Qi Heng brushed the half-dry hair away from his forehead.
Holding a bone knife ground from a hard animal bone, he moved it back and forth over the large gray rabbit, seemingly considering the best place to begin cutting.
Within the field of vision visible only to him, the system’s scanning and analysis functions had already examined the rabbit from head to tail, inside and out, and established it as a new biological sample.
Now he only needed to follow the cutting path marked by the system, open the rabbit’s body, separate the flesh, and expose the bones and internal organs.
The cuts had to be swift, and his hands had to remain steady.
The fur across the gray rabbit’s back was stiff and somewhat prickly, but the fur on its belly was exceptionally soft.
If Qi Heng could remove the pelt intact, he could use the back fur to line Yan Le’s nest. The softer belly fur should be suitable for making a fur collar or scarf.
The daytime temperature was manageable, but the nights were still somewhat cold for a young child.
Furthermore, according to Yan Ning, the nighttime temperature had not yet come close to its lowest point.
When the weather truly became cold, the sun would disappear even during the day. Once the river froze, it would not thaw again.
Plants would wither, animals would become even rarer across the wasteland, and some large beasts unable to find food would cross the vast wilderness to attack the slums.
Yan Le waddled out of the house in visibly ill-fitting clothing that had been altered to a smaller size.
He walked like a duckling learning to take its first steps, swaying from side to side so precariously that anyone watching would fear he might fall at any moment.
“Un… Uncle Qi…”
Although the child spoke with air leaking between his words and his pronunciation remained unclear, Qi Heng could vaguely tell that he was calling for him.
Half a month after hatching, Yan Le had begun learning not only to speak but also to walk.
Ever since he graduated from crawling, he had become fascinated with wandering around on his two soft, stubby legs.
Skills that took human infants approximately a year to master developed extraordinarily quickly in Zerg children.
It was almost as if they inherited the knowledge directly from their parents.
As the author of A Guide to Raising Zerg Children, which had remained among the Tianjia Civilization’s ten bestselling books for years, Qi Heng could state with certainty that if Yan Le continued practicing, he would be able to speak clearly and walk steadily within a month.
Qi Heng had been preparing to make the first cut when he heard Yan Le.
He stopped and turned, positioning himself in front of the child and subtly blocking the unpleasant-looking carcass behind him.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay beside your female father?”
Qi Heng believed it was better not to allow a child less than a month old to witness such a bloody scene.
It might give him nightmares.
Forming an entire coherent sentence was still too difficult for Yan Le.
The child opened his mouth and struggled for a long time before finally forcing out several words that were difficult to understand.
“Female Father… hungry… food-food.”
These were probably the clearest words Yan Le had spoken since he began learning to talk.
After all, he used them every day.
Qi Heng bent down and used his free hand to rub the child’s soft hair.
The sensation of touching such a soft little Zerg was far too pleasant.
He almost did not want to let go.
“Go find your female father. This isn’t something a little Zerg child should watch.”
The butchering process would soon become rather ugly.
When dealing with children, Qi Heng always possessed a little more patience.
Yan Le looked up at him with moist, watery eyes and reached out to tug at the corner of his clothing.
He clearly did not want to leave.
Qi Heng withdrew his hand and tapped the child lightly on the forehead.
“Go back inside.”
Yan Le’s appetite had increased considerably recently.
He could now finish an entire pot of porridge made with minced meat and blue cassava in one sitting.
Ultimately, it was because the food provided far too little energy.
Once the gray rabbit was butchered, it should yield a significant amount of meat.
Qi Heng could place some of it on a stone slab, season it, and roast it dry over a fire to make jerky.
It would be suitable as a snack for Yan Le.
The child looked up at him and shook his head, demonstrating through his actions that he was determined to stay.
In Yan Le’s simple mind:
Liking Uncle Qi meant clinging to Uncle Qi.
Clinging to Uncle Qi meant following him wherever he went.
Usually, Qi Heng was away from home, leaving Yan Le no opportunity to do so. Now that he finally had the chance, the child naturally refused to leave.
“You really won’t go?”
Yan Le blinked and gripped Qi Heng’s clothing even more tightly.
Qi Heng felt helpless.
He stepped aside and exposed the long-dead gray rabbit behind him.
His original intention had been to frighten this child who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth.
The result was completely different from what he expected.
The instant Yan Le saw the gray rabbit, his emerald pupils almost transformed into vertical slits.
Such a change occurred only when a Zerg became excited or was strongly stimulated.
At present, it clearly did not resemble the latter.
