NOVEL NEXT 02
One wave after another of high-ranking zerg species arrived on Earth, setting up camp around human training facilities.
The number of high-ranking zergs on Earth had already reached tens of thousands, equivalent to the strength of a human army division.
However, He Qin observed that most of the high-ranking zergs who came to Earth were handsome males, with not a single female among them.
While women had no significant advantage in close-range combat during wartime, their skill in operating precision instruments far surpassed that of men.
Even the combat-focused regiment to which He Qin belonged had hundreds of female soldiers.
The absence of female high-ranking zergs puzzled He Qin, as did the fact that all the male zergs were tall and exceptionally handsome, with none looking even slightly ordinary.
It was infuriating how superior these high-ranking zergs seemed. He Qin had a bit of an obsession with height, always glancing enviously at taller men.
Now, with so many taller, better-looking high-ranking zergs around, even the usually caring military medic hadn’t paid him any attention for days. The female soldiers, who usually doted on him, were all busy admiring the high-ranking zergs.
While the alliance with the high-ranking zergs was undoubtedly beneficial, the Earth International Alliance was concerned that once the zergs avenged their grudge, they might turn against humanity.
Based on recent observations, if the high-ranking zergs became enemies of Earth, humanity’s downfall would be swift and catastrophic.
To better gather information on the high-ranking zergs, the International Alliance decided to mix human soldiers with zerg soldiers, with command jointly held by human officers and high-ranking zergs.
He Qin finally left the squad he had been with for over six years and, along with three companions, joined a unit commanded by an zerg lieutenant named Hain.
Before joining this unit, He Qin was called to the captain’s office and secretly assigned a mission. The unit they were joining would have a significant number of high-ranking zergs.
The captain hoped that He Qin could secretly gather information about the high-ranking zerg species and find the right opportunity to relay it to the International Alliance.
“Reporting, sir, we are the human soldiers here to report,” He Qin knocked on Lieutenant Hain’s door, stating their purpose at the entrance.
After the heavy door opened, he made the ‘zerg salute’ gesture, holding a clenched fist one centimeter from his temple, a gesture he had seen high-ranking zerg soldiers use when reporting to their officers.
“Name?” The zerg officer did not leave his seat, merely glancing at the three of them.
Hain was one of the most vehement opponents of integrating humans into his corps, believing that human soldiers weakened the fighting capability of the unit due to their fragile bodies that couldn’t withstand even a single plasma blast from the Saran star people.
Due to Hain’s strong opposition, his unit was only assigned three human soldiers.
“Reporting, sir, I am He Qin, a reconnaissance scout from my previous unit.” As a human soldier with a mission to join this zerg army, he couldn’t let a small matter disrupt his mission.
Ignoring the disdain in the zerg lieutenant’s eyes, He Qin introduced himself and then his two companions behind him, “This is Roy, who specializes in sniping, and this is Alger, one of the top solo combat warriors in our unit.”
“Take them to complete the procedures and start their training as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
The three were taken to a six-person barracks, shared with three zerg soldiers.
The high-ranking zerg soldiers seemed like a bunch of stoics, appearing to have no emotions beyond their excitement for war and combat.
“Ah, this is so suffocating,” Roy roared as soon as they found a quiet, shady spot away from the zerg soldiers during their lunch break.
“Yeah, the zergs are way too cold,” Alger chimed in.
In their human unit, they would usually joke and banter when not training, forming close brotherly bonds. But here, except for the officer giving work and training instructions, the zerg soldiers barely spoke during breaks.
“It seems like their whole species has this cold personality, very strange,” He Qin said, crossing his arms and leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, resting.
After a two-hour lunch break, He Qin and his companions officially joined the high-ranking zergs’ training in the afternoon.
The high-ranking zergs were generally arrogant, focusing solely on combat training, and hardly paid any attention to He Qin and his companions.
Until the high-ranking zerg soldiers began combat training, the teams were always paired in even numbers, meaning one of the zergs had to partner with a human.
And so, the unlucky human was—He Qin.
The zerg soldiers formed a circle, and the two soldiers called by name stepped into the center to engage in combat training under the watchful eyes of all the zerg soldiers.
The zerg officer explained that this setup made all the soldiers supervisors of their combat skills, observing from every angle to identify any weaknesses.
