In the past, they could hardly do anything because of the unfamiliarity and mysteriousness. But now, some of the Zergs’ habits had become common knowledge. The strange, ghastly caves actually had a clear structure. Zergs inherited traits, and similar species always had the same few structural components.
But of course, men who were able to master these structures specialized in studying them. They were indeed complex.
Over on Mars’ side, the Martians were moving in teams. Their teamwork was what allowed Mars to grow ever more powerful in recent years. The Lie family’s military influence also grew stronger and stronger on Mars.
As much as they were all under the framework of the Milky Way Federation, every planet had their own systems and rules.
For Mars, with Lie Xin around, there was not much for the rest to fight for. They only wanted to get rid of the Queen Zerg for glory and fame.
The Martians’ attacks were extremely powerful.
But for places such as Caragal, things were not as orderly.
Another 15 were eliminated that night, and it was merely day two.
Day three. Things were much harder to endure. The participants were faced with a shortage of food and a lack of sleep on top of the threat posed by Zergs.
Wild animals were sparse. Wang Zheng being able to hunt them down did not mean the others could do the same. Edible fruits were sparse too. Some people tried to feed on the plants, but other than being unfulfilling, nobody knew whether they were poisonous.
The top priority on everyone’s lists was to fill their stomachs. Only then would they have the energy to fight.
A handful of people recalled the lake they saw when they flew over the Island. Where there is water, there is food, and so that was their only chance of survival. They would not be able to take it if they’d continued to put up with the hunger.
Zhang Runan gaped at Wang Zheng, jaw dropped. Was that… really edible?
Wang Zheng got up early to get busy. Seeing Zhang Runan’s surprise, he said, “Well, it doesn’t taste fantastic, but the nutrition level is passable, and the sap does replenish some moisture. You want some?”
Wang Zheng was famished. He had a higher level of need for energy replenishment, but it didn’t mean that he was able to withstand hunger. He would only endure if there was no other choice. But with so much food laid in front of him, his stomach would protest if he’d let it suffer.
Wang Zheng tore out a slice of thigh meat. To be frank, both its looks and its smell were nauseating. Even the normally tough Zhang Runan couldn’t help but throw up.
Student Wang shrugged and relished in two pieces of thigh meat. Starting the day well with a good breakfast was very important.
“You sure you don’t want one? These Chief Zergs taste alright. Those smaller ones, they’re merely shells. One look and you know they’re domesticated,” said Wang Zheng.
Wild Zergs were better fighters, were stronger, and so had tougher flesh. But Zergs on Demon Island were probably grown for lab use, so their fighting strength was average.
Zhang Runan shook her head firmly. “I’d much rather starve to death.”
Wang Zheng chuckled. “Well, then you can have all the fruits. I’ll finish all four legs. Enough sustenance for a day.”
Wang Zheng dug in happily. Over at Lear’s side, Lie Xin had left the room long ago. That was truly disgusting! How could someone like that even exist? How could anyone eat that?
Caragal royalty like Raston received fine education from a young age and lived a life of luxury. If not for his ego, he’d have thrown up long ago. He was just holding himself back. Moreover, Lear and the rest were all still standing there.
Taros gagged too, but it was not as severe. The environment in the Hades Republic was pretty bad, and there was a great disparity between the rich and the poor. They even traded slaves in the black markets. Having seen many of such things, he didn’t feel too surprised. But was that really even edible?
Did this guy even have a sense of taste?
“Wow, Lear. So many hidden talents from Earth, eh? This lad is truly one of a kind. Did he grow up in the slums?”
Achilles let out a bitter smile, and Lear appeared all calm.
At this point, Wang Zheng had finished all four legs and rubbed his tummy. He was a little bloated.
“I’m done. Let’s go.”
Zhang Runan nodded. She did not want to stay there another second longer.
At noon on the third day, Wang Zheng and Zhang Runan finally reunited with Meng Tian and Zhang Shan, but they were considered late. Those from Europa had met them first. It seemed like the two days had taught them a good lesson. It was clear to them that they had to team up in order to survive.
“Such a coincidence. We meet again.”
Yuan Ye from Europa Military College gleamed at Zhang Runan. What a strong and powerful woman! That physique gave off a strong, powerful force of attraction! Tsk, tsk, how very attractive.
Men from Europa had a different taste in women. Yuan Ye was entirely conquered. He looked upon Zhnag Runan like an angel, but what a pity, it was a one-sided love.
As usual, Zhang Runan had only one word for them: “Scram.”
“No problem.” Yuan Ye scuttled off to Zhang Shan’s side. It was evident that they were now pretty good friends. Both Yuan Ye and Zhang Shan were friendly people and it seemed like a friendship had blossomed out of their earlier conflict. When Zhang Shan found out that Yuan Ye had fallen in love after being beaten and was carrying a sincere admiration, he began to harbor intentions of helping Yuan Ye. Moreover, Yuan Ye had a big build. A pretty good match!
Everyone had a pretty good sense of what Demon Island was like after the exchange of information. The Island had an irregular, round shape. A freshwater lake sat in the middle of the isle, and it was surrounded by a man made ocean.
