Chapter 2246 Zhao Yiming's Journey of Thought

"Hahahahaha..."

A wild and unrestrained laugh suddenly echoed throughout the space, sending chills down everyone's spines. This laughter came from Kark, who stood before Zhao Yiming. Its eyes gleamed with cunning and arrogance, as if it had Zhao Yiming completely under its control.

"Don't worry, human! Before long, you'll naturally understand just how foolish and ignorant you so-called higher beings are in fighting against our insectoid race and demon race! As long as you obediently follow my orders and wholeheartedly serve me, I will absolutely not mistreat you in the slightest! At that time, endless wealth and countless beauties will be at your disposal! How about it? Aren't such tempting conditions enough to sway your heart?"

As he spoke, Kak deliberately stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, while looking Zhao Yiming up and down with a provocative gaze.

Clearly, Kark was adept at manipulating others. It knew that simply applying pressure wouldn't be very effective in making someone completely submit to its tyranny; on the contrary, offering small favors as bait was often more effective in breaking down the opponent's psychological defenses. That's why it was using this combination of soft and hard tactics, both kindness and coercion, to deal with the seemingly weak and helpless Zhao Yiming.

However, despite Kark's threats and inducements, Zhao Yiming remained calm and composed, showing not even the slightest fear. He clenched his teeth, his fists were clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and his face remained bloodless.

"it is good."

Zhao Yiming responded softly, his tone as flat as still water, devoid of any emotion, like a bottomless, lifeless well. He slowly straightened up, each movement unusually stiff and slow, as if his body were bound by an invisible force. He extended his right hand, carefully raising it to gently rub the still-wet blood on his cheek. The moment his fingers touched his skin, a subtle yet grating screech echoed throughout the cockpit.

As the sound rang out, a glaring crimson color came into view—it was blood seeping from the wound! It slid down Zhao Yiming's slender fingertips like trickles of red, constantly converging and merging, eventually forming a gruesome pool of blood. In this cramped, dimly lit space, the vivid liquid stood out starkly, inspiring fear. Zhao Yiming's once sharply defined and handsome face was now unrecognizable, smeared with blood, making him look like a demon just crawling out of the deepest hell—utterly sinister and terrifying!

However, despite his terrifying appearance, Zhao Yiming's expression remained consistently blank, as if his heart had been swallowed by endless darkness. But behind that indifferent mask, one could still vaguely sense a deep despair that could not be concealed after experiencing such dramatic ups and downs.

Witnessing this breathtaking scene, Kak felt a surge of indescribable pride. He knew that the cruel methods he had just used had yielded significant results. A slight, almost imperceptible, sly smile appeared on his lips, but it vanished in an instant as he reverted to his cold and ruthless expression.

Immediately afterwards, he gave Zhao Yiming an unquestionable order in a chillingly cold tone.

"From this day forward, I officially grant you absolute control over a Sky-Devouring Worm force! Furthermore, all other starships here, except for those three battleships, are at your disposal and under your command. Remember, I'm giving you only three days! During this time, you must exert all your strength to bring all the trainees participating in this assessment under your wing. If anyone dares to disobey your orders or refuse to submit to you, then you need not hesitate to immediately lead your army into that mysterious 'no-man's-land,' and unleash a bloody massacre, making those who are courting death pay a heavy price!"

"Remember, this is a matter of life and death for all of you! If you want to keep your hands clean and unstained by the blood of your comrades, you must do everything in your power to persuade those guys to obediently bow down to me and submit to our great Zerg! As for how many human lives you can save in three days... hehehe, that depends on your own abilities!"

Kaker glared fiercely at Zhao Yiming and said something that sent chills down Zhao Yiming's spine.

At this moment, Zhao Yiming was perfectly clear: once the three-day deadline passed, if he could not present a perfect answer sheet that satisfied Kak, what would await him and all those who refused to submit? Without a doubt, it would be a brutal and bloody suppression and merciless slaughter! Thinking of this, Zhao Yiming felt a surge of emotions, a mix of feelings welling up inside him.

What he's doing now is exactly the same as that infamous traitor!

However, what is unexpected is that this person who seems to be their adversary is actually saving them from dire straits!

This situation was an indescribable contradiction, and Zhao Yiming was filled with extreme struggle and confusion. He and Shi Ming had meticulously planned and orchestrated everything, but now all their efforts were like a candle flickering in the wind, barely a sliver of light remaining buried deep within their hearts. And around this sliver of light lay an endless abyss of darkness, threatening to devour him completely.

Faced with this bizarre situation, Kark didn't waste any more words explaining. He simply waved his hand, indicating that he could take Zhao Yiming away from the scene. After all, things had come to this point, and further words were pointless. Zhao Yiming was now like a walking corpse, devoid of any life. And so, he was mechanically led out of the cockpit like a puppet, flanked by two Zerg guards. Not long after, Zhao Yiming boarded his own escape vessel—the lifeboat.

This time, however, his state of mind was completely different from when he came.

..............

"Brother Zhao is back! I've received a signal from the escape ship! It's speeding towards us!"

The cockpit of the "Ming" ship, which had been as quiet as a tomb, suddenly erupted into a deafening cheer. The sound was like a thunderclap ripping through the sky, or like surging waves crashing against the rocks on the shore, as if it were about to tear the entire universe apart.

