Chapter 50
Note: This is another long-ass chapter (╥﹏╥). Please check back in the next couple of hours or so because I'll be doing 3 early chapter releases today, thanks to Sakuradahl's generous Ko-Fi donation.
As an alpha, Leon was always extremely sensitive to the pheromones of omegas and other alphas.
He had smelled Mu Cai's pheromones before — a sweet, peach-like fragrance. Even now, he could still detect this sweetness on him, with the scent of the pheromones even thicker than before.
This indicated that Mu Cai hadn't been marked yet, and it was very likely that he was around his heat period. Facing Mu Cai in this state, Leon, as an alpha, instinctively felt excited, with a rush of adrenaline in his blood.
However, now, a sharp, rust-like smell was mixed in with Mu Cai's sweet peach scent, blatantly showing that Mu Cai belonged to someone else. This was nothing less than a barefaced provocation to Leon, who had his eyes on Mu Cai.
In particular, temporary marking was a vague concept. The conditions for establishing a temporary mark were varied, which led to Leon's wild speculations, unable to help but think of the worst possibilities.
It was possible that Mu Cai and Claire hadn't formed a bond, but what needed to be done might have already been done.
The very thought of this possibility made Leon burn with jealousy.
Mu Cai looked at the alpha clad in a white military uniform, like a raging Dragon, with the fury aimed at them and landing precisely on Claire's head.
He instantly recalled Leon's angry query when he had approached; he hastily said, "Claire didn't mark me temporarily; please don't speculate at will."
Even though there were countless reasons for the formation of temporary marking between AO (alpha-omega), the general public was quite likely to associate this with the term "scum A."
Claire didn't do anything with him, but was misunderstood by Leon; Mu Cai naturally wanted to clarify this on his behalf.
Claire didn't make a sound, merely guarded his most precious possession like one of the legendary fearsome dragons.
Leon was taken aback by Mu Cai's words.
Due to being in heat, a light blush naturally adorned the youth's cheeks. Now he seemed a bit angry, his face reddening further. His shiny black eyes were wide open as he stared righteously at Leon, his face didn't betray any signs of guilt.
Seeing Mu Cai so bold and upright, it seemed like things hadn't ended up in the worst-case scenario.
Leon sighed in relief, immediately apologizing, "I'm sorry, I was being impulsive."
Seeing a satisfied expression on Mu Cai's face, a thought crossed Leon's mind, introducing a new possibility.
Although he hadn't been in contact with many omegas from the Galactic Empire, he was aware that they had implemented a suppression ring policy. Mu Cai had even experienced a heat period on Randt Star, something Leon was not aware of at the time. It was clear that a suppression ring could effectively conceal an omega's pheromones.
Leon glanced at Mu Cai's neck, noticing the suppression ring was still there. If so, why was the scent of Mu Cai's pheromones so strong?
Was there a problem?
Noticing this, Leon realized where his perception of the temporary mark came from.
There must be a problem with Mu Cai that led to his uncharacteristically strong pheromones, failing to be completely masked by the suppression ring. Claire was always by his side to protect him. Leon understood very well what it felt like for an alpha like Claire, to have the omega he liked, experiencing the heat period right in front of him.
Claire must have instinctively and subconsciously wanted his pheromones to surround Mu Cai, to leave his scent on the other. It was akin to how a male lion would fight for his territory, leaving his scent to warn off potential rival invaders.
This was also a way that temporary marking could occur.
Despite being able to understand Claire's actions, Leon couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
If only he had been the one by Mu Cai's side at that time!
However, Mu Cai and Claire didn't care about what Leon was thinking. They stood together. After finishing their conversation with Leon, they continued to salute the participants of the final tournament who were arriving.
The final tournament had only two hundred participants. Due to the small number and their locations on different planets, it wasn't possible for these two hundred to ride together on the same battleship like before.
Hence, the participants arrived sporadically — some in groups on commercial flights, while others came alone.
