TCPUAAV Chapter 69

 

When the Zergs arrived on the surface, the inner city had already activated its protective shield. Moreover, since most of the Zergs were swarming toward the cub academy, the inner city had yet to suffer a full-scale assault.

 

Ruan Shiqing and Mo Li led a team, piloting three newly produced second-generation armored walkers, weaving through the tide of Zerg as they made their way to the inner city.

 

Key positions within the inner city had already been taken over by personnel arranged by Mo Li, making their entry relatively smooth. The head of the satellite center led them to the control room.

 

After a thorough inspection, Ruan Shiqing finally understood why B3024, despite having an asteroid-grade protective shield, had failed to activate it in time to prevent the Zerg invasion.

 

—There were simply too many Zergs.

 

If B3024 were a sugar cube, then the Zerg army was akin to ants drawn to its scent, swarming relentlessly from some unknown location. They covered the outer layer of B3024 like a dense, writhing mass of ants, continuously breaking through the atmosphere and infiltrating the planet.

 

At this moment, two-fifths of B3024’s surface had already been blanketed by the Zerg horde.

 

If they attempted to activate the protective shield now, even an asteroid-grade shield would shatter the moment it came online under the sheer onslaught of the Zergs.

 

To successfully deploy the shield, they first needed to find a way to clear the Zergs clinging to B3024’s surface. Only then could the shield fully extend. Once it was fully operational, the external Zergs would have a much harder time breaking through.

 

“We need to find a way to lure the Zergs away,” Ruan Shiqing frowned in thought. “Otherwise, with their numbers, we won’t last until reinforcements arrive.”

 

At the current rate, forget two days—if the Zergs continued to multiply, they might not even last until morning.

 

Mo Li also realized the gravity of the situation. A Zerg swarm of this magnitude was something typically only seen on the front lines.

 

But on the front lines, there were elite soldiers, advanced weaponry, and meticulously planned defensive lines. Even when facing a Zerg tide, they still had room to fight back. However, on B3024, everyone was effectively cornered, left with no choice but to endure the assault.

 

“Mr. Rong might have a solution,” Mo Li finally suggested.

 

If they needed to lure away the Zergs on B3024’s outer layer, perhaps only His Highness the Crown Prince could manage it.

 

Ruan Shiqing hesitated briefly before dialing Mr. Rong’s communicator.

 

When faced with an overwhelming enemy, killing became an instinctive act.

 

The colossal Ymir resembled an unyielding war machine, forming a triangular defensive perimeter alongside the two black dragons, one large and one small, to shield the entire school.

 

His once pristine white fur was now soaked in the Zerg’s dark blood, while his golden eyes burned with an unrelenting battle lust. The only sound in his ears was the howling wind—everything else had faded into white noise.

 

It wasn’t until Hector’s repeated shouts of “Communications!” that he was pulled back from his battle trance.

 

After crushing a Zerg beneath his claws, Rong Heng took a breath, groping for the communicator and pressing the call button.

 

The device was stored in a folding space, transmitting only audio without video.

 

“Mr. Rong, are you available to take this call?”

 

Rong Heng swiped a paw, slashing apart two Zergs in one strike. He steadied his breath, trying to maintain a composed tone. Yet, after three straight hours of high-intensity combat, even a Ymir found it difficult to remain poised.

 

“I’m listening.”

 

Through the communicator came the sound of heavy breathing, accompanied by the chaotic shrieks of Zergs in the background.

 

The cub school was the epicenter of the Zerg assault. Even reconnaissance drones couldn’t enter, leaving Ruan Shiqing in the dark about the situation inside. But hearing Rong Heng’s voice, albeit strained, still responding, gave him some relief.

 

“Marlin and I have reached the inner city and are preparing to activate B3024’s protective shield. However, the Zergs on the outer layer are too densely packed—we need to lure them away before we can activate it.”

 

“How much time do you need?”

 

“At least twenty minutes.”

 

Rong Heng leaped into the air, using his sheer weight to crush a dozen Zerg attempting to breach the defensive line. “Understood. When do we act?”

