"I'm back."
Bai Feifei's voice rang out from the doorway. She held the pot and quickly walked over to where it had been placed earlier, gently setting it down.
From the moment she stepped in, Mu Qingyun had been watching her closely, her gaze shifting between the pot and Bai Feifei with a trace of suspicion in her eyes.
"What are you all talking about?" Bai Feifei looked at the small group gathered together, raised an eyebrow, and asked softly.
"Nothing that concerns you. Don't be nosy." Mu Qingyun rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, leaning back slightly.
Tch. Damn it.
At those words, a flash of murderous intent flickered in Bai Feifei's eyes. But glancing at the neatly placed pot, she said nothing more.
Next time they drink water—this whole group is going down!
With nothing left to say, the group fell silent once again, each person busy with their own thoughts.
But they hadn't been resting long when a rustling noise came from outside—a strange skittering sound across the ground, eerily familiar and spine-chilling.
"Is that… the Insectoids?"
Hearing it, Xiong Ruoyou quickly scrambled to the window and peeked outside. The moment she caught sight of the swarm crawling toward them, she screamed, "Oh my god! It really is Insectoids!"
Insectoids?
Mu Qingyun frowned. She'd thought the sound was familiar. She hadn't expected it to really be Insectoids.
On this desolate island, encountering Insectoids was rare—she'd only seen them twice since arriving.
Springing to her feet, she strode out of the house, followed closely by everyone else—everyone except Bai Feifei.
A glance back revealed Bai Feifei cowering in a corner of the room, nervously peeking out the window at the overwhelming tide of Insectoids.
Well, it made sense. Bai Feifei was a pampered heiress, born and raised in the most luxurious areas of the planet. She'd probably never even seen Insectoids before—being scared was natural.
"Let's go."
Retracting her gaze, she turned to Xiong Ruoyou.
Sigh, both of them were daughters of wealthy families, yet the difference between them was stark—different in every possible way.
A dense horde of Insectoids surged toward them. Mu Qingyun's eyes grew cold. Her right hand surged with fiery energy, and in a flash, she launched an attack.
As she moved, so did Fan Xuanye and Xiong Ruoyou, instantly shifting into their beast forms and charging straight into battle.
With the three of them engaged, Kazel and Su remained standing where they were.
"Aren't you going to help?" Kazel tilted his head toward Su, a faint smirk playing on his lips and amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"I have a weak constitution. If I overuse my abilities, I'll start coughing uncontrollably." Su's voice was calm as he gazed at the others fighting, his eyes flickering with admiration. She really was someone worthy of his attention—ruthless and swift, she handled herself with grace and precision.
"Is that so?" Kazel arched an eyebrow, murmuring cryptically.
Bothered by the chatter, Su shot him a cold glance. "Didn't you say you were powerful? Why aren't you jumping in to help?"
Kazel feigned surprise, but his eyes remained icy. "Who said I was powerful? I'm weak too, okay? Anyway, Mu Qingyun's strong—why can't I just lie low like you?"
[Whoa, now that's spicy.][Damn, the tension between these two is weird. Not love-rival weird, but... something else.][Thank you! I thought I was the only one who noticed!]
Su ignored him, and Kazel stayed quiet. Both turned their attention back to Mu Qingyun, still locked in fierce combat, while the two of them watched like spectators.
But Su suddenly frowned.
There was a faint sound behind him—skittering, crawling—unmistakably the sound of Insectoids.
He'd fought them for years; he could never mistake that sound.
They're trying to sneak attack?
A quick glance at Kazel showed he hadn't noticed anything, still lounging like he was watching a show.
What should he do?
The sound was getting closer. If he didn't act, and one of those venomous things got a bite in, it wouldn't be pretty. But if he did act... how would he explain it?
"Watch out!"
Mu Qingyun suddenly turned, her sharp eyes catching sight of an Insectoid sneaking up behind Su.
She instantly redirected her fire, lashing out at the threat.
But in doing so, one of the Insectoids beside her slipped past her defense and lunged forward—biting into her arm.
"Hiss—"
Pain shot up her arm. She frowned and slammed her hand into the creature's head.
The force of her strike shattered its skull instantly. Black fluid oozed from it, and she flung the corpse away before the toxic liquid could splash onto her.
"Mu Qingyun!"
Su's eyes widened as he watched her get bitten—saw her keep fighting like nothing had happened. Pain pierced his chest.
That all-too-familiar helplessness rose again.
He had watched teammates die before—helpless to save them. Now, even though he had the power to protect a whole planet, he still couldn't prevent her from being injured while saving him.
So what if he was exposed? Worst case, he'd trend on social media. Maybe he'd have to resign. So what? He wasn't cheating the test anyway.
Determined, he raised his right hand. A blue glow surged, pulsing violently with power.
"Xiong Ruoyou, Fan Xuanye—fall back!"
Just as he was about to unleash his strength, Mu Qingyun shouted. Her left hand pressed against her right, her plant-type power enhancing her fire ability in an instant.
The fire exploded—burning everything in its path. The Insectoids vanished into ash, the smell of scorched flesh filling the air.
It hurt.
Mu Qingyun's face remained impassive, but the pain in her bitten arm was intense. She looked down—her entire arm was turning purple.
She was poisoned.
"Don't move."
Su's voice rang out. She looked up to find him staring intently at her injured arm.
Without another word, she stayed still, watching as he pulled a syringe and a vial of medicine from his storage pouch. He carefully injected the antidote into her arm.
The needle was thin, his movements precise and gentle. With his free hand, he used two fingers to lightly massage the skin around the injection site.