Mu Cai, who had accompanied Claire all afternoon, was feeling a bit weary. He was going through his heat period, which made him more lethargic and prone to fatigue than usual. At this point, he felt like he could barely keep standing.
Claire, who had been adeptly entertaining visitors from all around all afternoon, had been secretly observing Mu Cai all the while. Seeing that Mu Cai could barely keep his eyes open, Claire immediately turned around. His gloved hands held Mu Cai's arm gently, pulling him gently into his embrace.
Mu Cai didn't want to stand there anymore. He raised his head to look at Claire, asking, "Claire, when can we leave?"
Ever since realizing Claire's feelings for him, Mu Cai didn't feel as comfortable addressing Claire as his "brother" anymore. He was originally oblivious and was only following the flow of the narrative. But now, knowing Claire's feelings for him, he felt a little shameful and concerned that he might be leading Claire on whenever he continued to address him as such.
Fortunately, Claire didn't ask any questions when Mu Cai stopped using the term "brother", but silently accepted the change. Otherwise, Mu Cai thought, he might have felt even more awkward.
Claire gently stroked Mu Cai's soft hair. His sharp eyes caught sight of a spaceship circling in the sky. He turned around and said softly, "This is the last one. Once this one lands, no matter who else comes after, we'll leave first and let the others receive them."
Mu Cai nodded.
He eagerly watched the spaceship that was gradually landing with Claire, waiting for the passengers to disembark.
Following the ground crew's instructions, the spaceship went through a series of procedures and landed successfully. As the doors opened, countless passengers descended down the steps. In front of the square formation composed of Imperial Mecha Academy students, there were people with banners ready to welcome the contestants. After a long wait, they finally see someone walking towards them.
Mu Cai was dozing off in Claire's arms. He was so tired that he could hardly keep his eyes open when he suddenly felt a cold gaze on him, as if a poisonous snake was staring at him sharply.
He was instantly alert.
Looking towards the direction from which he sensed the gaze, he didn't see anyone. He only saw a contestant silently saluting each person who saluted him.
He was taken aback.
This person was Billy, the one who had defeated Mu Cai in his final battle and had knocked him off the tournament roster before he could reach the finals. The feeling Billy gave Mu Cai before he was ejected from the simulated arena had been one of coldness, as though the dark cockpit were a pair of empty eyes staring at him. (Note: It's Billy now, but the author wrote it as Colin in Chapter 15??? Anyway, we'll just use Billy moving forward.)
But the other person wasn't looking at him at all and hadn't even approached him yet. Mu Cai had a feeling that he must have been overly worried, or had mistakenly identified the person.
Claire noticed Mu Cai's unusual state and thinking that he might be feeling worse, he quickly leaned down to ask him, "What's wrong? Are you unable to handle it? Do you want to go back right away?"
Mu Cai shook his head to indicate that he was fine. However, he hesitated for a moment and then turned to the person he was leaning on and said, "Claire, I don't want to stay here anymore. Can we leave now?"
Claire, of course, agreed.
After talking to an officer nearby, he took hold of Mu Cai's shoulder and led him through the crowd from the back.
________________________
When they arrived at the location where Claire's private flying vehicle was parked, they boarded the vehicle. It was only when he was comfortably seated in a chair lined with soft cushions especially prepared for him that Mu Cai felt much more comfortable.
While Claire was setting the auto-pilot route, Mu Cai asked him, "Claire, how long will it take to finish the new suppression ring?"
A week ago, the day after Ruang Jia and Claire realized something was wrong with Mu Cai, Claire had taken Mu Cai to the hospital to have his body checked, hoping to find out the reason for the changes in his body.
The results came out quickly after a complete physical examination. According to ordinary physical indicators, Mu Cai didn't have any physical illnesses. But the glandular cells in the back of his neck were very active, releasing more pheromones, and Mu Cai's mental power also had a massive boost.
Unable to find a reason for Mu Cai's sudden changes, Claire took him to the medical research institute.