 

“As soon as possible.”

 

“I’ll find someone to take over for me. I’ll contact you shortly.”

 

Ending the call, Rong Heng scanned the school grounds. His narrowed eyes soon landed on the seemingly idle Lansing and the boy standing beside him.

 

“Ruan Yuebai, come here.”

 

At the sound of his voice, the young merfolk lifted his head and saw the towering Ymir. Without hesitation, he grabbed his blade and sprinted toward Rong Heng.

 

—Under Lansing’s guidance, he had quickly adapted to using his legs and could now run at a steady pace.

 

Rong Heng watched the boy approaching him and confirmed his suspicions—this was the artificial merfolk.

 

He had managed to master his transformation at such a critical moment.

 

Fixing him with a deep gaze, Rong Heng swiped a paw to crush a lunging Zerg, then grabbed his cub and tossed him onto his back. Turning to Lansing, who had rushed over, he said, “I have an important mission. You’re in charge here.”

 

With that, he shifted position, placing Lansing directly at the breach in the defensive line.

 

Lansing’s eye twitched. “047, stay here.”

 

Rong Heng let out a derisive snort. “He just learned how to switch forms, what’s the point of leaving him here? So he can die with you?”

 

It was obvious that people didn’t cherish a cub unless it was their own.

 

His Highness the Crown Prince was visibly displeased.

 

“The crueler the battlefield, the more potential it unlocks,” Lansing retorted. “Your excessive protectiveness will only raise him into a useless weakling.”

 

Damn.

 

This damned seafood was really getting on his nerves.

 

If this wasn’t the wrong time, Rong Heng seriously wanted to throw hands with him.

 

“Not up for discussion.” He turned and left without another word.

 

However, the little mermaid perched on his neck tugged at his ear—because the Ymir’s full form was simply too massive, he had almost been swallowed up by thick fur. It took considerable effort just to get Rong Heng’s attention.

 

Setting the cub down, Rong Heng looked at him. “What do you want to say?”

 

Technically speaking, at a time like this, a cub shouldn’t have a say in the matter. But Rong Heng had always respected the wishes of his young ones.

 

The little mermaid fought for himself: [I want to stay.]

 

Just earlier, he and Lansing had gone to the infirmary to retrieve a medicine vial and deliver it to the underground shelter. Among the teachers staying behind, one also served as a medical officer and had helped treat Nota’s injuries.

 

But the medic said Nota’s condition was too severe, she had to be taken to a hospital as soon as possible, or she’d be in grave danger.

 

The hospital was in the inner city, and right now, the entire school was sealed off by the Zergs. There was no way they could fight their way out anytime soon. His only hope was that the Zerg tide would recede quickly.

 

He emphasized again: [I want to stay. Lansing and I will hold the line for you.]

 

Rong Heng stared at him for several seconds before turning to Lansing. “Watch over him.”

 

Then, without another word, he shifted to a smaller form and bolted into the school.

 

He was going to find Ruan Jiao.

 

Ruan Jiao was in the underground shelter, tending to the little fox. He gently stroked her forehead, trying to ease her pain and discomfort. But after using up so much mental energy throughout the day, he was completely drained. No matter how hard he tried, the antennas on his forehead remained limp and lifeless.

 

In the end, all he could do was let the little fox rest her head on his lap to keep her as comfortable as possible.

 

By the time Rong Heng arrived, Ruan Jiao was already nodding off from exhaustion. But despite his fatigue, he forced himself to stay awake to watch over the little fox, his eyes wide open in stubborn determination.

 

He was so focused on keeping his gaze locked onto the fox that he didn’t even notice Rong Heng approaching.

 

It wasn’t until Rong Heng nudged him that he snapped out of it.

 

Lowering his voice, Rong Heng asked, “Those Zergs, they’re here for you, aren’t they?”

 

Ever since discovering that Ruan Jiao could intimidate the Zergs, he knew this swarm had to be drawn to him.

