One-Horn 49-058 convulsed beneath the powerful electrical current, his mind still dazed.
No matter how hard he tried to see the black figure clearly, all he could make out was a vague darkness with no discernible height, build, or features.
He did not dare move.
Someone capable of instantly rendering him helpless, bypassing every surveillance device and alarm, and appearing silently beside his bed was absolutely not someone he could afford to provoke.
The intruder could kill him without alerting any of the other One-Horns.
Where had this monster come from?
Neither the physical strength that had effortlessly restrained him nor the sudden electrical attack should have appeared on Tianyun Star.
Had someone from another power infiltrated the planet?
One-Horn 49-058 considered the possibility, but the blade against his throat made him sensible enough not to ask unnecessary questions.
After comparing their respective strength, Number 058 did not dare resist.
“What would you like to discuss?”
Qi Heng showed no reaction to 058’s trembling appearance.
“Let’s begin with what happened today.”
Today?
What had happened today?
058 froze briefly.
“The wings, and the female-Zerg children you took away.”
“Explain clearly, word for word, what the collected wings are used for and where those children are taken.”
“Do not attempt to deceive me. I assume you don’t want to experience that pain again.”
Qi Heng’s tone remained calm.
His questions made 058 abruptly realize something.
“You’re a Zerg?!”
How could he possibly be a Zerg?
That was impossible!
Given the present Zerg’s strength, 058 could defeat several of them by himself.
How could a Zerg be capable of pinning him down with one hand and leaving him completely unable to move?
Qi Heng was not satisfied with the response.
“Stop wasting words. You only need to answer my questions.”
The blade in his hand easily cut through the One-Horn’s resilient skin.
A faint smell of blood spread through the room, bringing back the reason that had fled 058’s mind in his shock.
Regardless of whether the person before him was a Zerg, his life was currently in the stranger’s hands.
He could not offend him.
058 answered stiffly, “The collected wings are transported beyond the Lost Star Region and processed into crafts.”
“The children are purchased by buyers who come to select them…”
“Continue. Explain in detail.”
Qi Heng’s voice did not change.
A0, however, could see that the Overlord’s expression was cold and that the hand holding the blade against the One-Horn’s artery had applied slightly more pressure.
“Yes.”
“My lord, I’ll tell you anything you wish to know. Could you loosen your hand slightly?”
058 forced himself to continue while inwardly lamenting his misfortune.
How had he ended up in the hands of such a terrifying person?
“Even if a One-Horn’s major artery is cut, he won’t die.”
“Is there any need to look so frightened? The blade isn’t inside your heart.”
A quiet laugh emerged from Qi Heng’s throat.
Its gloomy sound in the darkness was rather frightening.
The fact that a One-Horn’s fatal weakness was his heart was not especially secret.
However, no one other than the One-Horns themselves should have known it on Tianyun Star.
058 had initially suspected that the intruder was a Zerg.
When the stranger revealed this secret, he overturned that assumption.
Not a single Zerg had escaped Tianyun Star in all these years.
Even if one somehow had, no Zerg would ever return.
Tianyun Star was a prison built from an entire planet.
It was difficult to enter and even more difficult to leave.
Only an idiot would willingly walk back into the trap.
Thoughts flashed rapidly through 058’s mind, but he did not dare stop answering.
“The female Zerg of the Tianjia species possess many varieties of wings.”
“Some varieties are exceptionally beautiful and are highly suitable for making crafts or ornaments.”
“The rarer types are even more valuable. They often sell for high prices beyond the Lost Star Region.”
058 cautiously observed the black figure’s reaction but sensed nothing.
At the very least, this suggested that the intruder was not one of Tianyun Star’s Zerg.
Otherwise, he could not have remained completely unmoved upon hearing the word “Tianjia.”
The Zerg on Tianyun Star knew themselves only as Zerg.
They knew nothing about their species’ former civilization or history.
058 continued.
“Those female-Zerg children are Higher Zerg. The more attractive ones will also become extremely powerful after reaching adulthood.”
“Those with especially outstanding appearances are sold to buyers with particular requirements.”
“The others are sold as slaves to certain interstellar organizations or civilizations.”
058 swallowed before continuing.
“Because adult Higher Zerg possess considerable strength and require almost no specialized cultivation, demand has always been high.”
“We generally transport a shipment off the planet once every six months.”
What he had revealed was not truly secret.
Anyone outside who made a few inquiries could learn it.
058 did not know whether the black figure genuinely lacked this information or was deliberately testing him.
For now, he could only hope that the intruder had no relationship with the Zerg.
Otherwise, his fate tonight would certainly be miserable.
“Wouldn’t the wings of adult Zerg be better?”
“Why target children?”
The black figure’s casual question reached 058.
“It’s true that an adult female Zerg’s wings are more beautiful and have greater uses…”
058 gave an awkward laugh and tested him cautiously.
“But adult Higher Zerg are difficult to control. You should know that.”