The researchers extracted cells from the problematic area of Mu Cai for observation. This observation period would be comparatively long, and the research institute decided to first observe Mu Cai's glandular cells so as to expedite the development of a more potent suppression ring for him specifically.
The process wouldn't be short, of course. Mu Cai was originally able to stay calm, but after what happened today, he was getting a bit impatient.
Claire recalled his previous conversation with the doctor and replied, "It might take around a month. The doctors told me that your case is quite special. They need to firstly figure out the reason for the abnormal activity of your glandular cells, then they could find the correct countermeasures."
Mu Cai nodded.
He felt a month was a bit of a long time, but it couldn't be rushed. Knowing the precise timeline, Mu Cai calmed down and shared his feelings with Claire.
Only then did Claire understand the primary reason for Mu Cai's unusual behavior today.
He came and sat down next to Mu Cai, gently hugging him. This was the quickest and most effective comforting method an alpha could provide to an omega in heat. He softly said, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you. There are also many people protecting you from the shadows."
Since the discovery of Mu Cai's abilities, Claire had immediately reported it to the military department to better protect him.
The military department promptly assigned a group of mech fighters to protect Mu Cai. To avoid attracting attention and alarm any potential enemies, the others were hidden in the crowd, only Claire and Mu Cai recognized them.
Mu Cai nodded and gently leaned his head against Claire's shoulder.
Due to the weakening effectiveness of the restraint ring around his neck, it now primarily just manages to hold back Mu Cai's innate desire to bond with an alpha. Characteristics such as Omega's emotional fragility and urgent need for alpha's comfort, often manifested during their heat period, are starting to show in Mu Cai.
Although Mu Cai has been markedly restrained and calm, this minor action still revealed a bit of his inner self.
Claire can feel the incremental weight on his shoulder. It's as if his chest is filled with a wet cotton ball, heavy and dense. Despite Mu Cai's usual closeness and his lack of self-reliance, he has a strong independent spirit, is decisive, and has never been this dependent on Claire.
Even though Claire knows that this is just the effect of heat period hormones, he cherishes these rare moments. The person in his arms smells even sweeter, like a ripening peach. The sweet scent lingers around Claire's nose.
Every time he smells this scent, although his body may feel uncomfortable, his soul feels very peaceful, with a sense of indescribable satisfaction. Claire has a high level of restraint. He can endure physical discomfort for the sake of spiritual satisfaction.
After deeply inhaling the sweet scent of peach once again, Claire activates the smart device on his wrist. He asks those protecting him in the dark, if there were any unusual circumstances surrounding Mu Cai and him when they were welcoming the finalists.
Specifically, if there were any unusual activities involving a person named Billy.
At that time, these people were either hiding nearby or disguised themselves in the crowd. If there was indeed something unusual, these veteran mecha fighters would certainly sense it.
But all the responses Claire received were negative.
Instead of feeling assured, he began to feel a touch of unease. Although these mecha fighters were specially assigned by the military and were very skilled, with substantial frontline combat experience, Claire preferred to believe in Mu Cai's intuition.
Mu Cai wouldn't say such things without reason. If he sensed something wrong and others didn't, it's highly likely that the enemy's trickery was incredibly subtle.
When Claire reported Mu Cai's condition to the military, they held a meeting overnight to probe the potential causes behind it.
Mu Cai's sudden ability to control others, and the subsequent mutation, couldn't have occurred naturally; there must have been premeditation involved.
At first, Claire didn't understand why the Zerg would do this. What would they gain from Mu Cai being able to control others' thoughts?
The nearly two-hundred-year-old General Ian, with his white hair and serious expression, proposed a surprising possibility.
He believed that Mu Cai inherently had psychic talents, evident from his ability to control mechas. The Zerg had people to stimulate this talent in Mu Cai, enabling him to control others' thoughts.
Simultaneously, the Zerg had probably taken control of an alpha and planned to use this alpha to control Mu Cai, who is an omega, and then utilize Mu Cai to control others. Despite not yet testing Mu Cai's abilities, they likely have the strength to control more than just one person.
