Chapter 42

[Peak top energy!!! He was so handsome I forgot the world existed!]

[Standing unshaken amid the bloodshed, like a demon of slaughter. I can't take it (faints)]

[The top boss never lied to me! That was amazing (gives a thumbs-up, nosebleed gushing as I fall backward)]

[Fuck, what a catch! Marked!]

[Baby 1 really is a cold, merciless killing machine! When it comes to crushing the opposition, it's the ultimate authority]

[Me, I do! Did you hear me? I said I do (Mickey Mouse roaring while holding up a wedding dress.jpg)]

[He's so my type! Falling for Boss 1 is a destiny I can never change in this lifetime!]

[My top addiction is acting up (pouts) (smooch)]

[H-human, human tastes Qin?]

People's joys and sorrows were not shared. While the comments went wild over Qin Su's formidable moves, the four people on the scene heard his cold voice as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over their heads. Both their excited hearts and the limbs trembling from the fierce battle calmed down.

Once they had time to think, the four felt deeply ashamed and spoke quietly over the channel:

"Okay."

"Roger."

"All right."

"Understood."

The kill footage showed that Qin Su had been silently watching and helping them all along. Deep down, they knew perfectly well that, in that moment, they had instinctively begun to rely on him, seeking shelter beneath a great tree.

The bugs had come at them in wave after wave, overwhelming them. Those chaotic attacks had shown them again and again, in no uncertain terms, that the slightest mistake would leave them buried beneath the bugs' bloody, savage assault, gnawed and bitten...

Relying on others on the battlefield was a lapse in vigilance, no different from courting death.

Fortunately, Qin Su had snapped them out of it in time.

Everyone else: "..."

For Jeffrey and the other three, there would be no next time. As for them, there hadn't even been a first.

Splash...

The sound of water stirring was unusually distinct, breaking the suffocating silence.

What was that?

The gazes that had been fixed on Qin Su turned toward the sudden disturbance.

Qin Su lowered his eyes and saw a serpentine creature with a massive, winding body in the deep water beneath the warship he was piloting. The smell of blood mingled with the water's existing stench of decay.

It was a giant python commonly found in Kisslip Tree Armadillo habitats and harmless to humans.

The people of the interstellar age had discovered that this kind of python would not actively attack humans, but would indiscriminately devour all fresh or rotting chunks of meat. That was why it had not been included among the Zerg targeted for extermination.

Irregular golden patterns covered the white scales the python exposed above the water. As it swam beneath the murky depths of this heavily polluted abyss, it possessed a strange beauty, like a brilliant flower blooming among ruins.

Qin Su recalled a python he had encountered in a tropical rainforest river.

The difference was that the python he had encountered weighed only a little over four hundred jin, while the giant python before him weighed more than a ton.

Qin Su: "..."

As expected of a creature from the interstellar world. He suspected it had mutated because the pollution on this planet was so severe.

Before everyone's eyes, the enormous python opened its bloody maw. The burst chunks of Kisslip Tree Armadillo flesh piled up and floating on the water streamed into its mouth along with the current...

Qin Su: "..."

Being this big was one thing, but it was even competing with him for "trash." How could little old him possibly win?

It seemed that over the next few days, if he came across any bug corpses he liked, he would have to act quickly and put them away out of everyone's sight.

Although the four had learned in class that this kind of python would not actively attack humans, its mouth looked big enough to swallow an entire Small Warship. Standing at the edge of the warship, they were terrified it would swallow them in one bite. They involuntarily leaned backward, goosebumps rising all over their bodies.

Beautiful as it was, being this enormous was a bit much.

And because they remembered Qin Su's order, none of the four unbound themselves from the warship on their Optical Brains.

Qin Su withdrew his gaze from the beautiful python, which was highly likely to compete with him for "trash" during their upcoming operations. Before the others had recovered their senses, he came to his and said coldly, "Let's go."

