ICAWZ Chapter 214

Lin Kong was wearing a gray T-shirt, his jet-black hair blending in among the filthy swarm of zergs, making him not particularly conspicuous. He hid in the crowd at the back, but the moment he looked up, he spotted Hermes. Quickly, he shot him a desperate look, anxiously mouthing two words: “Save me.”

Curiosity killed the cat. When Lin Kong saw the tribespeople rushing toward the temple, he had thought they were gathering for some kind of award ceremony. Turns out, it was just a feast—with him as the main course for the gluttonous Zerg King. He regretted it so much that his guts twisted with remorse.

Right now, Lin Kong could only hope that Hermes would take pity on him for their past few days of “sharing the same bed” and spare him from an ugly death.

Whether Lin Kong would die disgracefully was still uncertain, but Hermes’s darkened expression was already set in stone. He clearly hadn’t expected Lin Kong to end up here. His gaze, flickering with suspicion and uncertainty, locked onto him, and without realizing it, a significant portion of the psychic energy gathered in his right hand had already dissipated.

At this moment, Hermes had completely forgotten that Lin Kong was merely prey—someone whose status didn’t even compare to the lowliest zergs. His mind raced, calculating how to keep Lin Kong alive.

The Zerg King, seeing that Hermes still hadn’t made a move, slowly wriggled its bloated body forward. Its massive head emerged from the deep pit normally used for laying eggs, and a thunderous voice exploded in their minds like a deafening roar: [Hermes, why haven’t you acted yet?]

Lin Kong didn’t dare to look anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for death.

He never thought he meant much to Hermes—at best, he was just prey. Now that the Zerg King had given a direct order, would Hermes really have the guts to disobey?

But Lin Kong had already survived several extra days in the dense forest—dying now wouldn’t be too much of a loss.

Hermes, of course, wouldn’t dare defy the Zerg King’s command—that would be no different from courting death. Yet, hidden within his sleeve, his hand clenched and loosened, tightened and relaxed, over and over, unable to strike. In the end, he gritted his teeth in silence. Then, in a sudden motion, he turned and knelt before the Zerg King.

[My King—]

Hermes lowered his gaze, his right hand resting over his shoulder, lips pressed into a thin line, making him appear utterly indifferent. [In the caves of Feipu Mountain hides a massive century-old Stone-Piercing Beast. It’s difficult to lure out, but rather than eating them, why not throw them inside as bait? With some luck, it might draw the beast out.]

These low-level zergs had little vitality to begin with—eating them was tasteless, but discarding them was a waste. However, if the century-old Stone-Piercing Beast could be lured from its lair, the Zerg King wouldn’t have to hunt for at least seven days.

Hermes spoke this long string of words in one breath, then fell silent, waiting for the Zerg King’s judgment.

The Zerg King remained silent, as if deep in thought. Though its brain structure was rather simple and incapable of complex reasoning, the instinct to “fill its stomach” ultimately took precedence. [Then I’ll leave it to you. Make sure you capture that Stone-Piercing Beast for me.]

Hermes lowered his head. [Understood.]

Xue Po and Gayan exchanged a puzzled glance at Hermes. They couldn’t understand why he would dump this mess onto himself. If he managed to capture the Stone-Piercing Beast, fine—but if he failed, the Zerg King would fly into a rage. It was a thankless task. Why take it on at all?

Hermes ignored their scrutiny. Rising to his feet, he strode toward the ragtag group of the weak, old, and injured. His dark red eyes narrowed as he scanned their faces, which ranged from fear to shock, before finally locking onto Lin Kong. With a fierce glare, he growled:

[Come with me.]

Hermes spat out the three words coldly, then turned and strode ahead without another glance. The low-level zergs, unsure whether this was fortune or doom, could only tremble as they followed him, leaving the temple together.

There were simply too many low-level zergs gathered today. They clustered in small groups, causing their life force to blend and intertwine. The Zerg King vaguely sensed an unusually strong life force coming from a certain direction, but it couldn’t pinpoint the source. Assuming it was merely due to the sheer number of zergs present, it dismissed the feeling without much thought.

Hermes led them far, far away until they finally arrived at a treacherous cliffside. Only then did he come to a stop. Below the cliff, a waterfall cascaded down into the depths, and behind it lay a cave. Deep within that labyrinthine cavern lurked the Stone-Piercing Beast, a creature that only emerged when it caught the scent of zerg blood.

