Chapter 27: What Does It Mean That Only She Can Kill the Mother Worm?

Lian Fei’s guess was spot on. Everyone inside the starship had been mesmerized by Lin Ying, their bodies manipulated by her mental power.

However, since everyone present possessed A-rank or S-rank mental power, it was a stretch for Lin Ying to control so many people at once.

After Lian Fei was thrown out, Lin Ying reached her limit and spat out a mouthful of blood, simultaneously releasing her control.

The people present snapped back to reality and glared at Lin Ying with fury.

"You controlled us?" Myuka demanded, enraged.

"That is a despicable act. You will pay for what you've done." The girl from the Fifth District spoke up, drawing a long blade and pointing it at Lin Ying.

"Many of you here are participating in the Eden project, aren't you?" Lin Ying removed her helmet, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth and the splatter on her visor. "Lian Fei was also a participant... Now that she’s gone, you have one less enemy to worry about."

"Eden has a fixed quota; there must be ten participants. Even if Lian Fei is dead, someone new will just take her place. So, it doesn't really change anything," said the boy from the Fourth District.

"What could someone from the Tenth District possibly accomplish? Honestly, it seems like it would be better if we just killed you instead," Julian remarked coldly.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone drew their weapons.

The atmosphere grew tense and explosive.

Lin Ying remained calm, letting out a soft laugh.

"Are you sure about that?" She scanned everyone in the room. "I am a 3S-rank esper."

The group fell silent.

A 3S-rank esper!

No wonder she could control all of them at once!

"Don't worry, I won't control you again," Lin Ying said, putting her helmet back on. "I swear it on my name."

"What good is your word? If you decide to control us again, there's nothing we can do!"

The mesmerism of a 3S-rank esper was tyrannical; unless one was stronger than her, they were merely lambs to the slaughter.

Lin Ying mocked them with a smile: "So? Besides trusting me, do you have any other choice? Hmm?"

The group fell into silence once more.

She was right. While they could join forces to kill her, it would be a mutually destructive battle, and the cost would outweigh the gains.

Without a word, everyone sheathed their weapons.

Fine. They would settle the score once they reached Eden!

Inside the starship, the initial harmony was restored.

Lin Ying closed her eyes to rest, her mood excellent.

Once that damned piece of trash was dead, no one would dare question her strength again.

Outside the starship, the First Squad exhausted everything they had to clear a path, enabling the Second and Third Squads to advance.

Under the cover of the First Squad, the two starships broke through the Mosquitoes' encirclement and flew toward their pre-designated marker.

They landed on a hillside five hundred meters from the First Laboratory. The Third Squad remained behind to hold the position and provide support if needed, while the Second Squad proceeded on foot toward the laboratory, prioritizing the rescue of the researchers, with the recovery of research data as a secondary objective.

"Attention, massive Zerg life-form fluctuations detected ahead at the First Laboratory. Please proceed with caution," Qimingxing warned everyone.

"I heard there are four S-rank Zerg courtiers guarding the Queen this time. I wonder if we’ll run into them," Myuka said, sounding excited.

"I’d rather we didn't," said the boy from the Fourth District. "I'm only A-rank."

Myuka glanced at him, sneering, "Trash."

"You!"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. We’re almost there, keep your guard up," the girl from the Fifth District interjected.

Everyone fell silent, heightening their vigilance as they approached the First Laboratory.

The lab sat nestled in a valley surrounded by dense forest.

The silence was absolute. The group didn't dare to breathe too loudly, fearing that even the slightest sound might break the stillness and draw something terrible to them.

"It's so quiet. Could they all be dead?" the boy from the Seventh District whispered.

The others glanced at him without answering.

The boy didn't seem to mind, merely tightening his grip on his gun.

The nine of them reached the main gate of the First Laboratory. Just as Lin Ying, who was leading, reached out to open the door, a spike in mental energy forced her to jerk her hand back, reflexively using her blade to block a strike from her left.

With a metallic "clang," the group watched as Lin Ying’s blade was sheared clean off, the broken fragment flying into the air.

...

On the other side, Lian Fei had fallen asleep while lying down.

She woke up when something stepped on her stomach, followed by that same something collapsing and pinning her down.

Lian Fei nearly coughed up blood.

"I'm so sorry, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?!"

Lian Fei followed the voice and saw a girl with curly hair, wearing a lab coat, sprawled on top of her.

It was clear this girl had stepped on her and then tripped over her.

"Get up first," Lian Fei said.

The girl quickly scrambled off her and sat to the side.

"I am so sorry, I—I didn't mean to, I didn't see you!" The girl’s eyes were filled with tears.

Lian Fei sat up, rubbing her stomach, and said, "It's fine."

It was her own fault for falling asleep out in the open.

But why hadn't Qimingxing warned her that someone was coming?

Qimingxing quickly answered her query: "I did not detect any malice from the newcomer, so I did not alert you."

Lian Fei: ...

She had been stepped on!

"Um... are you with the rescue team?" the girl asked.

Lian Fei paused, then nodded.

The girl asked again, "Where are the other team members? Why are you alone?"

Lian Fei hesitated. "They... I’m operating separately from them."

Looking into the girl's hopeful eyes, Lian Fei couldn't bring herself to admit she had been kicked out by those people.

The girl grabbed Lian Fei's arm, frantic: "Did they go to the First Laboratory?!"

"I... suppose so."

Although she hadn't listened to the briefing, since the mission was to rescue researchers and retrieve data, they were definitely headed for the First Laboratory.

"No, you can't!" The girl grabbed Lian Fei’s shoulders with both hands. "You have to call them back! That place—it’s become the Queen's nest! All four 2S-rank courtiers are there!"

"Wait, 2S-rank? Aren't they S-rank?" Lian Fei frowned.

