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Chapter 20: The Insect Queen 

 

Central Park was once a picture of lush greenery, emerald lawns, brown benches, stone-paved pathways, ponds, and sculptures. 

 

Of course, the apocalypse had turned it into a scene of desolation. 

 

Now, weeds overran the park, benches were moldy, and stone paths were cracked. The pond was murky, covered with a thick layer of green scum. 

 

In a way, the park had returned to a primal state, a stark beauty that might have been appreciated if not for the gigantic insect hive at its center. 

 

The hive resembled something straight out of a sci-fi nightmare, massive and pulsating with an otherworldly green hue, its surface crisscrossed with vein-like patterns. Black, gaping holes dotted its structure, and mutated insects constantly buzzed in and out. 

 

At its core was the Queen. 

 

 

“We’re going in now,” Bai Moxue whispered. “Once the swarm matures, they’ll spread across the city. For now, most of the forces are drawn away by the car, making this the best chance to kill the Queen.” 

 

“How do you know all this?” Chu Muge asked. 

 

Bai Moxue’s tone remained calm. “We investigated.” 

 

Chu Muge narrowed her eyes. 

 

An entire squad wiped out after investigating? 

 

She glanced at Gu Yao, who had been silently staring at Bai Moxue’s back throughout the journey. 

 

It wasn’t the first time. Gu Yao had stolen glances at Bai Moxue several times already. 

 

Curious, Chu Muge had quietly asked Gu Yao earlier if something was wrong. Gu Yao only shook her head. 

 

In truth, she wasn’t sure herself. 

 

There was something off about Bai Moxue. Gu Yao couldn’t shake the feeling that something about her was strange, yet no matter how long she observed, she couldn’t pinpoint anything unusual. Everything about Bai Moxue seemed... normal. 

 

Human, with a heartbeat. 

 

... 

 

The car raced down the road. 

 

“There’s a bus ahead! An abandoned one! Don’t crash into it!” 

 

“I see it! I see it!” Bai Caixie executed a sharp turn, narrowly avoiding the wreckage. 

 

The swarm was growing overwhelming, and they were reaching their limit. 

 

The zombie dog was now in rapid-fire mode, carefully held by Bai Caiwei, who was doing her best to keep the mutated insects’ razor-sharp appendages from slicing off its head. 

 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

 

The air cannon fired repeatedly, green ichor splattering everywhere like a grotesque rain. 

 

A shattered insect shell dropped through the sunroof, landing on Bai Caiwei’s lap. She screamed in terror. 

 

The glossy black shell, still attached to squirming white flesh, oozed green fluid as it writhed. 

 

Shrieking, she flung it off and held up the zombie dog again. 

 

“Absolutely horrifying,” she muttered under her breath. 

 

... 

 

The hive had its guards, but they were far fewer in number compared to the swarm outside. 

 

After some deliberation, Chu Muge’s group settled on the simplest approach. 

 

Charge in. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Bai Moxue said coolly. “I’ll handle them when the time comes.” 

 

“How?” 

 

“My ability is ice,” she explained quickly. “I can create an ice wall to block them temporarily.” 

 

Gu Yao’s eyes widened in awe. 

 

So cool. 

 

She turned to Chu Muge, her admiration evident. 

 

Noticing the look, Chu Muge raised an eyebrow. “What? I can’t shoot hailstones, you know.” 

 

Gu Yao shifted her gaze, suppressing a grin. 

 

Let It Go? Not Quite. 

 

Forget about Elsa from Frozen, even without icy powers, the "cat girl" was undeniably more adorable. 

 

Maybe it was Gu Yao’s faintly regretful (though impossible to detect) expression that set Chu Muge off. With a flash of determination in her crimson eyes, she ruffled her hair, and atop her head, two feline ears sprouted. 

 

Her voice was eager, almost reckless. “Fine. Let’s go.” 

 

Impulsive, much? 

 

“Senior,” Chu Muge turned to Gu Yao with concern, “why don’t you stay here and wait for us to return?” 

 

So, she did care in the end. 

 

Gu Yao hesitated, but before she could respond, Bai Moxue suddenly spoke up: 

 

“She’s coming with us.” 

 

...? 

 

Chu Muge raised an eyebrow, glancing at Bai Moxue, who calmly explained: “The mutated creatures have... things in their brains, don’t they? Couldn’t that be useful to her?” 

 

Bai Moxue’s gaze shifted to Gu Yao, strange and unsettling. It made Gu Yao uncomfortable. 

 

“You’re saying... you want to help her get stronger?” Chu Muge couldn’t hold back a laugh. “How generous of you.” 

 

This wasn’t just a helpful stranger anymore, Bai Moxue was practically acting like a concerned parent. 

 

Bai Moxue nodded nonchalantly. “You’re planning to go to New Gallo, right?” 

 

Chu Muge’s silence was answer enough. 

 

“If the zombie girl isn’t hostile,” Bai Moxue continued, looking directly at Gu Yao, “then why not cultivate her into a valuable ally? After all, who wants to live as a powerless bystander in times like these?” 

 

It was less a statement to Chu Muge and more an appeal to Gu Yao herself. 

 

Gu Yao lowered her eyes, avoiding the gaze. 

 

“And just who are you to say something like that?” Chu Muge frowned. 

 

Bai Moxue shrugged, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Let’s move. Time to go.” 

 

... 

 

The plan was simple: a full-force charge while the bulk of the swarm was distracted. 

 

Like a phantom, Chu Muge darted toward the hive, her blade flashing as she bisected a mutant insect in a single motion. 

 

Buzz, buzz, buzz. 

 

The noise grew louder, the swarm beginning to gather. 

 

Stragglers met swift ends, cut by Chu Muge’s blade or skewered by the icy projectiles Bai Moxue conjured with ease. 

 

As the three reached the threshold of the massive hive, Bai Moxue stomped her foot hard against the ground. 

 

Boom! 

 

A freezing wall of ice erupted from the earth, blocking the entrance. Layers upon layers piled up, and every time an insect managed to carve through one, another wall rose, freezing it in place. 

 

Inside the hive, the atmosphere was oppressive. It resembled a vast, organic labyrinth, with fleshy walls that absorbed light, casting everything into eerie darkness. 

 

This was where Gu Yao came into her own. 

 

Though she couldn’t control the insects, she could sense the intense electromagnetic signals pulsing from a specific point deep within the hive. 

 

Gu Yao tugged at Chu Muge’s sleeve. 

 

The insects had already detected their intrusion and were swarming toward them from all directions. 

 

“Three ahead. Five behind,” Chu Muge said softly. 

 

And... oh, look. 

 

She glanced left. More of them. 

 

In the dim light, Chu Muge’s crimson, slit-pupilled eyes gleamed sharply as she locked onto the enemies in front of her. Gripping her blade tightly, she began slicing through the swarm with the precision and speed of a Fruit Ninja expert. 

 

Her agility was unmatched, and combined with her extraordinary strength, she wielded her Tang Dao effortlessly, dismembering the massive insects in seconds before pressing onward. 

 

Not to be outdone, Bai Moxue demonstrated her mastery of ice, leaving a frozen trail in their wake. The icy paths soon erupted into deadly spikes, impaling the pursuing insects. 

 

Gu Yao became the team’s navigator. Staying close to Chu Muge, she relied on her instincts to guide them through the labyrinthine hive, pointing decisively at each fork in the path. 

 

The three moved with purpose, a well-coordinated team. 

 

Straight toward the Queen. 

 

ns.

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