It was far more like excitement provoked by the sight and scent of blood.
The change in Yan Le’s pupils disappeared in an instant.
Had Qi Heng not been watching him carefully, he probably would not have noticed.
“…”
When Qi Heng played the game, no one had told him that Zerg children were this “courageous” from birth.
Seeing this, he abandoned the idea of making Yan Le leave.
As expected, ordinary logic could not be used to judge a Zerg child.
The inheritance of combat instincts was truly frightening.
“Move farther away. If your clothes get dirty, let’s see whether your female father spanks your bottom.”
Yan Le apparently sensed a certain threat hidden in Qi Heng’s words.
His wings trembled.
He released Qi Heng’s clothing and unsteadily moved farther away, though his gaze remained fixed in Qi Heng’s direction.
Yan Le was even closer to Qi Heng than to Yun Tian, who often came over to play with him.
Yun Tian found this incomprehensible.
Qi Heng left early and returned late every day, so he had very few opportunities to interact with the child.
Why, then, was Yan Le so attached to him?
Qi Heng knew the reason but could not explain it.
He understood perfectly well that it was inseparable from the traits he possessed as the Overlord.
Furthermore, even if Yan Le did not understand that, he could instinctively perceive the benefits of remaining near Qi Heng.
The mental-power conditioning and crystal fragments were both enormously beneficial to his growth.
The Tianjia Zerg were a species with exceptionally tenacious vitality.
To survive more effectively, even young children possessed instincts that drove them toward benefit and away from danger, drawing them closer to anything advantageous to them.
Children were particularly sensitive in this regard.
After all, less intelligent children often failed to survive infancy and never had the opportunity to grow up.
As for Qi Heng’s indulgence toward Yan Le, part of it was because the child was adorable.
The other part came from the Overlord’s natural affection for young Zerg.
Combined, the two gave Yan Le a rather high initial affection rating with Qi Heng.
Assuming his guess was correct, Qi Heng and the Overlord were two sides of the same existence.
The Overlord inside the game had been a projection of some of Qi Heng’s traits, though Qi Heng himself had known nothing about the life the Overlord experienced.
Now, as the dreams uncovered the Overlord’s past, they also revealed the undeniable connection between the Overlord and Qi Heng.
Whether that was good or bad remained impossible to determine.
After learning more about the “Overlord” and the “Tianjia Civilization,” Qi Heng had begun treating A0’s explanation from the beginning of his transmigration with reservations.
He increasingly felt that A0 had not told him the complete truth.
He simply did not know whether A0 had deliberately concealed it or whether even A0 remained unaware of the secrets hidden beneath everything.
The bone knife had been made from the skeleton of some unknown animal.
Although its material could not compare with Obsidian Crystal and could not withstand stellar power being poured directly into it, Qi Heng could still wrap a small amount of stellar power around the blade to increase its sharpness.
Every cut he made was decisive.
In his hands, an ordinary bone knife seemed to become an indestructible blade.
It passed through the fur, separated the layer of fat, exposed the flesh beneath, and removed the bones.
Yan Ning’s home stood beside the main road.
Countless female Zerg passed by every day, and many were attracted by Qi Heng’s clean and efficient technique.
A group of greedy, half-grown children was drawn over as well.
Half of them were curious about Qi Heng, who seemed different from the other female Zerg.
The other half were simply following a child’s natural desire to gather wherever something interesting was happening.
The female Zerg in the slums differed greatly from those who had lived during the Overlord’s era.
They did not know how to use stellar power and could not control mental power.
The only advantages they could rely upon were those of their bodies, such as the Zerg claws they were born with.
The sharp claws exposed in a female Zerg’s partial form could help him quickly divide prey and perform tasks that would normally be impossible.
Qi Heng had seen Yan Ning use them before.
He understood that because the Zerg no longer possessed suitable tools, they had been forced to return to methods used during the civilization’s earliest stages.
Qi Heng, however, could not do the same.
At present, he was half human and half Zerg Overlord.
Even after completing the fusion, it would remain impossible.
Male Zerg did not possess a partial Zerg form and therefore could not develop Zerg claws.
Their external physical characteristics were entirely human.
For that reason, Qi Heng could only rely on tools.
He placed each separated piece of meat onto the plant leaves he had spread nearby in advance.
The broad leaves resembled banana leaves and were extremely convenient for wrapping meat.
The female Zerg watching him all lived nearby.
They occasionally encountered Qi Heng and generally considered him a mild-tempered, easygoing, exceptionally tall female Zerg.
