Free Web NovelChapter 62: Chapter 62: The Insect Clan Appears on Black Star
"Hey, Xiao Du!"
Before Shi Lan could even react, she saw Xiao Du slip under the glowing mass of light by the tree roots. A few seconds later, it let out a satisfied burp and, having transformed into a little red mushroom, wobbled toward her.
Seeing Xiao Du in its red mushroom form for the first time, Shi Lan thought something was wrong. She anxiously scooped it into her arms. "Xiao Du, are you okay?"
Xiao Du nodded. Its voice was slurred, as if it were drunk. "Master, this ball of energy is a little strong. I ate too much. I might need to rest for a while."
"Okay, go get some rest."
Shi Lan sighed in relief, knowing it was fine, but she also felt a little exasperated. ’This kid runs faster than anyone at the sight of food and eats everything. Who knows if that’s always a good thing.’
She held it in her arms, and Xiao Du slipped directly into her spirit sea.
"Master, I can absorb it faster this way."
Hearing this, Shi Lan nodded. Thankfully, she had left markers on her way here to avoid getting lost, so she didn’t need Xiao Du to guide her back. Of course, she could also use the prison’s navigation system from here.
Just in case, Shi Lan turned on her navigation as well.
The journey had felt endless on the way there since she didn’t know the route. But the return trip seemed shorter than she’d expected. After half an hour, she checked her chip and saw she only had a little over forty minutes left, which was nearly twenty minutes faster than her trip out.
Shi Lan quietly picked up her pace. Fortunately, Black Star didn’t seem to have any dangerous animals. At night, there were only small reptiles and insects, but the repellent spray she was wearing kept them far away.
But disaster has a way of striking when you least expect it. Just as she had that thought, she heard a sharp whoosh cut through the darkness.
It sounded like something had flown right over her head, the resulting gust of wind whipping her hair about. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Shi Lan froze instantly. A strange buzzing droned from above. It was like the sound of a giant mosquito or fly, but deeper and more menacing, enough to make one’s skin crawl.
She knew at once what it was. On high alert, she transformed into her mushroom form and rolled into a nearby patch of tall grass, her green color providing excellent camouflage.
An instant later, four sharp claws slashed through the spot where she had just been standing, right in the light of her floating orb, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.
Shi Lan’s pupils contracted. ’What’s going on? How did the Insect Clan get here?’
As someone who had spent time on Garbage Star, she had guessed it was the Insect Clan from the sound alone, but seeing it with her own eyes was still unbelievable.
’There were no signs of the Insect Clan on Black Star when I arrived. How did they suddenly show up? And how many more are there?’
Shi Lan was stunned, and the insectoid creature was still circling in the sky.
Perhaps enraged that its prey had vanished, the insectoid, unable to find her, furiously crushed the masterless floating orb.
The world was plunged into darkness, but Shi Lan discovered that in her mushroom form, she now had night vision.
But she didn’t dare move. The insectoid that had been flying now began to descend.
It sniffed the air, searching for any lingering trace of her scent.
Shi Lan didn’t dare make a sound. To her utter horror, two more members of the Insect Clan landed just seconds later.
She glanced over. One of the newcomers looked very similar to the first one—like a mutated dragonfly, its body covered in dark brown spots, with thin, transparent wings and four grotesque claws.
The other insectoid was the most peculiar. At first glance, it resembled a large, winged toad, but a closer look revealed another, pure-black insectoid clinging to its abdomen.
This new creature was small in stature. Compared to the others, which were several meters tall, it was roughly human-sized. It had a cone-shaped head, red compound eyes, and countless legs that clung to the larger insectoid. Its belly was grotesquely swollen, and in some places, the skin was so thin that she could almost see a dense cluster of eyes within.
A shiver of fear ran down Shi Lan’s spine.
She wanted to activate her chip and send a message, but it was pitch-black, and she was hiding in an exposed patch of grass. The light from the chip would give her away instantly. This was nothing like her last encounter, where she had at least been hidden in a pile of junk with some room to move.
Shi Lan grew anxious. The insectoids hadn’t left. They seemed to be communicating, with the others lowering their heads toward the pot-bellied creature, as if it were the true leader.
The pot-bellied one appeared to be angry. It threw its head back and let out several long screeches, causing the other insectoids to tremble in fear, not daring to move.
After a moment, it seemed to issue a command. The two dragonfly-like insectoids began to search the area, while the pot-bellied one remained attached to the last creature. That one bent down, wrapping its four broad wings around the leader, shielding it completely.
The search of the two insectoids brought them closer to Shi Lan. They attacked the surrounding trees and grass indiscriminately, occasionally stuffing bits into their mouths. One of their wings scraped against Shi Lan twice. It didn’t injure her, but the impact sent her tumbling across the ground for a few turns, exposing her to all the insectoids.
She had intended to play dead, but as an insectoid approached, she remembered how they casually stuffed even uprooted grass into their mouths. Fearing she’d be eaten, she finally bolted.
It was now or never.
Seeing the strange object start to run, the insectoid’s interest was piqued, and it immediately gave chase.
AHHHH...
Shi Lan felt this was even more intense than her time on Garbage Star. She couldn’t help but scream in her mind. The commotion woke Xiao Du, who had been busy absorbing the Energy Body. Sensing the situation outside, it asked nervously, "Master, are you okay?"
As she ran and scrambled, Shi Lan replied, "Xiao Du, your master is not doing so great~"
"This thing eats everything! If I don’t run, it’s going to stuff me in its mouth."
It was amazing that even in such a tense moment, Shi Lan still had the presence of mind for self-deprecating humor.
After all, screaming and crying wouldn’t help.
Xiao Du asked, "Master, how long have you been transformed?" ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"About five or six minutes, I think."
Shi Lan wasn’t certain, but it had definitely been at least a few minutes.
Xiao Du sounded a little relieved. "Okay, Master. I’ll contact an offshoot and see if I can get someone to come rescue you."
It could sense that the people in the prison were very powerful. In a situation like this, asking for their help was the only option.
Shi Lan didn’t have time to worry about the details. She was already running toward the prison. With all its security bots, it was a better bet than fighting this thing alone.
But the insectoid was just too fast. Several times, she was nearly snatched by its claws.
Shi Lan’s heart was about to leap out of her throat. She was so focused on escaping that she didn’t even have a second to send a message. Then she remembered the Child Locator Yan Huoshui had given her just that day. It was in the most accessible spot in her Space Bag. With a stubby little hand she’d formed from her mushroom body, she managed to press the button.
Even though she knew they couldn’t get out of the prison, it would at least alert them to her dangerous situation. They would surely find a way to get someone to help.
In a situation like this, Shi Lan was surprised to find how much she trusted them.
The moment Shi Lan pressed her locator, the main locator in Yan Huoshui’s room lit up. Simultaneously, in Mu Tangfeng’s room, the little green mushroom offshoot leaped from a mirror onto his head.
