Mo Nan and the others moved aside, leaving the open space in the middle to Qi Heng and Yan.
“I’ll give you three moves,” Yan said.
“Thank you.”
Qi Heng accepted without the slightest politeness.
He did not even know what level his current strength had reached. Having three moves to adjust would be useful. At least he would not fail spectacularly the moment the fight began.
Qi Heng removed his coat and turned to Mo Nan.
“Could you hold this for me?”
“Oh, sure.”
Mo Nan accepted it.
“Thank you.”
The Blue-Tailed Butterfly was inside the coat. Once the fight began, fists and feet would have no eyes. If he kept the coat on and accidentally injured the butterfly, that would be troublesome.
Qi Heng faced Yan and attacked first.
At the same time, the combat techniques and movements used by the Overlord in his dreams surfaced in his mind.
This was the first time he had attempted to use them in a real fight.
He could experience everything in the dreams as though it were happening to him, but reproducing those movements in reality felt completely different.
Yan avoided the first attack.
The awkwardness of Qi Heng’s movement made him wonder whether this could possibly be the first time Qi Heng had ever fought.
Qi Heng did not become discouraged. He threw a second punch.
Yan was somewhat distracted, but his body still easily evaded the fist coming toward him. While dodging nimbly, he swept out one long leg, aiming directly at Qi Heng’s lower legs.
Almost the instant Yan bent down, Qi Heng realized what he intended to do.
He twisted at the waist to avoid the sweep, then raised his own long leg and kicked mercilessly toward Yan’s chest.
The counterattack was entirely instinctive.
It was as though he had fought thousands of times before and knew precisely when to use each movement. His body had already developed the habit of responding naturally in battle.
Qi Heng was slightly startled.
He could be certain that this change had come from his fusion with the Overlord.
In his previous life, he had only been an ordinary person. Forget developing combat awareness, he had never even been in a fistfight.
However, this also proved that his assumption had been correct.
Through practical combat, he could gradually integrate the Overlord’s techniques and battle instincts with his own.
His present skill remained far below what he had witnessed in the dreams.
Still, it was a good beginning.
With that realization, Qi Heng stopped restraining himself, apart from continuing not to use stellar power.
Yan was probably holding back as well.
In that case, Qi Heng needed to force him to reveal his full strength. Only then could A1 collect enough useful information from him.
Yan probably had not expected matters to develop this way.
After exchanging several dozen moves, he gradually began struggling to keep up, while Qi Heng seemed to grow stronger the longer they fought.
Not only had Qi Heng’s initially novice-like attacks become increasingly polished, but each new strike was also stronger than the last.
It was as though he were gradually adapting to combat and improving with every exchange.
If Yan did not want to lose too badly, he could no longer hold back.
When he blocked one of Qi Heng’s sweeping kicks, the impact left his arm numb.
Yan decided to use his full strength.
As the fight continued, Qi Heng began to feel that he might be bullying him.
Yan’s physical constitution was far inferior to Qi Heng’s after cultivating stellar power, and the difference in their combat techniques was equally significant.
Both of them committed fully whenever they threw a punch, but Yan could not compare with Qi Heng in technique or fighting skill.
The only thing Yan possessed that was stronger was his presence.
It was the aura of someone who had survived battles to the death.
His movements were plain and without ornament, created solely to kill his opponent.
These unstructured killing techniques were not bad.
However, compared with the combat arts Qi Heng had inherited from the Overlord, they were far too crude.
Even without the system’s analysis, Qi Heng could identify the shortcomings in several movements.
Under the system’s examination, every flaw in Yan’s attacks became completely exposed.
If Qi Heng wished, A1 could report every vulnerability to him, allowing him to defeat Yan in a single move.
Was this truly the current standard of the Zerg?
Although Qi Heng had expected something like this, confirming it still left him disappointed.
He should not have felt disappointed.
Sensing the faint melancholy within himself, Qi Heng felt somewhat uncomfortable.
He had probably been influenced by the portion of the Overlord’s memories that accompanied their fusion.
Otherwise, why would such thoughts arise?
Qi Heng’s attention drifted briefly.
Fortunately, he did not forget that he was still fighting, allowing him to avoid Yan’s fist before it struck his face.
The fierce wind produced by the punch brushed across his cheek.
Merely imagining the impact was enough to know that being struck would have hurt considerably.
Qi Heng returned the courtesy with a punch of his own, aiming mercilessly at Yan’s chest.
Unable to evade properly, Yan barely avoided it and said irritably, “Are you using me to practice your moves?”
Perhaps he had failed to notice at first, but by now, how could he not realize that Qi Heng had originally been stronger than him?
The fight had continued only because Qi Heng did not want it to end yet.
“I’m done.”
Yan immediately stopped and stood still.
He had no interest in being toyed with by another Zerg.
