Chapter 2245 Despair Zhao Yiming

Although Zhao Yiming had mentally prepared himself thoroughly, he still couldn't effectively adjust or shift his mindset when actually facing this situation. At this moment, standing before Kak, Zhao Yiming seemed like an insignificant, vulnerable ant, while the "giant" Kak could easily crush him to death with a mere lift of his foot!

Recalling his past self-righteous tricks and hidden schemes, Zhao Yiming couldn't help but blush with embarrassment and inwardly regret. Only now did he realize how childish and laughable his past boasts had been—utterly pathetic! Compared to the overwhelmingly powerful adversary before him, his actions were nothing short of a farcical charade.

Faced with such a vast difference in strength, Zhao Yiming knew he was as insignificant as an ant in the other's eyes. Perhaps even expending a little energy to deal with someone as lowly as himself would be considered a luxurious waste? After all, with Kark's abilities, finding a perfect substitute would be a piece of cake: whether it was Ye Ye, Ning Dan, or anyone else! As long as this person was obedient, compliant, and had some ability to help him win over all the students participating in the assessment, his mission would be accomplished!

In that instant, an overwhelming aura of death swept over Zhao Yiming, enveloping him in fear and rendering him unable to move... because no one knew whether, in the next second, Kak would unhesitatingly raise the incredibly sharp blade in his hand and stab himself directly, thus ending his fragile life journey.

However, at this moment, Kark had no such thoughts at all. It was as if gouging out Zhao Yiming's eyes was merely the most basic and simplest form of punishment, and also a stern warning to him.

"Whether you truly submit to me or not is of no concern to me. You only need to understand one thing: the fact that I can still use you at this stage means you still have value; but if one day you become useless, then that will be the end of your life!"

Then, Carker added.

"I've been given an order that I absolutely cannot disobey, requiring me to bring all the trainees participating in this assessment under my command as quickly as possible. Of course, they did give me two options to choose from."

"Firstly, I'll wipe you all out."

As he said this, a fierce glint flashed in Kaker's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Secondly, I will find a way to make you submit to me willingly."

After a brief pause, Kak continued.

"The reason I didn't go for the kill is simply because I felt that using the second method would allow me to execute my mission more perfectly. So, it's best not to force me to take the first extreme measure, or you'll bear the consequences!"

Kark's lips curled into a slight, disdainful smile, as if he were looking at a group of overconfident ants. His words were like a sharp sword, mercilessly piercing Zhao Yiming and his companions, making no attempt to conceal his contempt and disdain. However, this was not surprising. Although these young people were considered the pride of China, they were ultimately just immature fledglings. In comparison, Kark, a seasoned veteran who had weathered many storms and thrived in the vast universe, far surpassed them in both experience and skill.

"Yes... Lord Kark!"

Zhao Yiming clenched his teeth, using all his strength to barely suppress the excruciating pain threatening to spill from his eyes, but his voice still trembled slightly uncontrollably.

"Your subordinate greets Lord Kark!"

At this moment, his once bright, star-like eyes had become dull and lifeless, like two lusterless gems devoid of any vitality. The crimson liquid flowing from the corners of his eyes dripped silently down his once fair, jade-like face, now deathly pale from blood loss, onto the cold, hard ground, quickly forming a gruesome puddle of blood. Zhao Yiming's once exceptionally handsome face was now completely covered in crimson blood, making him look grotesque, twisted, and utterly terrifying. Yet, despite this horrific state, Zhao Yiming remained perfectly clear-headed—he knew that if he were to be even slightly careless or reveal the slightest weakness, death would be his only fate!

After all, if he were to die, all his previous efforts and plans would instantly crumble and vanish, not to mention any hopes of rebuilding and making a comeback... So no matter what, even if his current situation is extremely difficult, he must rack his brains to convince Kak that he is loyal to him and has no ulterior motives. In this way, he might be able to escape this calamity and continue to eke out a living, while quietly lying low and waiting for a good opportunity to rise again and make a comeback one day.

As for what Kak said, the order he was given was to either kill everyone or find a way to recruit them, which made Zhao Yiming very suspicious.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that the two sides have already reached some agreements. No reinforcements have arrived from China, and Kark's side also lacks additional troops for the battle. With Kark's current strength, attacking the Morning Star base is simply a pipe dream; but dealing with these students would be a piece of cake.

Just as Zhao Yiming was racking his brains, an extremely absurd thought suddenly popped into his mind: Could it be that China and the insect demon race secretly reached an agreement to use this place as a miniature battlefield, deliberately letting these students fight to the death with the insect demon army led by Kak, and then using the outcome of this fierce battle to determine certain key advantages or disadvantages in the future overall war?

As if he had seen through Zhao Yiming's deepest and most secret thoughts, a faint smile suddenly appeared on Kaker's face, which was originally as dark as the bottom of a pot. His lips were slightly upturned, revealing an unfathomable cunning look.

Stop overthinking!

Kaker abruptly stood up, placing his hands on the table and staring intently at Zhao Yiming in front of him, as if trying to see right through him. After a long while, he slowly sat down, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

"Since you're so curious, I'll kindly tell you a little bit. But listen carefully!"

