Barren Star – Chapter 53
by Little PandaYou are no longer our king.
Ning Buyi was startled by that blood-red eye. When she looked again, that eerie light had vanished, as if everything before had been her hallucination. A light footstep sound came from outside, and the entire spaceship seemed unaware of that moment’s anomaly.
After hesitating for a moment, Ning Buyi decided to open the door to investigate. The door lock had been melted away by an unknown force, but this didn’t mean the room would be open to uninvited guests. Ning Buyi’s nerves were tense, her gaze stern. She gave a greeting to Beidou, then took a deep breath and opened the door.
The corridor was brightly lit, but when the light fell on a fourteen-year-old golden-haired girl curled up in the corner, it cast a viscous shadow. Seeming to hear the movement, the girl slowly raised her head. Her jade-green eyes flickered with panic and fear, her cheeks gaunt and pale, yet this didn’t diminish her beauty, like a beautiful fallen princess.
Despite this, Ning Buyi maintained her guard against the girl. Though the girl showed no signs of aggression at the moment, she couldn’t be certain if it was her who had damaged the door lock. After staring at the girl for a moment, Ning Buyi furrowed her brows and closed the door. She communicated with the captain through the intercom, hoping someone would come to repair this unsettling “hole.”
The ship’s maintenance workers arrived promptly. After a few minutes, Ning Buyi heard a series of “da-da” footsteps, mixed with shouts of reproach, seemingly driving away the girl in the corridor. When Ning Buyi reopened the door, she confirmed her guess amid the girl’s panic and the staff’s stern faces.
“Who is this—” Ning Buyi turned to the crew member and asked gently.
The crew member gave Ning Buyi an apologetic smile and hurriedly explained: “She’s a stray girl that Old Bite picked up. Esteemed guest, I guarantee she won’t appear here again to disturb your peace.”
Although the golden-haired girl wore tattered clothes, her bearing wasn’t that of a stray child, Ning Buyi thought to herself. But she didn’t ask further questions, after all, she needed to return to Mountain and Sea Star quickly and didn’t want to stir up any trouble along the way.
The golden-haired girl hadn’t spoken a word, and as she was being led away, she turned back to give Ning Buyi one glance.
Meeting those jade-green eyes, Ning Buyi’s heart tensed, and she inexplicably broke out in goosebumps. However, she quickly cast this strange girl to the back of her mind.
Until the next day, when strange sounds appeared at her room’s door again, and a hole identical to the previous one appeared.
Ning Buyi: “……” When opening the door, Ning Buyi again saw the girl curled up in the corner – these ship staff’s guarantees were truly worthless. The first time she saw the girl, she only had suspicions, but this second time, she could confirm the girl was behind these “holes.” But was this a prank? Or something else?
Ning Buyi didn’t step out of her room. She crossed her arms and coldly looked at the girl, asking in a stern voice like one who would eat children: “What do you want?”
The girl slowly stood up, staring fixedly at Ning Buyi. The light fell on her pretty dimples, instead creating an oddly eerie feeling. “Hungry,” she opened her mouth, uttering just this simple word.
Wanting to see what the girl was up to, Ning Buyi raised an eyebrow and took out some special snacks from Mountain and Sea Star from her space button, tossing them to the girl. After catching them, the girl tore open the packaging and devoured them like a starving wolf. Within seconds, she finished the meat jerky, licked her lips, and looked hopefully at Ning Buyi again.
“Not full.”
Ning Buyi could only discern these words from the other’s gaze. She fell silent for a moment, then threw another generation of meat jerky. However, the girl dispatched it in no time, then raised her eyes to gaze at Ning Buyi again, waiting for the next round of feeding.
Ning Buyi frowned.
The energy stored in the food had already reached the standard needed for an adult, so how was this golden-haired girl still hungry? Could she have a Taotie stomach [饕餮胃 | tāotiè wèi | mythical gluttonous beast]? Ning Buyi had no plans to continue feeding snacks, so she took out nutritional supplements and threw them over, and then… they were avoided by the other party. Clearly, the girl had no interest in nutritional supplements.
Ning Buyi: “……” She gradually lost patience, and just as she was about to close the door, the girl charged toward her like an arrow. However, a small white ball moved faster than her, knocking her to the ground before she could collide with Ning Buyi, extending its paws to press down on the girl’s shoulders, continuously making threatening hissing sounds.
The golden-haired girl sat dumbly on the ground, looking pitifully at Ning Buyi.
The Nine-tailed Fox grew angrier seeing the golden-haired girl’s expression and moved to strike her face with its paw.
Seeing no one else around, Ning Buyi whispered to the Nine-tailed Fox: “Charm.”