Long before the zergs had evolved into humanoid forms, the Stone-Piercing Beast had preyed on them. Calling it their natural enemy was no exaggeration.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, Hermes let the spray from the waterfall soak his black robe. The cold wind whipped against him, making the fabric billow violently. He turned back to the group of low-level zergs, his voice devoid of emotion as he asked: [Which one of you is going down as bait?]

Panic erupted instantly.

The instinct to survive was universal—who would willingly die if they could keep living? At his words, they all dropped to their knees in desperation, groveling in the dirt, their voices trembling with fear. [Lord Hermes, please have mercy on us! Just give us more time, and we will surely hunt enough food to offer the Zerg King!]

Lin Kong stood at the very back of the group, looking especially out of place among the kneeling figures. He hesitated, glancing at Hermes—kneeling felt wrong, but staying upright didn’t seem like a good idea either. In the end, he mustered his courage and quietly shuffled behind Hermes, hoping to go unnoticed.

Hermes pretended not to see. His gaze remained fixed on the zergs groveling before him, his expression cold and unyielding. [Mercy?]

[Zergs have no such thing.]

Even if it once existed, it’s long dead—just like Dongning.

Hermes had no illusions that this feeble group of the old, weak, and injured could successfully hunt anything. Their only remaining use was to spill their blood and lure the Stone-Piercing Beast from its lair. With a flick of his right hand, he seized one of the zergs through the air, effortlessly lifting them off the ground. His intent was clear—he was going to hurl them straight into the cave behind the waterfall.

Lin Kong’s eyes widened in shock. He hadn’t expected Hermes to actually use a living person as bait. Before he could think, his body moved on instinct. He reached out, grabbing Hermes’s arm, “Wait—!”

Hermes felt the force on his wrist and froze mid-motion. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Lin Kong. His dark red pupils contracted into narrow slits—more beast than beast itself—radiating a chilling, murderous aura. [Let go.]

Just two low, rumbling words, yet they carried an unmistakable edge of irritation and fury.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was trying to keep Lin Kong alive, Hermes wouldn’t have taken on this mess in the first place. But now, Lin Kong’s interference was like a lit fuse, igniting the violent instincts buried deep within him.

This was the first time Lin Kong had ever seen Hermes look at him like that. His fingertips stiffened for a moment—but instead of letting go, he gripped even tighter, frantically searching for an excuse. “Hermes, it’s… it’s almost dark. Even if we lure the beast out now, it’ll be difficult to hunt in the dark. Why not wait until morning?”

Lin Kong knew better than to plead for these people’s lives—that was impossible. Instead, he could only tread carefully, smoothing Hermes’s ruffled temper in hopes of calming him down first.

Hermes didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at Lin Kong in silence, his sharp gaze like a blade, as if trying to pierce straight through to his soul. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and deliberate, each word weighted with cold intensity:

[Are you… pitying them?]

It was in a beast’s nature—what Hermes himself could never possess, he didn’t want others to have either. If Lin Kong harbored sympathy for these zergs, then it meant—they weren’t standing on the same side.

Lin Kong refused to admit it. “Why would I pity them? It’s not like I even know them.”

As he spoke, he discreetly tugged at Hermes’s sleeve, his eyes bright and glimmering as he lowered his voice. “I know you.”

He always had a way of soothing Hermes. With a bit of effort, he managed to pry Hermes’s right hand down. The zerg who had been suspended in midair suddenly crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, coughing violently, their ragged gasps filled with pain. “Cough—cough—!!”

Lin Kong couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt—the zerg looked old enough to be his grandfather. He tugged at Hermes’s sleeve again, cautiously asking, “It’s almost dark. Can’t you just hunt tomorrow?”

Hermes neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he responded coolly, [And what about them?]

Lin Kong hesitated, then quickly came up with a compromise. “Just lock them up somewhere, right? They’re all old, weak, and injured—it’s not like they can run far.”

The moment Lin Kong finished speaking, he suddenly realized—this was a primitive forest; there were no prisons here. He was still scrambling for a way to cover up his mistake when Hermes suddenly swept his sleeve through the air. A faint, invisible force descended upon the zergs, marking them with a spiritual brand. His voice was deep, commanding, and unmistakably authoritative: [Tomorrow, gather at Feipu Mountain. Anyone who dares to flee—will be executed without mercy!]

