Chapter 120: Let’s Fly!
“Buzz—”
The giant dragonfly, its four large, blood crystal-veined black wings beating, dove towards the sputtering sports car below.
Its wings created a downwash of wind and dust, its massive body crushing the four Sprinters pulling the car.
The sports car, its momentum carrying it forward, slammed into the giant insect’s head, its own hood crumpling like paper, the insect unharmed.
“Pathetic…”
Having easily dispatched the four controlled zombies, the man inside the dragonfly looked into the car through its red compound eyes.
He could now see the occupants clearly.
A blonde woman in the driver’s seat, eyes closed.
A small girl with white hair and blood-red eyes, sitting in the woman’s lap, staring up at him with an unsettling intensity.
He felt a flicker of unease, watching the blonde woman and the little girl in her arms.
Encountering such a seemingly vulnerable pair on this deserted highway, devoid of even zombies… it didn’t feel right.
Especially the little girl, her eyes devoid of fear, filled with a disturbing… excitement, like a child with a new toy.
Something’s… not right…
Although he enjoyed playing with his prey, he wasn’t an idiot.
If either of them had shown even a hint of fear, he wouldn’t have felt this unease.
Thankfully, he hadn’t stopped the insect’s wings. He quickly pulled up.
“Buzz—”
The high-frequency beating of the giant wings created a deafening roar. Feeling the insect ascend without resistance, the man inside breathed a sigh of relief.
They hadn’t reacted.
“Damn it… I should just go back to Chongyu… no more messing around…” He muttered, closing his eyes and, through the insect’s vision, glancing down.
At this height, even if they reacted now, it would be too late.
Just… wait… where’s the car?
He froze.
The sports car, its dented hood, was gone from the highway below.
It had vanished in the blink of an eye?
Good thing I left quickly…
He’d just started to congratulate himself on his quick thinking when the insect’s screech made his heart clench.
No… that’s impossible… that speed… at least B-rank…
If it had been a B-rank, he wouldn’t have even had time to take off.
He quickly brought the insect to a hover, its segmented body curling slightly.
And its compound eyes, clicking and oozing fluid, rotated downwards.
He slowly opened his eyes, a buzzing in his ears.
What… was he seeing?
The sports car hadn’t vanished. It was…
Stuck to the insect’s abdomen.
The four Sprinters, crushed moments ago, were now clinging to the insect’s underbelly, their “corpses” connected by thin, blood-red threads to the sports car, which was now dangling precariously.
And the blonde woman inside… her eyes were still closed… the little girl… she was the controller!
“Clack, clack, clack—”
The insect’s mandibles snapped shut repeatedly, a series of clicks, as if in pain.
Something… was wrong…
Through the insect’s senses, he felt something… burrowing into its body.
And he was losing control.
What was happening?!
If another control-type Awakened was trying to wrest control of the giant insect, it would be a mental battle.
Why hadn’t he felt anything, and yet the insect was already losing control?
“Crack, clack, clack—”
The insect’s wings slowed, and then it crashed to the ground, the impact shattering the asphalt beneath it.
“Fuck!!!” He lost control completely as the insect crashed. “What the fuck just happened?!” He’d been flying towards Chongyu City, just a few hours away.
Why were there non-Voodoo Cult people near Chongyu? And they were coming from the direction of the Voodoo Cult’s territory.
Were they allies? The Boss’s personal guards, perhaps?
He kicked at the insect’s carapace, but it didn’t open to let him out.
“Clang—”
Nothing.
“Fuck…”
He assumed they were with the Voodoo Cult, a case of friendly fire, a misunderstanding.
“Hey, sisters! It’s me! Don’t attack! I didn’t mean to! I just wanted to say hello!” he shouted, trying to pry open a plate with his hands.
With considerable effort, he managed to widen a gap slightly.
He could only plead, hoping they wouldn’t kill him.
“Splat—”
He heard something and, through the gap in the plates, looked down.
He was near the insect’s neck; looking down, he could see its thorax and abdomen.
Thin, blood-red tendrils were extending upwards through the gaps in the bone plates.
Tendrils…
Holy shit! Mushrooms! Holy fuck!
His eyes widened in horror, and he frantically tore at the plates beside him, creating a hole just large enough for him to squeeze through.
He didn’t hesitate, pushing his body through the opening, and then he saw her, the little girl, standing near the insect’s abdomen, looking up at him.
“Sister! Mommy! Daddy! I’m with the Voodoo Cult too! It’s me! It’s a misunderstanding!” He waved his right arm, half of his body outside the insect now.
And the little girl, hearing the words “Voodoo Cult,” reacted.
“Voodoo Cult?” it asked in its childish voice, blinking at him.
“Yes! I’m with the Voodoo Cult!” He excitedly pulled out the gold key from around his neck. “See? One hundred percent Voodoo Cult! We’re on the same side! Daddy!”
He dangled there, half in, half out of the insect, holding up the key, and then he realized something was wrong.
He couldn’t… breathe…
He struggled, but he was trapped.