None of them had expected to witness such a stimulating scene that morning.
Blood flowed everywhere, and pieces of flesh flew beneath Qi Heng’s knife.
With his expressionless face, he looked less like an ordinary butcher and more like a cold-blooded executioner.
The Zerg’s admiration for strength was engraved into their genes.
Rather than becoming frightened by Qi Heng’s appearance, a few female Zerg even wanted to become acquainted with him.
A female Zerg capable of catching prey in the wasteland and butchering it so efficiently had to be powerful.
If they formed a team with him, they might capture more prey and hunt larger animals.
Qi Heng had no idea what the female Zerg beside the road were thinking.
He merely found the butchering process somewhat disgusting.
He had always purchased chicken, duck, fish, and meat that had already been cleaned and processed.
This was his first time dismembering an animal.
The overpowering smell continuously assaulted his nose from close range.
The fact that he had not thrown down the knife and quit on the spot was already impressive.
Most of the female Zerg watched for a while before leaving, taking their children with them.
Some needed to work in the mine, others went into the wilderness to gather resources, while still others tended fields for the authorities of District 49.
At most, they quietly exchanged one or two comments such as, “He’s really strong.”
Only four female Zerg remained.
Qi Heng, his hands covered in blood, walked aside to wash.
Behind him lay the mutilated carcass.
Every edible portion, including the internal organs, had been removed and placed nearby.
After washing his hands, Qi Heng shook away the excess water and turned toward the four female Zerg who had not left.
When the young Zerg who had been watching saw him approach, they suddenly scattered for reasons he could not understand.
They ran a short distance away and continued looking toward him.
Before Qi Heng spoke, a faint smile appeared on his face.
“Is there something you need?”
His tone was gentle and steady, and a slight smile curved his lips.
Faced with Qi Heng like this, it was easy for affection toward him to rise from the heart.
An original measure of goodwill naturally became three times as strong, and the others instinctively offered him their best attitudes and kindness.
The female Zerg silently looked at one another.
The first to speak was a red-haired female Zerg, who appeared somewhat embarrassed.
“Sorry to disturb you. I wanted to ask whether you’re willing to exchange some of this meat.”
“I can trade Starstones for it, or something else you want. If I have it, I can exchange that instead.”
The red-haired young female Zerg did not appear particularly old.
Judging from his appearance, he looked only twenty-five or twenty-six.
However, the Zerg possessed long lifespans, and youth occupied four-fifths of their lives.
Judging age by appearance was therefore extremely unreliable.
Perhaps Qi Heng had spent too much time living within the dreams.
He increasingly felt that he had become far more world-weary, looking at nearly everyone as though they were part of a younger generation.
He smiled amicably.
“Of course. I intended to exchange some of it anyway.”
The edible meat and organs amounted to several dozen jin.
There was also a considerable amount of bone, which would be useful for making soup or grinding into bone tools.
The large gray rabbit had not survived in the wasteland through timidity and sensitivity to danger alone.
It possessed a few genuine advantages.
For example, according to the system’s scan, its compact bone tissue was exceptionally dense and could withstand far greater pressure than ordinary animal bone.
The red-haired female Zerg visibly relaxed when he found Qi Heng so approachable.
Smiling, he said:
“I don’t have many Starstones. Could you see how much meat these can exchange for?”
“All right.”
Qi Heng looked toward the other three.
“Do you also want to exchange for meat?”
Bartering was extremely common in District 49.
It was probably the same throughout the entire slum.
After setting aside the meat intended as thank-you gifts, Qi Heng planned to keep a portion for himself.
The remainder had already been intended for exchange for Starstones.
Tianyun Star’s climate was abnormal.
Without special preservation methods, meat would soon rot.
Exchanging it for Starstones would maximize its value.
Of course, such a situation rarely occurred.
Meat was rarely abundant enough for anyone to leave it uneaten until it spoiled.
While they spoke, Yan Le saw that Qi Heng had finished his work.
He ran over with his short legs and threw himself against Qi Heng, hugging his leg.
His eyes shone like stars as he looked up, babbling excitedly.
Among the unclear sounds, Qi Heng could occasionally distinguish the word “Uncle.”
The gray-haired female Zerg pulled the companion beside him closer and said:
“Yes. We would also like to exchange for some.”
“I have something else I’d like to discuss with you,” said the only remaining female Zerg.
Qi Heng nodded thoughtfully.
He first spoke to the three who wanted meat.
“There aren’t any spare leaves, so you’ll have to carry the meat back yourselves.”