If this were the case, Mu Cai would basically serve as a broadcasting station. Any broadcast from him could be received by all, and the Zerg was preparing to seize this station to indirectly control everyone.
When General Ian put this theory forward, a silence fell over the room. The radical faction in the military suggested keeping Mu Cai under military custody, but the majority opposed this.
Claire was among the dissenters.
Most people believed that one could not be on guard forever. The Zerg had always been a significant threat to mankind, and since they harbored these intentions, the logical decision would be to coax out their hidden spy through Mu Cai and deal a lethal blow to them, achieving long-term peace for mankind.
Claire agreed with this perspective. But his main reason for opposing Mu Cai's confinement was that Mu Cai had already obtained such abilities and had informed the military for protection. If the threat of the Zerg isn't completely eliminated, then Mu Cai might have to live under constant supervision forever.
This was not the end that Claire wanted to see.
He hoped that Mu Cai would spend his life happily and peacefully.
The two of them flew back to the Imperial Mecha Academy with arms around each other.
Meanwhile, Billy, present in the lineup of contestants waiting on the landing pad, asked one of the Imperial Mecha Academy students in his oddly hoarse voice against the raucous background noise: "Is someone missing? When I saluted just now, I thought I saw Lord Claire."
The student nodded and said, "Senior Claire left, probably because Mu Cai was not feeling well, I saw them leave together."
Billy nodded without saying more. His gaze was incredibly deep, as if looking into an empty abyss.
________________________
A week later, the final round of the Mecha Tournament, which was broadcast live on StarNet, officially began.
The finals had many more viewers than the previous fights, given the large and variable participant pool in the earlier stages. Many viewers didn’t have the patience or the time to monitor them closely.
But the finalists selected were very good indeed, making the games highly entertaining. Unlike the previous full-day broadcasts, the finals were held at fixed times each day, attracting more viewers who tuned in specifically for the games.
With fewer participants in the finale, the tournament format had to change. It moved away from a direct elimination system to using a points system. The top three players with the highest scores would be crowned as the winners.
Mu Cai did not participate in the finals, but both Claire and Mu Feng did.
According to the tournament layout, Claire and Mu Feng would not play in every game. Mu Cai would only attend to watch when their matches were due.
Mu Cai spent the rest of the time with Claire in the Academy's dormitory. He had moved out of the dormitory he shared with Ruan Jia and now lived in Claire's quarters.
Mu Cai's situation was far from ideal.
He was still experiencing his mating period, and there were no signs of it ending soon.
In modern society, an Omega's mating period generally lasts for two or three days each month. However, it's said that during the barbaric era, an Omega's mating period could last for half a month.
Up to now, Mu Cai's mating period had already lasted for a week. To avoid inconveniencing others, he rarely ventured out. Even when he watched the matches live, he sat in the front row on dedicated seats, with fewer people around.
Before he set foot outdoors, Mu Cai would spray a little perfume on himself, attempting to mask the scent of his pheromones.
For Mu Cai's safety, and to look after him, Claire always had Ruan Jia accompany Mu Cai when he came to watch the games. Although Ruan Jia lacked combat ability, being an Omega, he was somewhat immune to Mu Cai's pheromones. Plus, Omegas were more meticulous, thus Ruan Jia could take diligent care of Mu Cai.
Mu Feng, when not fighting, would sit with Mu Cai as well.
Today, Claire and Mu Feng were the ones battling in the arena.
Mu Cai and Ruan Jia were seated below the stage, watching the competition overhead.
Ruan Jia had zero interest in the Mecha Tournament. As the match proceeded on the stage, he found himself bored. Noticing Mu Cai's lips seemed a bit dry, he offered, "Do you want some milk tea? I'll go buy it for you, your mouth looks really dry."
Mu Cai nodded.
