Familiar Faces [2]

Zerg Battle Guide Rule #1: Once a zerg attack happens, its best to assume that they are well-prepared.

They are unlike what others thought of them first. They formulate many strategies, do a reconnaissance, and scan the strongest enemy nearby.

After that, they'll use one of the natives that they had turned into their sides to create a space rift that directly leads to their Home World.

Due to their Home World devouring dozens of universes, its power isn't something that a single universe couldn't withstand.

It can forcefully create a space rift without it being removed by the enemy world.

"Ah, shit. these people doesn't know how to deal with them at all."

After Lugh thought, he paid attention towards the people of this city.

"What are these?! Insects?"

"Kill them all! Each of their body parts are useful!"

"Don't steal my prey!"

Because Lugh's World also have an insect race, many thought that they'll be easy to deal with. Killing those scarce Insect Race is a quick way to make big bucks, thus they thought that this is a heaven-sent opportunity.

"Argh!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

One of that person's party member attacked his team member suddenly. Since that guy is unprepared, he died.

'Even them?! This is the start of hell..'

Back in the Zerg World, the one that dealt them the most damage wasn't the higher-levelled zergs, but rather the Doppelgangers.

It's very similar to the Brain Worms, but their control to the target becomes permanent after they've given in. The ones with the weaker power and wills are targeted first. Then they will choose a stronger target, destroy their wills, and take control of them.

Before the Zerg World knew of it, some important officials had been controlled, thus screwing them over grandly.

'Even the Deity-Realm Combatants can be controlled.'

In the first place, the Doppengangers are scarce, but they have one of the strongest potentials in the entire Zerg Race. They're evolving, which means that they can take control of stronger Combatants too.

Lugh decided to do his World a favor. If they spread out, they're screwed, so he had to decrease these Drill Worms as best as he could. Lugh began to mobilize Mana and Qi on his Mind and Soul Vessel, thus creating Nature Force.

'Send him to the Shadow Realm first.'

A cloak of darkness suddenly wrapped the guy who attacked his party members before disappearing in front of their eyes.

"W-what did just happen?"

"A strongman! its definitely a strongman."

A strongman here refers to those of S- Rank and above.

It didn't take Lugh long before he got Aria out of the City since used the [Space Transfer] module. After that, he took her to an uninhabited cave far away from the City.

"Aria, listen. Stay here and wait for me."

"What are you going to do?"

"I need to.. Exterminate some important bugs."

"You could't mean... you are going to the city again? That's dangerous!"

Aria, who trusted Lugh to the point of blind trust, spoke back for the first time. It was reasonable. While they were escaping, she saw just how dangerous those Zergs are. A swarm of small C Rank Zergs obliterated an entire party that consisted of 50 A Ranks.

"Trust me. I'll come back alive."

Lugh took off the head part of his Armor just to let Aria see his resolve. He won't let those Doppelgangers away. To hell with messing up the timeline, he had to take action this time.

aria, after seeing Lugh's eyes, knew that she couldn't convince him. She then took out the Defensive Artifact that Lugh gave her days ago.

"Here."

It's a necklace that has 7 starry jewels. Those are the power of his Master's concentrated strike. Nobody below the Deity-Realm could block it, thus ensuring her safety.

"No need. Since I can give you that, then I also have one."

It's a lie. Lugh and his Master thought that he really didn't need any of those due to his revival skill, so he didn't give him that. Aria didn't ask any further after she had heard him.

"Be careful."

"I will."

With a thought, he used his [36 Heavenly Constellation Steps] and disappeared.

***

"This is bad."

Boom!

The City Guard Commander threw out an attack with her halberd to the humanoid zerg before it flew out.

"This feels nostalgic."

"Who are you?"

"Me? A worker that got worked to death by my superiors."

The humanoid zerg compressed a thorn with his Returning Stage Mental Power and sent it out to the City Guard Commander.

"Returning Stage Mental Power?!"