“To make up for it, I can give you a little more.”
He smiled, nodded, and casually rubbed Yan Le’s head.
Over the past several days, Qi Heng had developed a new habit.
Zerg children were truly satisfying to pet.
Having nothing to do and simply petting one was an exceptional pleasure.
“Is that all right?”
“No problem,” the red-haired female Zerg answered.
The other two nodded in agreement.
Compared with receiving leaves, they would much rather receive more meat.
Meat was rarely seen in the slums.
If they did not exchange for it now, it might no longer be available later.
The female Zerg who had left would certainly return.
This was a custom in District 49.
Whenever a Zerg captured prey, he would exchange some of the meat with others.
There were no particular rules.
The only rule was first come, first served.
Qi Heng first made a certain clingy little child release his leg.
He lightly patted Yan Le’s bottom and sent him away.
“Go call your female father.”
Qi Heng estimated that Yan Ning had almost finished preparing the meal.
This was the perfect time for him to come outside and take some meat to add to it.
He knew Yan Le could understand what he meant.
After sending the child away, Qi Heng asked the three female Zerg:
“Which part would you like?”
“Could I have this section?”
The red-haired female Zerg pointed toward the hind leg and placed several Starstones before Qi Heng.
As Qi Heng accepted them, he had the system scan their stellar-power content.
The five Starstones contained a combined total that fluctuated around sixty-two units.
“No problem.”
Yan Ning had exchanged for meat before.
Qi Heng had asked him about it and roughly understood the exchange rate between meat and Starstones.
Like the ones he had previously seen, these Starstones varied in size and shape and could store only limited amounts of stellar power.
Because they were incomplete fragments rather than whole stones, their stored stellar power gradually leaked away over time.
The One-Horns who collected Starstones in the slums did not care.
It did not matter to them that stellar power escaped or that fragmented Starstones were less useful than intact ones.
The slum was enormous.
Vast numbers of Starstones were turned in each day in exchange for supplies.
The important thing was extracting value from the Zerg and keeping them so exhausted by survival that they could do nothing else.
Anyone with a flexible mind and broad perspective could recognize this.
Could the Zerg here see it?
And even if they could, what difference would it make?
The present-day Zerg were like birds whose wings had been cut before they were locked in a cage.
Whether they recognized their circumstances made no difference to their lives.
They lacked the strength to resist.
Perhaps remaining ignorant would at least allow them to continue living in a haze.
Qi Heng casually placed the Starstones into his pocket.
With the bone knife in hand, he efficiently cut off a large piece of hind-leg meat and gave it to the red-haired female Zerg.
Judging from his delighted expression, Qi Heng had provided a generous amount.
When Yan Ning came outside, he saw this scene.
He looked toward the red-haired female Zerg in surprise.
“Lin Lai? Why are you here?”
“I happened to be passing your home. When I saw meat, I stayed to exchange for some.”
Lin Lai held the meat in his hand.
“You know how enormous my little one’s appetite is.”
“You know each other?” Qi Heng asked, lifting the meat he had deliberately sliced and wrapped in leaves.
Yan Ning accepted it and nodded.
“We often played together when we were children.”
“Mm.”
Qi Heng responded without much concern.
Holding the meat, Lin Lai smiled.
“It’s getting late, so I need to go home first. I’ll come chat with you another day.”
“Take this inside and cook it.”
Qi Heng glanced behind Yan Ning.
He did not see a certain child and immediately knew Yan Le was probably crouched beside the pot, waiting impatiently for food and refusing to move.
“Lele must be getting anxious.”
Yan Ning considered it.
“Then I’ll clean up out here later.”
“There’s no need. They want to exchange for meat as well.”
“There probably won’t be much left to clean up.”
Qi Heng calculated how much could be exchanged.
What was there to clean?
After setting aside what they would eat, he could exchange everything else, including the bones and scraps.
Since he was capable of catching prey, meat was no longer especially scarce to him.
Starstones were more important.
Yan Ning rarely objected to Qi Heng’s decisions.
Almost immediately after he spoke, Yan Ning answered:
“Then I’ll go inside and finish cooking.”
“Now it’s your turn. Which parts do you want?”
Qi Heng turned his attention to the other two female Zerg exchanging for meat.
“Yes, all of these parts are available.”
Whichever portion the customer wanted, Qi Heng cut it for him.
He increasingly felt that he had somehow cosplayed as a pork seller.
The transactions were soon completed.
Qi Heng put away the ten Starstones he received and looked toward the final female Zerg who had not left.