Qi Heng had not expected Yan to stop so suddenly.
His next punch was already in front of Yan, and his fist halted only a hair’s breadth from the other Zerg’s temple.
That had been close.
He had nearly failed to restrain his strength in time.
Qi Heng lowered his hand and explained, “I wasn’t using you as a practice target. I simply haven’t fought people very often.”
“Really?”
Yan regarded him suspiciously.
“Yes,” Qi Heng replied without changing expression.
Qi Heng himself had never fought another person.
As for the Overlord, the last time he personally fought had been a very, very long time ago.
Even before Tianjia Civilization established itself as the hegemon of the Milky Way, it had already been extremely powerful.
It had been so powerful that the Overlord never needed to act personally.
If the need arose, a single look or command from him would send countless Tianjia Zerg and Primordial Zerg charging forward to eliminate his enemies.
Yan recalled Qi Heng’s initially unfamiliar movements.
He truly had not looked like someone who fought regularly, so Yan reluctantly believed him.
As for whether this had been Qi Heng’s first fight?
What a joke.
Given the smooth, fluid movements with which Qi Heng had later suppressed him, there was absolutely no possibility that this had been his first fight.
Compared with that possibility, the claim that he simply fought infrequently was far more believable.
“You’re very strong,” Yan said frankly.
He was not someone incapable of accepting defeat.
“You held back just now. Otherwise, I would have lost much earlier.”
He would not merely have lost.
Had it been a fight to the death, Yan would certainly have been the one killed.
He did not know whether Qi Heng’s face was simply too attractive, but on several occasions, Yan had found himself unable to strike it.
When he finally hardened his heart and threw a punch, Qi Heng had avoided it.
Hearing his words, Qi Heng said half-jokingly, “Should I offer a modest denial?”
Yan rolled his eyes and punched Qi Heng lightly on the shoulder.
“What is there to be modest about? Strong is strong.”
“Boss is right.”
“Qi Heng, I truly didn’t expect you to be this powerful.”
Mo Nan returned Qi Heng’s coat.
Like the other female Zerg who had watched the entire fight, he remained deeply surprised.
“Did I find a treasure?”
Qi Heng put his coat back on and smiled freely at Yan.
“You’re also very strong. You’re the strongest female Zerg I’ve encountered here.”
He was telling the truth.
Qi Heng had seen few female Zerg in District 49 with reasonably good constitutions.
He had asked the system to scan their basic data and compare it with the information previously recorded in its database.
Among all the newly scanned female Zerg, Yan possessed the best constitution.
Yan fell silent.
Why did he think even another female Zerg’s smile looked so attractive?
Being watched by Qi Heng felt strangely unsettling, but the sensation passed in an instant.
By the time Yan tried to examine it, it had already disappeared.
“Boss? Boss? Are you listening?”
Yan returned to his senses.
“What?”
“Qi Heng can join us now, right?” Mo Nan asked.
“Of course!”
Yan answered without hesitation.
Naturally, someone with this level of strength needed to remain with them.
Refusing to accept Qi Heng would be their loss.
“Qi Heng, welcome to the team.”
Yan raised his head slightly and looked directly into Qi Heng’s black eyes, which were as deep as the night.
It was not that Yan had never seen female Zerg with black hair or eyes.
There were many female Zerg in District 49 with exactly the same coloring.
Yet compared with them, Qi Heng seemed to possess something more.
Yan considered it for a long time without determining what that difference was.
In the end, he attributed it to Qi Heng’s excessively attractive face.
After all, none of the black-haired, black-eyed female Zerg he had encountered looked as good as the one before him.
Even though they were both female Zerg and attraction between them was difficult to imagine, Yan still found himself involuntarily drawn toward Qi Heng.
Perhaps when someone’s appearance reached a certain level, even members of the same sex could not help being attracted to him.
Yan sighed inwardly.
Over the following period, Qi Heng exchanged greetings with each of the hunting team’s other female Zerg and successfully became one of them.
They became close through fighting.
Literally.
They were extremely interested in Qi Heng’s strength and began asking to spar with him one after another.
Qi Heng did not refuse.
With a kind and approachable smile, he accepted their challenges and thoroughly taught a lesson to these female Zerg, whose fighting techniques were even less developed than Yan’s.
Then they refused to leave him alone.
By the time Qi Heng had used A1’s analysis and the Overlord’s experience to correct them individually, it was already noon.
Although the process consumed considerable time, Qi Heng had not gained nothing.
At the very least, he had become familiar with the hunting team’s female Zerg.
“Have some water.”
Yan handed him a bowl.
“Thank you.”
After speaking for most of the morning, Qi Heng truly was thirsty.
Yan said with mixed emotions, “You could have refused them.”
He had watched everything Qi Heng did that morning.
