Could the Zerg really surrender?!

  Kelvier was speechless once again.

  But having another little brother wasn't too bad, so Kelvier gained a new follower: Number Two.

  Since Number Two had submitted, Kelvier always had a vague feeling, as if there was a new connection between him and Number Two—invisible and intangible, not the "flesh and blood" sensation described in novels. He had to give up on that.

  Kelvier was a bit frantic, feeling like he was now a king of insects—though he only had one follower.

  But how could he control this follower?

  Speaking? No.

  Sign language? No hands, and with Number Two, still incomprehensible.

  Telepathy? Doesn’t know how…

  Hesitant yet again, he looked at Number Two for a long time, only to turn his head in resignation. Fortunately, Number Two followed him eagerly…

  What level was the Zerg Swarm?

  Kelvier didn't know, but he thought it very likely that the nation would resort to nuclear weapons.

  Currently lacking the ability to determine direction, not knowing where he was, and with his small size, he couldn't get far in a day or two. Escaping seemed utterly hopeless.

  So Kelvier had already decided: burrow into the ground!

  He didn’t know how long he would need to stay underground. The energy in Kelvier's body could probably keep him without food for a month or two, but since he had no idea how long he’d be down there, he might as well eat more while he could.

  Luckily, it wasn’t long before Kelvier and Number Two found a large spider. Though it was no bird-catching spider, it was still several sizes larger than him.

  Kelvier flew at it and bit, then quickly moved away. A while later, the spider began to wobble. Then he and Number Two pounced for a hearty meal.

  This was something Kelvier had discovered not long ago. Previously, when the Zerg appeared, they could devour a person clean in seconds, but he hadn't realized that the Zerg's bites had an anesthetic effect.

  After eating the spider, Kelvier estimated he could now stay underground for another half a month.

  He found a spot with soft soil and started burrowing downward.

  Many insects need to transport soil out and compress it, secreting a cement-like substance to stabilize it, choosing higher ground to avoid water ingress during rain, and so on.

  But Kelvier didn’t have that much time; he wasn’t aiming to dig a cozy, spring-like hole.

  His sole focus was to burrow deeper.

  The deeper, the better!

  Kelvier started moving like a motor, burrowing down.

  Number Two hesitated not at all and followed, digging eagerly as well.

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  But soon, Kelvier began to struggle because the soil overhead, when digging vertically down, started to press down on him, more and more.

  Out of necessity, he slowly changed direction, angling about 75 degrees downward, which immediately sped things up.

  He dug for an entire day.

  Judging by the current temperature, it was already deep into the night, and Kelvier and Number Two roughly estimated they were about fifteen meters underground.

  The power of a nuclear weapon depended on its yield—what yield would be used, and how far was the detonation from them? If it was close, fifteen meters, even one hundred and fifty meters, wouldn’t be enough!

  With this in mind, he continued moving, suddenly feeling a lightness in his body. Kelvier cursed inwardly as the sound of clanging echoed; he had fallen into a crevice underground.

  After a long fall, too afraid to spread his wings to fly, he finally managed to grab a protruding rock, steadying himself mid-air.

  Kelvier was delighted, thinking that sleep had brought a pillow. Why not just keep descending along the fissure in the earth's depths?

  Clang, clang.

  Number Two had also fallen. Kelvier chuckled secretly, fortunate that Number Two had landed near him, allowing him to grab hold.

  Now prepared, they wouldn’t fall again. The two bugs clung to the cave walls, slowly making their way downward. Darkness enveloped the tunnel; only a faint green glow emitted from Kelvier’s back illuminated their path.

  After an hour, they had descended at least one hundred meters—about the height of a thirty-story building. This depth should be safe...

  Kelvier estimated and after another half-hour, he horizontally drilled a two-meter-long hole into the cave wall to rest.

  Number Two, mimicking him, also lay down next to Kelvier to rest.

  Time flew by.

  Throughout this time, Kelvier had been struggling for survival. Now, for a moment, there was peace, and he had no worries, quietly reflecting on his experiences, including the times when he was still human...

  About a day passed without any violent sounds.

  Then, the ground began to rumble.

  Rumble, rumble, rumble...

  Dust cascaded down from the fissure above.

  Kelvier's heart tightened, thinking that it had finally happened!

  Indeed, nuclear weapons had been deployed. The destructiveness of nuclear weapons was immense, and the areas hit would be irradiated for over twenty thousand years, a last resort, indicating that this Zerg Swarm was at least a Level 3—meaning at least twenty queen insects!

  Though he felt safe here, the long-standing portrayal of the word "nuclear" made Kelvier’s heart feel as if it were clenched in a giant fist, his breaths shallow, his body tightly coiled.

  Crack!

  A sudden noise made Kelvier start, then immediately curse the situation.

  Boom—crack—crack—rumble—

  Thud—

  A series of sounds followed, and a massive rock had fallen into the fissure, lodging itself about ten meters above them, filling the air with dust.

  At that moment, Kelvier remembered something terrifying and immediately tried to scramble out.

  Rumble, rumble, rumble...

  Damn it! Kelvier cursed inwardly.

  With such commotion, another nuclear bomb had fallen.

  Crack!

  A sound echoed, followed by a huge rock falling, striking the one above Kelvier, then both stones rolled down together.

  Kelvier was in despair, knowing he was about to be buried alive…

  But there was nothing he could do but curl up in the small cave.

  Number Two, utterly indifferent to the chaos, stretched its legs leisurely after lying down for so long…

  Although Kelvier's body seemingly needed no rest, his mind was exhausted from fear and anticipation.

  Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble...

  Another intense shaking occurred, seemingly much closer this time.

  Boulders fell everywhere, many places in the fissure collapsed, sealing it tightly.

  Amidst his fear, a rebellious fire sparked within Kelvier. He shouted, "Fine! Bring it on! All of it!"

  He then ceased to pay attention to the noise above and lay motionless in the cave.

  Buzz—

  Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble...

  A suffocating pressure enveloped the area, as if the underground itself was being compacted. Kelvier cursed silently, sensing that the bomb had struck very close this time, perhaps even directly overhead!

  Boom—

  This time, no more boulders fell. The earth seemed as if it had been pounded flat, dense and solid, leaving no more crevices, no more caves...

  In his final moments, Kelvier smirked bitterly, thinking about his worst fear coming true:

  He was buried alive...

  Buried two hundred meters beneath the surface…

  ###

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