"These four courtiers are different from any we've encountered before!" The girl's face was full of terror. "They evolve! At first, they were B-rank, then they devoured espers and evolved to A-rank, then S-rank..."

"It's too terrifying! I warned the higher-ups that we couldn't run these experiments! That we couldn't continue the research! We—we finally pushed it too far!"

The girl covered her head, shivering uncontrollably.

Lian Fei drew a sharp breath.

"Wait, are you saying this Zerg outbreak was manufactured by you?" Lian Fei asked.

The beginning of this story was all too familiar.

Wasn't this the opening of some cliché disaster movie from her past life?

Humans always courting death.

Experiments always running amok.

Disaster always striking.

Lian Fei sighed helplessly.

"Not exactly." The girl calmed down, though her trembling hands betrayed the panic still lingering in her heart. "But we are partly to blame... The experiments are classified, and I’m sorry, I can't tell you more."

Lian Fei wasn't particularly curious, so she didn't press the matter.

She didn't hesitate and said to Qimingxing, "Qimingxing, can you contact the others? Pass this message on to the rest of the team."

Qimingxing replied: "I have recorded the audio and visual footage of the researcher, Xie Yu, and sent it to all team members."

"I have some bad news that I need to relay to you."

"I have lost communication with some members of the Second Squad."

"Location data indicates that the Second Squad is currently within the perimeter of the First Laboratory."

Lian Fei froze upon hearing this.

The helmet was soundproofed; Qimingxing's words wouldn't leak out.

Seeing Lian Fei’s grim expression, Xie Yu immediately asked, "Did someone go there? Did they?"

Lian Fei looked at her and stiffly nodded.

"It's over! It's all over!" Xie Yu began to cry. "They devour espers! They are about to break through to 3S-rank!!!"

Lian Fei felt a chill run down her spine.

"What—what is your name?" Xie Yu asked again.

"Lian Fei. My name is Lian Fei."

"Lian Fei, Lian Fei..." Xie Yu whispered, "You are Lian Fei, thank goodness, you are Lian Fei..."

Lian Fei was confused and was about to speak when Xie Yu suddenly lunged at her.

"Lian Fei, you must go! You have to kill the Queen! Kill the Queen, and the courtiers will die!" Xie Yu said urgently, "You are Lian Fei, only you can kill the Queen!"

Lian Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

What did she mean by "You are Lian Fei, only you can kill the Queen"?

How strange.

This was the third person she’d met who had acted bizarrely upon hearing her name.

Had she done something? Or did this body have some other identity?

That couldn't be right, could it?

The name "Lian Fei" was one she had used in her previous life.

How could this body just happen to be named Lian Fei as well?

Xie Yu didn't answer her, instead repeating: "Lian Fei, Lian Fei... go, go to the First Laboratory!"

Seeing that the girl was bordering on madness, Lian Fei pushed her away, feeling both speechless and helpless.

"You just said those courtiers are 2S-rank, maybe even 3S-rank by now. What do you expect me to do? I’m not that strong."

During her mental power test, she had scored a zero.

"Don't worry, there's a 3S-rank esper with the group I came with; they’ll handle it," Lian Fei said. "Now, I’m taking you to rendezvous with the Third Squad so they can get you out of here."

Looking at how arrogant and overbearing Lin Ying was, she definitely had some tricks up her sleeve.

A small fry like herself was better off keeping a low profile.

With that, Lian Fei stood up.

"Lian Fei! You are part of the rescue team!" Xie Yu stood up as well.

"Yes, and I'm taking you back, aren't I?" Lian Fei glanced at her. "Qimingxing, locate the Third Squad's coordinates."

Xie Yu grabbed Lian Fei’s arm. "There are others in the First Laboratory! You have to save them too!"

Lian Fei tried to pull her hand away, but Xie Yu held on with a death grip.

Resigned, Lian Fei had to let her cling to her.

"There are others there, and they are much stronger than me. It's not like only I can kill the Queen."

Seeing that Lian Fei remained stubborn and refused to go, Xie Yu grew anxious.

"Don't you want to know why!?" Xie Yu shouted.

"Why what?"

"Don't you want to know who you really are?"

Lian Fei raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Xie Yu continued: "Your current parents—they are your adoptive parents, aren't they? Before that, who were you? Why were you on Gaisero Star? Aren't you curious?"

Lian Fei looked at Xie Yu in silence.

Hearing her say this, there was indeed something suspicious about this body.

But unfortunately, she wasn't the original owner of this body.

As Lian Fei, she wasn't particularly curious.

Lian Fei looked away and told Qimingxing, "Scan the surroundings for any transport that can get me to the Third Squad's camp quickly."

"Scanning now."

"Lian Fei!" Xie Yu shouted. "You really don't want to know?!"

"I don't," Lian Fei replied coldly. "I understand the saying that curiosity killed the cat very well."

"Then what if I told you that the Zerg crawling out of that Queen's belly all have the ability to evolve?!" Xie Yu said. "Before long, the Zerg will be everywhere—S-rank, 2S-rank, 3S-rank. How many do you think the Federation can handle?"

"When the Zerg run rampant, your family will die!"

"You care about your family, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have joined the Eden project for them!"

Xie Yu's words made Lian Fei stiffen.

After ten years, it was impossible to say she had no feelings.

Her father, her mother, and her sister were very good to her.

If what Xie Yu said was true, and she backed down now, she would eventually be the cause of her family's death.

But, could she really do it?

3S-rank...

She might die.

She didn't want to die.

But she also didn't want the people she loved to die.

Lian Fei lowered her eyes.

After a long while, seeing that Lian Fei remained silent, Xie Yu was about to continue her plea when she heard Lian Fei speak:

"Qimingxing, locate the First Laboratory."