“There’s no need to test me.”
Difficult to control?
Perhaps that was part of the reason, but it was certainly not the entire explanation.
“From now on, I ask and you answer.”
058’s response had given Qi Heng several new ideas.
“Ask anything you wish,” 058 said.
He had expected the black figure to continue questioning him about the wings.
The next question was completely outside his expectations.
“Which civilization controls Tianyun Star?”
“I…”
“Don’t tell me you don’t even know your own employer.”
“The Ikar Civilization.”
“How many Tianjia Zerg live on Tianyun Star?”
“I’m not certain. My jurisdiction covers only District 49.”
“Perhaps only our leader can answer that question.”
“Then I’ll ask something else. How many Zerg live in District 49?”
“More than forty thousand.”
“Apart from the forty-nine districts of the northern slums, are there any other Zerg settlements? What are their sizes and locations?”
“There is one other settlement. Its population is roughly comparable to this one.”
“How many One-Horns are stationed in the northern slums?”
“Approximately three thousand.”
Throughout the questioning, 058 fully demonstrated his willingness to cooperate.
“What is female-Zerg blood used for?”
“As carriers of advanced genes, the Tianjia Zerg possess blood that can be used as an ingredient in medicines for treating certain genetic diseases.”
“Their blood also contains faint stellar power. When combined with other medicines, it can produce drugs that slowly improve the body’s constitution.”
“They’re especially effective on life-forms from civilizations with naturally weaker physiques…”
058 had answered immediately upon hearing the question.
Only halfway through did he realize what he was admitting.
He hurriedly explained, “My lord, these are all orders from the Ikar Civilization. We merely follow instructions.”
“I haven’t said anything yet. Why are you panicking?”
Qi Heng spoke without expression.
How could he not panic?
058 had definitely sensed the killing intent that appeared for an instant.
Cold sweat covered him.
“Yes. I’ll continue.”
…
The room fell silent.
After asking his final question, Qi Heng stopped speaking.
Since the stranger remained silent, 058 could only keep his mouth shut as well.
【They’ve gone too far!】
A0’s roaring voice repeatedly echoed through Qi Heng’s mind, making his head buzz.
Qi Heng could not even criticize it.
At the moment, he also wanted to shout a few times to release the frustration building inside him.
But he could not.
【Did Tianjia Civilization dig up their ancestral graves or kill and scatter the ashes of their homeworld?!】
【Scheming against Tianjia is one thing, but isn’t stripping out every tendon, peeling away every bone, cracking the bones open, and sucking out the marrow far too excessive?!】
【Overlord, every civilization, organization, and individual that harmed Tianjia Civilization must be placed on the hostile list.】
【Not one can be spared.】
【Sooner or later, we must kill all of them.】
As the AI appointed by the system to save Tianjia Civilization, A0 had always regarded itself as the Overlord’s right hand and Tianjia Civilization’s protector.
If one had to describe it, A0 resembled a mother hen fiercely protecting its chicks.
After hearing 058’s answers, the highly humanlike A0 wanted every enemy force dead.
Qi Heng was not much better.
The emotions belonging to the Overlord resonated with his own.
Had he not remained sufficiently calm to suppress his anger, he would never have been able to sit there quietly.
【You think the same thing, don’t you?!】
A0’s suggestion became increasingly aggressive and warlike.
【You were gone for too long. They’ve forgotten the nightmare Tianjia Civilization once brought them…】
[Be quiet, A0.]
Qi Heng interrupted it.
【…Yes.】
The information missing from the puzzle had been supplied through 058’s answers.
The present situation of the Tianjia Zerg on Tianyun Star was now displayed clearly before them.
A0 had not known these things.
Qi Heng had vaguely sensed parts of the truth, but learning everything still shocked him.
He mentally reviewed all the information.
The Tianjia Zerg had been imprisoned on Tianyun Star so that others could exploit them.
To maintain the Zerg population, every adult female Zerg was required to produce at least one egg.
When the male-Zerg birth rate declined year after year, their captors introduced social divisions.
They elevated male Zerg status and created internal conflict within the species.
Eggs that failed to hatch were discarded as dead eggs.
Surviving male-Zerg children were raised separately and deliberately turned into useless dependents.
Female-Zerg children were selected according to their appearance.
The attractive ones were kept or sold, while ordinary children had their wings removed, simultaneously limiting their strength and producing another source of profit.
From childhood until adulthood, their stellar power and blood were continuously extracted.
Adult female Zerg were required to lay eggs, while their stellar power and blood continued to be exploited.
Adult male Zerg were never taught to develop their mental or stellar power.
They existed only as breeding studs, spending their lives repeatedly sleeping with female Zerg.
The male Zerg themselves could not use mental power, and no female Zerg used mental power to help regulate their condition and guide them safely through adulthood.
The hidden damage caused their lifespans to remain between forty and forty-five years.
The entire system utilized the Zerg completely.