The Nine-tailed Fox licked its paw, somewhat confused, but still followed Ning Buyi’s wishes and deployed the “Charm” skill.
Only then did Ning Buyi ask: “Name.”
Golden-haired girl: “Kris.”
This name sounded familiar, and when Ning Buyi realized why, her heart suddenly jolted. Wasn’t this the mad queen of the Insect Race? How did she appear here? Though she had disappeared from the battlefield, she could possibly appear anywhere. But what if it was just someone with the same name? This mad queen couldn’t be this dumb-looking, right? Ning Buyi thought for a while, then coldly said: “Title.”
The golden-haired girl tilted her head while staring at Ning Buyi, seeming somewhat confused, but still honestly replied: “Wings of Betrayal.” These four characters were ordinary enough, could be anyone’s online name, but when combined with “Kris,” they could only point to that queen of the Insect Race who had ascended to the throne through betrayal.
Though not knowing why she had become like this, her danger level was extremely high, and Ning Buyi wished she could kick her ten thousand li away. However, with the Nine-tailed Fox present, perhaps she could keep her confined nearby? Ning Buyi pondered for a moment, greeting Beidou who remained highly vigilant in the room. The hourglass bottle targeting the Insect Race could sever the connection between normal insects and their queen, but had no effect on the queen herself. Fortunately, with the Nine-tailed Fox’s charm, there was no need to inject the black lock.
Ning Buyi first greeted Bite who had brought Kris onto the ship. After picking her up, he had simply abandoned her, not even remembering when he had picked up such a person – likely affected by Kris’s abilities. He readily “gave” Kris to Ning Buyi, and seeing this, Ning Buyi said nothing more, directly taking Kris back to the room. However, fearing problems, she set up a prison cell specifically to confine Kris.
At first, Kris was extremely agitated, her right eye emanating an eerie red light, but when Ning Buyi passed snacks into the cell, she immediately quieted down, focusing intently on the food.
Seeing this, Ning Buyi breathed a sigh of relief and hastily dialed Hua Zhuoyu.
Hua Zhuoyu seemed busy, with no response for a long time. After thinking for a moment, Ning Buyi ended the call, and a few minutes later, Hua Zhuoyu contacted her.
“Did something happen?” The familiar image projected before her eyes carried a touch of fatigue in the brows and eyes, along with a hint of concern.
Ning Buyi pressed her lips together, somewhat regretting disturbing Hua Zhuoyu at this time. She softened her voice and asked with concern: “How are things on your end?”
Hua Zhuoyu replied concisely: “Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry, it’s almost over.”
Ning Buyi couldn’t detect any trace of lies in Hua Zhuoyu’s expression. After thinking for a while, she said: “One good news, one bad news, which do you want to hear?”
Hua Zhuoyu frowned: “The bad one.”
Ning Buyi: “Wings of Betrayal Kris is with me.”
Hua Zhuoyu: “???” This was completely outside the scope of bad news she had imagined!
Seeing her expression change dramatically, Ning Buyi quickly added: “The good news is she’s become dim-witted.”
“But still very dangerous.” Hua Zhuoyu emphasized strongly, strongly disapproving of Ning Buyi’s actions.
“If four little honeybees work, then five isn’t bad?” Ning Buyi shrugged, speaking somewhat jokingly, but seeing Hua Zhuoyu’s continued serious expression, she blinked and hastily changed the subject, “Should we hand her over to the government?”
As Da Xia’s enemy, the Insect Queen would certainly not meet a good fate in government hands, though the government, knowing the insect race’s habits well, wouldn’t execute her but use her identity to exchange for significant benefits. Add to that a clever male protagonist… Ning Buyi actually didn’t have such a strong desire to hand over the Insect Queen.
Hua Zhuoyu sighed and said: “No need.” After a pause, she added, “Give her the black lock injection, don’t let others know her identity.”
“Take her to Mountain and Sea Star? This isn’t treason, right?” Ning Buyi said, surprised that Hua Zhuoyu would agree so quickly.
“It’s not, prisoner exchanges are common. As a planet master, you have the freedom to privately own war trophies.” Hua Zhuoyu nodded, then suddenly said: “The Insect Race has retreated to the Insect Star, including the soldiers searching for the queen.”
Ning Buyi asked in surprise: “Has the Insect Race abandoned Queen Kris? Could a new queen have been born? Wasn’t it said this queen had no heir?”
Hua Zhuoyu said solemnly: “The former queen is still alive.”
“Ah? Then doesn’t Kris have no value anymore?”
“Not necessarily.” Hua Zhuoyu had no intention of saying more, her gaze shifting, “Just treat her as a normal prisoner.”
