Today marks the twenty-fifth day since the raid by the interstellar pirates.
Xu Cenfeng held a sharp piece of stone in his hand and made a mark on the door of the dilapidated spacecraft—a mark that, not more, not less, precisely completed five strokes of the character ‘正’.
Finishing the last stroke, he tossed the sharpened stone away into the distance, then quietly settled into a sheltered corner, as if awaiting something.
Raya was shivering uncontrollably, unable to bear the cold any longer. He squeezed over to sit next to Xu Cenfeng, wiping his runny nose with his sleeve, and asked with a trembling voice, “Cenfeng, what if we die here? The military has been chasing us from behind. If these interstellar pirates find themselves cornered and decide to take us down with them, what should we do?”
He was a rare and precious male zerg. Last month, while on a trip, he had been inadvertently abducted by the interstellar pirates and brought here. Surrounding him were many other male zergs who had encountered the same fate, all huddling together anxiously for warmth.
Xu Cenfeng was the quietest among them and also the most distinctive in appearance. With his black hair, black eyes, and fair skin, he was so beautiful that he didn’t look like a male zerg at all.
“We won’t. The military will rescue us today.”
His voice was gentle, sounding quite certain, which dispelled some of the tension and unease hanging in the air.
Raya sniffed and glanced nervously outside, then whispered, “I overheard the interstellar pirates talking earlier. They said the food supplies are running low and they need to select a few male zergs to exchange for resources with the military. If we’re chosen, we can leave this place.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Cenfeng turned his head to look outside and indeed noticed that there were nearly half fewer interstellar pirates standing guard outside today compared to yesterday. He wondered if they were negotiating with the military.
In the land of Salaranfa, interstellar pirates had always roamed, specializing in raiding and capturing rare and precious male zergs for their own purposes or for ransom. However, after the military’s vigorous crackdown, their numbers had significantly dwindled.
The Klayt Alliance was the most powerful faction among the pirate organizations. A month ago, they had been pursued by the military, scattering and fleeing. A lucky surviving group of pirates had fled from the west to the north. They had initially intended to exploit the conflict between two tribes but had inadvertently drawn the attention of Hossburgh in the north.
In the harsh cold of the north, amidst the season of swirling snow, after days of fierce battles, these interstellar pirates had been pushed into a corner by the military. Even their lone operational combat starship had long been scrapped, now sitting desolately in the snow, serving temporarily as a place to detain the male zergs.
Unfortunately, the porthole glass was shattered, allowing wind to gust in from all sides, with nothing to block it. Snowflakes blew in through the crevices, covering the ground in a thin layer of frost.
Dozens of armed interstellar pirates patrolled outside, back and forth, to prevent the detained male zergs from escaping. After all, they were the pirates’ only bargaining chip with the military and their last card to save their lives.
Xu Cenfeng stood up from the ground, pulling his collar tight as he walked to the window. Above his head was a movable star screen, barely able to receive signals, intermittently broadcasting today’s news.
“Males and females, good morning. Today is the 6th of Zerg Month 1, welcome to today’s news bulletin…”
“According to the latest reports, there has been significant progress in the recent case of the highly regarded Klayt Interstellar Pirate Alliance raiding male zergs… Northern leader Faeus is leading the troops in pursuit, and the whereabouts of the pirates have been located. Rescue is expected in the coming days…”
“The following is the list of abducted male zergs…”
Accompanied by the sweet voice of the anchor, the star screen displayed the photos and identity information of the abducted male zergs. They had different hair colors and eye colors, and most of them could be matched with their “original owners” aboard this abandoned starship. However, even after the broadcast was over, not a single photo of a male zerg with black hair and black eyes appeared.
Raya was also watching the news. He walked over to Xu Cenfeng’s side, glanced at him with confusion, feeling puzzled. “Cenfeng, why isn’t your identity information on there?”
In Salaranfa, male zergs were extremely rare and precious, so there shouldn’t have been any mistakes or omissions in the statistics.
Xu Cenfeng chuckled and replied, “I’m not from your side.”
Raya was puzzled, “Side?”
Xu Cenfeng corrected himself, “Zerg.”
Indeed, no matter how much time had passed, he couldn’t get used to this term, whether it was from his past life or this one.
