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Chapter 21: On the Brink 

 

If traffic cops still existed, Bai Caixie was pretty sure he’d have racked up a mountain of tickets by now. 

 

The glaring sign ahead read, “Roadwork Ahead,” but for the self-proclaimed drift queen of Mount Akina, it was nothing but a minor annoyance. Squinting, Bai Caixie spun the wheel sharply, sending the car into a perfect drift as it veered onto an alternate path. 

 

Dust flew. 

 

The Big Dog, however, was nearing its limit. 

 

The zombie dog, Bai Caiwei’s lifesaving trump card, was utterly drained. Its once-potent air cannons had dwindled into feeble bursts. 

 

Cradling the dog, Bai Caiwei’s voice trembled in panic. “It’s going to give out!” 

 

“What’s giving out?” Bai Caixie growled through gritted teeth, his focus unyielding on the road ahead. 

 

Before Bai Caiwei could answer, a dense swarm of black insects burst into view, surging toward the car like a living wave. 

 

Bai Caixie’s immediate reaction? 

 

Oh. Us. 

 

There was no time to brake or swerve. Resigned, Bai Caiwei prepared to close her eyes in despair. 

 

But Big Dog, despite its exhaustion, stirred. With a strained movement, it climbed over Bai Caiwei’s head, stuck its snout out the sunroof, and charged up one final air cannon. 

 

BOOM! 

 

(This is my last shot!) 

 

The cannon’s immense power scattered the insect swarm, leaving a clear path for the car to break through the encirclement at full speed. 

 

The victory wasn’t without scars. An insect slammed into the windshield, screeching as its razor-sharp claws gouged a white streak across the glass. The car’s once-pristine exterior now dripped with green insect fluids, streaked by the wind like grotesque paint. 

 

Breathing heavily, Bai Caiwei clutched the dog tightly, her relief palpable. “You’re my hero, my precious treasure.” 

 

The sight of a delicate young girl cuddling a decayed zombie dog was both touching and bizarre. Bai Caixie spared a glance in the rearview mirror and couldn’t resist commenting. “Careful it doesn’t scratch you. Look at those claws and teeth, razor-sharp.” 

 

His sister hugging a rotting dog like it was a prized gem stirred a strange mix of pity and exasperation in Bai Caixie’s heart. 

 

Though Big Dog had saved the day, the effort left it utterly spent. Limp and lifeless, the zombie dog slumped against Bai Caiwei’s shoulder, tongue lolling out as it panted weakly. 

 

Their prospects were grim. Another insect wave would be the end of them. 

 

Now, all they could do was pin their hopes on Chu Muge and her team. If they didn’t complete their mission before the next attack, the siblings were done for. 

 

… 

 

The hive’s interior pulsed like it was made of some unknown organic material, though far less pleasant than a plush meat carpet. 

 

Guided by Gu Yao’s uncanny sensitivity to electromagnetic signals, the trio edged closer to their goal: the Queen. Killing it would plunge the hive into chaos, leaving the rest of the insects directionless. 

 

But the journey was fraught with danger. Insects ambushed them from every angle. 

 

Chu Muge’s Tang Dao was already coated in viscous green fluids. Between breaths, she flicked her cat ears, muttering her annoyance. 

 

While the individual insects weren’t particularly strong, their overwhelming numbers made them formidable. Left unchecked, their coordinated assaults could crush any opposition. 

 

The team was close, so close. 

 

More insects swarmed. Chu Muge narrowly dodged a strike from one’s claws, twisting her wrist to sever its wings before stomping its body with a sickening crunch. 

 

Gross. Still gross. 

 

Her expression betrayed a flash of disgust, but she pressed on in the direction Gu Yao indicated. 

 

Behind them, Bai Moxue covered their back, her icy powers creating a frigid barrier that slowed and immobilized the pursuing insects. 

 

Finally, they reached their destination. 

 

Before them loomed a fleshy wall with a conspicuous seam. 

 

Gritting her teeth, Chu Muge raised her Tang Dao and swung with all her might. 