 

The Zergs had existed for as long as the Galactic Empire. Over the millennia, the Empire had advanced, and countless species had evolved and adapted. The Zergs, however, remained unchanged, primitive in structure, low in intelligence, aggressive by nature, and ruled by a strict hierarchy.

 

Only high-tier Zerg could exert dominance over lower-tier ones.

 

Ruan Jiao’s ability to intimidate them was no coincidence.

 

He had to be connected to the Zergs in some way.

 

Perhaps his appearance on B3024 wasn’t a coincidence either. But right now, Rong Heng had neither the time nor the energy to dig into that mystery.

 

Ruan Jiao blinked, avoiding his gaze, and nodded gloomily.

 

He thought Rong Heng was about to blame him, and his antennas drooped even further.

 

But instead, Rong Heng said, “I need to lure the Zerg army away from B3024’s surface. Can you make them follow you?”

 

Ruan Jiao’s head snapped up. Understanding what Rong Heng was asking, he nodded resolutely.

 

Without hesitation, Rong Heng picked him up and placed him on his back. Then he handed the unconscious little fox to the teacher on duty, instructing them to take good care of her.

 

After that, he carried Ruan Jiao out of the underground shelter.

 

As soon as they reached the school perimeter, the surrounding Zergs instantly grew more agitated, as if they had sensed Ruan Jiao’s presence.

 

Rong Heng frowned at the reaction and turned to ask, “Is there a way to stop them from chasing us for now?”

 

He needed to take the cub off-planet to lure the Zergs away. The last thing he wanted was to drag an entire swarm into the sky and interfere with the shield activation.

 

Ruan Jiao thought for a moment, then slid off Rong Heng’s back, crouching on the ground and hugging his knees.

 

Slowly, an invisible membrane formed around him, gradually enclosing him into a white, egg-like cocoon.

 

???

 

Rong Heng lifted a paw and nudged the milky-white, round egg.

 

Then he glanced at the Zergs. They showed no reaction to the egg’s presence and were still relentlessly charging forward.

 

Lowering his head, he gently clamped the egg in his jaws and searched for an opening before forcibly breaking through the encirclement.

 

The Zerg tide had been raging for three hours now, and the cub school—at the heart of it all—was surrounded in tight, suffocating layers of enemies. Even for a Ymir as powerful as him, breaking through required considerable effort.

 

Fortunately, Ruan Jiao hadn’t tricked him. The Zergs showed no unusual reaction to the strange egg and remained focused on swarming the school.

 

It took Rong Heng half an hour to carve a bloody path out. By the time he reached Fragrance Tower Manor, his entire body was drenched in a mixture of sweat and Zerg ichor.

 

Carrying the egg in his jaws, he entered Glory, quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes, and—without bothering to clean up his disheveled state—immediately dialed Ruan Shiqing’s communicator.

 

“I’m ready. I can head out now. I’ve got a battleship stationed at B3024’s outer perimeter, I’ll use it to lure the Zerg away.”

 

“Copy that,” Ruan Shiqing responded. “We’re ready on our end as well. Stay safe.”

 

With the brief exchange concluded, Rong Heng fired up Glory and sped toward the upper atmosphere.

 

The white egg had been placed securely in the co-pilot seat. It wobbled slightly, rolling a little from side to side.

 

Taking a moment, Rong Heng fastened a safety harness around it to keep it in place, then gave it a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry. I won’t let those bugs[mfn]I forgot to mention it before, but when the characters use bugs/insects instead of Zergs, it’s mostly as an insult, but since they mean the same technically, it can be a bit confusing at time ^^[/mfn]  snatch you away.”

 

The egg wobbled again, as if responding to him.

 

 

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Our suspicions were right about Jiao Jiao!! I can’t wait to know more about his backstory and how this happened!!!

 

Also… Rong Heng… officially sees them… as…his…cubs… I was so surprised to see him think that considering he’s a tsun…!!! Papa Rong!! ･ﾟ･(｡>ω<｡)･ﾟ･

 

(By the way I really don’t like the title of this chapter… What do you mean, “begins”??? they’ve been at it for quite a moment already orz)

 

Thanks for reading!

For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~