“What did you want to discuss with me?”
The remaining female Zerg possessed an exceptionally eye-catching hair color.
His pale golden hair shone brilliantly beneath the sunlight, drawing attention to him at first glance.
“Hello. My name is Mo Nan.I was watching your movements earlier. Your cuts were clean, and you’re extremely strong. Catching a highly vigilant wasteland gray rabbit on your first hunt proves that you’re quite capable. Would you be interested in joining a hunting team?”
Mo Nan delivered the invitation directly.
“A hunting team? Why invite me?”
Qi Heng tilted his head slightly and pretended not to understand.
He had never heard the term before, but the name made its purpose reasonably obvious.
“A hunting team is a group that cooperates to capture large wasteland animals and smaller mutated creatures. Every member is stronger than an ordinary female Zerg.”
“The wasteland is too dangerous. No matter how capable a female Zerg may be, he wouldn’t dare venture deeply into it alone.”
“I know you came from another district, so you may not understand District 49 very well.”
Mo Nan seemed extremely eager to persuade him and explained everything in considerable detail.
“District 49 is the district closest to the wasteland. We’ve always had a tradition of hunting wasteland animals.”
“The terrain is complicated, and it’s easy to encounter unknown dangers. Working with companions makes it much safer…”
Qi Heng listened attentively.
He was somewhat interested in what Mo Nan described.
After all, he had uncovered only a very small portion of the wasteland’s map.
Most of it remained unexplored.
The area that included the wasteland had once been a city built upon an entire continent.
Attempting to explore it on foot alone would obviously be extremely difficult.
Unfortunately, Mo Nan could not finish his explanation because another female Zerg arrived.
Qi Heng accepted the stranger’s Starstones and cut meat for him while saying:
“Could you give me some time to consider it?”
Joining the hunting team would bring both advantages and disadvantages.
The disadvantage was that his disguise might easily be exposed.
What great strength and combat ability?
Qi Heng had caught the gray rabbit through the system, stellar power, and mental power.
His actual fighting ability remained limited.
The advantages were that he could integrate into hunting work more quickly, obtain more biological samples from the current era, acquire more prey, and exchange meat for Starstones.
Compared with the returns from mining, the number of Starstones obtained through hunting was practically an exorbitant profit.
As for the mine, Qi Heng no longer needed to worry about it.
The mining workers possessed all the finest qualities of tool Zerg.
They consistently followed the principle of working themselves to death every day unless they were literally impossible to kill.
There was no need for Qi Heng to continue wasting large amounts of time there.
Mo Nan paused in surprise before quickly answering:
“Of course. How long do you need? Would tomorrow be enough? I also need to return and tell the others about you.”
Qi Heng was surprised by Mo Nan’s directness.
Fortunately, he had never intended to dismiss him with an empty excuse.
He simply nodded.
“Tomorrow is fine.”
“Then I’ll leave first.”
Not long after Mo Nan departed, more female Zerg arrived to exchange Starstones for meat.
Once Qi Heng had traded away all the surplus, he politely refused the others and announced that there was no more available.
Several asked whether he would have meat again next time and requested that he reserve some for them.
Qi Heng answered that he could not be certain.
He would have to catch another animal first.
Just as Qi Heng finished, Yan Ning completed the meal.
Qi Heng tied the leaves closed with thin vines and entered the house.
Yan Le noticed him and let out a howl before stumbling toward him.
“Eat-eat.”
Qi Heng bent down and smoothly scooped the child up.
He said to Yan Ning:
“Keep some of the meat left outside. Later, you and I will take the rest to Yun Jiu and Yun Tian.”
Yun Jiu had helped Qi Heng considerably when he began working in the mine and had later given him a mining lamp.
As for Yun Tian, Yan Ning had received considerable assistance from him because of Qi Heng.
It was time to repay some of that kindness.
Yan Ning hesitated briefly before saying:
“All right.”
“Don’t overthink it. They helped me considerably. I’m the one who wants to thank them.”
Qi Heng added the explanation because he did not want Yan Ning to believe he had caused Qi Heng additional trouble.
Yan Ning smiled.
“I wasn’t overthinking. I was only wondering whether we should visit Brother Yun Jiu later.”
“Doesn’t he have other Zerg at home? We can visit while we’re already out. It’ll save time.”
Blue cassava tasted reasonably good on its own.
With sliced meat added, the dish resembled meat porridge.
Qi Heng did not restrain himself and ate several bowls.
A rice-eating person has a rice-eating soul. If he did not eat more, how could he maintain this body’s consumption?
