He wanted to avoid it, but instead hastened to meet it.
Even long afterward, Lin Kong still couldn’t understand— he had clearly tried his best to avoid the crash, so why did he still end up right beneath the falling debris?
“Screeeech—!”
The sharp, piercing sound of tires screeching against the pavement shattered the silence, startling countless birds into frantic flight, their wings flapping wildly as they scattered into the sky.
As the bus climbed halfway up the mountain, at the exact same stretch of road and the exact same moment in time, it was struck by a rockslide. To make matters worse, the brakes failed. The vehicle smashed through the guardrail and plunged off the cliff.
It was over. Everyone on board was going to die.
As Lin Kong’s body plunged off the cliff, weightless and out of control, only one stark, blinding thought flashed through his mind—Then everything was swallowed by a violent impact, and consciousness slipped away.
If luck was on his side, he thought, maybe—just maybe—he’d run into Hermes again, like last time. But if luck abandoned him, even a slight shift in where he landed, and he could easily end up a mangled mess of flesh and bone.
In the end, it all came down to fate.
The early morning wind still carried a hint of chill. The yellow bus plummeted straight into the deep ravine, but aside from the clatter of falling rocks, no other sound followed. It was as if it had vanished into some unknown void.
Pain…
His chest ached. His bones throbbed. It felt like his entire body had been torn apart, like his frame had been dismantled and dumped onto a bed of shattered glass—he couldn’t even catch his breath.
Cold sweat broke out all over Lin Kong’s body. With a violent shudder, he finally woke from the boundless darkness. His eyes fluttered open in a daze, greeted by pitch blackness. The air was thick with the damp, decaying scent of rot—like moldy wood—so pungent that he froze for a moment in confusion.
Where… was he?
Lin Kong tried to move, but it felt as if his limbs were bound—he could barely breathe. Turning his head with effort, he was caught off guard by the sudden sight of a face—pale, strikingly beautiful, and fast asleep. The other’s frosty eyelashes hung low, casting a dense shadow over closed eyes. And even without seeing them, Lin Kong knew—behind those lids was a pair of eyes more vivid and crimson than the finest rubies.
Hermes…
Lin Kong stared, momentarily stunned. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, unable to make sense of what had just happened. By all logic, after falling off the bus into the ravine, shouldn’t he have wandered for a few days before being found by Hermes again? How did things end up like this?
With wide, dark eyes, Lin Kong scanned his surroundings. The place looked strangely familiar—almost like the temple from before. Unable to resist, he shifted slightly and tried to wriggle out of Hermes’ embrace to sit up. But the moment he moved, a wave of dizziness hit him like a hammer, and he collapsed back down, landing flat on his rear.
“Thud—!”
Damn it, so dizzy!
Lin Kong felt like he hadn’t eaten in eight hundred years—completely drained, seeing stars.
He struggled to push against the still-sleeping Hermes and couldn’t help but call out, voice hoarse and urgent: “Hermes, wake up! Hermes?!”
Hermes was already half-awake from all the noise. The moment Lin Kong shoved him, his eyes flew open. Instinctively, with the wariness of a beast, he seized the hand at his waist in a flash, his sharp gaze locking onto the intruder— But the second he met Lin Kong’s wide, jet-black eyes, his expression froze in shock, disbelief flooding his face.
“Lin… Kong?”
Hermes’s pupils shrank to pinpoints—he almost thought he was dreaming. Wasn’t Lin Kong dead? How could he suddenly be alive again?! As if needing to confirm it for himself, he reached out in stunned disbelief, his hand trembling slightly as it touched Lin Kong’s neck.
Warm. Soft. So close, he could feel the pulse of blood beneath his fingertips—no different from a living person.
Lin Kong didn’t know why Hermes was staring at him with such a terrifying look in his eyes, but he stayed obediently still. After a moment, he asked tentatively, “Hermes? Do you… still remember me?”
Lin Kong was trying to confirm exactly which point in time he had crossed into, but unknowingly, his words only served to provoke Hermes even more.
Hermes’s fingers tightened uncontrollably. He gripped Lin Kong’s face, his usual, frosty demeanor warped by a rare surge of excitement. His breath became shallow and erratic as he leaned in, his voice a low, almost desperate murmur: [Lin Kong… you’re alive? You’re really alive, aren’t you?]
Hermes gently caressed Lin Kong’s face, as if afraid he might disappear before his eyes. Finally, he pulled him into his arms, holding him so tightly that Lin Kong thought his bones might snap under the pressure.
“Cough, cough, cough, cough!”
Lin Kong erupted in a fit of violent coughing, finally confirming the time period he had ended up in. Struggling to speak through his hoarse throat, he managed to say, “I’m alive, but if you keep squeezing me like that, I’ll be dead again soon. Can you get me something to eat…”
Hermes was utterly unprepared for Lin Kong to ask for food the moment he woke up. He froze for a moment at the request, then reluctantly released Lin Kong. He stood up and walked toward the temple doors, tossing a hurried remark over his shoulder: [Wait for me to come back!]
