[Though you say the sun of Salaranfa never sets,
We insist on singing high in the marshes,
Under eternal night, we reveal ambition,
In the forbidden realm of gods, we sing praises to death.
The snow of Hossburgh is pure and immaculate,
Just like our guiltless greed.]
Millions of years ago, the West and the North were not completely severed. Their ancestors once fought side by side, as siblings. However, in a battle they knew they would lose, the Northern Zerg Clan refused to fight to the death for glory. Instead, they directly defected elsewhere, rooting themselves in the harsh and cold environment of Hossburgh, thus dividing into two factions from the West.
Ambition and plunder flowed naturally in their blood, especially in their leader.
From the horizon, a pursuing troop descended from the sky, their pure black wings unfurled behind them, resembling a flock of swift hawks. When they were five meters above the ground, they folded their wings and leaped gracefully from the sky, landing abruptly in the snowy ground, a dark mass that was both sudden and unsettling.
The leading red-haired female zerg had a handsome face, dressed in sleek black and gold military attire. His bronze skin was primal yet wild, unmistakably belonging to the current leader of the North, Faeus.
His eyes were of a deeply mysterious emerald green, but upon closer inspection, they were icy and ruthless. As he gazed upon the group of interstellar pirates, it was as if he were staring at lifeless beings. With a smirk, he inquired, “Will you surrender willingly, or choose to return to the embrace of the Zerg God?”
“Squeak—!”
A black crow landed gracefully on a distant dead branch, shaking off the snowflakes from its body. Its pure black eyes remained fixed on the battlefield.
With One Eye severely wounded and the remaining group of interstellar pirates on their last legs, they watched nervously as Faeus and his troops approached. Their tense gazes met, all momentarily losing their composure.
One Eye grabbed the nearest hostage, Xu Cenfeng, and pressed the barrel of his gun against his temple, shouting hoarsely, “Faeus! I warn you! Take one more step and I’ll end this male zerg’s life. Let’s see how you explain it to the Zerg Emperor!”
Faeus seemed indifferent to this threat. He lazily extended his hand, clad in black leather gloves, and remarked, “It doesn’t matter. The five males we exchanged for are enough for me to fulfill my obligations.”
Implicitly, the death of three more wouldn’t be a big deal.
Faeus was indeed as ruthless as rumored, showing no regard for rarity or reverence for the divine.
While male zergs were scarce, they held little value in his eyes. In fact, if it weren’t for these interstellar pirates trespassing into Hossburgh’s territory and the Zerg Emperor’s order to assist, he would likely not have bothered with such a trivial matter.
One Eye’s expression turned pale at his words, he became so flustered that he could barely hold his gun steady. However, Xu Cenfeng seemed unaffected by the looming threat of death, simply gazing quietly at Faeus in the midst of the swirling snowstorm. Yet, an inexplicable, piercing pain stirred in his heart once more, causing him to involuntarily furrow his brow.
Faeus was not one for patience, giving them only three seconds to consider their options. His low voice cut through the cold wind, clear and ominous, like the tolling of a death knell:
“Three,”
One Eye gritted his teeth, pulling Xu Cenfeng closer with each step, using him as a shield against the gun.
“Two,”
Behind them lay a cliff.
“One!”
Faeus’ gaze sharpened, issuing a direct command, “Kill them!”
The moment his words fell, the soldiers behind him surged forward like unleashed beasts, instantly transitioning into a half-zerg combat state and charging towards the group of interstellar pirates. They moved so swiftly that only a cluster of black shadows could be seen, gunfire erupting in the snow-covered ground, mingling with the intermittent screams of the pirates. The scent of blood attracted countless scavenger crows circling in the sky.
One Eye instinctively considered abandoning Xu Cenfeng as a burden and fleeing. However, he suddenly noticed that the female soldiers were not using firearms, clearly afraid of accidentally harming these precious male zergs. His heart leaped with joy. He immediately took advantage of his subordinates’ cover and dragged Xu Cenfeng towards the edge of the cliff.
Faeus noticed this “escaped fish” and with a cold smirk, spread his wings behind him and swiftly chased after.
By now, One Eye had reached the edge of the cliff. Seeing Faeus catching up from behind, he reached out and grabbed Xu Cenfeng by the throat, gritting his teeth, “Don’t blame me for being heartless. Blame your bad luck. Faeus doesn’t care about whether you live or die!”
At One Eye’s words, Xu Cenfeng suddenly realized what he intended to do. His fingertips twitched, contemplating whether to break free from his grasp. However, upon seeing the familiar figure approaching in the distance, he suppressed the impulse.