Still, the male Zerg body was ultimately less robust than that of a female Zerg.
Even the Overlord had to admit defeat in that regard.
For example, Qi Heng would never dare attempt the female Zerg’s method of cooking bone fragments directly together with internal organs.
Otherwise, he might eat the meal during the day and be gone by night.
Ultimately, it was the harsh environment that had caused this.
In the eyes of female Zerg, there was no such thing as inedible food.
If something could be eaten, it should not be wasted.
No matter how unpleasant it tasted, they could swallow and digest it.
How had Qi Heng learned this?
It began the day Yan Ning went to exchange for meat.
Some of what he brought home included bones and liver.
Had Qi Heng not seen it, Yan Ning would probably have given him the better portions and eaten the poor-quality pieces himself.
Yan Le was still so young.
Would eating things like that not inflict severe physical and psychological trauma upon him?
Qi Heng glanced at the child, who was holding a bowl and eating with his head lowered.
He did not care how other female Zerg raised their children.
But the child he was helping raise could not be allowed to suffer from malnutrition.
Half an hour later.
Yan Ning took care of washing the bowls and cleaning up.
After eating, all Qi Heng needed to do was watch Yan Le.
Outside the house, the child practiced walking.
At first, Qi Heng noticed nothing unusual.
After watching for a while, however, doubt gradually arose in his mind.
“Lele, come here.”
He beckoned toward the child.
Yan Le was extremely sensitive to his own name.
The moment Qi Heng called, he happily toddled toward him.
When the child approached, Qi Heng examined his wings for a while and frowned.
A female Zerg’s wings could fly.
For winged Tianjia Zerg, flight was instinctive.
Even if they could not fly immediately after hatching, they should learn later.
Yet after so many days, Qi Heng had seen Yan Le do little more than occasionally flutter his wings.
Most of the time, they seemed purely decorative.
Qi Heng reached out and lightly touched one.
Before he had done anything, Yan Le flinched in alarm.
The wings were physically normal.
Why, then, could he not fly?
Was it simply because no one had taught him?
This entered a blind spot in Qi Heng’s knowledge.
Male Zerg did not possess wings, so he could not demonstrate flight himself.
[A1, how do female-Zerg children learn to fly?] he asked inwardly.
A1 had once served as the central intelligence of the Zerg Central Think Tank.
This question fell perfectly within its area of expertise.
When settings from a game became reality, they involved countless minute details.
After all, A1 had once possessed the entire Tianjia Civilization’s database.
【Overlord, female Zerg possess an innate talent for flight. You may attempt to teach the child to fly.】
【For example, like this…】
After examining the images A1 displayed, Qi Heng considered the matter and decided to try.
“I’m doing this for your own good. A female-Zerg child who can’t fly won’t even be able to escape quickly when danger appears.”
Qi Heng stroked Yan Le’s head reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. It won’t hurt, though it may feel a little uncomfortable.”
The child looked at him innocently, completely unaware of what awaited him.
A female Zerg’s wings, like his claws, could greatly enhance combat ability.
Once infused with stellar power, an adult female Zerg’s wings could easily slice through flesh and cut through alloys.
The claws possessed the same ability.
Qi Heng crouched and held Yan Le against his knee.
He gently separated the folded wings until all of them were spread apart.
The sensation of his wings being touched made Yan Le squirm continuously.
Had it been a stranger rather than Qi Heng holding him, the child probably would have bitten the moment his wings were touched.
“Wuwa…”
Qi Heng released mental power to calm him.
He covered the small, transparent wings with it and imitated the frequency required to flap them.
Then he released Yan Le’s body, keeping hold of only one small hand so that the child would not fall when his feet left the ground.
Teaching a child to fly was somewhat difficult.
It would be better to first let his body remember the sensation of flapping his wings and lifting into the air.
Yan Le panicked and kicked his legs wildly while suspended above the ground.
Frightened whimpers escaped his mouth.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m holding you.”
Qi Heng maintained his grip on the child’s hand.
Had the timing not been inappropriate, he would have laughed.
Why did this scene feel somewhat like flying a kite?
Yan Le was the kite.
Qi Heng frequently used mental power to condition the child’s body.
Yan Le was therefore extremely familiar with his mental power and gradually became less frightened.
The wings on his back began to move.
The experience of flying was unfamiliar, yet curiosity soon drew him into it.
At some point, Qi Heng withdrew his mental power.
Yan Le was now flapping his wings entirely by himself and keeping his body aloft.