Those who managed to make it through to this stage were all elites who had particularly strong sets of skills. They had adapted well to the island after two days and were discontented with defending themselves passively. The Zergs were not as frightening as imagined, and many of them began to attack actively. It was this insatiable desire of mankind that had allowed them to conquer the universe today.
Very few intelligent species had the same endless burning desire humans possessed. Many aliens had privately talked about how the Zergs’ wants were nothing compared to men’s desires. Zergs’ instincts were to survive, but human sought to fulfil their many psychological needs. When they have fulfilled one wish, they would wish for another thing right away. There was no stop to their desires and wants.
It’s a good thing was that the universe had no boundaries. There is no need to worry that humans will lose their sense of purpose.
With the same mentality, everyone had left behind pockets of information they obtained everywhere. It was evident that with just a few people in each team, striking the heavily guarded Queen’s nest was too much of a risk.
The Moon’s Eight Stars had also sent out a signal to gather. Although the eight of them had the capability to launch an attack on the nest, this competition may not be one that tested their individual capacities or their strength as a small group. It may be one that looked at their overall performance, at how they could do everything in their powers to remain firm and undefeated, and at their charm. Regardless of how they were to be assessed, minimizing risks was their top priority.
Bit by bit, all sorts of signals came together. They had all decided to gather by the eastern forest at noon sharp. The Martians had already cleaned the place up. They were strong and powerful and were unusually united. The edges of the east forest had completely been beaten up by the Martians, and two large Zerg nests were emptied. They had destroyed at least a good two hundred Zergs.
Wang Zheng and gang saw the messages left on the trees and decided to make their way to the meeting place.
Yuan Ye had clung on to Zhang Runan and would not leave her alone no matter what. Even the toughest women would not be able to resist the most persistent men. She might’ve been asking him to get lost now, but if he persisted enough, she would sooner or later start calling him “Brother Yuan Ye”, and eventually, “My Little Ye”, a term he would specially approve.
Zhang Shan looked up to Yuan Ye from the bottom of his heart. Just how daring was he to be openly courting Brother Nan? Even a hundred of Zhang Shan’s own gall put together would not give him enough courage to do something like that. It had nothing to do with beauty, but how many men could stomach Zhang Runan’s physical prowess alone?
By then, everyone had gotten hungry. Wang Zheng took out the wild animal he had captured to share. Even though there were many of them and none of them could fill their stomachs, it was still satisfying in this time of famine. It provided them with some energy at the very least.
And of course, the ladies went first. Meng Tian and Zhang Runan shared a badger’s thigh. Meng Tian had a high endurance for hunger, so a few fruits would have been able to maintain her energy level, but such delicious food was simply irresistible.
“With Wang Zheng around, there’s no need to worry about having to go hungry.” Zhang Runan chuckled.
Meng Tian was taken by surprise. The usually stern and serious Zhang Runan seemed a lot calmer and at ease. Plus, she looked much more amicable when she smiled!
“He always has some sort of weird, hidden talent.”
“Meng Tian, this is a reliable man. You should grasp the opportunity if you fancy him,” Zhang Runan said. The two girls were sitting together on another end, and in that instant, Meng Tian blushed.
“Compared to Ye Zisu, I think you and him are much more compatible.” Zhang Runan was as straightforward as usual. If someone else had said that, Meng Tian probably would not have much of a reaction, but somehow, she could not hide her emotions in front of Zhang Runan.
Meng Tian smiled gently. “Let nature take its course. Nobody knows what will happen in future.”
Well, she did admire and fancy him a little, but Meng Tian had a cooler personality and was not too crazy about him.
Zhang Runan nodded in agreement. “That’s true. There is still a lot for us to do.”
“Damn. My tongue is melting! How did you manage to capture all these things? We encountered a few, but we just couldn’t get at them. These things are slyer than Zergs! They disappear just like that.”
The wildlife on Demon Island was especially haunting; it was as if they were intelligent creatures. But being able to survive and grow a shining coat of fur was indeed no easy feat in the Zergs’ territory.
“Hehe. It’s plain luck.” Wang Zheng laughed. He was not picky about food, and his desires for food could be put aside. The most important thing here was to replenish energy for battles, but clearly the others were against eating Zerg meat.
The food was all gone and the guys from Europa blushed. Wiping the oil off his lips and rubbing his belly, Yuan Ye said, “Don’t worry, we from Europa never, ever eat or take things for free. Yes. That’s that.”
He had wanted to exaggerate and make a promise to look after Ares College, but knowing how powerful Zhang Runan was, he was too embarrassed to say that.
But on second thought, there was no use if Zhang Runan was the only powerful person around. Zhang Shan’s capabilities were at most average. Meng Tian had a great figure, but in terms of powers, there was nothing special. As for Wang Zheng, he had great survival skills, but hunting for food and dealing with Zergs were entirely separate issues. Demon Island was infamous for its demons, and what they had gone through in the past two days was just the tip of the iceberg. The Zergs would definitely have their chance at revenge.
Right that second, Yuan Ye only wished for a couple of oblivious Zergs to appear so that he could show off his valiance as a man.