If the situation were really as easy as he said, with this man's extreme pride, how could he fail to control his exhausted expression and physical reactions?
Ultimately, it was all to take her back to the Azure Star.
Herta pursed her dry lips and made a suggestion.
"Since meeting me, you haven't eaten a human. Do you want to eat a part of me first to recover?"
"Like my leg, which isn't an important part. Right now, it seems the only way I can help you is—"
Before she could finish, Qi Zhimu reached out and pinched the corners of her mouth, pulling them to the sides, forcefully stuffing the rest of her words back.
"Huh? You brat, who gave you permission to let your imagination run wild?"
Realizing his grip might be too strong, he let go grumpily and flicked her forehead.
"I'm a man of my word. I said we'd wait until we got back to the Azure Star to eat, so I won't break my promise. You felt it too—the Azure Star isn't far."
"We're about to eat, so there's no need to satisfy your cravings early, and certainly no need to replenish my strength or condition!"
"Besides, who told you legs aren't important? If I go through all this effort to get back only for you to end up a cripple, saving the world in a wheelchair? Just thinking about it is hilarious."
Herta wasn't convinced and insisted softly: "The Azure Star has advanced prosthetic technology..."
Qi Zhimu rolled his eyes, too lazy to argue further, and directly covered her mouth.
"Shut up. If you say another word, I'll hypnotize you. You're so annoying."
"Put away that unnecessary guilt. Even if you worked me to death, I'd still be fine. Hurry up and close your eyes to sleep. Don't you realize what time it is?"
With her mouth covered, Herta could only stare at him with her clear eyes.
After a moment, she lowered her eyelids in compromise.
Qi Zhimu let go, satisfied, readjusted his posture, and held her securely in his arms.
Herta sighed silently in her heart, tightening her hold on Qi Zhimu's arm and leaning closer to his body.
She really didn't know what time it was.
She was just a bit puzzled. Qi Zhimu clearly intended to eat her, so why did he stick to his principles so strictly?
The high-altitude night wind brushed against her cheeks, no longer violent and biting, but carrying a rare gentleness.
In this rare peace, Herta's mind grew more tranquil.
She knew very well that she owed Qi Zhimu far too much.
The contract of being food alone was not enough to repay the price Qi Zhimu had paid along the way.
Mr. Creditor was right about what he said before—
This promise to send her back to save the Azure Star was a losing deal for him from the very beginning.
But since he was willing to continue fulfilling this unprofitable contract, all she could do was live well and return to her long-lost home.
"Mr. Creditor, let's sleep together."
"Wait, what did you say?" Qi Zhimu's eye twitched.
"Don't go any further, stop and rest first. You... probably haven't closed your eyes for several days."
Although she often fell asleep during this journey due to fatigue, it didn't mean she had completely lost her rough sense of time.
While she was sleeping or eating the compressed food brought from Fog City, Qi Zhimu never stopped.
He was either traveling or fighting; how could his body withstand such high-intensity abuse?
Herta thought Qi Zhimu would scold her in his familiar tone for advising him to rest.
Unexpectedly, what came was silence.
"Mr. Creditor?"
"You brat... I'm very strong. Not sleeping for ten days is child's play."
"But..."
"If you have something to say, say it. Don't hesitate."
"...I'm feeling a bit unwell. Although the resistance from high-speed flight hasn't affected me, I can't handle the aftershocks of the battles."
This was the first time she had lied since meeting Qi Zhimu.
If this continued, he wouldn't be able to hold on.
Qi Zhimu was silent again.
"Sigh, you delicate brat, I really can't do anything with you. Two hours, just two hours. Not a second more."
"...Okay."
Two hours was fine. Ideally, it would be peaceful with no crises coming to them, letting him sleep deeply, maybe even for more than two hours.
The Azure Star and the endless Labyrinth Zone within the memory substance mist had coexisted for so many years; this little bit of time wouldn't make a difference.
Right now... perhaps he was more important.
Thinking about it, Herta unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
High in the sky, the young girl sat on Qi Zhimu's lap, snuggled in his arms, her breathing gradually stabilizing.
Qi Zhimu sighed silently again.
An undeniable weariness appeared on his usually casual face, but it was mostly melancholy.
Soon...
It's finally almost over.
...
Herta woke up with a frown amidst a buzzing sound that was like a cacophony of demonic music in her ears.
Realizing her environment and seeing a heart-stopping sight, her pupils trembled involuntarily.
Insects, insects everywhere!
As far as the eye could see, there were Stingbugs flying with vibrating wings.
From as small as windows and doors to as large as houses, they all rushed towards them fearlessly.
That was only sight and sound; in terms of touch, she could clearly feel the rise and fall of the solid chest pressed against her back.
Qi Zhimu was still fighting, using magic to maintain a safety Barrier, blocking and killing any Stingbugs that approached.
"Yo, you're awake. Not the best timing."
"...These insects are... Propagation Stingbugs?"
"Not bad, you actually recognized them."
"Since the Azure Star entered the era of disaster, I've heard..." Herta suddenly froze, her small face filled with confusion.
What was it I heard? Yet, it seemed that wasn't it...
Qi Zhimu wasn't in the mood to care about Herta's unfinished sentence; being able to distract himself to talk to her was already difficult.
"Unlucky. I don't know which guy was so bored that they decided to write a story with The Propagation as a theme."
"Compared to this swarm, the guys from before were nothing; calling them 'pale in comparison' would be giving them too much credit."
To put it bluntly, even flying a thousand meters now would take several minutes; his speed was severely affected.
Herta said worriedly: "Are you still okay?"
"Brat, don't ask a man if he's up to it, or you'll get a lesson! It's mainly just annoying to kill them; there are just too many. You have no idea how fast these Propagation Stingbugs multiply."
Qi Zhimu threw out a ball of fire, incinerating the insects that rushed to the outside of the Wind Wall.
"This world definitely has a nest for gestating embryos. With the predictable logic of these disaster-themed works, we probably have to find the Swarm Nest and destroy it to lea—holy crap!"
Qi Zhimu wouldn't normally swear for no reason, but feeling that terrifying pressure, it was hard to control himself.
A shadow loomed over, swallowing the sky until only darkness remained.
A giant insect that blotted out the sun.
Its deep purple heavy armor gleamed coldly. Between its hideous giant mandibles and the gaps in its carapace, eerie blue energy flickered constantly, and its whole body radiated a pure desire for destruction that could swallow everything.
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