He knew that once Ruan Jia suggested something, he would definitely do it, irrespective of whether Mu Cai agreed or not. Moreover, being in his mating period and feeling feverish, he was often thirsty and had a dry mouth and indeed felt like having some milk tea.
Ruan Jia covered Mu Cai's legs with the small blanket he'd brought, reminding him not to move around and was on his way through the gap in the railing.
Mu Cai hadn't been seated for long when the match on the stage began. Claire was up against Mu Feng; the massive, red Vermilion Bird engaged in battle with the sleek, silver Bai Ze. Bai Ze Tiger, a modified war mech that Claire had spent a long time adjusting to, was fundamentally faster than average mechas like Vermilion Bird.
Plus, given that Claire was inherently stronger than Mu Feng, it was clear who the victor would be right from the beginning.
Mu Cai had only watched for a short while when he heard the 'ding dong' notification of an incoming call on his phone.
Looking down, he saw that the call was from Ruan Jia.
The venue was very crowded and noisy, which made calls inconvenient and disruptive to others. Therefore, Mu Cai left his seat and moved to a quieter corner to take the call.
On the other side, Ruan Jia's anxious voice could be heard, "Cai Cai, I don't know what happened. I lost my entry ticket! Been searching for a long time and can't find it! The stubborn security guy at the entrance won't let me in. Can you come to the entrance and fetch me?"
Mu Cai replied, "Fine."
Even though the match was riveting, Ruan Jia had gone out to buy milk tea for him, and it wouldn't be right for Mu Cai to leave him stranded outside. Besides, the return trip wouldn’t take long.
Getting his response, Ruan Jia hung up the call and sent his location to Mu Cai's phone. Checking it, Mu Cai saw that Ruan Jia was at the western gate.
The west gate was significantly more remote as compared to the other gates. However, the shortest route to the venue's best milk tea shop was through the west gate.
Walking through the aisle and heading toward the west gate, he found no sign of Ruan Jia.
The only visible figure was a security guard, dressed in uniform, standing with his back to Mu Cai.
With no sign of Ruan Jia, Mu Cai was left with no other option than to approach the guard and inquire. But as soon as he called out, the guard turned around revealing a pair of dark eyes that fixed on Mu Cai like a venomous snake.
It was Billy!
Mu Cai spun around, attempting to dart back into the venue.
However, Billy was swift and the entrance too remote. Before Mu Cai could get far, he was grabbed by the collar and hauled back.
Just as he was about to yell for help, a hand covered his mouth. The hand was large and held a handkerchief that gave off a pungent smell.
Mu Cai struggled, but his feeble efforts stood no chance against this overpowering alpha, seeming just like a helpless chick trying to escape.
Here was the west gate, from where the audience stands could be directly seen. But because of the great distance and slightly off-set position, the spectators across could not discern what was happening.
The people who were supposed to protect Mu Cai, hidden in the venue and lurking outside, were nowhere to be found. Only then, did Mu Cai realize the unnatural silence of the west gate area.
Sadly, it was too late. The knockout chemical worked rapidly, making Mu Cai gradually lose consciousness.
Billy hoisted him up and vanished down a sidetrack leading in a different direction.
Meanwhile, Claire was engaged in a fierce battle in the arena.
His adversary, Mu Feng was indeed impressive. As a mecha fighter, he was very skilled and the fact that he was an Omega didn't make him less capable than the Alphas of his age. Normally, Claire, in his desire not to waste talent, might have been gentler, allowing his opponent to lose with some dignity drawn out over time.
But at present, with Mu Cai lying sick, he urgently wanted to step down and be with him, which made his tactics even more ruthless. As Mu Feng could no longer defend himself, Claire was on the brink of ending the game, when suddenly an alarm from his mecha's AI rang out:
"Warning, the protected target is unconscious! Warning, the protected target is unconscious! Warning, the protected target is unconscious!"
Claire was jolted out of his focus.
Under the watchful gaze of tens of thousands spectators in the arena and billions of online viewers, the silver-white mecha, on the verge of making its final attack, froze.
