Chapter 126: A Mother Raising Children Alone

Starshatter King Bug, Skarlakabaz.

A replication of a Breeding Envoy raised by Ruan Mei. Though incomplete, it is still dangerous. 

Its prototype, a gigantic wood-boring beetle inheriting the mandibles of the insect emperor, can focus its jaws to emit a death ray that can shatter celestial bodies, using the remnants of these stars as a nursery for its offspring. It was once one of the most dreaded entities during the Universal Locust Plague.

The above intel was provided by the wise Cat Cake.

The Starshatter King Bug emitted a terrifying screech: "Sssskreeeee——!"

A crystalline light formed around its body.

**[Foul Spawn Carapace]**

This ability absorbs enemy attacks and converts them into reproductive energy. The more it's attacked, the more bugs it can spawn.

During the Universal Locust Plague, the Starshatter King Bug used this technique to bury countless powerful beings in a sea of bugs.

But Gu Tang… merely stood and watched.

He stood still, not moving an inch, simply staring at the Starshatter King Bug.

One man and one bug locked eyes.

The Starshatter King Bug wasted five precious seconds of its life.

Seeing that Gu Tang had no intention of attacking, the Starshatter King Bug dismissed its carapace, transforming into a blue blur and charged straight at him.

*Whoooosh——!*

The sound of the wind slicing filled the air.

*Crack——!*

The sharp mandibles of the Starshatter King Bug swiped across Gu Tang's neck, attempting to decapitate him, but only sparks flew—there wasn't even a scratch on Gu Tang's skin.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Despite its massive truck-like size, the bug moved incredibly swiftly, a blur of blue phantoms flitting around the spacious area.

Its relentless barrage of attacks rained down on Gu Tang like a torrential storm, landing with a series of loud explosions.

Yet Gu Tang stood still, calm and unbothered.

Then, a glow gathered in front of the Starshatter King Bug, forming an energy orb which shot toward Gu Tang.

**[King Bug Cannon]**

Gu Tang raised his arm to block it.

The King Bug Cannon slammed directly into his arm.

*Boom——!*

A ring of dark blue shockwaves rippled outward, the explosion momentarily lighting up the space, the force of the blast causing Gu Tang's clothes to flutter wildly in the wind.

He glanced at his arm—the black suit was perfectly intact.

Herta had crafted the outfit with the utmost care, ensuring it wouldn't be damaged easily.

**[Splintering Stinger Venom]**

The Starshatter King Bug flapped its wings, releasing countless particles of light—like a river of butterfly dust surging toward Gu Tang.

The venomous particles repeatedly struck Gu Tang's body, warping and boiling the air around him.

But Gu Tang still looked down at his arm, completely unfazed.

"Ah, it's splitting," Ruan Mei reminded him.

Gu Tang looked up.

Light swirled, and more than a dozen smaller bugs materialized around the Starshatter King Bug, their wings buzzing with energy.

"As expected of a Breeding Envoy—splitting comes naturally to it." Gu Tang nodded.

The dozen bugs dove toward Gu Tang, moving as fast as bullets.

But Gu Tang wasn't interested in getting blown up by these little bugs.

So, his right hand blurred for a split second.

*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*

One after another, the small bugs exploded mid-air, turning into fragments that fell to the ground.

Their tiny bug brains probably never realized death was upon them.

While Gu Tang was dealing with the smaller bugs, the Starshatter King Bug had already charged up its next attack.

**[Thermophilic Death Ray]**

A scorching beam of energy shot from its mandibles, filled with terrifying energy capable of tearing through space and dissolving everything in its path.

This was the legendary death ray that could shatter stars.

The energy beam illuminated Gu Tang's face, casting a long shadow behind him.

Gu Tang lifted his arm again.

"Uh… you'll be fine, but I'll definitely get dissolved by the residual energy," Ruan Mei commented.

Right. Gu Tang had forgotten about that.

Well then…

**Lingxi Finger!**

Gu Tang extended two fingers, pinching the incoming beam of light.

Ruan Mei: "???"

The Thermophilic Death Ray, clamped between Gu Tang's fingers, froze mid-air, as if time itself had stopped in that area.

Then, with a gentle twist of his fingers…

*Crack——!*

The death ray shattered into countless light particles, scattering into the air.

"Hmm? Where's the bug?" Gu Tang looked around, then glanced upward to see the Starshatter King Bug.

It was hovering at the very top of the room, gathering all of its energy.

Blue light gathered into a massive orb in front of the Starshatter King Bug—a perfectly round, shining crystal ball dotted with star-like specks. Beautiful on the surface, but beneath it lay the deadliest form of destruction.

**[Collapsing Star Egg]**

This was the Starshatter King Bug's ultimate trump card, a manifestation of the grace bestowed by Taiz Yuros.

The egg of light would fall, everything would dissolve into nothingness, and only the swarm would continue to propagate.

"If that attack lands, it's going to blow a big hole in the space station," Gu Tang frowned.

The move was still charging, but the surrounding air was already swirling violently, waves of air rising from the ground and spiraling upward. The gusts made Gu Tang's clothes and hair flutter wildly.

"Don't worry, it's over," Ruan Mei said calmly. "The time's up."

Just as Ruan Mei had said.

Fifty-six seconds was the absolute limit of its existence.

"Ssssskkkkkrrrrrr——!"

The Starshatter King Bug screeched in despair.

Its body convulsed, limbs twitching as its form slowly dissolved into light particles.

The Collapsing Star Egg vanished in an instant, the terrifying energy disappearing as though it had never existed.

In the end, the terrifying Breeding Envoy dissolved into a glowing shadow before completely disappearing.

And so, the space returned to silence.

If it weren't for the lingering battle scars, it would've felt like a mere illusion.

"As calculated: fifty-six seconds, no more, no less," Ruan Mei sighed, disappointed. "I created a replication, but the distance between it and the true Envoy… remains immeasurable."

"I didn't get to take that big hit head-on, which is a shame. But seeing the bug self-destruct was pretty nice." Gu Tang nodded in approval.

"This experiment was merely a tiny step forward. The answer, as expected," Ruan Mei muttered to herself.

Gu Tang glanced down at the Ruan Mei he was holding. "No, it wasn't a small step."

"What do you mean?" Ruan Mei thought Gu Tang was about to offer some words of comfort.

But instead, Gu Tang patted her fragile body and said, "Considering how much time you're going to spend taking care of those little snacks and the Cat Cake crew, it's not just a small step forward—it's a step backward."

"......" Ruan Mei realized she truly couldn't handle this guy.

"Well, it's not so bad. Take this time to step away from research and nurture some of your emotions," Gu Tang said as he carried Ruan Mei away.

"… I now understand the feeling of mothers raising children alone while their husbands work far away," Ruan Mei sighed.

"What are you talking about? I'll visit the Cat Cake crew often—when the Trailblazing isn't too busy."

"Right, that sounds *exactly* like something they would say."