As Faeus caught up, One Eye seized the opportunity. He shoved Xu Cenfeng off the edge of the cliff and, at the same time, spread his injured wings, summoning the last of his strength to fly in the opposite direction. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the snow-covered forest.
Xu Cenfeng plummeted at breakneck speed, engulfed in a sensation of weightlessness.
Yet, he strained to tilt his head back, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the black figure in the sky above.
Seeing the black-haired, black-eyed male zerg being pushed off the cliff, Faeus cursed coldly and immediately changed direction, swooping down towards the base of the cliff. With his fierce wings spread wide, he braved the biting wind and snow, perfectly intercepting Xu Cenfeng in midair.
“Whoosh—!”
Descending and then ascending.
Faeus swiftly flew towards the top of the cliff with Xu Cenfeng, the cold wind biting at their cheeks like knives. Xu Cenfeng subconsciously grasped Faeus’ shoulder, not out of fear or terror, but because of the preciousness of this hard-won reunion.
They had met again…
Feeling the pressure on his shoulder, Faeus frowned and glanced at Xu Cenfeng, only to find this unfamiliar male zerg staring at him intently. His ink-colored eyes were remarkably beautiful, and he felt as though he had seen them somewhere before.
It was strange.
Faeus suppressed this odd sensation and landed in the midst of the battlefield with Xu Cenfeng. By now, all the interstellar pirates had been captured, either dead or injured, leaving only scattered bloodstains on the ground.
Faeus released Xu Cenfeng and folded his pure black wings behind him. He strode directly towards his deputy, Hawke, his military boots crunching on the inch-thick snow, emitting a crisp sound. “Have we captured them all?” he inquired.
Hawke saluted Faeus respectfully. “Reporting to the Supreme Leader, all male zergs have been rescued, and none are injured.”
Faeus glanced at him coldly. “Did I ask you about that?”
Hawke had no choice but to reply, “All the interstellar pirates have also been captured, except for their leader, One Eye.”
Faeus frowned and shrugged his shoulders. “He fled into the Solitiam Forest. Send a squad to track him down. We must capture him at all costs.”
Hawke glanced at Faeus hesitantly and asked, “Supreme Leader, what about these rescued male zergs?”
Without looking back, Faeus strode towards the distant parked starship. “Bring them all back to Hossburgh. We’ll negotiate with the West when they come!”
They had exerted considerable effort to completely eradicate the interstellar pirates alliance this time, so it wouldn’t make sense to give the annoying folks from the West an advantage. Bringing these male zergs back wouldn’t be so easy.
Xu Cenfeng stood in place, feeling a slight stickiness at his fingertips. He glanced down and saw a patch of mottled bloodstains on his palm, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Subconsciously, he looked towards Faeus who was walking away, noticing a dark mark on his shoulder amidst his pure black military attire, as if he had been injured.
While the North esteemed female zergs, male zergs still lived relatively well due to the rarity and preciousness of their gender. They could be said to live in luxury. However, the distinction lies in the fact that male zergs in the West hold real power, while in the North, they are more akin to ornamental figures.
After Hawke tidied up the battlefield, he arranged for Xu Cenfeng and the others to be accommodated on a luxurious starship. Inside, there were not only shower facilities but also clean clothes and food prepared in advance. For these male zergs who had been imprisoned by the interstellar pirates for nearly a month, it was nothing short of heaven.
“Thank goodness, we can finally go home!”
“May the Zerg God bless us. I swear I’ll starve if I don’t eat soon!”
“Why are there only ration bars? No cake or juice? I hate ration bars the most.”
“It’s at least a two-day journey to Hossburgh from here. Are we going to spend the night on the starship? They haven’t even prepared beds for us!”
Clearly, the brief 25 days of captivity weren’t enough to erase the innate sense of entitlement in these male zergs. They were briefly happy, but soon couldn’t help but complain, as if they had entirely forgotten that just a few hours ago they were huddling together for warmth on a drafty, abandoned starship.
Hawke and a few of his subordinates leaned against the doorway, amused by the spectacle. They couldn’t help but feel a hint of mockery in their eyes as Hawke said with a smirk, “Dear esteemed guests, we’re out in the wilderness here. We don’t have the luxury of bringing in grand beds. If you find the chairs uncomfortable, feel free to sleep out in the snow.”
Upon hearing his words, the male zergs instantly fell silent. Several male zergs from the West were about to get angry, but their companions pulled them back, whispering, “Forget it. This is Hossburgh’s territory. What if those barbarians from the North attack you? Don’t provoke them.”