Countless eyes watched as the head of the family of Léon turned around, with his gaze fixed on a certain seat in the audience.
He was correct. Mu Cai was nowhere to be found.
Claire immediately commanded his mecha to rush out of the field towards the location provided by Bai Ze. At the same time, he calmly relayed the circumstances to the head of the military and established location sharing with them.
The competition and the spectators, including the uproar and shouting behind him, were completely disregarded.
________________________
Mu Cai was awakened by the stimulation of a weak electric current.
Claire had considered all possible scenarios. In addition to having Qingluan and Bai Ze establish a connection, the day he took Mu Cai back to the mecha manufacturing base, he had asked Master Baze to add a human body sensor to Qingluan.
Connected by a profound spiritual link with its master, Qingluan could sense the physiological state of the former. When the master was unconscious and away from his bonded mecha Bai Ze, Qingluan would release a weak electric current. This small measure soon revived Mu Cai and helped him regain consciousness.
By the time Mu Cai woke up, he was sensing something was horribly wrong.
He felt weak all over, somewhat dizzy. His body was overheating, extraordinarily so. Mu Cai felt like he was in a steamer, as if he would be cooked through in a short time.
Moreover, the unmentionable place at his back was strongly asserting its yearning.
Never before had Mu Cai been so acutely aware of such a potent presence in that part of his body.
Right now, he was in heat, and his suppression ring had gone missing!
Someone was tearing at his clothes. A scent of tea leaves wafted from them, enveloping him.
The scent of tea leaves!
With a sharp intake of breath, Mu Cai snapped open his eyes. What met his gaze was not Claire, but Billy, the one who had knocked him out and taken him away.
Billy’s eyes were icy chill, his gaze venomous. He was panting heavily, ruthlessly pulling at Mu Cai's clothes.
Off to the side, on the filthy ground, lay the broken halves of the suppression ring.
Before he could redirect his gaze, Mu Cai felt a sharp pain at his neck. Then, with a single yank, Billy had ripped off the necklace containing Qingluan and tossed it where Mu Cai couldn’t possibly reach.
Whether it was the effect of the drugs or not, his mind was muddled, and his limbs were weak. Mu Cai tried to push Billy away, but his hand felt soft and powerless.
As his palm connected with Billy, it was likely as effective as a cotton ball bouncing off him. Billy did not even flinch.
Mu Cai tried to kick him off, but his legs were firmly pinned by Billy and couldn't budge.
And now, Billy had successfully stripped him nearly naked and was about to pull off his own pants.
What can Mu Cai do now?! His legs are immobile, his arms weak, how is he supposed to help himself, let alone save himself?!
A shadow crossed Mu Cai's mind, but he tried hard to calm himself down, forcing himself to coolly analyze his current situation.
Qingluan was far away from him. He would have to crawl for a while to reach it. But even if he somehow got to it now, there was a high chance he wouldn't be able to use it. Mu Cai felt as if he had run completely out of energy and reckoned he'd probably get caught before he could even crawl into the cockpit.
Moreover, his opponent was an alpha, who naturally possessed better mecha control abilities than him. Confronting the alpha head-on in his current condition was completely imprudent.
He was still in heat, with nothing but a fragrant scent filling his senses, the unspeakable... desires occupying his mind, and his psychic power.
Wait a minute! The scent of his pheromones, plus his focused psychic power!
Amid the chaos swirling inside his head, Mu Cai, with considerable effort, found a glimmer of hope.
Struggling, Mu Cai extended his hand and touched the impatient face of the alpha looming over him.
Soft, slightly warm fingertips gently made contact with the alpha's, or Billy's as he is known, face.
For a brief moment, Billy's movements paused.
Beneath him, the exquisite and attractive omega was flushed pink all over, his face beet red. A pair of glossy black eyes met his stare unflinchingly.
The omega was looking at him; his eye corners had a hint of blush due to being in heat, making him look incredibly enticing. His rosy lips parted slightly, his voice ethereal, slightly hoarse as he commanded: "Stop."