“Next up: Lien and He Qin.”
“Here.”
The zerg soldier named Lien stepped forward, spreading his wings and adjusting his body into optimal combat stance.
With wings fully extended to a span of five to six meters, Lien’s body was encircled by them, the wing edges lined with sharp, knife-like spikes.
Seeing the zerg soldier’s combat stance, Roy and Alger turned to look at He Qin, their eyes filled with worry.
Combat had never been He Qin’s strong suit, and in close combat, these high-ranking zerg soldiers seemed even more formidable than the Saran star people.
Forcing He Qin to fight such an opponent bare-handed was incredibly cruel, and the outcome seemed grim.
Unlike in TV dramas where the male protagonist always turns the situation around and earns respect, reality was no fairy tale. The high-ranking zerg didn’t even use any weapons, yet with just his wings, he had He Qin down on the ground within ten minutes.
Fortunately, He Qin’s willpower, honed through countless trials in the human army, helped him rise again, clutching his arm and charging at the opponent with his spear.
This surprised the surrounding zerg soldiers. Lien’s attack power was among the top in their ranks.
But this seemingly weak human soldier, after taking his full-force attack, managed to get up again.
After several rounds, He Qin’s stamina waned, and he could no longer hold on. The zerg soldier seized the opportunity as He Qin’s spirit faltered.
Struck again by the zerg’s wings, He Qin spat blood.
“Xiao Qin!” “Xiao Qin!”
Seeing He Qin seriously injured, Roy and Alger rushed from the ranks, Roy standing protectively in front of He Qin, while Alger supported the staggering He Qin.
Lien hadn’t expected this human to be so resilient. He thought He Qin would only withstand one of his full-power attacks.
Despite dislocated arms and numerous small cuts from the wing spikes, the human did not give up fighting.
“This round of combat ends for now. Take him to the infirmary. The rest of you continue training.” Despite the brutal beating, the zerg officer no longer held the same disdain as before.
In his view, the courage shown by this human deserved respect.
Perhaps, the unyielding spirit and resilience displayed by He Qin was one of the reasons the major general chose to ally with the humans.
The infirmary in the camp was the place the high-ranking zergs visited the least.
The high-ranking zergs could rely on their excellent healing abilities to recover from minor injuries, considering a visit to the infirmary a waste of training time. They would usually consume more nutrient fluids and wait for their bodies to heal.
Rather than spending time on healing, they preferred to devote more effort to combat training.
“My infirmary hasn’t had visitors in a long time. Just call me Dr. Jed.”
Visitors? This isn’t a restaurant.
Unlike the sturdy zerg soldiers they had encountered, the high-ranking zerg in the infirmary looked more like an ordinary human, with a round face and a slender build, reminiscent of a baby-faced boy on Earth.
“Are you human? How did you get so injured?”
Roy, finding it too slow to support He Qin, lifted him onto the infirmary bed, saving quite a bit of time.
The zerg doctor skillfully reset He Qin’s dislocated arm before wheeling over a machine from the back of the room.
The machine was covered in tiny text that seemed like operating instructions, but none of the three humans could read the zerg language.
“Today’s combat training. I got hit by my opponent’s wings.” With his arm reset, He Qin felt much more comfortable.
Always optimistic, He Qin smiled at his two worried comrades, trying to reassure them.
The baby-faced military doctor helped He Qin lie face down on the bed, then operated the machine, placing a suction-like device on his wounds.
The areas scanned by the suction device felt warm, and soon all the wounds were healed.
“The military females are always so focused on combat. Human, a word of advice: stay away from them.” Dr. Jed seemed to express disdain when referring to the zerg soldiers.
It appeared he disliked the zerg soldiers even more than the humans.
But what were military females? Could it be a type of high-ranking zerg?
Like how humans are categorized as Caucasian, Asian, etc.?
He Qin, being perceptive and good at gathering information, noticed the strange term “military females” while his two large, curious comrades focused on examining the doctor’s machine.
Having just arrived at the zerg camp, it wasn’t wise to make too many inquiries, especially since the doctor seemed sharp. Asking too many questions might label him a spy.
It would be better to wait until they got to know the soldiers better before investigating these questions.