Inside the starship, it was unbearably cold. Some male zergs were already trembling violently from the cold, and a few had developed high fevers. Seeing this, Xu Cenfeng braved the wind and snow, stepping out of the starship. He intended to find some materials in the nearby bushes to start a fire. Fortunately, the ship was near the dense Solitiam Forest, where vegetation was abundant. It was unlikely they could find branches elsewhere.
One of the armed interstellar pirates, seeing Xu Cenfeng emerge, immediately aimed the dark gun barrel at him, frowning and gruffly demanding, “Who allowed you to come out? Go back!”
Under normal circumstances, they would have coveted such a beautiful male zerg, but now, facing life and death, their minds were focused solely on survival, with no room for romantic thoughts.
“It’s too cold inside. I’m just going to pick up some twigs to make a fire.”
Xu Cenfeng’s tone remained unchanged, showing no fear of the dark gun barrel. He circled around the nearby bushes and soon gathered a pile of damp dead branches before turning back to the starship.
Raya had been terrified when he saw the interstellar pirates aiming their guns at Xu Cenfeng. Seeing him return, he rushed forward nervously. “Are you crazy? Going out at a time like this! What if they shoot you?”
Xu Cenfeng had a lighter in his pocket, but the damp twigs were difficult to ignite. He found a magazine in the corner to use as tinder, finally managing to start a small fire.
Waving away the smoke that stung their eyes, Xu Cenfeng reassured Raya, who had been anxiously watching him. “Don’t worry, they won’t dare to shoot.”
The military had been searching for their whereabouts. If these interstellar pirates were to open fire, they would immediately reveal their location, essentially signing their own death warrants.
While other zergs abducted to a greater or lesser extent would be somewhat anxious, Xu Cenfeng remained unusually calm. Sitting by the fire, he invited the trembling male zergs nearby, “Come and warm yourselves by the fire.”
Surprised by Xu Cenfeng’s unexpected kindness, the male zergs looked at each other and gathered around the fire, seeking a bit of meager warmth.
Perhaps it was the closeness or the shared suffering, but they couldn’t help but engage in quiet conversation, speculating about their fate to come.
One of the male zergs sighed, “If this were the West, we would surely be rescued. In the North, where Hossburgh’s influence lies, it’s uncertain whether the military will even bother with us.”
The Zerg race wasn’t entirely unified. Although they shared the same planet, they were divided by the Solitiam Forest into two factions: the West and the North, with longstanding grievances between them.
In the West, male zergs were revered, while in the North, it was the opposite; females were held in high esteem. The starship had gathered male zergs from various regions, and their appearances hinted at their origins.
The males from the West were fairer and more delicate, while those from the North had slightly darker skin and a rougher appearance. Their only commonality was their fragility and vulnerability.
“The military will definitely care for us. There are even fewer male zergs in the North than in the West. If we were to perish, how would the empire continue to prosper?!” This was indeed the truth.
Raya noticed Xu Cenfeng quietly tending to the fire nearby and couldn’t help but ask, “Cenfeng, are you also a male zerg from the West?”
Despite knowing each other for so many days, he seemed to know nothing about Xu Cenfeng other than his name.
Xu Cenfeng shook his head, his slender and fair fingertips reflecting a warm orange glow from the fire, stunningly beautiful: “My hometown isn’t here.”
Curious, Raya asked, “Then where is your hometown?”
Xu Cenfeng replied, “Earth.”
Raya scratched his head in confusion. “What a strange name. I’ve never heard of such a place. How did these interstellar pirates capture you?”
Xu Cenfeng smiled. “I was on a bus passing through a mountain pass when it accidentally overturned. My friends and I fell off the cliff and wandered in the forest for a long time. It was just by chance that these interstellar pirates caught us.”
Raya hadn’t expected Xu Cenfeng’s fate to be similar to his own. Filled with indignation, he exclaimed, “I was also captured by these interstellar pirates while traveling. They’re truly despicable! Which tour group were you with? Could it be the same one as mine?”
As Xu Cenfeng added a few dry branches to the fire, he thought to himself that he wasn’t here for tourism. He was actually the tour guide on that bus. He quietly uttered a few words, “Little Yellow Duck Tour Group.”
Raya shook his head. “Never heard of it. What about your friends? Are they here too?”