Billy's movements faltered.
Seeing that it's working, Mu Cai efforts to bear the discomfort and desire, keeping his gaze fixed on Billy's eyes: "Get off me."
The alpha on top of him hesitated for a moment, then stood up just as Mu Cai wished.
Mu Cai dared not break eye contact.
Even though he had managed to control Billy, he wasn't entirely sure what had made it possible. Therefore, he didn't dare to disrupt the current situation carelessly.
Mu Cai pushed himself up against the uneven wall, his legs feeling weak.
Stealing glances from the corner of his eye, he scrutinized his surroundings, which seemed to resemble an abandoned warehouse.
Mu Cai had no idea where he was, but he reckoned he wasn’t far from the competition venue. After all, he hadn't been unconscious for long, thanks to the Qingluan.
It would have been impossible for his captor to take him somewhere unfindable in such a short time. Plus, if Mu Cai guessed correctly, the captor was trying to mark him, control him, and then control others through him.
So, without a doubt, Billy had to prioritize marking Mu Cai as soon as possible to complete his mission. The distance traveled wasn't important; the key factor was finding a deserted place to carry out Billy's intentions.
Upon this realization, Mu Cai, once again gazed at Billy and asked, "Where are we?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Mu Cai could feel his voice trembling.
He felt slightly unstable on his feet.
Fortunately, his control over Billy seemed unaffected. Billy promptly returned, his voice hoarse, "An abandoned... mil...itary... ar...senal."
The reply was as cold and mechanical as a machine, devoid of any emotion.
Although Mu Cai spent most of his time living in Zone F, his familiarity was confined to the school and the mecha production base; he was unfamiliar with anything beyond.
Nonetheless, Mu Cai didn't dare ask Billy to lead the way out. After all, he wasn't fully confident about how long he could maintain control over Billy.
At the moment, Mu Cai felt as if he were caught between fire and ice. His body was burning hot, but his skin felt cold when it came into contact with the air.
After a moment's thought, he commanded, "Take off your jacket and throw it to me."
Without any hesitation, Billy removed his jacket and threw it accurately to Mu Cai.
Mu Cai quickly caught it and pulled it on.
The jacket made him feel less cold, bringing some comfort. With his face flaming red, he steadied himself and started analyzing the current situation again.
Qingluan could send out electric shocks to alert him, which meant his distress signal should have already been sent to Baize. Equipped with a positioning system, Qingluan would lead Claire right to him. He must remain calm.
Despite the discomfort coursing through his body, Mu Cai strived to keep his composure, his face flushed as he ordered, "Stand by the door."
Having the other so close was triggering a sense of crisis in him.
Billy had just retreated a couple of steps when his facial expressions suddenly distorted in an ugly grimace. He dashed towards Mu Cai again.
Mu Cai shuddered. Focused intently on Billy's eyes, the sweet scent of peaches filled the vast empty factory as his anxiety-triggered pheromones gushed out from him.
Abruptly, Billy halted.
A distorted expression plastered on his face, a touch of confusion appeared in his previously hollow eyes.
Seeing Billy clutch his head, Mu Cai felt a surge of alertness when he heard Billy's voice, now laced with emotion for the first time, "Who should I listen to..."
This signaled danger to Mu Cai.
Something else was controlling Billy in real-time!
Although Mu Cai was currently immensely uncomfortable, his thoughts dominated by his heat cycle, he forced himself to concentrate, summarizing the process of his several attempts at controlling others.
When he had controlled Ruan Jia, he was looking at him, and Ruan Jia had smelled his pheromones. When he controlled Claire, he was also looking at him. Claire was close to him and had also smelled his pheromones.
Just now when Mu Cai controlled Billy, he was looking into Billy's eyes. Even though Billy wasn't close to him, because he was in his heat cycle the scent of his pheromones was so strong and so widespread, Billy could still smell it.