Even if the giant python was so beautiful it startled him, he couldn't let his gaze linger on it for too long in front of the "audience."

For a boss, no matter how rare a sight was, all he needed to do was "lower his eyes and cast a casual glance," conveying the message that "nothing could stir his emotions."

The giant python's splashing on the water did not drown out the cool tone of Qin Su's voice.

Go?

When everyone heard him and looked away from the giant python, the warship carrying Qin Su vanished rapidly from sight like a streak of black light.

"..."

He just... left?

Everyone looked at the mess strewn everywhere, then at the direction in which the warship Qin Su piloted had disappeared. They couldn't help feeling as though the giant python was cleaning up the battlefield for Qin Su.

"Hiss... that's creepy." Raymond looked at He Muzhi and suggested, "Muzhi, how about we stay out of the water after all?"

Although the giant python wouldn't actively attack people, with a mouth that big, even it wouldn't know when it might "vacuum" them into its mouth along with the Kisslip Tree Armadillos Qin Su and his teammates had mercilessly blasted to pieces.

He Muzhi rubbed his chin. Instead of answering Raymond's question, he spoke in a subdued voice:

"Everyone, tell me, if we activated all the weapons on the warship at once like Qin Su just did and fired a batch of shells into the water, could we also kill countless Kisslip Tree Armadillos in just over three minutes and maximize our efficiency?"

The Kisslip Tree Armadillos' habits meant that the warships used had to be equipped with shells that could enter the water and provoke them out of the depths.

That meant the shells could not be used to attack the Kisslip Tree Armadillos, and once the shells carried on the warship were used up, they needed to return to the platform promptly to replenish them.

If He Muzhi really copied Qin Su, those currently aboard his warship would have to fight for their lives, just like Qin Su and his four teammates.

The other students on the warship: "???"

The fact was, He Muzhi wasn't Qin Su. He couldn't fight on his own while still having enough leeway to look after them and save them when they were at death's door.

Nor were they those four Alphas who excelled in every respect. They couldn't do what the four had done.

If they really did that, only one outcome awaited them: the Kisslip Tree Armadillos would gradually overrun the entire warship, and they would be held and gnawed on by the creatures.

Everyone shuddered at the thought.

Even knowing He Muzhi was joking to help everyone recover from the bloody slaughter Qin Su had just shown them, Raymond still lost control and grabbed He Muzhi by the shoulders, shaking him. "Get a grip!!! Trying to copy everything will only get you killed... no, it'll get us killed!!! We really can't risk our lives playing along with you!"

"All right, then." He Muzhi shrugged. "It was just a joke."

If he were alone, he would try pushing his limits without hesitation. But with so many Betas and Omegas on the warship, his goal was to protect everyone, not let them lose their lives in this practical exercise.

Hearing that, everyone aboard the warship breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"All right." After Qin Su's commotion just now, eighty or ninety percent of the Kisslip Tree Armadillos down below had been killed, so they needed to move elsewhere. "Let's get started too."

As he spoke, He Muzhi piloted the warship away while silently opening the group chat.

The class group had a section that tracked the kill-count data uploaded by every Optical Brain in Class 6 in real time.

Other bugs killed were not included; only Kisslip Tree Armadillos were counted.

Qin Su's kill count went without saying. He Muzhi had watched from above with his eyes wide open, not blinking for a second, yet still couldn't see Qin Su's attacks clearly. Now Qin Su was not only firmly in first place among the class's five hundred students, but also had a commanding lead.

Without a doubt, under Qin Su's leadership, Sheng Shuang and the other three had amassed plenty of kills as well, following behind him.

They had already fallen too far behind. They couldn't afford to delay any longer.

Naturally, He Muzhi wasn't the only one secretly checking Qin Su's ranking.

"Mm."

"Okay."

"We'll all follow your lead."

Under He Muzhi's leadership, the largest warship departed.

Anthony, who was piloting the largest Mecha, snorted and spoke disdainfully. "That's it?"