Xu Cenfeng didn’t elaborate much. “He went to the distant West. There’s a female zerg waiting for him there.”
Raya chatted casually, “Then how did you end up in the North?”
Xu Cenfeng lowered his gaze to the fire, the orange flames flickering incessantly, casting shadows on his clear profile. He looked warmer than white jade. He murmured a sentence that others couldn’t understand. “I’m here to wait for a female zerg…”
Before Raya could ask anything further, a sudden burst of footsteps outside interrupted them. It turned out to be the leader of the interstellar pirates returning with his group. Immediately, everyone tensed up, and even the other male zergs fell silent.
“Those damned black-skinned dogs! Do they really think I’m afraid of them?!”
An imposing female zerg stormed into the starship, knocking over the clutter nearby with a loud crash. With a scruffy beard and a black eyepatch covering one eye, it was evident that he was blind in one eye. That’s why everyone called him One Eye.
One Eye had originally been just a small fry in the Klayt Alliance. However, since the leader was captured, he had temporarily become the leader of this group of interstellar pirates. Unfortunately, before he could enjoy his newfound status for long, they were forced into a desperate situation by the military.
One of the interstellar pirates, noticing the tension, nervously asked, “Boss, does that group of military females refuse to agree to our terms?”
One Eye gritted his teeth. “Faeus, that female, wants us to hand over five male zergs first in exchange for supplies. As for the spacecraft, that’s another matter!”
“What?!” The interstellar pirates crowded forward upon hearing this, their anger unrestrained. “We only have eight male zergs in total, and he wants us to hand over five?!”
“Without a spacecraft, how are we supposed to leave here?!”
“He’s clearly trying to wear us down. Rather than starving to death, we might as well break out and fight!”
The atmosphere on the not-too-large starship suddenly became chaotic, with everyone chattering and arguing. One Eye felt like his head was about to explode from all the noise. Finally, he roared, “Enough! Shut up, all of you!”
This team had been without supplies for almost three days now. Hunger and cold were pressing on their fragile nerves. Continuing like this would not only render the interstellar pirates ineffective in battle but would also lead to the starvation of the vulnerable male zergs.
One Eye strode over to where Xu Cenfeng and the others were huddling for warmth. His gaze swept over the panicked male zergs, and he pointed directly at several of them. “You! You! You! You! All of you, come out here!”
The male zergs pointed out by One Eye couldn’t help but tremble together, not understanding why One Eye wanted them to come out. However, under the intimidating sight of the dark gun barrels, they reluctantly stood up, shaking like chaff.
Now, only four male zergs remained.
As the leader of the interstellar pirates looked towards Xu Cenfeng and Raya, Xu Cenfeng understood that he was selecting male zergs to exchange for supplies. He placed his palm behind Raya, exerting a slight force without leaving a trace, and subtly pushed him forward.
“Plop!”
Raya, caught off guard and with weak legs from the cold, stumbled when pushed forward. Seeing this, One Eye roughly grabbed him from the ground and shoved him towards his group behind. “Get going! Use them to exchange for supplies!”
The remaining male zergs’ faces turned pale upon hearing this. They finally realized that the selected ones had a chance of being rescued and panicked. However, before they could regret their actions of avoiding being chosen earlier, One Eye had already hurriedly left with some of his men.
“What do we do?! They’ve been taken away. Are we going to stay here and wait to die?!”
“I don’t want to die! I haven’t lived enough yet!”
The few interstellar pirates left to guard them couldn’t stand their incessant noise and yelled in frustration, “What are you all babbling about?! Keep it up and I’ll silence you!”
Pointing their guns, they directed their attention towards Xu Cenfeng, who sat alone on the ground. “Learn from him and quiet down!”
Xu Cenfeng ignored the cries around him. He lifted his gaze to the screen broadcasting the news above, where the time was displayed in the top right corner—
10:05.
As Xu Cenfeng’s fingertips unconsciously tapped away, his expression became pensive. Half an hour remained…
This half-hour felt long, long enough for snow to blanket an entire planet, for Xu Cenfeng to lean back in the corner and doze off, and for him to reminisce about some memories from his past life.
Xu Cenfeng was a human.
He was born in a remote mountain village on Earth. His father passed away early, and he was raised by his mother. Fortunately, he excelled in his studies and went to work in a big city after graduating.
