But when the smoke and dust cleared, that centipede-like, brilliantly colored monster was actually completely unscathed. A faint, multicolored mist surrounded its body, and with this strange energy shield, it had managed to withstand the explosive power of the bomb-carrying worker bees.

“Does Luhe Village have some kind of barbaric totem worship? Just now, Old Chief threw me down here—was it to feed me to this monster as a snack?”

Lifepod No. 15 had already marked all the dangerous areas in the Forest of the Sea of Immortality for me, and this pool was originally considered safe. But now that such a bizarre monster had appeared, I could never trust the data from Lifepod No. 15 again.

Under my command, the bomb-carrying worker bees charged to their deaths one after another, while I ran for my life with all my might. By the time more than thirty of the bomb-carrying worker bees had been lost, Lifepod No. 15 finally sent a signal that the crisis was over.

From the holographic scan it transmitted, the centipede-like monster, which I had left several kilometers behind, had already given up the chase and slipped back into the lake.

Only then did I wipe the cold sweat from my forehead and stop running. I wasn’t familiar with the surroundings at all, but with the holographic map from Lifepod No. 15 always at hand, I wasn’t afraid of getting lost.

On the received holographic map, I was trying to find a way back to Luhe Village when I suddenly noticed something unusual. In the light, there was a metallic reflection.

Chapter Thirteen: The Knight of the Great Red Empire

“It’s armor!”

I quickly found the spot—a corpse that had been dead for seven or eight days, fully clad in a set of armor of unknown material and strange design. The corpse still gripped a weapon resembling a long spear, and there seemed to be a faint glow flowing along its shaft.

“This person looks like they’ve been dead for a long time, but how come the armor and weapon still look brand new?”

After hesitating for a long while, seeing that this long-dead person didn’t seem dangerous, I finally popped out the serrated blade unique to Blade Warrior from my arm and tried poking at the armor.

Blade Warrior is a level-four combat-type biobeast, humanoid in appearance, with no weapons except for the two serrated blades that can be hidden in its arms at any time. Its main fighting style is hand-to-hand combat.

In terms of physical prowess, Blade Warrior is second to none among level-four biobeasts—strength, speed, jumping ability, reflexes—all are astonishingly powerful. Earlier, I was so terrified by that centipede-like monster that I lost my nerve; otherwise, with my genetically enhanced skills, I should have been able to put up a fight.

The serrated blades on Blade Warrior’s arms can be retracted when not in use. They are exceptionally hard and incredibly sharp, able to cut through ordinary steel. But when I tried poking at the armor with some force, I couldn’t even budge it.

“This thing is really tough!”

Realizing this, my mind instantly simulated the scene of converting this set of armor and weapon into universal currency. “What a treasure! If I sell it, maybe I could become a rich man in a big city, buy an apartment in the city center, hire a few beautiful full-time maids... Eat and drink my fill every day, never even have to leave the house!”

Thinking about what I’d do with the money, my inner homebody nature flared up, and after a while, even I thought I was being a bit pathetic.

“Brother, you and I are separated by tens of millions of star systems, but it’s fate that we meet today. As a newcomer to your land, you should at least show some local hospitality. As the first gift from an alien civilization received by an Earthling, you as the giver will go down in history!”

I put my hands together and said a prayer for him. Although the prayer was a bit informal, it eased some of my guilt. I immediately set about carefully stripping the armor from the corpse and took the weapon from its hand.

Besides these two items, there were also some things I didn’t really recognize—seven or eight odds and ends, including a nearly transparent long blade, and three cards that looked like magnetic cards, each depicting a strange creature. One of the cards showed the very centipede-like monster I had just encountered.

There were also rations and a canteen. Remembering how I usually had to use leaves rolled into cups, I dumped out the rations and water and kept the canteen.

Most importantly, there was a pouch full of silver coins. Earning my own living expenses for the first time, I was overwhelmed with excitement and could hardly contain my joy. “How many years has it been? This is the first time I’ve ever earned my own money!”

“Carter! Where are you? Answer me, quick!”

As I was carefully counting my loot, the booming voice of Old Chief was already echoing through the forest. There was a hint of anxiety in his shout. I was just about to hide my spoils when the barking of the biobeast Tibetan mastiffs rapidly approached.

Although I hadn’t given them any orders, their default follow-and-protect mode made the biobeast Tibetan mastiffs automatically come to my side. All the biobeasts created by the Queen and me are connected by mental waves, so the Tibetan mastiffs can always sense my location.

“Finally found you!”