Hearing the words “Voodoo Cult,” the insect’s bone plates had begun to close…
“No… no, no, no… no!!! You’re not friendly! No… No… NO!!!”
The plates pressed inwards, his chest and back crushed, his body contorted.
Only his C-rank Awakened physique prevented him from being bisected.
And the plates were now closing on his face, crushing his nose.
Blood trickled from his lips, his breath trapped in his lungs.
He couldn’t hold on any longer.
“Crack—”
The sound of his skull cracking was the final straw.
His eyes lost focus, and he exhaled his last breath.
And with that exhale—
“Snap—”
Like cutting meat with scissors, his body was cleanly bisected by the closing plates, his internal organs and brain matter spilling out.
“Mm…” The little girl, watching this, nodded in satisfaction.
Mommy had said not to kill anyone.
But the Voodoo Cult… they were an exception.
So, after hearing his confession, she had acted without hesitation.
Initially, she had only wanted the giant insect as compensation for crushing her Sprinters.
“Mommy, we have a plane now!” Huayibai turned to the woman in the car, a bright smile on its face.
But the woman, her eyes still closed, didn’t move.
“Hmm…”
She seemed to be… unresponsive again…
Huayibai hesitated, then, using its tendrils, made the insect stand up.
It climbed back into the car, sat on its Mommy’s lap, and fastened the seatbelt.
Taking her Mommy’s hands and placing them around its waist, it controlled the insect.
The massive dragonfly zombie slowly lifted off the ground, its abdomen dragging a wrecked sports car, attached by a thick tendril.
“Whee—”
With a delighted shriek, Huayibai steered the insect towards Fuzhou City.
The dangling car swayed beneath them, more thrilling than any roller coaster.
“Yi—bai—can—fly—a—car—now—”
It would tell Mommy this good news when she woke up.
…
Six hours.
Lin Jiayao exited the Training Grounds on time.
Despite the numerous simulated battles, her mental strength, instead of being depleted, had recovered considerably.
Although not as effective as sleep, it had allowed her to gain valuable combat experience.
Of course, she couldn’t rely on the Training Grounds indefinitely; this was just a temporary solution.
Exiting the Training Grounds, she didn’t open her eyes immediately, but checked the Zombie Loot Box.
She’d been in the Training Grounds not just for practice and mental recovery, but also to wait for the Loot Box.
Killing two birds with one stone.
A golden glow emanated from the Zombie Loot Box.
Gold?
The first Loot Box had also glowed gold, yielding five blood crystals.
A substantial reward, mostly due to the rare and valuable bone necklace from the B-rank Awakened.
Slightly hopeful, Lin Jiayao opened the Loot Box.
[Obtained: Blood Crystal Stone x3, Rotten Fish Meat x4]
Three blood crystal stones?
She’d put in two, so a small profit, and there was also an evolution.
She looked at the evolution options.
「Please retain your evolution」
「1、【Shallow Water Breathing Lv.1 (White): Allows you to extract small amounts of oxygen from water for survival】」
「2、【Parasitic Spawn Lv.1 (Blue): Allows you to lay eggs that parasitize other blood crystal entities】」
「3、【Neurotoxin Lv.1 (Blue): Grants your blood paralytic and hallucinogenic properties】」
Hmm…
Looking at the options, Lin Jiayao frowned.
Although the deep-sea parasitic zombie hadn’t been highly evolved, the rewards were decent, at least covering the cost of the two blood crystal stones.
She immediately dismissed the first option; she had no plans to live underwater.
Even if she did, her sister couldn’t survive there.
That left the second and third.
The second… laying eggs?
Like… giving birth?
But she already had Huayibai, whose spore infection was far more potent than this blue evolution; it was redundant.
That left only the third: Neurotoxin, giving her blood paralytic and hallucinogenic properties.
Perhaps this could counteract the… “Tang Sanzang effect” of her healing ability?
After all, besides enemies, no one would be drinking her blood.
And even if her sister or Huayibai accidentally came into contact with her blood, it would just paralyze them, and as for the hallucinations…
They should be fine, right? They were strong blood crystal entities.
After selecting the evolution, Lin Jiayao exited the Zombie Loot Box interface and then noticed a red “①” on the Login entry.
What now? Had something happened to the fifth zombie? Or A4?
She opened her eyes and checked on her sister and Huayibai.
It was almost dusk. Her sister was driving, and Huayibai was looking at her with an excited expression.
So, it was probably A4 then; Huayibai wouldn’t be this excited otherwise.
“Mommy,” Huayibai said, its small fists clenched, its eyes shining with anticipation. “Yibai can drive a flying car now! Can Yibai drive?”
A flying car?
“Awake? How are you feeling?” Lin Xiwan, noticing her sister was awake, slowed the jeep and asked.
“I’m fine.” Lin Jiayao rubbed her temples.
I need to find out what happened while I was in the Training Grounds.
She first looked at Huayibai.
The little girl seemed eager to tell her something.
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