He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said.

"Actually, China and we signed a betting agreement! Only a few people know the inside story. But today, I'm making an exception to tell you this news, which shows that I trust you quite a bit!"

At this point, Kaker laughed triumphantly.

Then, he winked mysteriously and continued.

"As for the specifics of this agreement... hehe, to put it simply, it's about having you so-called 'student groups' challenge my 'Zerg Group'! How about that, doesn't it sound exciting? The loser will face severe punishment!"

After saying that, Kaker tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a crisp sound, as if he were showing off to the other party.

"If you are fortunate enough to defeat us, it will only be a temporary victory. Once the battle is over, we will not hesitate to cease all hostile actions against China. However, this does not mean we will give up. On the contrary, we will quietly observe as the internal turmoil in China gradually subsides. When the time is ripe, we will launch another thrilling and decisive final showdown with you!"

He paused for a moment, a sinister and cunning smile creeping onto his lips.

"But if things don't go as planned, and you unfortunately fall to our hands... then, China will have no choice but to bow down and obediently hand over the secret of your treasured dual cultivation of the divine body! Even so, the pressure we exert on China will continue unabated, without the slightest sign of easing! It is foreseeable that no matter how much you struggle and resist, China is destined to embark on an irreversible path of decline, never to recover and never to rise again!"

At this point, a ripple suddenly appeared in Kark's previously calm eyes, spreading like a stone thrown into a pond. In the blink of an eye, that ripple transformed into a sharp, chilling glint of light, flashing across his eyes like lightning. The oppressive power and killing intent contained within this light seemed capable of piercing the soul, sending shivers down one's spine. At this moment, Kark was like a demon god from hell, radiating a terrifying aura.

Immediately afterward, Kak leaned forward, like a cheetah poised to pounce, quickly closing the distance between himself and Zhao Yiming. When they were so close they could almost feel each other's breath, Kak stopped, lowered his voice, and spoke to Zhao Yiming, word by word.

"Now, do you dare to boast that you or your so-called 'student group' are really capable of defeating me?"

His tone was icy cold, with a hint of disdain and mockery.

These words struck Zhao Yiming like a hammer blow, turning his face deathly pale. Each word Kark uttered was like a sharp, incomparably powerful sword, relentlessly piercing Zhao Yiming's heart. At the same time, his words carried a subtle, mocking tone, as if ridiculing Zhao Yiming's overestimation of his abilities. Faced with such a formidable enemy, Zhao Yiming felt a deep sense of powerlessness and despair—to send these inexperienced trainees to contend with him was utterly foolish! It was undoubtedly a futile attempt, destined for a crushing defeat…

If it were just a starship-to-starship interstellar war, that would be fine. After all, they still have the strength to fight. Even when facing the astonishingly powerful force led by Kark—a complete, well-equipped, and highly trained interstellar fleet, only lacking a mothership.

The hope of victory remained quite slim; however, a glimmer of hope still lingered deep in people's hearts.

Perhaps a miracle will happen?

But when he recalled the countless, densely packed Devouring Insects that had once appeared before his eyes, Zhao Yiming was truly at a loss. He simply couldn't imagine how to win this battle.

"I understand, Lord Kark."

Zhao Yiming responded without hesitation, his eight words like a sharp sword piercing the air and striking straight to the heart. However, the instant he uttered those words, a storm raged in his mind, with various thoughts, ideas, and worries flashing by like lightning.

We absolutely cannot do that! We cannot stand by and watch our classmates be dragged into this unknown crisis and needlessly lose their precious lives! At least, as long as we can safely return to Qimingxing, even if we ultimately lose that damned bet, everyone still has a glimmer of hope. But if we really come here... what will happen next is unpredictable.

However, the emergency distress signal had already been sent, like an arrow shot from a bow, never to return. He couldn't openly intervene, so how could he prevent the tragedy from happening? In that instant, a deep sense of powerlessness washed over him, and Zhao Yiming felt a wave of despair. He clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and the muscles in his face twitched slightly from extreme tension.

Standing beside him, Kak's eyes were sharp and penetrating, as if he could see through everything. No subtle change in Zhao Yiming's expression escaped his keen eyes. Seeing the tension and unease gradually creeping onto the other's face, Kak's lips curled up slightly, forming a smile that was almost imperceptible to others.

He knew this contest was not merely a matter of victory or defeat on the surface, but a battle that penetrated to the very soul. At this moment, he was steadily closing in on Zhao Yiming's last bastion—his psychological defenses. If he could successfully breach these defenses, he could make this seemingly cunning but actually incredibly vulnerable Chinese student completely submit to him and willingly become his tool.

To be honest, Carker really couldn't figure out how he could have lost this bet.

The instructions from above were clear and unambiguous—defeat the opponent and fulfill all the requirements of the betting agreement. As for capturing these students, that was merely an additional bonus; as Lucy had said, their Zerg race desperately needed to bring in such excellent human talent to strengthen their power.

Whenever he thought about the moment when he was about to complete his mission, and what kind of generous reward and approving look that high and mighty king would give him, Kark couldn't suppress the surging excitement in his heart, and his blood seemed to be boiling...