Whenever Mo Nan and the others had a question, Qi Heng answered it. He explained which movements lacked force, which angles were incorrect, and other weaknesses.
He had even taught them the techniques he had used in his own fight without reservation.
“Why would I refuse?”
Qi Heng took a sip of water and smiled.
“It benefits me if all of you become stronger, doesn’t it?”
“This is the first day we’ve met, yet you’re already this generous,” Yan said.
He truly was generous.
Combat techniques were generally developed from personal experience.
Who would freely share them with Zerg they had only just met?
“You’re willing to learn, and I’m willing to teach. Isn’t that beneficial to both sides?”
“Besides, only if everyone becomes stronger can we catch more prey.”
After Yan mentioned that they could also sell prey in other parts of District 49, Qi Heng had adjusted several details of his plan.
He had decided to teach Mo Nan and the others partly because he wanted to open more markets and exchange for more Starstones.
There was nothing he could do.
He was now supporting 1,002 Primordial Zerg, as well as Yan Ning and his son.
With so many mouths to feed, he needed to plan how to earn additional Starstones.
Beyond that, Qi Heng also possessed a faint sense of foreboding.
Feeding Starstones to the Devourer and the plump Zerg was probably only the beginning.
They would undoubtedly require more in the future, not less.
Every Primordial Zerg was a glutton.
Qi Heng could only feel helpless about that.
Plans often failed to keep pace with changing circumstances.
He could not guarantee that he would not end up raising several more in the future.
Obtaining large quantities of Starstones required more prey.
If he wanted to capture more prey, cooperating with the hunting team was more suitable than working alone.
There was another consideration.
The hunting team knew District 49 better than he did.
They understood many matters that Yan Ning and the others did not, including Lie Ke and the patrol-team members associated with him, which Qi Heng particularly wanted to investigate.
When he first transmigrated, Qi Heng had established a bottom line for himself.
His refusal to cross it was one matter.
Other people deliberately stepping onto that line and dancing was another.
Not only had Lie Ke’s group targeted his wealth, but they had also beaten Yan Ning.
After provoking him, did they think they could simply walk away?
How could anything be that convenient?
The hunting team had said it would help handle Lie Ke, but Qi Heng would need to provide the portion of Starstones they paid.
The amount might be smaller than Lie Ke had originally demanded, but if he could avoid paying anything, naturally he would pay nothing.
People were endlessly greedy.
Once Lie Ke and his group obtained benefits, they would only pursue more.
Qi Heng had no interest in emptying his own pockets to support enemies he had already classified as hostile.
Even when giving to charity, he would choose his recipients.
Lie Ke’s group had entered his blacklist the moment they caused trouble for him.
Now Qi Heng was only waiting for the right opportunity to teach them a lesson they would remember for the rest of their lives, one that ensured they never dared provoke him again.
Of course, before that opportunity appeared, he might still need to spend a few Starstones to dismiss those thugs.
Qi Heng became absorbed in his thoughts.
Yan, standing beside him, could not help watching him.
Qi Heng looked toward the female Zerg who were practicing their newly learned techniques against one another.
His eyes contained a faint smile that even he had not noticed.
In their enthusiasm for becoming stronger, the Tianjia Zerg were still the same as Qi Heng remembered.
It appeared that even after falling into their current circumstances, the Zerg’s fighting spirit had not been entirely erased.
It did not matter that their purpose had changed.
The process was what mattered.
The Primordial Zerg lacked individual self-awareness. In war, they relied entirely on swarm tactics, overwhelming their enemies through sheer numbers.
The Tianjia Zerg fought differently.
Their approach to warfare was similar to that of humans.
Tianjia Civilization had been a genuine advanced interstellar civilization, possessing countless fleets and enormous interstellar weapons.
Its military forces were equally vast.
Weapons and starships needed Zerg operators.
Wars required commanders and cooperation between numerous tactics.
These were all things the Primordial Zerg could not accomplish.
“You…”
Yan looked at Qi Heng’s expression and hesitated, as though he wanted to say something.
Qi Heng turned his head.
“Mm? Is something wrong?”
Yan remained silent briefly.
“No. It’s nothing.”
For a moment, he had felt that Qi Heng’s expression while watching Mo Nan and the others resembled a father watching his sons.
No.
More precisely, it resembled the satisfaction of an elder watching younger members of the family work hard.
Yan must have been mistaken.
Qi Heng did not appear particularly old.
How else could Yan possibly have formed such an impression?
Qi Heng looked at him in confusion.
When Yan showed no intention of speaking, Qi Heng turned away again.
After some time, Yan said, “Meet here tomorrow morning at daybreak. We’re going into the wasteland.”
“Do you have any problems with that?”
“No,” Qi Heng answered.
That night, a figure silently approached the mining area beneath the pitch-black sky.
The ground around the mine was utterly desolate.