Insect Star.
All members of the Insect Race blindly followed their queen’s every command, but after the queen’s disappearance, they mysteriously lost their mental connection with her, leaving them bewildered and unsure what to do. This not only meant they couldn’t use it to find their old queen, but they couldn’t even sense the birth of a new queen. They had lost their master, equivalent to losing order, and the entire Insect Race society fell into chaos – something that had never happened before.
In the dark, unvisited great hall.
A crisp snap of fingers rang out, and the entire hall lit up like daylight. The young woman sitting on the Thorn Throne slowly raised her head. Seeming to find the machinery penetrating her body troublesome, she lowered her head and forcefully yanked, brutally tearing it from her body. Ignoring the blood marks on her body, she rose for the first time from that Thorn Throne, walking along the rose-red carpet.
She opened the door that had isolated her from Insect Race society, walking through the palace as if no one else existed, finally appearing before Kris’s royal guards’ horrified gazes.
“Your- Your… Your Majesty?” Like a stuck tape, the guard’s eyelids twitched frantically, heart filled with horror at the blood-covered former queen. The history of two queens’ struggle was fresh in memory, that cruel slaughter seeming like yesterday. But now the queen was missing, and this vanished “Your Majesty” had emerged. Did this mean the royal power had transferred? Yet he still couldn’t sense the mental connection between himself and the queen.
“My foolish sister, still missing?” Hill glanced at the unfamiliar guard, smiling carelessly. She turned and sat on the vacant throne, fingers caressing the oddly shaped handle, sighing deeply, “I almost forgot how it feels to sit in this chair.”
“You shouldn’t sit there.” A royal guard stepped forward boldly.
“Why not?” Hill looked gently at the royal guard.
“You are no longer our king.”
“Then who is your king? Can you still sense the mental link with your king?” Hill showed no concern for the guard’s disrespect, crossing her legs and speaking leisurely, her lips curling into a faint smile.
“Everything will return to normal when the king returns.” That guard’s calves kept trembling, yet still expressing loyalty to the queen.
“Oh? You’re still searching? I thought everyone had withdrawn.” Hill chuckled lightly, watching with growing pleasure as the guard’s face showed signs of embarrassment.
“I will personally go to Da Xia!” The guard declared firmly.
Hill dragged out an “Oh,” watching the guard. She restrained her abilities and let her vast spiritual force cover the entire Insect Race society. Almost instantly, all insects sensed their queen’s presence, breaking into joyful tears. However, before they could re-embrace this warmth, that sensing power was cut off.
The palace guards, being closest to Hill, clearly sensed the queen’s nearby presence, but before they could recover from their shock, that faint mental link vanished again. The guards who initially stood firmly with Kris remained motionless, while the others knelt before Hill: “Greetings, Your Majesty. Please issue your commands.”
Hill’s smile faded, and she coldly looked at the kneeling Insect Race guards, saying with disgust: “What commands? Without the queen’s control, can’t you live independently? What? Want to start wars like my idiot sister?”
The “idiot” in the cage sneezed.
She looked at Ning Buyi with an innocent expression, those lake-like jade eyes rippling with enchanting light.
Ning Buyi judged from Kris’s food consumption order that she liked sweets, especially “honey”. Her cheeks were constantly puffed with food, her stomach like a bottomless pit, seemingly never satisfied. Ning Buyi secretly searched online for Insect Race food consumption, but found nothing unusual.
When Kris maintained this “Taotie” state, she had to consider handing her over to the Da Xia government. Fortunately, this state stopped as the spaceship approached Mountain and Sea Star, when Kris transformed into a rice-grain-sized honeybee, curled up in the cage. If not for the data feedback, she would have thought Kris had escaped.
Until disembarking, Kris remained in non-human form.
Fortunately, the ship’s staff didn’t come to inquire, sparing Ning Buyi from that awkward explanation.
On Mountain and Sea Star, May’s wind carried scorching heat, like burning flames.
When Ning Buyi returned to the base, she was startled by the crowd of people gathering around. She hadn’t notified anyone of her return, but thinking of “Beidou,” she immediately understood.
Amid calls of “Lord” and “Leader,” Ning Buyi helplessly rubbed her forehead, reaching out to receive the rushing Baize, patting its head, and using “rest” as an excuse to hurriedly leave those enthusiastic fellows. With “Magic Cube Beidou” nearby, Ning Buyi knew everything about the base perfectly. The pioneering team was progressing smoothly. The road from the base to Aurora City had been built, now completely unobstructed.
