Hermes now. At Lin Kong’s words, he cast him a glance. [What do you want it for?]

Lin Kong looked at him eagerly. “To eat, of course. I’m hungry.”

Too bad there weren’t any rabbits outside today—otherwise, he could’ve asked Hermes to catch one for him.

Hermes had no interest in such trivial matters. Without another glance, he turned and walked back into the cave, the hem of his black robe brushing against the ground as he lazily tossed out two words: [Suit yourself.]

The feathered dragon had a long neck, white feathers covering its wings, but a smooth, bare body. Lin Kong poked at the corpse experimentally. Though it had been drained and shriveled by Hermes, there was still a decent amount of meat left.

Lin Kong’s eyes lit up as if he had stumbled upon a feast.

First, he gathered all the fallen feathers from the ground, planning to use them later for clothing or as kindling. Then, he picked up a sharp stone and began cutting into the feathered dragon’s supple underbelly.

“Clang!”

Lin Kong hammered away who knew how many times before he finally managed to tear open a slit in the feathered dragon’s belly. Inside, the flesh was stiff and dry, completely devoid of blood. If he had to describe it, it was like pre-made air-dried jerky.

Out in the wild, he couldn’t afford to be picky. With great effort, he used the stone to hack off a tough piece of meat, carried it to the stream to wash, then set up a fire to roast it—just like he had done yesterday.

Hermes ignored him, closing his eyes as he sat on the stone bed, focusing on healing his wounds. Yet, no matter how much he tried to tune everything out, Lin Kong’s muttering complaints still managed to worm their way into his ears.

“This is so tough… like chewing on a rock.”

“Not even a hint of salt. If only I had some salt…”

“God, I could really go for a Coke right now…”

Lin Kong chewed his way through the tough, flavorless meat, all the while reminiscing about the past. Though it was a struggle, he managed to fill his stomach about seventy to eighty percent full.

The interaction between him and Hermes was mostly one-sided—Lin Kong did all the talking. When he was silent, they simply went about their own business, and just like that, the day slipped away unnoticed.

That night, as usual, Lin Kong went to the stream to brush his teeth and wash his face. Glancing up at the sky, he saw a familiar sight—another blood-red moon hanging low on the horizon. However, tonight, its color was a little paler than the previous two days.

Lin Kong wiped the water off his face with his sleeve, thinking to himself that it was a good thing Hermes couldn’t go out at night—otherwise, the forest’s wildlife would be driven to extinction sooner or later.

Lost in his thoughts, he turned and walked back into the cave. Seeing Hermes still sitting in the same position, unmoving as he meditated, Lin Kong stepped closer and asked, “It’s already dark. Aren’t you going to sleep?”

At his words, Hermes opened his eyes, only now realizing that night had fallen. He noticed Lin Kong watching him intently, his face half-lit by the flickering firelight, appearing so impossibly beautiful that one could almost imagine how it might feel to touch.

It must be warm, soft…

Lin Kong, seeing that Hermes wasn’t moving, urged him again, “It’s getting late. Lie down and get some sleep.”

If Hermes didn’t lie down, there wouldn’t be any space left for him to sleep. The stone bed was a bit hard, but with a layer of clothing, it was still relatively comfortable. Sleeping on the ground, on the other hand, meant risking getting bitten by bugs.

Hermes frowned at Lin Kong’s words but didn’t argue. Reluctantly, he lay down, leaving an empty space beside him. Lin Kong was delighted. He quickly squeezed in, but before he could even warm his spot, a soft rustling sound came from beside him—

Hermes was slowly slipping off his ceremonial robe. His pale, slender body was exposed to the cool air, silver hair cascading over his shoulders like silk, half-concealing and half-revealing his figure in a way that carried a cold yet contradictory allure.

After that, he lay still, silent and unmoving, as if waiting for Lin Kong to do something.

For the past few nights, it had always been the same—Lin Kong would come over, wrap his arms around him, kiss him, and then strip away his clothing.

Hermes didn’t understand the significance of these actions, but he couldn’t deny that they felt good. It was as if an empty vessel within him was slowly being filled—whether with sunlight, flowing water, blooming flowers, or birdsong, it no longer mattered. It was simply full.

So, naturally, Hermes assumed that this was just what nights were meant for.

Hermes thought that taking off his clothes was simply part of the routine.

This time, he didn’t wait for Lin Kong to take the initiative—he had already undressed in advance. Maybe this would save some time later.

When Lin Kong saw this, he was momentarily stunned—something that almost never happened. “You… Why are you taking off your clothes?”

Could Hermes be possessed or something?

Hermes furrowed his sharp brows at Lin Kong’s words, a flicker of unmistakable displeasure flashing through his eyes. His gaze, now tinged with something dangerously close to killing intent, bore down on Lin Kong. This damned prey. When he was unwilling, Lin Kong would always cling to him, pressing closer without hesitation. But now that he was willing, Lin Kong was making this kind of face—what the hell did that mean?!

