Chapter Sixty-Three: We Must Protect Everyone!

“Sir, look! There’s a light over there!”

Though he too could see nothing and all the aircraft’s detection systems had failed, the pilot suddenly caught a glimmer in the darkness.

“Don’t follow it!” the man barked.

“How do you know that light isn’t a trap set by the enemy to lure us into danger?” As he congratulated himself on his decision, light slowly returned to the surroundings.

Yet Chen Yi soon sensed something was wrong. The light was dazzling, almost beautiful, but also extremely perilous.

“Find cover, now! Don’t let that light touch you!” he shouted.

Fortunately, there were many reefs nearby. After their recent battle with the mutant shark, massive craters had been left behind. Without hesitation, Chen Yi led his group into one, using the pit as a shield against the light.

At that moment, the members of the X Organization, their vision restored, burst into laughter at the sight.

“Are they out of their minds? Instead of running, they’re hiding?”

“That’s why I say, there’s no need to lose our heads like them. We—”

A deafening roar interrupted him as the fighter jet lurched violently. As the man looked on in confusion, the pilot screamed.

“Commander, what is that thing?”

Just as the man was about to reprimand him, he saw a whirlwind racing toward them at incredible speed.

If it were just an ordinary tornado, their fighter’s engines might have powered them to safety. But after exposure to the brilliant light, the aircraft’s fuselage and components had begun to corrode rapidly.

Within minutes, the jet’s wings vanished entirely and the plane plunged uncontrollably toward the ground.

Chen Yi knew that as long as the toxic light remained, rushing out would mean certain doom. But with so many loyal comrades by his side—and Chen Yaxi, to whom he’d sworn protection—he made his choice.

“Everyone, stay put! I’m going to destroy that jet—if it crashes near us, it’ll obliterate everything we’ve worked so hard to build!”

“No, boss!” Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan cried in terror.

“You’ll die if you do that! You saw what that light can do—it’s dangerously corrosive. If you’re not careful—”

“Survive,” Chen Yi said, his gaze unwavering as he looked at them all. He hugged Chen Yaxi, who stared at him in shock, one last time.

“Xiaoyaxi, if I don’t make it back, tell Chu Yunxi that in the next life, I want to be with her again.”

Ignoring everyone’s protests, Chen Yi charged forward.

But instead of the agony he’d expected, the toxic light didn’t harm him. On the contrary, it resonated with his blood, reacting with his ant genes to trigger a more astonishing mutation.

As the radiance swept over him, seven patterns appeared on his body, each pulsing with a different power.

“Brother!” Chen Yaxi wanted to rush out after him, but Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan quickly held her back.

“Stay put, girl—you’re who the boss wants to protect. We have to keep you safe, or he’ll never forgive us!”

“No, I want my brother! I want—”

Meanwhile, Chen Yi extended his left hand, attempting to release the toxic light at the falling jet.

To everyone’s amazement, the toxic light quickly devoured the craft—plane and crew, leaving not a trace behind.

Then, something miraculous happened: the toxic light, having completed its task, flowed back into Chen Yi’s body.

Now Chen Yi understood. The appearance of the toxic light signaled danger, but also opportunity. He could use it to strengthen his ant genes.

He’d heard tales of ancient archaeological sites where certain ants harbored deadly toxins, still undetectable to this day. The light’s devouring power confirmed those legends.

He looked down at the dazzling white light among the seven-colored stripes on his skin. He was certain this was one of the seven powers.

The other six stripes glowed faintly but remained beyond his control. Clearly, he needed to absorb the missing powers to unlock them.

Still, with the first power in hand, he had hope.

Gazing at the remaining toxic light, Chen Yi closed his eyes and raised his hands. Before the astonished onlookers, all the brilliant light converged on him, filling the first white stripe on his hands.

Afterward, when Chen Yi reached out to sense the light outside, he found no trace of the toxin.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he beckoned to the others.

“It’s over. We’re safe. Let’s hurry back—the whirlwind could return at any moment, and we need to prepare.”

“Brother!” Chen Yaxi ran to him in tears, lips trembling with grievance.

“How could you leave me behind? If something happened to you, Sister Yunxi would be furious!”

“There, there. I’m fine, aren’t I? Now let’s—”

A bloodcurdling scream tore through the group.

A massive, writhing creature had suddenly latched onto a team member’s arm and refused to let go.

“Help him!” Chen Yi ordered, leading everyone as they fired their weapons. But the creature was unmoved, and before their eyes, it impaled the man and sucked out his brain.

Several people vomited in terror; even the usually unflappable Hu Sanhan and Lu Kai grew pale with fear.

“Boss, this—”

“Fall back!” Chen Yi’s eyes were resolute as he gripped his blade.

“I’ll stay. The rest of you, protect those who still need guarding on Newborn Island!”

“No, boss, we want to—”

“Go!” Chen Yi’s eyes blazed crimson.

“This isn’t the time for sentimentality. You want to survive? Protect the people around you. I don’t want anyone here getting in the way!”

Hu Sanhan and Lu Kai had no choice but to obey.

Chen Yi tried to send Chen Yaxi away, but she clung to his leg, refusing to let go.

“I’m not leaving! Brother, you can’t make me go!”

Meanwhile, three or four more medium-sized versions of the writhing monster appeared nearby.

With a deep sigh, Chen Yi’s brow furrowed.

“Now, even if we wanted to leave, we couldn’t.”

“Boss, let’s fight together!” Lu Kai and Hu Sanhan grinned and brandished their weapons.

“We’ve been through storms and monsters—no way we’re going down to this freak! Let’s finish it!”

Chen Yi’s lips curled into a smile. He raised his blade, ready for battle.

“Good. Then let’s show some grit. No one dies! We must defend our home—no matter what!”