After confirming that the child’s height and speed remained stable, Qi Heng quietly released his hand.
“Very impressive.”
Qi Heng stood beside him and praised the child as he flew around with an expression of wonder.
Yan Le looked toward him with his green eyes.
Only belatedly did he lower his gaze and look at his own hands.
His expression gradually transformed into terror.
“Awooo—!”
Yan Le released a heartbreaking scream.
The next instant, his wings stopped, and he began falling.
Qi Heng had watched him closely the entire time.
Amused, he extended his arms and caught the child in midair.
Yan Le fell against his chest and tightly grabbed his clothing.
Tears gathered in his eyes without falling.
Qi Heng’s decision to release him had clearly frightened him badly.
“Weren’t you flying very well just now?”
“Ying, ying, ying…”
The child sounded like a milk kitten acting spoiled.
“Hug… want hug.”
Qi Heng laughed.
“Aren’t I already holding you?”
“Do you want to try flying high again?”
“Hmm?”
After acting spoiled in Qi Heng’s arms for long enough, Yan Le sniffled.
The wings on his back expressed their opinion before their owner’s mind could object.
Under the light, the transparent pale-green wings appeared extraordinarily beautiful, like a delicate work of art.
“Don’t worry. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”
As half a parent to the little Zerg, Qi Heng offered encouragement.
Learning to fly truly seemed easy for female Zerg.
With Qi Heng’s promise, Yan Le went from moving cautiously to flying in circles around him.
His proud and energetic appearance bore no resemblance to the timid child who had clung desperately to Qi Heng’s clothing moments earlier.
“Wonderful.”
Qi Heng did not hesitate to praise him.
Yan Le seemed to understand that he was being complimented and flew even more enthusiastically.
“Fly-fly!”
Naturally, when Yan Ning next saw his child, he received a surprise.
The newly flying Yan Le crashed into his female father’s arms and shouted:
“Female Father… Lele fly high!”
“Lele, how can you fly?”
Yan Ning held the child who had flown into his arms.
For a moment, confusion and undisguised astonishment appeared on his face.
Yan Le tilted his head and began struggling to leave his female father’s embrace.
Yan Ning had not been holding him tightly.
Before he could react, the child escaped.
Yan Le flew to Qi Heng and hugged his arm.
His words came out in a confused jumble.
“Female Father… Uncle taught… fly…”
When Yan Ning looked toward him, Qi Heng smiled gently and explained:
“I taught him.”
“Ordinary children can usually fly at his age. I noticed that Lele hadn’t made any progress, so I wondered whether you simply hadn’t taught him yet.”
Yan Ning’s expression became complicated.
He pressed his lips together and spoke with visible difficulty.
“I can’t.”
Qi Heng froze.
Did Yan Ning mean that he could not fly?
That was extremely rare among female Zerg.
It could almost be considered a congenital disability.
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Brother Qi. It doesn’t matter that I can’t fly. It isn’t useful anyway…”
Halfway through, Yan Ning abruptly changed the subject.
“Weren’t we going out? I’ve finished preparing. We can leave now.”
Qi Heng heard the dejection in Yan Ning’s words.
Was there also sadness?
It seemed that the matter involved circumstances he did not yet understand.
Yan Ning took Yan Le from Qi Heng’s arms and placed him on the ground.
“Lele, you can’t always ask to be carried. Didn’t we agree that you need to walk more?”
“Lele fly-fly.”
Yan Le moved his wings, and his feet immediately rose from the ground.
“You can’t fly.”
Yan Ning pressed down on the child’s shoulders.
For Yan Le, who had only just learned to fly, it was like being given a new toy and immediately forbidden from playing with it.
He complained unhappily:
“Female Father bad-bad.”
Qi Heng watched from the side.
When Yan Le sent him a pleading look, he said calmly:
“Listen to your female father. You’ve been flying for a long time, so your wings must be tired.”
Yan Ning did not seem like the sort of parent who would forbid flight merely to make the child practice walking.
There had to be something Qi Heng did not understand.
Since that was the case, he would follow Yan Ning’s wishes.
As Yan Le’s female father, Yan Ning would never harm his own child.
Two against one.
Yan Le suffered a complete defeat and could only obediently hold his female father’s hand and walk.
Yan Ning led the child in front.
Qi Heng followed behind, carrying the wrapped “gifts.”
Throughout the journey, he occasionally saw Yan Le’s little wings twitch.
The child was clearly desperate to fly into the air and travel shoulder to shoulder with Yan Ning.
