Zhou Qi's gaze swept over the pouch at its waist, and he reached out to take the hard nutrient paste.
When its finger touched the mother's antennae impression on the paste, Ke Si suddenly looked up, its compound eyes widening in shock—the impressions varied in depth.
They were left by its mother with her last strength before her death, each one etched with the will to "survive," and one could even see the crystallized white secretions remaining at the edge of the impressions.
However, Zhou Qi's fingertips glowed faintly, and the nutrient paste instantly turned into dust; a faint life fluctuation emerged from the scattered dust—that was the energy imprint mixed with the mother's saliva.
Every particle of powder shimmered with a faint blue light, like fireflies gathered on a summer night, forming the shape of the mother's antennae in Zhou Qi's palm; one could even see the tiny villi at the end of the antennae trembling in the light, as if the mother was gently caressing its head.
"Ironblood Bugmen never retreat," Zhou Qi's voice pierced Ke Si's consciousness like an ice pick.
The powder on his fingertips suddenly coalesced into the shape of the mother's antennae, gently brushing against Ke Si's compound eyes; that cold touch instantly reminded it of its mother's last touch before her death, "Why did you flee?"
Ke Si's compound eyes trembled violently.
Memories flooded back like a tide: in the dim breeding zone, when its mother pushed over the moldy nutrient paste, the white secretions solidified on her antennae shimmered like pearls in the faint light—that was the energy she saved by sacrificing three days' rations;
The seven-tailed emblem shining on the conscription officer's shoulder armor, so bright in the sunlight that it couldn't open its eyes; when that warrior recounted his achievements, the enemy's bodily fluids still lingered in his mouthparts, and the sweet, fishy-smelling odor made its stomach churn;
When its kin were crushed into meat paste on the battlefield, the un-shouted roar stuck in its throat, turning into a violent tremor in its chest, shaking out undigested food residue from its mouthparts…
It suddenly shrieked, not in anger, but in despair: "We just… want to survive!"
This sentence echoed in the empty Bug Nest, startling the glowing insects perched in the crystal crevices.
When those small insects flapped their wings, the light spots on their wings formed the profile of Zhou Qi's side face, flickering on and off, much like the constellation maps on ancient murals in the Iron-Blood World.
Zhou Qi was silent for a moment, then waved his hand, signaling the Mingling Devil to withdraw.
He looked at Ke Si's face, twisted by fear; there was no ferocity of an Ironblood Bugman on it, only the most primitive will to survive—which, among the single-mindedly charging Ironblood races, had instead become the most peculiar existence.
"From today on, you will remain in Hope City," Zhou Qi's voice fell, and Ke Si felt a gentle yet irresistible force surge into its body, the Mind Control Demon Bug' mental tendrils wrapping around its consciousness like spider silk.
But unlike the expected pain, this force did not erase memories; it merely planted an instruction deep within its consciousness: "Survive, and tell me everything about the Iron-Blooded Queen."
Ke Si collapsed to the ground, watching Zhou Qi walk towards the observation screen; as the hem of his black robe swept across the ground, the airflow it created caused the swarm of glowing insects at the edge of the platform to suddenly fly up.
Immediately, it was led into a circular laboratory, its walls made of transparent energy barriers, allowing it to see the busy Bug Clan Family outside.
In the center was a metal operating table, its surface engraved with complex runes, emitting a faint blue light.
Two Lizardmen researchers in silver-white protective suits approached; tiny crystals were embedded in their scales, and each breath was accompanied by the hiss of energy flow.
"Don't be afraid, it's just a routine check-up."
One of the researchers spoke, their voice transmitted through the helmet's built-in translator, carrying a mechanical quality.
Ke Si felt its body lifted by an invisible force and gently placed on the operating table; metal tendrils extended from the table, adhering to its carapace, bringing a cold sensation.
The examination began.
Blue beams of light scanned its body; every inch of its carapace, every nerve, was meticulously scanned.
Ke Si felt a slight prickling sensation, and the Mind Control Demon Bug deep within its consciousness transmitted a comforting thought, gradually calming it down.
Its genetic map was displayed on the screen, complex chains shimmering in the blue light; the researchers communicated in low voices, their fingers rapidly tapping on a virtual keyboard.
"Look here, its gene chain has an abnormally active survival instinct region."
One researcher pointed to a glowing sequence on the screen, "This is very rare among Ironblood Bugmen; no wonder it fled."
Ke Si closed its eyes, and its mother's figure appeared in its mind.
She always said that an Ironblood Bugman's mission was to fight until the very last moment.
But Ke Si didn't understand why survival itself had become a sin.
It remembered its childhood, in the dark breeding zone, when its mother gently stroked its back armor with her antennae; that was the only warmth in its short life.
"Examination complete, preparing for memory extraction."
The researcher's voice interrupted Ke Si's memories.
A slender metal probe slowly approached its head, its tip glowing with a faint blue light.
Ke Si felt a slight dizziness, and memories surged out like a tide, being captured one by one by the probe.
***
***
At the same time, in the central palace of the Iron-Blood World, the Iron-Blooded Queen sensed an anomaly.
Its female head, growing on a giant tree, suddenly opened its eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in its scarlet pupils.
"There's a traitor…" Its voice was deep and hoarse, with the texture of metal grinding, "To be able to Breakthrough the life shackles I set…"
The roots of the giant tree began to tremble violently, and complex runes emerged on the ground, emitting a strong green light.
Countless Ironblood Bugmen rushed from all directions, gathering in front of the palace, awaiting the Queen's command.
"Find it," the Queen's voice echoed in the Bug Nest, "Bring that little one who knows too much back, at all costs."
A group of massive Ironblood Bugmen took the order and set off; ancient runes were carved on their carapaces, emitting a dangerous aura.
Their target was the spatial passage, Hope City, and the four-tailed Bugman named Ke Si.
Ke Si suddenly woke up in the laboratory, a strong warning coming from the Mind Control Demon Bug.
It felt a powerful hostility approaching, a pursuit from the Iron-Blood World.
Zhou Qi appeared at the laboratory door; his eyes were calm, but Ke Si could feel the powerful Qi field emanating from him.
"The Iron-Blooded Queen already knows of your existence," Zhou Qi said, "She has sent assassins."
Ke Si felt a surge of fear, but more so, confusion.
It was just a small insect that wanted to survive; why would it attract the Queen's pursuit?
Zhou Qi saw through its thoughts and walked to the operating table, "Because you Broke through the Iron-Blooded Queen's life shackles on you."
He paused, then continued, "The Iron-Blooded Queen should have placed life shackles in your genes when she was conceiving you or your ancestors, and you are the first I've met who is not affected by the life shackles."