 

Splurt! 

 

Green ichor sprayed as the blade tore through the wall, forcibly carving an opening into the Queen’s inner chamber. 

 

The Queen was nothing like its insectoid underlings. Without a protective exoskeleton, its translucent, gelatinous body stood a staggering seven to eight meters tall, entirely composed of quivering fat. It resembled less a terrifying insect and more a colossal blob of protein, a grotesque hybrid between a grub and a pig. 

 

Or, if one squinted, a pale-skinned Dong Zhuo. 

 

Sensing the intruders, its many compound eyes, perched atop its massive head, turned downward to focus on them. Its half-open maw unleashed an ear-piercing shriek that reverberated through the hive. 

 

The sound was sharp, intolerable, and especially grating for cat ears. Chu Muge winced, pressing her hands against her head. 

 

Moments later, a strange clear fluid began oozing from the Queen’s folds of fat. 

 

What the hell is that? 

 

Before she could find an answer, brown, segmented appendages suddenly burst forth from the creature’s body, emerging one by one from top to bottom. Each limb ended in a razor-sharp tip, deadly enough to pierce a skull in a single thrust. 

 

Ah, so the fluid was lubrication. 

 

The appendages shot toward her in rapid succession. Chu Muge’s pupils contracted as she dodged nimbly, evading one of the deadly thrusts by mere centimeters. 

 

“Fall back!” she shouted at Gu Yao before using one of the extended appendages as a makeshift platform to propel herself toward the Queen’s head. 

 

The creature’s limbs moved with the precision of spears, each one aiming to skewer her. But Chu Muge’s feline agility shone through; she danced nimbly between the thrusting appendages, leaping each time one struck down, steadily closing the distance to her target. 

 

Behind her, the ominous hum of approaching insects grew louder. 

 

Bai Moxue glanced back, her palm extending toward the breached wall. “They’re coming,” she said flatly. 

 

Gu Yao blinked, realizing the comment was directed at her. 

 

“Hey,” Bai Moxue added, glancing sidelong at her companion, “take a good look at it. You can control that thing, can’t you?” 

 

Gu Yao’s gaze shifted to the Queen. 

 

The insect swarm surged through the opening. With a sharp stomp, Bai Moxue summoned a massive ice spike, impaling several of the advancing insects and blocking the breach temporarily. 

 

Meanwhile, Chu Muge reached the Queen’s head. Compared to its massive body, the head was disproportionately small, dominated by bulbous compound eyes that looked like they were bursting out of its skull. 

 

As the Queen let out another piercing scream, its grotesque mandibles clacked together in agitation. Chu Muge frowned, gripping her Tang Dao tightly, and swung for the head. 

 

Splurt. 

 

The blade sliced cleanly through, decapitating the Queen. Its headless body quivered violently, spurting green ichor as its limbs collapsed one by one. 

 

For a moment, there was silence. 

 

Gu Yao’s eyes widened suddenly. 

 

Something’s not right. 

 

The Queen’s enormous, flabby torso began to writhe. From its center, a massive, singular eye slowly pushed its way outward, glaring directly at Chu Muge. 

 

The real head is here! 

 

Chu Muge’s reaction was instantaneous. She twisted her body midair, slicing through several sneaky appendages that aimed to impale her. Her gaze fixed on the grotesque eye as she landed on the Queen’s soft, undulating flesh. 

 

Balancing on the squishy surface, she raised her Tang Dao, preparing to strike the eye. 

 

But it wasn’t enough. 

 

The Queen’s body convulsed again, and this time, a different kind of clear liquid began to ooze from its folds. 

 

This fluid was thicker, more adhesive. 

 

As Chu Muge instinctively lifted her foot to avoid the spreading liquid, she realized with growing dread that she couldn’t move. 

 

Her foot was stuck. 

 

In that split second of hesitation, she became ensnared, a helpless fly caught in a web. 

 

Dozens of appendages surrounded her from all directions, their sharp tips poised to strike. 

 

The next moment— 

 

Thrust. 

 

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