However, during these few months of absence, the warehouse’s seed storage was nearly depleted. If delayed further, the base could operate, but there wouldn’t be enough to list on the Starlight Platform. After brief consideration, Ning Buyi opened the Mountain and Sea Atlas to replenish commonly used seeds, planning to use the remainder to purchase new trees or shrubs. After all, she now had a golden seed that derived nutrients from other plants.
After exhausting the stored dark pollution buying plants, Ning Buyi remembered Kris whom she had brought back. Since she remained in “bee form,” Ning Buyi had kept her in a small jar previously used for honey. Now that she was awake, Ning Buyi poured her out without hesitation.
Given freedom, Kris didn’t rush to return to human form, instead gracefully landing on the half-wilted flower branch in the living room vase.
Ning Buyi sighed, pulled the flower branch from the vase, and carried her to the administrative hall for registration, then headed toward the base’s flower fields.
As soon as Kris breathed the fresh outside air, her mood clearly changed. She no longer clung to the withered flower branch but rushed toward the flower sea ahead, though without access permissions, she was blocked by the barrier. After several failed attempts, Kris finally transformed into human form, greedily staring at the flower sea, her right eye gradually turning blood-red.
Ning Buyi noticed something unusual, suddenly sensing a premonition that the barrier might be destroyed. Without hesitation, she used the “Dominate” ability on Kris, hearing her emit a sharp cry of pain. Ning Buyi nodded with satisfaction and called out the four little darlings busy in the flower sea.
Although Monasha and her group had been brainwashed by the potion, it didn’t mean their memories were completely erased, rather their faction and stance had changed – in their view, they had “reformed.” Thus, Monasha recognized Kris instantly.
“Your Majesty?” Monasha’s tone contained no shortage of surprise.
Kris merely tilted her head, blinking while staring at Monasha, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“She’s somewhat dim-witted, probably became foolish.” Ning Buyi had no time to watch this “sovereign and subject drama,” interrupting Monasha’s follow-up questions. She pointed at Kris, asking Monasha, “Do you know why she became like this?”
Monasha looked at Kris seriously for a moment, then sincerely shook her head.
Not disappointed, Ning Buyi shifted the topic to Hill: “How much do you know about the former queen?”
Hearing this, Monasha’s pupils suddenly contracted, her eyes showing instinctive fear: “She is the Pure White Queen, the source of chaos, the strongest existence among all Insect Race rulers, she is…”
Ning Buyi pressed her temples, hastily interrupting Monasha’s long praise. She looked at this “betrayer” among the Insect Race guards, asking curiously: “If the Pure White Queen was so powerful, why did you choose to betray her?”
Hearing this, Monasha’s body trembled violently, the fear in her eyes intensifying. In contrast, Black Ray and others remained completely calm, though their faces showed ignorant bewilderment.
“She is the Lord of the End in the prophecy, who would lead the entire race into the abyss of death.”
Ning Buyi: “So your Insect Race is superstitious too?” She glanced at the innocent-looking Kris, who appeared unconcerned and was attempting to enter the flower sea, “Isn’t she the real destroyer?”
Monasha: “…”
Ning Buyi continued: “She’s new here, watch her carefully, don’t let her wander. You received Da Xia’s pardon, but she might not.” Though saying this, Ning Buyi didn’t dare give Kris full access to the flower field – it would be terrible if this clueless one ruined the fields.
“But—”
Ning Buyi didn’t let Monasha finish, interrupting gently but firmly: “No buts, here there’s only the planet master, you’re all my worker bees.”
Ning Buyi didn’t place her hopes on the four little honeybees. Although Kris currently seemed mentally unclear, her power hadn’t disappeared. Ning Buyi directly set the barrier’s defense level to maximum and had Beidou monitor constantly, ready to act at any sign of change.
Though still worried, that night passed peacefully, at least without being awakened by alarms at midnight.
However, during the next morning’s flower field inspection, Ning Buyi found something slightly off. There were supposed to be five little bees, so why was there now a buzzing swarm?
Ning Buyi rubbed her forehead, remembering the Mountain and Sea Atlas. She focused on Kris’s status panel – loyalty, needless to say, showed no change. However, four new characters appeared under her abilities: Blood Progenitor. Ning Buyi clicked on the small text, carefully reading the description.
—Each Insect Race queen awakens two abilities. Blood Progenitor means the queen can produce offspring through her own blood.
Ning Buyi was greatly startled by this line.
If it meant unlimited production of an Insect Race army, that would be an unstoppable black tide.
She read on further.
—However, this ability has undergone some distortion and mutation, now producing only ordinary honeybees.
Ning Buyi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
With such a group of honeybees, wouldn’t that mean honey collection could be sped up? After pondering for a moment, Ning Buyi opened up another area for Kris, providing space for her “new clan” to grow and work.
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