He had the largest Mecha in Class 6. How could the power of several shots fired in succession compare to the tiny warship Qin Su was aboard? So what if Qin Su's kill count was far ahead now? He would catch up soon enough.

Anthony, the captain, had forgotten that the teammates in his temporary squad were all on the same communication channel. They could all hear what he said.

"..."

Anthony sure talked big.

But in Anthony's squad, Anthony controlled the largest Mecha. They only dared grumble about him in their hearts and didn't dare say anything aloud. They pretended not to hear him and did whatever he told them to. Anyone else who wouldn't obey had already been kicked out by Anthony when the squad was formed.

"Let's go find Qin Su."

He wanted Qin Su to watch helplessly as his own kill count surpassed Qin Su's in a short time.

He wanted everyone else in the class to see that crushing the opposition with overwhelming firepower was the way to go.

So what if Qin Su had more battlefield experience and wielded his weapons with extraordinary skill?

One blast from him would kill who knew how many bugs, and Qin Su and his squad would get nothing.

At Anthony's command, Alpha Qiao Yue piloted the warship with her Optical Brain, following behind Anthony's Mecha as they headed in the direction Qin Su had gone. Anthony's Optical Brain was needed to control the Mecha, and he couldn't pilot both the warship and the Mecha at once, so Qiao Yue performed the captain's duties in his place.

Among the squads of varying sizes formed by other Alphas of average ability, Betas, and Omegas, the vast majority chose to play it safe, cautiously selecting areas where Broadleaf Lotuses were sparse. They began slowly clearing the area around the Jump Point Platform built by the Federation.

Although they had experienced it once before, Sophia and the other three still hadn't grown accustomed to Qin Su driving the warship at such speed.

At least they had some experience now. When Qin Su brought the warship to a stop, they were dazed for less than five seconds before recovering.

Qin Su discreetly surveyed the number and positions of the Broadleaf Lotuses around the warship. There were more than last time, so it took longer to examine and memorize their locations.

To keep his teammates and the "audience" from noticing that he was secretly counting them and simulating the kills, Qin Su spoke calmly to his four teammates as soon as they recovered.

"One minute to examine the surroundings, five minutes to replenish ammunition, and five minutes to rest."

In fact, five minutes was enough for him to thoroughly assess the surroundings and work out roughly which positions his teammates couldn't cover, where he would need to kill the creatures himself without giving them a chance to attack his teammates.

He could also determine where he could let a few Kisslip Tree Armadillos through for close contact with his teammates, proving he had meant what he said not long ago in front of everyone: "There won't be a next time."

He wanted them to understand that "he means what he says; if he says he won't look after them anymore, he won't," so they would become more cautious and independent.

Fighting many opponents at once, he combined his practical combat experience with his previous classroom training. Whether switching among the many weapons he carried or watching in every direction, he was becoming increasingly adept.

All things considered, the advantage was his.

Qin Su understood his advantage, but he hadn't forgotten that his teammates weren't him; they didn't have his wealth of combat experience. Although his former training targets had been humans rather than bugs, it was all the same. In his eyes, they were all "moving targets."

In short, his teammates needed time to rest.

During that extra time, he could carefully observe the more distant surroundings. If anything unexpected happened, he would know which direction to retreat.

It was just that...

Judging by the shapes of the leaves, they clearly weren't the same kind of tree, yet their trunks all looked much alike.

Could environmental pollution cause different trees to undergo the same mutation?

Hearing Qin Su's command, which admitted no refusal, the four reacted: "!"

Almost instantly, Sophia and the other three, who had only just recovered, lowered their eyes without a second's hesitation and looked around, estimating the number and positions of the Kisslip Tree Armadillos based on the locations of the Broadleaf Lotuses.

When they saw that the Broadleaf Lotuses below were even more densely distributed than last time, all four went numb.