Hawke, with keen ears, chuckled and snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Us barbarians never play by the rules, especially our leader. Dear esteemed male zergs, let’s ‘suffer’ for now. What if you end up being shot dead like those interstellar pirates?”
Having had enough of the commotion, Hawke was about to leave the noisy starship with his subordinates to report to Faeus when suddenly, the door to the bathroom inside clicked open, and out stepped a black-haired, black-eyed male zerg.
Xu Cenfeng had just finished showering and changed into clean clothes inside. His hair was partially dry, with traces of moisture, and his ink-colored eyes and fair skin resembled a monochrome ink painting, stunningly beautiful and captivating.
Hawke and his companions were momentarily stunned at the sight. In the harsh and frigid climate of the North, most male zergs had rugged features, making it rare to see such delicacy and elegance in a male zerg, especially one with black hair and black eyes.
A subordinate discreetly nudged Hawke with his elbow, whispering in a low voice, “Deputy Leader, this male zerg is so beautiful. His purity of blood must be high. We can offer him to the leader when the time comes.”
He vaguely remembered that Faeus’ estrus period seemed to be approaching.
Hawke was somewhat shaken but felt it was unrealistic. “Forget it. The leader hates these delicate male zergs. It’s better to shoot him dead with one bullet.”
As they conversed, a clear and gentle voice suddenly rang in their ears, causing a momentary itch in their hearts: “May I ask if Supreme Leader Faeus is available?”
Hawke and the others subconsciously looked up to see Xu Cenfeng standing before them, wearing a slightly loose, warm coat. Despite his slender figure, he was almost as tall as the sturdy female zergs.
Hawke hesitated for a moment. “What do you need with our leader?”
Faeus had a fearsome reputation, so much so that even the King of Hell would detour upon seeing him. The male zergs of Hossburgh would practically wet themselves at the sight of him. It was indeed rare for this handsome male zerg to actively seek him out.
Xu Cenfeng smiled. “It’s nothing. He just saved me, and I wanted to thank him in person.”
Thank him?
Hawke’s eyelid twitched. He never expected to hear the word “thank you” from a male zerg in his lifetime. “No need. Our leader doesn’t like having male zergs around.”
Xu Cenfeng persisted, “Can’t I just see him for a moment?”
Hawke shrugged, feeling obliged to be somewhat polite given Xu Cenfeng’s courtesy. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but our leader has already departed on the aircraft ahead. If you want to see him, you’ll have to wait until the evening when we set up camp.”
Xu Cenfeng paused at his words, unconsciously rubbing his fingertips. “Do you have a medical kit?”
Hawke looked puzzled. “What do you need a medical kit for?”
He had just checked, and none of these male zergs were injured.
Xu Cenfeng spoke softly, “Your leader’s shoulder is injured. Please help him bandage it.”
Hawke was momentarily baffled by Xu Cenfeng’s request. He was about to inquire how Xu Cenfeng knew about Faeus’ injury, but before he could ask, Xu Cenfeng had already returned to his seat, taking a window seat.
Nonsense.
Hawke scoffed, clearly not buying Xu Cenfeng’s story. He promptly secured the hatch of the starship and ordered the departure.
Xu Cenfeng hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for many days. Now, with his tense nerves finally relaxing a bit, drowsiness washed over him like a tide. He closed his eyes, leaning against the porthole, and soon drifted off to sleep.
Due to the heavy snow, the starship occasionally jolted during the flight. In his half-asleep state, Xu Cenfeng felt as if he were back on that shaky bus from before.
“Chirp chirp—”
It’s the sound of birds in the mountains.
“Rustle—”
It’s the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves.
“Squeak—”
The bus came to an abrupt halt, jolting awake all the sleeping passengers. Xu Cenfeng, who had been dozing off against the window, nearly got thrown out. He quickly grabbed onto the railing, and then an angry male voice resounded in his ears:
“Damn it! Are you trying to be reborn with such reckless driving?! Can’t you slow down?!”
Xu Cenfeng instinctively looked up, only to see a man wearing a yellow baseball cap looking furious, seemingly ready to throw a punch at the driver.
The driver apologized softly, “Sorry, the mountain road was slippery this morning, and the brakes couldn’t stop the speed.”
This scene felt all too familiar. Xu Cenfeng snapped out of his daze, subconsciously reaching into his pocket for his phone. However, he saw the date displayed on it: March 17th, the same day he had the accident and transmigrated to the Zerg world.