Only several wooden houses stood scattered across the area. They were the residences of the One-Horns who managed the mine.
Not far from the houses were mountains of accumulated ore.
Every day, the ore excavated by the female Zerg was dumped onto the ground. Over time, it had formed several enormous piles.
Perhaps because of those piles, the entrances leading underground were separated by considerable distances.
Qi Heng did not know whether the parts of the mining area he had not seen followed the same arrangement.
During the cold night, the One-Horns would not leave their houses.
That gave Qi Heng the opportunity to investigate the surrounding terrain.
It was unrealistic for him to survey the mine’s entire surface personally.
The system’s basic scanning function could examine only the area immediately around him. It could do nothing about more distant locations.
[A1, activate scanning within a one-kilometer radius.]
【Yes, Overlord.】
Qi Heng glanced at the marker on the system interface, located three kilometers deep inside the abandoned Tunnel No. 1.
Then his body moved, racing across the mining area at extraordinary speed.
After reaching the marked position, he spoke again.
[Upgrade the scanning distance to ten kilometers.]
[A1, determine the exact timing for activating and deactivating it yourself.]
[We don’t have much energy, so conserve as much as possible. It’s enough as long as the environment along this route is recorded by the system.]
【Temporary upgrade of [Subsystem Scan]. Energy consumption: ten points per minute.】
【Optimal plan confirmed. Execution commencing.】
Listening to A1’s voice, Qi Heng ran toward the dead-egg pit.
At some point, the Blue-Tailed Butterfly emerged from his pocket and began flying beside him.
A vast wilderness stretched between the mine and the dead-egg pit.
Qi Heng needed to cross fifty kilometers in a straight line.
With stellar power covering both legs, he repeatedly leaped through the darkness.
Each landing was separated from the next by several meters.
This auxiliary combat technique, which applied stellar power to the legs, resembled the lightness skills shown in television dramas.
Apart from consuming too much of his present stellar power, it was nearly perfect.
The Blue-Tailed Butterfly followed him with every beat of its wings.
Each flutter produced a streak of water-blue light and scattered specks of glowing blue powder.
No matter how quickly Qi Heng traveled, the butterfly remained beside him without falling behind.
Its function was to transmit information, but when supplied with sufficient energy, its minimum flight speed could reach sixty kilometers per hour.
More than two hours later, Qi Heng stood at the edge of the dead-egg pit.
His stellar power had been exhausted long ago.
He had covered the latter half of the distance using only his own physical strength.
Even after his constitution improved substantially, running so far without stopping was difficult to endure.
“Did you remember everything?”
Qi Heng looked at the Blue-Tailed Butterfly flying before him.
The butterfly traced a distinctive curve through the air, then settled on his extended fingertip to rest.
Naturally, it was not tired.
That distance was insignificant to a Blue-Tailed Butterfly.
However, no Zerg could resist approaching the Overlord.
A butterfly carrying the Commander’s consciousness could not resist.
A butterfly acting solely on instinct while that consciousness slept was even less capable of doing so.
“You know where the entrance is.”
“Fly back later, descend into the mine yourself, and find Hui Ge. Guide him in the correct direction.”
Qi Heng issued the instructions through mental power.
He could not possibly visit the mine tomorrow, so the Blue-Tailed Butterfly needed to return now.
“Conceal yourself. Do not allow anyone to discover you.”
“Especially the light from your body.”
The Blue-Tailed Butterfly fluttered its wings.
The flowing light across them gradually dimmed until they no longer emitted any glow.
“Exactly like that. You did very well.”
A tool Zerg needed nothing.
The only reward Qi Heng could offer was praise.
Furthermore, tool Zerg became extremely happy when praised and worked even harder afterward.
As a result, Qi Heng was becoming increasingly skilled at complimenting them.
“Go.”
The Blue-Tailed Butterfly rose into the air.
It circled him twice before finally turning and disappearing into the night.
Qi Heng watched it leave, then turned toward District 49 as A1’s report sounded beside his ear.
【Temporary scanning upgrade consumed one hundred energy points. Task [Mining Area Information Collection] progress: 100%. Detailed information has been archived.】
【Task [Wilderness Terrain Map] progress increased by 0.19%.】
Qi Heng walked along the desolate road.
His excuse for leaving that night had been that he wanted to hunt another gray rabbit.
He had actually gone to investigate the mining area under cover of darkness.
He had originally planned to catch a rabbit and complete the cover story.
Considering his condition now, it would be better to forget it.
Exhausting all his stellar power left Qi Heng feeling somewhat tired.
Unfortunately, he had already agreed to enter the wasteland with Yan and the others tomorrow.
For the sake of his own safety, he needed to recover the stellar power he had consumed before morning.
Possessing the system gave him a high margin of safety.
That did not mean the wasteland posed no danger to him.
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