But they didn't dare treat Qin Su's words as empty talk. With Qin Su no longer helping them, no matter how numb they felt, they had to grit their teeth and face it.

Under extreme circumstances, human potential was limitless. After swiftly scanning the area, the four really did remember most of it. They quickly replenished their weapons' ammunition, then seized the time to give their brains a brief rest.

During this time, they had no time at all to pay attention to what Qin Su was doing.

[What's Anthony's problem? Mocking our baby Su?]

[Look at that sinister expression as he goes after Baby 1. He's obviously up to something. Blind guess: he wants to use his Mecha to steal Baby 1's prey.]

[Hello, is this the psychiatric hospital? There's a lunatic here @Anthony]

[A Mecha's firepower and weapons aren't even on the same level. Qin Su is in danger!]

The closer one got to the Jump Point Platform, the fewer Broadleaf Lotuses there were; the farther in, the more there were.

Countless towering trees with smooth, tangled roots were scattered among them.

In the comic-capture footage he had "paid" to open for himself, Qin Su was naturally looking around, seemingly calm as he took in the scenery. When he saw the comments mention Anthony, his head filled with question marks.

After some thought, a dark look flashed through Qin Su's eyes. He said, "Everyone, there's been a change of plans. We'll have to start this battle early."

A change of plans? What had changed?

"Roger." Though the four were puzzled, it didn't stop them from obeying. They answered in unison.

"Starting now."

Qin Su had no intention of wasting time on an explanation. As soon as he spoke, he skillfully fired the shells into the water...

Since Anthony was coming for him, how could this handful of Broadleaf Lotuses be enough to properly "welcome" Anthony?

Naturally, he had to find somewhere else.

Along with the booming explosions, the sounds of different weapons rang out without pause.

Although Anthony had disrupted some of Qin Su's original plans, before Anthony arrived, Qin Su still followed the original plan. Based on the four's fighting habits, he "went easy" on a few Kisslip Tree Armadillos in each of their blind spots, leaving them alive instead of killing them in advance.

It was their first time, after all. Qin Su remembered the mercy his instructors had once shown him and treated them with the same mercy. Rather than letting the creatures through all at once, he spaced them out, giving the four time to help one another.

Moreover, to let the comments know he was "doing a good deed," whenever Qin Su "went easy," he cast an exceptionally casual, brief, "meaningful" glance with deep eyes at the Kisslip Tree Armadillo he had let through.

The occasional warmth shown by a coldhearted, cold-faced person, like the one percent of genuine feeling hidden within the ninety-nine percent pretense with which he treated the locals, would make the "audience," who didn't know the truth, even more infatuated with him and unable to get enough.

"Aaaah—"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

"Help, help, help, help—"

"Oh my god, stay away from me!!!"

Some had a creature smack into their faces, some had their weapons grabbed, and others had half their heads bitten directly by the mouths revealed amid the Kisslip Tree Armadillos' spread tentacles...

[Holy shit, my head hurts in sympathy]

[...Is it just me? The way Boss 1 looked coldly at those bugs that "ambushed" his teammates, it was like he'd expected it and deliberately let them through...?]

[Without a combat suit, half their head would have been bitten clean off, right? That's terrifying]

Qin Su's "going easy" made the four scream one after another, their voices cracking.

The fact that the Kisslip Tree Armadillos had gotten right up against them made them deeply understand that Qin Su really meant what he said, and made them even more aware of their own shortcomings.

As a result, though one after another cursed and shouted, their hands never faltered.

On top of that, they were Alphas. The strength they unleashed and the ability to adapt they displayed under the "threat of imminent death" were, as Qin Su could clearly see, far beyond the reactions of ordinary people from Earth facing such a crisis.

Much of the time, they didn't need help from their other teammates at all.

What was more, after grappling with the Kisslip Tree Armadillos at such close quarters, their fighting spirit was stirred up even further, and their rapid-fire movements grew wilder.