Thus, in order to control someone, he needed two conditions to be met: first, he needed to be looking at the person; second, the person needed to smell his pheromones.
Realising this, Mu Cai looked at Billy again and asked, "Who is he? Who else is controlling you?"
Billy's facial expression twisted even more. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to speak but unable to utter a word as if restricted by someone or something.
Seeing Billy's pained expression made Mu Cai feel a twinge of pity. If Billy were a villain, he wouldn't sympathize with him. But now it seemed that Billy was nothing more than a pitiful person being used as a tool.
However, now was not the time for sympathy. Mu Cai was clear that in order to save himself and to help Billy break free from the control, he needed to be firm: "Tell me! Who is it?!"
As he said that, Mu Cai deliberately released more of his pheromones.
Under the influence, Billy finally spoke up, "It's a Zerg! It burrowed into my body! It... it is commanding me!"
Mu Cai was genuinely stunned.
The only insects capable of controlling humans are the larvae of the spire worm, and it's impossible for them to achieve such powerful control.
It appears that the Zerg have evolved.
When he realised this, Mu Cai felt increasingly unwell. His legs felt so weak that he nearly couldn't stand up, countless thoughts rushing towards his mind. As an omega, his reproductive instincts urged him to throw himself at the alpha right in front of him.
However, at this moment, Mu Cai couldn't succumb to those instincts. He forcefully commanded, "Use your psychic power to control it, force it out!"
The sweetness of the peaches in the abandoned factory became more intense again.
Billy suddenly knelt on the dirty ground.
He rolled around on the floor, groaning in pain, occasionally expressing fierce expressions. Mu Cai observed him closely, not daring to relax for even a moment, occasionally issuing commands.
However, before long, Mu Cai felt himself about to collapse. Parts of his body had started to clamor with desire outside of his control. His vision was even beginning to blur.
Maybe in the next moment, he would lose consciousness.
But Mu Cai knew he couldn't give up, because giving up would mean complete defeat!
Finally, with their combined efforts, Mu Cai readied himself as he saw a fine line slowly, slowly appearing at the back of Billy’s neck.
A trickle of blood flowed out.
Following this, something seemed to be squirming under his skin.
After a while, a small black spider-like insect crawled out from the grotesque wound, about the size of a common coin in the Galactic Empire.
Staggering towards it, Mu Cai fell to his knees with a thud. With great difficulty, he removed a shoe from Billy's foot and brought it crashing down on the zerg.
With all his might, he swung again and again - if one strike was not enough, he would strike twice, and if two strikes were not enough, he would strike a few more times!
The zerg was crushed on the spot.
Billy also fainted.
Mu Cai pulled clothing from Billy's body to plug the wound at the back of his neck, but he no longer had any strength.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly sat down. His vision began to blur.
Mu Cai thought that very soon, he would collapse in this abandoned factory, lose consciousness, lose his dignity, and be forced to let his desires control him...
Maybe by then, out of instinct, he would also not spare the unconscious Billy.
Just as Mu Cai's consciousness began to fade and his hands began to move involuntarily, he heard a familiar voice, "Cai Cai! Cai Cai!"
Reacting instinctively, he looked in the direction of the voice, but his vision was already blurred.
He heard the newcomer catch their breath in shock.
Soon, a familiar smell of rust enveloped him, gently and domineeringly wrapping him up. The coat on him was torn away, and a warmer garment that diffused the same rust scent was placed on him.
Unconsciously, Mu Cai clung to Claire. "I'm in so much pain, Claire. I..."
Claire had already responded with his body. He gritted his teeth and bit fiercely at the gland in Mu Cai's neck.
________________________
Note: The author included a short, unrelated story featuring Claire and Mu Cai in the author's note section. It's not part of this arc or the official extras, so it won't affect your reading of this novel. If you'd like to read it, please visit my Ko-Fi page. It's accessible to everyone who makes (or has previously made) a donation. Thanks!
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter
No comments:
Post a Comment