A year ago, Xu Cenfeng’s mother fell seriously ill. He quit his job and returned to the village to take care of her, but despite his efforts, he couldn’t keep his only relative. She passed away the following spring.
After taking care of his mother’s affairs, Xu Cenfeng gave up the idea of returning to work in the city and decided to stay in the village as a tour guide. However, fate took a strange turn when the tourist bus he was on overturned, and he found himself transported to a country called Salaranfa.
In this country, there were no humans, only a group of zergs that had evolved into humanoid forms. They didn’t differentiate between genders but only between male and female. The females were brave warriors responsible for reproduction, while the males were scarce and highly valued.
According to the standards of Salaranfa, Xu Cenfeng should be considered a male zerg, and moreover, a remarkably rare 100% pure-blooded male zerg.
In his previous life, when he crossed over, he happened to fall near the Solitiam Forest and was captured by passing interstellar pirates. After being detained for a long 25 days, he was eventually rescued by the northern military.
Male zergs are already rare and precious, but a male zerg with 100% pure blood is even more so. It’s likely that the entire empire couldn’t find a third one.
It’s conceivable that Xu Cenfeng was presented to the Supreme Leader of the North—
Faeus.
Every time Xu Cenfeng thought of this name, a strange pang would tug at his heart, but before long, it gradually faded away like ripples, leaving no trace.
It’s as if he had never spent countless days and nights with the other, as if he had never deeply marked the other in bed, as if he had never loathed that canary-like life, and tried every means to escape from Hossburgh…
In Salaranfa, a female can only accept the deep marking of one male in his lifetime, and then relies on the pheromones of the other to survive. Otherwise, he can only endure repeated episodes of mental turmoil, teetering on the brink of life and death.
In his previous life, Xu Cenfeng had deeply marked a female once, only to flee from his side in the end and find his way back to his hometown through a temporal gateway.
He didn’t know the fate of that female, nor whether he had forgotten him.
During his midnight reveries, Xu Cenfeng had countless dreams of him suffering from mental turmoil, refusing to erase the marks he left, and ultimately perishing on a distant battlefield, carrying his bloodline.
Outside, the snowfall intensified, the biting wind carrying snowflakes into every crevice, eventually leaving a layer of frost on Xu Cenfeng’s dark hair. He silently watched the snow outside the window, then reached out and caught a snowflake, feeling its icy touch…
It is said that during heavy snowfall, old acquaintances return from afar.
Time passed quietly, and the time on the star screen changed to exactly 10:35.
This seems to be some sort of signal. Suddenly, from the distant snowy field, came a series of intense gunfire, and it was getting closer. All the zergs on the starship were shocked and turned towards the direction of the sound, unconsciously gathering at the window. They saw several figures suddenly appear in the sky above, then clumsily fall to the ground like kites with broken strings. Surprisingly, it was One Eye and the others who had gone out to exchange goods.
The interstellar pirates were shocked and panicked, rushing forward to help One Eye up. “Boss?! What happened?!”
The female zergs are born with wings that they can use to fly, but One Eye was shot in the back and his wings were obviously injured. He staggered to his feet, clutching his chest, his rugged face twisted in pain, and he grimaced, “Run! Faeus and his soldiers have found this place, and they’re coming after us!”
His words were like a bombshell, instantly igniting panic among the interstellar pirates:
“What?! Faeus and his soldiers are coming after us?!”
“Run! We need to go now or it’ll be too late!!”
“Bring those male zergs with us! We might need them to save our lives!”
The interstellar pirates immediately armed themselves and dragged Xu Cenfeng and the others out of the starship, pressing guns against their backs as they hurriedly ran into the depths of the forest.
The Solitiam Forest was fraught with danger, rumored to be a forbidden place even for the gods. The interstellar pirates, in their panic, cared little for such legends and just wanted to find a place to hide.
However, they clearly underestimated the speed at which the army was chasing them. Suddenly, a group of swiftly pursuing figures appeared in the sky behind them, their jet-black wings spread wide as they descended fiercely, scattering the snow and wind in an instant.
Upon hearing the flapping of wings, One Eye subconsciously turned his head and his face changed drastically:
“Faeus—?!!”
The voice was horrified, hiding a fear that penetrated to the bone.
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