Lin Kong had always possessed a strong survival instinct, and the moment Hermes narrowed his eyes at him, something clicked in his mind. A beat late, he blinked and hesitantly asked, “You… want me to kiss you?”

A beast raised in the wilderness had no concept of shame. Upon hearing this, Hermes simply let out a flat, indifferent “Mm.”

Lin Kong: “…”

He suddenly felt like laughing. In the darkness, he fumbled around and pressed Hermes down beneath him. For some reason, he found this big pervert a little cute. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Do you really enjoy it when I kiss you?”

Hermes was silent for a moment, then gave the faintest, almost imperceptible nod.

“Alright…”

Following the words, Lin Kong lowered his head and kissed him. His lips were warm and slightly damp, trailing down slowly from Hermes’ forehead—so light, even softer than a falling feather.

At that moment, an unfamiliar emotion suddenly surged in Hermes’ heart. His eyelashes trembled uncontrollably, and the hand at his side silently clenched. He only knew that his face was hot, his ears burned, and his breath hitched. It wasn’t until many years later that he finally learned from Lin Kong’s lips what that feeling was called—”shyness.”

The wilderness lay in silence, with only the rustling of the wind through the trees.

In this vast, primitive forest—without television or games—Lin Kong would occasionally feel bored. With nothing else to entertain him, he found himself paying more attention to the only other living being by his side. He wrapped an arm around Hermes’ waist, his fingers trailing over the firm muscles with a mix of admiration and jealousy. Giving his toned abdomen a playful squeeze, he leaned in and bit Hermes’ cool earlobe before asking, “By the way, you still haven’t told me—just how powerful is the Zerg King?”

If Hermes could crush a stone with his bare hands, then the Zerg King was probably even stronger.

Hermes wasn’t supposed to answer that question—Lin Kong had no need to know such things. But after a brief silence, he still uttered a single sentence: [The Zerg King controls our life and death.]

In truth, the Zerg King possessed no physical strength at all—Hermes could crush it to dust with his bare hands if he wanted to. However, its psychic power was as vast as the ocean, firmly gripping the minds of all its subjects. Anyone who harbored even the slightest disloyalty would be instantly torn apart by its sheer will.

Even someone as powerful as Hermes was nothing more than a puppet on its strings.

Lin Kong also found his own question rather strange—why was he asking about someone else’s strength while lying in bed together? He stroked Hermes’ cool, supple waist, his voice low and indistinct as he chuckled softly, “So, when do you plan on killing me…?”

It was supposed to be a fearful question, yet the way he dragged out the final syllable made it sound almost like a teasing provocation.

Hermes slowly opened his passion-laced eyes upon hearing that. His crimson pupils shimmered, even more exquisite than gemstones. He panted heavily, reaching out in the darkness to grasp Lin Kong’s throat—but the movement, brimming with unspoken tension, felt more like a caress than a threat. [When the time comes…]

Hermes paused for a moment before continuing, [When winter arrives, and prey scatters…]

When resources were exhausted and there was nothing left to hunt—perhaps then, he would finally kill Lin Kong.

Lin Kong let out a low, amused hum of laughter. “How generous of you.”

He wasn’t sure if it was out of revenge against this cold-blooded lunatic, but Lin Kong bit down hard on Hermes’ lips, tightening his grip around the other’s waist. As his fingers roamed over Hermes’ body, they unexpectedly brushed against a thick, rough scab.

Hermes’ wounds healed astonishingly fast—what had been torn flesh in the morning had already crusted over by nightfall.

Lin Kong’s grip loosened slightly. He turned Hermes over so that his back faced him, then, on a sudden impulse, lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to the scar.

Hermes trembled all over, his eyes turning an even deeper shade of red. [What are you doing…]

Lin Kong curled his lips into a smirk and whispered, “I’m feeling sorry for you.”

Then, leaning in closer to Hermes’ ear, he murmured seductively, “If I die, there will be no one left to feel sorry for you.”

It almost sounded like a threat.

Hermes unconsciously furrowed his brows at the words. Feeling sorry? He had never needed anyone’s pity. Yet, the warmth of Lin Kong’s body was searing, burning into him until he felt like he was drowning in the other’s kiss, his mind growing hazier by the second.

[…Food…]

Suddenly, a deep, distant voice echoed in Hermes’ mind, carrying over from beyond the mountains, impatient and urging.

[Food… Give me food…]

The Zerg King was eternally ravenous, controlling the minds of its divine attendants, urging them to find sustenance as quickly as possible. Each time that voice resounded, a stabbing pain, like needles piercing through his brain, would tear through Hermes’ consciousness.

[Mm…]

Hermes let out a pained groan, his eyes suddenly snapping open in the darkness. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he fixed his gaze on the cave’s entrance. In his crimson pupils, a flash of icy, razor-sharp killing intent flickered.

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