March 17th, March 17th…?
He was back on this bus…?
Xu Cenfeng stared at the screen blankly for a long time, lost in thought. His throat tightened, and he lowered his head, closing his eyes to conceal the hint of redness in his eyes. Gripping his phone tightly, his knuckles turned blue with the force. With the baseball cap covering his face, shadows obscured the expression on his face, which seemed to be a mix of crying and smiling.
The light and shadows in the forest intertwined, yet the man was filled with sorrow.
At this moment, it was difficult to discern whether Xu Cenfeng was feeling sad or happy.
All he knew was that time was slipping away, with the accident still an hour and a half away, ninety minutes, five thousand four hundred seconds.
During this time, Xu Cenfeng had five thousand four hundred chances to stop the bus, to prevent the fate that lay ahead. Yet, he remained motionless, his expression complex as he gazed at the familiar faces inside the bus.
In the previous life, he had encountered these people at the entrance to the forest.
At that time, Xu Cenfeng asked them a question: if they knew in advance that the vehicle would overturn, would they still board the bus?
The answer he received without exception was: yes.
At that time, Xu Cenfeng did not understand the meaning behind this answer, nor did he understand why these people would rather spend their remaining lives far from their homeland, yet choose to stay on that distant and unfamiliar planet.
He only knew that in his past life, he had chosen to escape, but this time he chose the same path as them.
The vehicle swayed back and forth.
Xu Cenfeng sat quietly in his seat, closing his eyes and rubbing his wrist. The sunlight outside was scorching, but it finally brought him a hint of warmth.
A bird flew in the sky above, witnessing the bus heading forward. Everyone thought their lives were about to dissipate, but they were just heading towards their respective destinies and deaths together.
It was death, yet also a new beginning.
“Bang!”
The bus overturned and fell into the cliff. The starship also jolted for a moment due to the cold airflow outside. Xu Cenfeng shook and finally woke up from his slumber.
He subconsciously opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by a silent darkness—it was already evening. The starship was parked in the wilderness, and the army had lit a bonfire nearby for warmth. The other male zergs had gone to get some fresh air, leaving Xu Cenfeng alone on the starship.
“Whoosh—”
Xu Cenfeng stirred his numb limbs, feeling incredibly refreshed from his deep slumber. He peeled back the thin blanket covering him and glanced around. Finally, he stood up and stepped off the starship. The cold wind blew against his face, instantly sharpening his muddled mind.
Outside, soldiers were standing guard. One of the Northern military females, noticing Xu Cenfeng’s handsome appearance, even whistled at him. “Hey, handsome little male zerg, are you finally awake?”
Xu Cenfeng didn’t seem to be angry. He responded with a nonchalant “I’m awake” upon hearing his words.
After a brief pause, as if remembering something, he asked, “Do you know where Supreme Leader Faeus is?”
The military female, thinking that Xu Cenfeng might react angrily after his flirtatious remark, was surprised by his calm demeanor. He kindly pointed towards a nearby military tent and warned, “Our leader is in there, little male zerg. But don’t blame me if you get on his bad side. His temper is notoriously bad, and it won’t end well if you provoke him.”
The Northern troops were known for their boldness, and another military female hinted with a sly smile, “Your Excellency, if you’re feeling lonely, you can always come to us. Supreme Leader Faeus might not be the right choice.”
However, Xu Cenfeng merely thanked them briefly and proceeded straight to the main tent where Faeus was located. Just as he reached the entrance of the tent, he heard the sound of something being thrown inside. Shortly after, Hawke was ejected from the tent, looking disheveled and holding a medical kit in his hand.
Seeing the scene, Xu Cenfeng paused and asked, “What happened?”
Hawke, surprised to see Xu Cenfeng there, looked him up and down with curiosity. “Huh, how did you get here? Do you want to thank our leader?”
Xu Cenfeng nodded.
Hawke, upon hearing this, rubbed his chin in thought, then casually handed the medicine box to Xu Cenfeng, with a mischievous smile. “Perfect timing. Our leader has injured his shoulder. You can go and help him with the medicine.”
Even if the leader refused help with the medicine, he surely wouldn’t refuse assistance from such a handsome and pristine male, would he?
The author has something to say:
Author: You’re so clever!
Hawke: (〃’▽’〃)/
(P.S.: Just to clarify, while the Zerg race has a childbirth setting, I won’t be writing childbirth scenes. It mainly relies on everyone’s imagination. Let’s shake hands.)