Hermes had directly invaded their weak minds with his psychic power. If any of them tried to escape, the brand would activate—crushing their consciousness instantly. Just like Dongning before them.

As soon as Hermes finished speaking, he ignored the relieved expressions of the zergs. His wings unfurled behind him, whipping up a powerful gust. Without hesitation, he seized Lin Kong by the waist and soared into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone. Lin Kong had been suspended by wires during film shoots before, so he wasn’t exactly afraid of heights. But Hermes flew even faster than a hawk. The wind howled past his ears, so strong that he couldn’t even open his eyes.

Lin Kong leaned close to Hermes’s ear and shouted over the rushing wind, “Where are we going?! Home?!”

The wind carried his voice away, making it sound faint and unclear.

Home?

When Hermes heard that word, he paused for a moment—a strange feeling stirred in his chest. He forcibly pushed it down and frowned. [We’re going back to the cave.]

Through the dense, lush forest, he spotted the familiar cave and suddenly accelerated, diving straight down with Lin Kong in tow. The moment they landed, Lin Kong lost his footing and crashed face-first into the ground.

“Ow—damn it!”

Lin Kong spat out a mouthful of dust, grumbling as he struggled to his feet. He shot Hermes a resentful look. “Can’t you be a little gentler?”

Hearing this, Hermes paused mid-step at the entrance of the cave. He cast Lin Kong a sidelong glance, his expression unreadable. [Gentle?]

What kind of nonsense was that?

Lin Kong had already accepted the fact that Hermes was practically illiterate when it came to emotions. He wiped the dust off his face with his sleeve and patiently explained, “Being gentle means treating someone well. Look at me—I’m so nice to you. I check on you every day.”

Hermes remained unmoved. Instead, he let out a cold chuckle and replied, [Prey is meant to be eaten.]

With that, he turned and walked into the cave, leaving Lin Kong staring after him in disbelief.

Lin Kong was momentarily stunned, only to belatedly realize that Hermes was mocking him. He let out a cold huff in his heart and begrudgingly followed him into the cave. “I’m prey? Then why haven’t you eaten me yet? What are you keeping me around for?”

Lin Kong had a bad habit of constantly flirting with danger.

Hermes had been sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, meditating. At Lin Kong’s words, he snapped his eyes open and suddenly lunged forward. With a swift motion of his right hand, he yanked Lin Kong directly in front of him. His sharp gaze darkened, shadows pooling in the corners of his eyes. [Do you believe I won’t eat you right now?!]

Like the Zerg King devouring its own kind—crushing bone and flesh, swallowing everything whole. Hermes had never tried eating that way before, but he didn’t mind experimenting.

“…”

Lin Kong didn’t speak. He couldn’t help but blink, his thick lashes fluttering slightly. Up close, his features had a hint of mixed heritage, and his lashes almost brushed against Hermes’ cheek. “Do you really want to eat me?”

Lin Kong’s smile was dangerously enticing. His lips weren’t as pale as Hermes’; they were a shade between crimson and soft pink, the kind of color that made people want to take a bite. “Then eat me?”

—Since Hermes saved him today, after all.

Hermes took the words as provocation. His gaze darkened, and before he could stop himself, two sharp fangs pierced through his gums. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and bit into Lin Kong’s neck, intending to teach him a lesson. But just as he was about to sink his teeth in—a firm grip clamped around his jaw. Lin Kong’s fingers curled under his chin, forcing him to stop. His voice carried a teasing tone. “Hey, I didn’t say you could eat me like this.”

Lin Kong was never one to take a loss. Meeting Hermes’ bewildered gaze, he paused for a brief moment—then suddenly lowered his head and kissed him. With practiced ease, he pried open Hermes’ lips, seeking out the soft tip of his tongue and teasing it with a gentle touch.

Hermes’ pupils contracted for a brief moment at the sight. Something about this development didn’t quite match his expectations. Frowning, he tightened his grip on Lin Kong’s shoulders, uncertain whether he meant to push him away or pull him closer—until a sudden chill swept over his skin as his divine robe was silently stripped away.

Lin Kong’s fingers brushed over Hermes’ firm abdomen without a trace of hesitation. His throat felt inexplicably dry as he leaned in, capturing the heat of Hermes’ flushed earlobe between his lips. With a voice laced with an unreadable meaning, he murmured, “How about I teach you how to eat?”

 

 

 

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