Outside Yun Tian’s home, Yan Ning called into the courtyard:
“Yun Tian, are you home?”
“I am. Is that Yan Ning?”
Yun Tian answered while walking outside.
When he saw them, he looked mildly surprised.
“Brother Qi, why did you come with Yan Ning?”
“Lele came too. Did you miss your big brother?”
“I caught a gray rabbit yesterday and had more meat than we needed, so I brought you some.”
Qi Heng raised his left hand.
“Thank you for helping us before.”
Later, he had received another set of clothing from Yun Tian.
Seeing that Qi Heng possessed little to exchange, Yun Tian’s female father had allowed him to owe the payment on Yan Ning’s account.
Qi Heng naturally needed to repay that favor.
Yun Tian looked from Qi Heng to Yan Ning and scratched his head.
“Brother Qi, you’re being too polite. I didn’t really help with anything.”
“You gave us Starstones afterward too. We can’t accept the meat.”
“Don’t stand outside. Come in first.”
As Yun Tian spoke, he took Yan Ning’s hand.
“It’s appropriate,” Qi Heng said.
“I caught it myself, so it isn’t particularly valuable.”
In Qi Heng’s view, ten jin of meat was not very much.
Within District 49, however, ten jin of meat was worth approximately two hundred standard units of stellar power in Starstones.
Yun Tian was reluctant to accept because he believed he would be taking advantage of them.
“Take it,” Yan Ning said, lightly pulling Yun Tian’s hand.
They had already brought it here.
They certainly would not carry it back.
“This is really too much.”
Yun Tian still appeared troubled.
After hearing Yan Ning, however, a new idea suddenly occurred to him.
“Why don’t you and Yan Ning choose another set of clothing?”
“My female father happened to bring home some new items yesterday. There should be something inside that fits you.”
“Otherwise, I’ll feel uncomfortable accepting your meat for nothing.”
Qi Heng’s height stood out among female Zerg like a crane among chickens.
Clothing suitable for ordinary female Zerg either had sleeves that were too short or was too small overall.
The sports jacket he currently wore fit only because it had been made loose.
Yun Tian led them into a room where the clothing was stored.
“See whether there’s anything you like.”
Unlike Yan Ning’s dark prefabricated house, Yun Tian’s home at least possessed windows.
The daylight inside was reasonably good.
Clothing of various colors and styles hung from wooden racks, while untidy piles of garments covered the room.
At a glance, it seemed to contain almost every possible style.
“Is your female father not home?” Yan Ning asked.
Yun Tian answered without concern:
“He went out last night and still hasn’t returned. He’s probably beside that male Zerg again.”
“Yan Ning, this looks suitable for you. Deep Winter will arrive soon, so you need something warmer.”
“Lele, do you see anything you like? Big Brother can give it to you.”
The children’s clothing was all relatively large.
Even the smallest item would not fit Yan Le yet, though it should fit perfectly after he grew a little more.
“Brother Qi, I’m not going to stand on ceremony with you, so you shouldn’t be polite with me either.”
Yun Tian looked toward Qi Heng with a playful smile.
“They’re only a few pieces of clothing. We have plenty at home, and they aren’t worth many Starstones.”
Qi Heng raised an eyebrow.
Was Yun Tian throwing Qi Heng’s own words back at him?
“Don’t you agree, Yan Ning?”
Yan Ning looked as though he did not know what to say.
“…Yes.”
“Since you’ve put it that way, how could I refuse?”
Yan Ning interacted with Yun Tian more than anyone else.
Their friendship was genuine.
Qi Heng intended to continue living here, and repaying kindness did not mean he had to deliberately create distance and draw strict boundaries between them.
He smiled faintly.
“Though there still needs to be something that fits me.”
“There definitely is. I’ll look for you.”
Seeing him agree, Yun Tian’s smile became warmer.
“There aren’t many female Zerg as tall as you, Brother Qi… But there’s one outfit that will definitely fit you. Let me find where my female father put it.”
Yun Tian thought of the outfit he had disliked for a long time.
It was an eyesore sitting in the house anyway.
He might as well give it to Brother Qi.
“Found it. This one.”
“Brother Qi, what do you think? Do you like it?”
“It’s a long style, and the size is fairly large. It should fit you.”
Yun Tian held up a long silver-gray coat.
Judging from its size, it should indeed fit.
It also came with a complete matching set consisting of a shirt and trousers.
Before transmigrating, Qi Heng had often dressed in precisely this style.
Seeing something so similar again, he had to admit that he was tempted.
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