Everything had been arranged from birth until death.
To make the Zerg submit voluntarily to this exploitation, their captors had even established trading areas and used barter to obtain what they wanted.
They could have simply taken everything by force, yet they were still willing to exchange goods for it.
How extraordinarily generous.
In the darkness, Qi Heng looked at the immobilized 058.
“Do you want to live?”
058’s heart immediately tightened.
“Yes. Of course I do.”
[Can I use the Overlord’s skill, [Chains of God]?]
A0 answered:
【You are the Overlord, and the Overlord is you. Naturally, you can use it.】
[Even with my present strength?]
【Yes.】
【The One-Horns possess low-quality mental power. With your transformed mental power, using the skill on him will present no difficulty.】
The so-called [Chains of God] was one of the Overlord’s skills in the game.
It used mental power to implant mental compulsions into an enemy.
Those compulsions appeared as chains around the target’s mental entity.
If the target performed a forbidden action, the chains would tighten the instant he acted and destroy his mental entity.
Qi Heng raised his hand and held it above 058’s forehead.
His mental power invaded 058’s mind in an instant and seized his mental entity.
Chains formed from mental power rapidly wrapped around it.
Throughout the process, 058’s mental entity did not even have time to resist.
The difference in strength between them was too great.
Qi Heng achieved an overwhelming victory.
“You are forbidden from revealing tonight’s meeting in any way.”
“If you violate that command, your consciousness will be destroyed instantly.”
“Obey, or die.”
058 remained too shocked to recover after hearing this.
Heavens!
Where had this terrifying expert, capable of imposing mental restraints, come from?
Originally, 058 had planned to report the incident if he survived, thereby earning merit and perhaps a promotion.
That idea had now vanished completely.
Remaining silent would let him live, at least temporarily.
Speaking would guarantee that he died horribly in an instant.
“I’m not killing you because you remain useful.”
“I found you once, and I can find you again.”
“Do not attempt any small tricks.”
Qi Heng had not selected 058 merely because his residence was the easiest to infiltrate.
To Qi Heng, none of the One-Horns’ houses possessed meaningful defenses.
He chose 058 because every available sign indicated that he held the lowest status among the One-Horns.
Someone in such a position would be easiest to use.
The One-Horns were a genetically modified slave species incapable of producing offspring.
The obedience encoded into their genes made them the favored slaves of many buyers, although they were not genuinely loyal.
After being sold, specialized control devices were implanted into their bodies by their owners.
They were then assigned dirty, exhausting work.
One-Horns such as 058 were exiled to desolate planets to serve as jailers, unable to leave until the day they died.
Nevertheless, they were intelligent life-forms.
They possessed all the weaknesses and bad habits common to intelligent beings.
They also possessed desires.
“Obey me, and you will receive what you want.”
“Do you understand?”
Qi Heng softened his voice, adding a faintly seductive quality to his words.
058’s heart began beating uncontrollably.
The black figure’s meaning was unmistakable.
“You mean…”
“I only recently arrived on Tianyun Star and lack a convenient servant.”
Qi Heng spoke casually.
“If you’re unwilling, it doesn’t matter. District 49 is large. I can always find someone else who is useful.”
058 understood that the black figure was offering him a choice.
He could maintain his present existence or take a step upward.
His life was already in the stranger’s hands.
Any intelligent person would know what to choose.
As though he knew what 058 was thinking, Qi Heng said, “I told you I wouldn’t kill you, so I won’t.”
“Even if you refuse, I still won’t kill you.”
058 instinctively realized that this was one of the most important decisions of his life.
Nervously, he asked the black figure a question.
“My lord, are you a Tianjia Zerg?”
The moment the words left his mouth, 058 felt a gaze lock onto him.
“Is whether I am or not truly important?”
Of course it was important.
The Tianjia Zerg’s reputation had remained unchanged for ten thousand years.
They were like rats crossing a street, condemned by everyone who saw them.
If he was going to choose a side, he naturally wanted one with a future.
“I…”
Qi Heng had only begun to speak when 058 interrupted him.
“My lord, don’t worry. I absolutely won’t tell anyone.”
Qi Heng was momentarily speechless.
He had not said anything yet.
058 was relieved that he had interrupted quickly enough.
Some things were better left unknown.
Regardless of whether the black figure was a Zerg, the fact that he had reached Tianyun Star without triggering a single alarm proved that he was no ordinary person.
Anyone who dared interfere with the Ikar Civilization’s interests had to possess some power supporting him.
In any case, 058 absolutely could not afford to provoke him.
“My lord, I have only one small, insignificant request,” 058 said anxiously.
“Speak.”
“I want to become a free person.”
The request was both unexpected and entirely understandable.
Qi Heng had assumed that 058 would ask for status or authority.
He had not expected him to ask for freedom.
Had Qi Heng done something that caused 058 to mistakenly believe he possessed the ability to remove the restrictions placed upon him?
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