When they looked at the Kisslip Tree Armadillos, the fear they had felt when first facing their encirclement was gone. Though they were surrounded, their eyes held all the swagger and ferocity of people who thought, "We've got them surrounded!"

"Ahhh! You dare bite your granddaddy's head? All of you, die!"

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

"Wipe them all out!"

They passionately hurled cries like these at the Kisslip Tree Armadillos, who couldn't understand a word they were saying.

Qin Su: "..."

Judging by his teammates' unusual mental states, they had clearly used pheromones.

Qin Su had secretly said the word "envious" to the interstellar people so often in his heart that he was tired of it. He couldn't imagine how cheerful an Earthling he would be if he had the same basic physical abilities as they did.

But...

The corners of Qin Su's lips curled slightly beneath his helmet.

The brutality painted in blood really does make those who experience it grow quickly. He was pleased.

He hoped that in the next battle, Anthony would also feel genuinely pleased by their rapid growth, just as he did.

With that thought, Qin Su, who had been deliberately letting them through one at a time, now let them through in batches to draw out everyone's potential.

Although the Kisslip Tree Armadillos here were larger than the ones on the outskirts during the first battle, his tests of the combat suits' durability showed that the suits could handle them just fine.

Besides, according to the students' discussions, Jeffrey and the other three had specially made inner combat suits with better defensive capabilities than the standard ones issued by the school, so he had even less reason to worry that the Kisslip Tree Armadillos here could kill them.

At first, they had grappled with one Kisslip Tree Armadillo, then two, then three... This gradually made the four realize that the Kisslip Tree Armadillos, which looked fast and threatening with their bared teeth and claws, couldn't actually tear through their outer protection. Their morale soared at once.

We can't die anyway. We've only got one life, so just go for it. They'll all die sooner or later!

With thoughts like that in mind, the four attacked even more fiercely.

[Hahaha, I'm dying laughing. Who still remembers what adorable newbies the four of them were at the beginning?]

[At first I only suspected it, but afterward there were several times in a row when Qin Su could clearly have killed them but didn't. That convinced me: Qin Su was deliberately letting them through, and Sophia and the other three were obviously less afraid of them after fighting them to the death at close quarters. So there's only one truth: Qin Su is deliberately training them! I'm dead, who understands this kind of tenderness? He sounds cold and says he won't care, but quietly trains them through his actions to improve their ability to survive on their own!]

[An ice-cold, dictatorial captain who secretly makes plans for his teammates without a word, really... makes my corpse feel warm]

[They're on a killing spree! As expected of soldiers trained by Boss 1!]

[With just a little help from Boss 1, the distance between a newbie and a killing maniac is only one battle (doge)]

The four performed better than they had in the previous battle, allowing the second battle to end earlier than Qin Su had expected.

The moment the battle ended, Qin Su spoke with genuine feeling over the comms channel. "Great job."

With the aid of pheromones, both their explosive power and their reactions were far better than his had been on Earth when he first faced "real combat" after several rounds of "greenhouse training."

For him, envying interstellar people was as easy as breathing.

Of course, even as Qin Su secretly felt "sour," he hadn't forgotten that he couldn't let anything affect his emotions, and forced his voice into a cold tone.

The four: "!"

Having just fought an exhilarating battle and learned that the Kisslip Tree Armadillos weren't as frightening as they had imagined, the four were already joyful, and Qin Su's praise made them even more excited.

Qin Su was unimaginably strong, and though their fight should have been on the level of "children playing" in his eyes, he had praised them for it!

The four were secretly delighted. Although Qin Su's voice was cold, they were perfectly satisfied.

"Ahem... thank you." Sophia offered her thanks with restraint.

The others also spoke up one after another, unable to keep their voices from rising.

Jeffrey held his head high and puffed out his chest. "It was only..."

Before Jeffrey could finish, Qin Su caught sight of the largest Mecha on the trip out of the corner of his eye. His gaze turned cold, and he said in a low voice, "Go."