Just moments ago, this place was deathly silent, oppressively so that it was hard to breathe, filled with a suffocating atmosphere of despair—their captain, without hesitation or reservation, had embarked on that deadly path leading to the abyss of death. Everyone's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, unable to breathe, and they could only silently pray for a miracle.

However, just moments later, everything changed dramatically. When the signal of the escape ship Zhao Yiming was on suddenly lit up on the star map, its faint yet resolute light pierced the darkness like a ray of dawn, illuminating everyone's faces. In an instant, the fear and sorrow on people's faces vanished, replaced by boundless elation and excitement.

Some people jumped up excitedly, waving their hands; some were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes, releasing their inner joy; while others clenched their fists, their faces full of tension.

Even Shi Ming, who sat solemnly in the captain's seat with his eyes fixed on the star map, couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief. After all, for him, seeing his comrades return safely was enough; as for other things... he could consider them later! However, soon, someone noticed a detail.

"But……"

One person hesitated before speaking.

"It seems Brother Zhao wasn't personally controlling the spaceship. Judging from this, he probably activated the AI-assisted homing system, right?"

The words had barely left his lips when it was as if a thunderclap had exploded in the air, startling everyone present. Those who had been filled with joy and anticipation were instantly doused with a bucket of ice water, their spirits plummeting to rock bottom.

Given the current proximity to Earth, Zhao Yiming, under normal circumstances, would certainly not have chosen to let artificial intelligence pilot the escape ship back to its home port. After all, with his consistently decisive and swift personality, he would have undoubtedly piloted his own starship, speeding through the vast universe to safely reach the "Ming" ship.

However, what they saw at that moment was completely beyond everyone's expectations—Zhao Yiming was behaving completely out of character! So, what was the reason behind this? Countless terrifying thoughts began to swirl in everyone's minds.

One possibility is that Zhao Yiming is still alive, but at this moment he is likely severely injured and on the verge of death, rendering him unable to control the complex and sophisticated starship equipment, and thus forced to initiate the automatic homing procedure. An even worse possibility is that Zhao Yiming may have already perished. In that case, upon opening the hatch, they might find only a corpse returning.

Regardless of which of the above assumptions comes true, it will undoubtedly be nothing short of a nightmare for those who are eagerly awaiting it.

"Someone come here quickly! Two people, come with me to the warehouse entrance to greet him!"

Shi Ming could no longer suppress the anxiety churning within him. It was as if a flame was burning in his chest, making him feel hot all over and restless. At this moment, he completely disregarded his not-yet-fully-recovered body, and without hesitation, he leaped from the driver's seat. Then, with firm and steady steps, he strode straight toward the hatch leading to the end of the corridor.

Just then, the man who had spoken earlier quickly exchanged a glance with the first mate of the bugle, and the two instantly reached a tacit understanding without words. Immediately afterwards, this man followed closely behind Shi Ming's footsteps like a gust of wind.

As they drew closer to the warehouse entrance, Shi Ming's inexplicable unease intensified, as if an invisible hand were gripping his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. Yet, even so, the three remained silent, none uttering a word, simply walking on in silence, each seemingly praying in their hearts that the scene they were about to witness wouldn't be too gruesome or terrifying…

Finally, after a long and tense wait, they successfully reached the hatch. Just then, a figure caught everyone's attention: the figure was slowly and shakily emerging from the open hatch. Seeing this, everyone involuntarily gasped—for the person standing before them was none other than Zhao Yiming!

Zhao Yiming was completely different from before. His body was covered in mottled bloodstains, making him look exceptionally pitiful and wretched. Not only that, he appeared unusually weak and powerless, as if a gust of wind could knock him over, utterly devoid of his former vitality. Even more heartbreaking was that his once bright and sharp eyes were now covered by a thick layer of blood, deeply sunken, like two dull gems, forever unable to shine with the light of life…

"you............"

Upon seeing this, Shi Ming was about to ask what was going on, but Zhao Yiming waved his hand first, indicating that he was not in a position to say anything more at the moment.

"This is not the place to talk..."

Zhao Yiming's voice seemed to come from the distant horizon, soft and thin, like a candle flickering in the wind, as if it might be extinguished at any moment. He looked as if he had just gone through a life-or-death battle and had barely managed to squeeze out these words with his last bit of strength.

Shi Ming's heart jolted, jolting him out of his shock. He stared wide-eyed at Zhao Yiming, cold sweat pouring down his forehead—he finally understood that what was happening before his eyes was probably a hundred or a thousand times worse than he had anticipated! Realizing this, Shi Ming dared not hesitate and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Yes, yes, yes! Don't say anything, Cao Zhen! Quick, quick, come and help me support him! We need to get him to the infirmary for treatment as soon as possible!"

Before he could finish speaking, a figure shot towards them like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, Cao Zhen was upon them. He rushed to Zhao Yiming's side, gently and cautiously putting his arms around the man's waist, careful not to hurt his terminally ill companion. Then, the three of them hurried and rushed towards the "Ming" infirmary.

Upon entering the infirmary, Shi Ming decisively asked Cao Zhen and his companion to leave the room and closed the door. After all, the topic to be discussed was very important and sensitive, and no one else could be present to listen in.