Unable to Withstand a Single Blow

"Run, hurry and run! Go back to that place! The gods will protect you, my child!"

Human lives really were incredibly fragile! That old man had a blade driven into his back, and under Starscream's surveillance system, the human's life force was shown to be rapidly declining. It soon approached zero, with no possibility of recovery.

Although all this was happening very close to Starscream, he had no intention whatsoever of intervening in these human internal disputes. He merely watched everything unfold with the detached, cold gaze of an observer.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, what's wrong? Grandpa, don't leave me behind!"

The human girl seemed to have suffered a tremendous shock. Even as those bandits approached with malicious smiles on their faces, she refused to leave her grandfather's corpse.

"Hehe, didn't expect to find such a fine little beauty out here in the desert. Looks like us brothers are pretty lucky today!"

"She must be the daughter of that merchant caravan boss who escaped the day before yesterday. She's really delicate, isn't she?"

"Hahaha, they say the Western Regions are full of beauties. Looks like us brothers are in for a treat today!"

Well then! These humans really were quite interesting. Their kind seemed to have some rather chaotic internal dynamics—strong individuals would prey upon the weak. Moreover, the various adrenalines in these male humans' bodies were rising sharply at this moment. That was not something often seen among Transformers, and it immediately piqued Starscream's interest.

"No, don't come any closer! Help! Someone, save me!"

Perhaps she had seen the unusual glint in those bandits' eyes. The girl instinctively backed away step by step, but after only a few steps, her legs gave out in fear and she fell to the ground.

"Oh my, little lady, you've already struck the pose. Does that mean you're ready for us to enjoy?"

"Hahaha, my little lamb, we're so hungry. After finally coming across such a delicious meal as you, we can finally feast our fill today!"

From beginning to end, none of these desert bandits noticed the continuously rotating object atop the small dune not far away. It was Starscream's observation eye, and every move these humans made had already aroused this Decepticon warrior's great interest.

"System Boss, does your database contain any records of the habits and characteristics of these lower life-forms? Why do I feel like this group's behavioral patterns are rather strange? That woman's skin does look a little tenderer, but if they eat her raw like this, she surely won't taste very good. And there are signs that the humans on this planet have already learned to cook food with fire, so how do you explain this..."

Although Mr. Starscream had translated their language, he had not yet fully understood the meaning behind human speech.

For example, when these male desert bandits said they were going to "eat" the girl, they were not actually speaking of hunting for food. Rather, they intended to engage in some primitive, low-level activity, as could be seen from the fact that they had begun removing their clothes.

But such low-level activities did not exist among Transformers. Although they too had distinctions between male and female, if two individuals liked each other, it would only cause some reaction through resonance between their sparks, just like Optimus Prime and his girlfriend.

In any case, it was something Starscream simply could not understand.

Click, click, click!

Perhaps because he had witnessed something incomprehensible, Starscream shattered the calm surrounding these humans and recorded the entire difficult-to-explain scene with his camera.

But when the sound of photography suddenly appeared in this empty desert, it was enough to give everyone present a fright.

The desert bandit leader, who had been preparing to undo his belt, was especially startled. He drew the blade from his waist and shouted toward the source of the sound.

"Who's there? How dare you ruin your grandpa's good time? If you've got the guts, come out here!"

"That's right! Which blind fat sheep is hiding over there? Your grandpas won't let you off today!"

As their leader flew into a rage, the other bandits behind him also drew their preferred weapons. But in Starscream's eyes, those pieces of iron were primitive and laughable. What surprised him somewhat was that these little insect-like creatures actually dared to challenge a higher life-form like him.

What a group of foolish creatures!

Starscream's body had nearly finished repairing itself over this period anyway, and he had nothing to pass the time with. He might as well play a game with these clueless little fellows!

"Starscream, transform!"

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

Whoosh!

When the massive robotic body burst out of the sand, its towering, sky-blocking presence instantly stunned everyone present into silence.

"A god! A god has descended!"

"Th-this, what is this?"

Compared to the tiny humans, Starscream stood more than twenty meters tall in robot form. The human desert bandits before him promptly wet themselves in terror, while the girl, who had been panicking moments ago, stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable creature before her, unable to say a word.

When facing an unknown existence, humans would instinctively feel fear, even if the thing before them looked like nothing more than a giant lump of iron.

"You insignificant humans, were you greeting me just now? I, Starscream, hate being threatened most of all. I don't know why, but what you were doing just now made me feel extremely displeased!"

Starscream was naturally referring to what these desert bandits had intended to do to the girl. Although Transformers could not understand this human behavior, for some reason, when Starscream saw the scene, the spark within his body began to stir inexplicably. It made him feel extremely displeased with the men before him.

Then, before everyone's eyes, he raised his laser gun, its muzzle aimed directly at the desert bandit leader.

"Sir, mighty god, I-I..."

Although he had no idea what kind of weapon Starscream was holding, his innate fear of a superior being left the previously arrogant bandit stammering, unable to speak properly.

But there was no need for him to continue. Starscream pulled the trigger in his hand. A blue beam shot from the laser gun, and everyone saw only a flash before their eyes. The desert bandit leader holding the large blade was directly vaporized. Other than a few scraps of cloth left on the ground to prove he had once existed, not a trace of him remained...