After living with Lin Kong for so long, Hermes knew exactly what the other liked. Right now, it wasn’t just about Lin Kong being hungry and wanting food—if Lin Kong asked for the moon itself, Hermes would probably get that too. Less than an hour later, Hermes returned, proudly carrying a freshly prepared game.
While waiting in the temple, Lin Kong took the chance to quietly check his own body. To his surprise, the scars from the wound inflicted by Gayan had completely disappeared. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he finally asked when Hermes returned: “Hermes, why are the wounds on my body gone? Did you do something to make them vanish?”
Hermes was focused on preparing the food for Lin Kong, his eyes lowered as he clumsily started a fire. When Lin Kong spoke, he responded with a neutral, emotionless “Mm,” as if the earlier excitement had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion. [I transferred some life force to heal your wounds.]
Lin Kong glanced at him quietly, a strange sense of concern rising within him. “How much did you give?”
Hermes didn’t seem inclined to hide anything, and calmly answered, [An entire winter and spring.]
Upon hearing this, Lin Kong’s pupils contracted in shock, his voice full of disbelief as he asked, “An entire winter and spring?! How much life force did you have to give? Isn’t that a huge waste?!”
He had considered that after his death, Hermes might try to save him with psychic energy—maybe for a day, two, or even a week or half a month. But he never imagined Hermes would persist for such a long time. Lin Kong remembered falling in winter, but now, when he looked outside, the trees were already lush with shade.
[But you were dead.]
Hermes crouched on the ground, his expression impassive as he gripped the lifeless game. His tone was almost obsessive, each word deliberate and weighted: [No breath, no body temperature, no heartbeat. If I hadn’t transferred life force to you, you would’ve started to decay soon.]
Lin Kong was vibrant and beautiful, and Hermes couldn’t bear the thought of watching him turn into a mass of rotting flesh.
“Then you…”
Lin Kong pressed his lips together at Hermes’ words, momentarily at a loss for what to say. His gaze lingered on Hermes, complicated and searching, before he spoke softly: “Then you don’t have to do all this… I’m dead, I’m dead.”
He was just a prey—why would Hermes waste his time and energy over something like that?
At those words, Hermes’ fingers tightened. Without warning, he snapped the branch in his hand with a brutal crack, narrowing his eyes with a fierce, almost dangerous intensity. [You’re not allowed to die!]
As though realizing those words weren’t enough, he repeated them in a low, commanding tone: [Lin Kong, you’re not allowed to die!]
“Alright, alright, I won’t die. Who would want to die if they can live, right?”
Lin Kong had long since grown accustomed to going along with Hermes, his tone light as he grinned and leaned in next to him. Seeing Hermes busy cooking, he softened, moving closer and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. “Actually, I’ve missed you a lot during this time.”
And it was true—he really had missed him.
During the time Lin Kong had been unconscious, it felt as if he were trapped in a narrow, black space, unable to wake up no matter what. Then, when he finally opened his eyes, he inexplicably found himself back on the bus. At that moment, he didn’t have time to think much—he was only focused on rescuing the passengers, desperately trying to stop the vehicle.
Looking back now, if the bus hadn’t flipped, he wouldn’t have ended up meeting Hermes.
“Sigh…”
Lin Kong couldn’t help but sigh. He wondered what had happened to the others on the bus—whether they’d turned into a pile of mush. But if someone as fragile as him had survived, surely they had a chance too, right? Especially that damn kid who had pressed him against the window. The boy’s skills seemed pretty impressive.
As Lin Kong’s mind wandered, Hermes had already gotten the fire going. He didn’t know where Hermes had found a nest of bird eggs, but the shells were a pale blue, only the size of quail eggs. After tossing them near the fire, he let them roast for a few minutes.
Hermes wasn’t afraid of the heat. Grabbing the blackened eggs, he used his psychic power to crack them open. The shells shattered with a satisfying crack, revealing the smooth, white egg flesh inside, still steaming with heat.
“Bird eggs?! Where did you find these?!”
Lin Kong couldn’t hide his excitement. He quickly took a few eggs, blowing on them to cool them down, though his eyes were still fixed on the pile of roasted meat on the ground.
Hermes, mimicking the way Lin Kong used to cook, skewered slices of meat onto a branch and slowly roasted them over the fire. His brows furrowed slightly, as if he didn’t particularly enjoy the intense heat. Every now and then, the licking flames came too close, singeing the tips of his hair.
Lin Kong couldn’t watch any longer and took the skewer from Hermes’ hand. “I’ll roast it. Your hair’s getting burnt.”
Hermes didn’t stop him, letting go of the skewer with ease. He turned his head, his gaze lingering on Lin Kong’s face, illuminated by the flickering flames. It felt like they had returned to the time when they were in the cave together. Out of nowhere, he spoke quietly, [Lin Kong…]
Lin Kong glanced at him while working on the meat, responding casually, “Hmm? What’s up?”
Hermes: [The Zerg King is dead.]
Lin Kong paused, blinking slowly as he processed the information. He remembered pulling the Zerg King’s heart out, and it seemed that surviving after that would have been quite difficult for him. “Did I kill him?”
Hermes gave a short, neutral reply, [Mm, you killed him.]
Lin Kong heard this and couldn’t help but smile, a hint of smugness appearing on his face. “See? In a critical moment, you still have to rely on me. None of you could handle it… By the way, do you have a new king now?”
Hermes fell silent. He stared at Lin Kong without a word, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, like a cold, indifferent statue of a god. The aura of someone in a position of power was unmistakable: […]
Lin Kong, unaware of the shift, noticed a slight change in Hermes’ expression. His face faltered for a moment. “You don’t mean to say…?”
Hermes closed his eyes with a faint, unintentional air of arrogance.
Lin Kong was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief. “You don’t mean to say… you want me to be the king?!”
Hermes: […]
What in the world was Lin Kong thinking?
Hermes opened his eyes, his brows furrowing in dissatisfaction, clearly displeased with Lin Kong’s lack of perception. [It’s me.]
He explained with a hint of irritation, [The new king of the Zerg Race is me.]
Behind those words, there was much more. It meant they no longer had to live in fear of the Zerg King’s threat. They wouldn’t have to constantly worry when going out to hunt. They could settle down and live in peace.
It also meant that Hermes finally had the time to deal with the fugitive Gayan.
Would Lin Kong understand all of this?
Lin Kong didn’t understand. He pouted, scoffing inwardly, thinking that even though he was the one who killed the Zerg King, Hermes seemed to have reaped all the benefits. “The way you’re asking, I thought the Zerg King was me.”
Hermes’s gaze grew unreadable as he asked, [Do you want to be king?]
If Lin Kong wanted to, it wouldn’t be impossible.
Lin Kong grinned mischievously, sticking his tongue out at Hermes. “I don’t want to be king. I want to be a salted fish.”
A salted fish that just eats and waits for death.
As the time passed, Lin Kong ate the roasted meat while listening to Hermes recount what had happened in the time he was unconscious. The more he listened, the more uncomfortable he felt. When he learned that Hermes had originally planned to eat him today, the meat in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor.
Lin Kong’s gaze subtly shifted towards Hermes, and he asked with a touch of unease, “Didn’t you say you were planning to eat me? Why didn’t you?”
He was silently relieved that he woke up early—otherwise, he might have ended up missing a limb or two.
Hermes didn’t respond. He frowned, staring at the ground, his mood slightly irritated, as if he didn’t even know the answer himself. After a pause, he finally spoke, [I…]
He hesitated for a moment, his voice suddenly softening, carrying an undeniable seriousness. [I… can’t bear it.]
Yes, he couldn’t bear it.
He knew that Lin Kong feared pain, which was why he couldn’t bring himself to eat him. At the same time, there was a glimmer of an inappropriate hope in his heart—what if Lin Kong woke up in the next second?
Hermes quietly watched Lin Kong. His ruby-red eyes were no longer cold, now filled with emotions more akin to those of humans.
[Lin Kong… I’d rather rot with you.]
In other words: I want to die with you.
Lin Kong was jolted by Hermes’ simple statement, his heart skipping a beat. He suddenly felt flustered and at a loss. Without thinking, he stood up from the ground, fanning himself with the corner of his clothing as he walked toward the door of the temple. “What do you mean ‘rot together’? We’re both alive and well, why talk like that?”
“Back in my hometown, we avoid saying things like that. We can’t even say ‘laughed to death’—we say ‘laughed to riches.’”
“You should change it, ‘Lin Kong, I want to get rich with you.’ Don’t you think that sounds much better?”
Lin Kong tended to ramble when he got nervous, his words tumbling out in a flurry, and he didn’t even realize what he was saying. His pale skin had a faint flush, radiating warmth, as if his entire body had been set ablaze.
Hermes silently walked up behind him, suddenly feeling that Lin Kong looked incredibly beautiful in that moment. A feeling—something like “desire”—stirred within him, making him feel a strange itch deep inside.
[Lin Kong, sleep with me.]
This was the most straightforward way Hermes knew to express his feelings. After speaking, he gently grasped Lin Kong’s wrist and began leading him toward the creek, leaving Lin Kong momentarily stunned.
Too… too direct, isn’t it?
Lin Kong instinctively glanced around at the darkening night, then reached out to stop Hermes. “It’s getting dark. You should grab a coat—what if we run into the Blood Moon?”
Hermos paused at Lin Kong’s words, turning to look at him, then shook his head. [There’s no Blood Moon anymore, Lin Kong.]
“What?” Lin Kong asked, puzzled.
Hermos extended a pale, slender hand toward the sky, gently sweeping it through the air. The dense canopy of leaves parted automatically, revealing a gap in the night sky.
A silver moon hung at the treetops, quietly casting its pure, bright light, accompanied by the cool night breeze. It was as beautiful and eternal as the moon on Earth.
In that moment, Lin Kong felt as though he were seeing an old friend again.
Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