The City Guard Commander made a shield with her own Mental Power, but it broke easily. She's only at Peak Shedding Stage Mental Realm after all. She had no choice but to tank the hit herself.

Bang!

An explosion seemed to have occurred inside her Mind. In an instant, she couldn't mobilize any of her powers inside her vessels and her thinking became sluggish.

"Phew. I've gone all out with that one. Go get her already!"

The humanoid zerg that has a thin appearance and two antennae on its head spoke to someone inside the space crack. Since the space crack was opened right in the City Lord's mansion, they were all able to take them in a surprise.

The 2 Demigod level Combatants, the City Lord and his loyal subordinate had fallen to the doppelgangers already. Only the City Guard Commander was the remaining EX Rank Demigod left.

It was all thanks to the antennae zerg's hard work. He used this attack earlier against the City Lord and his subordinate, which caused them to be in a state like this.

A zerg similar to an octopus left the space crack. It is the doppelganger that Lugh and Red was scared about. It only has the strength of an SS Rank, but even the EX+ Ranks had to bow their heads to them. Their importance is that high.

"Hm. Good work."

The doppelganger passed on his thoughts to the antennae zerg before going to the City Guard Commander. It examined her and flew left and right. The City Guard Commander, being in a state similar to stun, couldn't do anything.

"What.. do.. you.. want.."

"What do we want?"

The doppelganger replied to her question.

"Since you'll be my new body, it shouldn't hurt to tell."

"Sir! It's in the law that one shouldn't divulge any of the zerg's plans, even if the enemy is helpless already."

"Ah, right, the law. Whatever."

The doppelganger was about to take control of her, but an attack flew at it. The EX+ rank has a fast response as it created a Mental Power barrier that surrounded it.

"Don't.. you dare touch her! Fuckers!"

Keith, the S+ Rank Guard captain that Lugh had encountered earlier appeared. He turned into a Dragon, his power peaking at SSS-, before roaring at them.

"A pure-blood? We finally found a better target."

Keith made a Dragon Breath made of Ice and attacked the two zergs. Unfortunately, even this attack of his couldn't land a scratch on the two.

"Even my enhanced attack at my true form couldn't damage you much. Fine, you forced me."

Seeing that his attack can only barely damage the antennae zerg, Keith knew that attacking them more wouldn't do a thing. That's why..

"[Dragon King's Breath]."

Keith crushed a crystal in his dragon hands. A phantom of a dragon appeared behind him. As it gathered its power for a Breath attack, the EX+ Rank Zerg knew that the situation is grave.

"Sir, go back to the crack, now!"

The doppelganger quickly escaped this battlefield. Seeing that, Keith made a remark.

"Too bad that I couldn't kill that runt. Though, you'll die here."

A terrifying flame breath enveloped the EX+ Rank Zerg. It couldn't even react before dying.

"Hah.."

Keith used up all his willpower maintaining that life-saving item alone, so he turned back to his human form.

"Shit.. I have to bring her away here."

Keith walked towards the City Guard Commander. Seeing that she is fine, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Commander, I'm here to bring you out."

"Ke...ith? Be..hind."

"Behind?"

Clang!

A tentacle tried to attack him, but it was blocked by a sword.

"Don't turn your back in your enemies, especially these fuckers."

As he heard that voice, he saw that the man went towards that doppelganger who went back after seeing Keith's situation.

"You?!"

"An inexperienced zerg.. This is my first time experiencing one."

"You know about us?"

"No comment."

The man flew closer and closer to him until.. it got diced into pieces. As his flesh got diced, a black core was finally revealed.

"I don't know where you've hidden this, but it ain't a problem if I do this."

The man stabbed the black core decisively. Without even having the time to react, the doppelganger solidified before cracking into pieces.

"It's you... Go away now, and remember what I'm about to say right now."

Keith was about to reply, but the man didn't give him the chance to do so.

"These zergs.. take them seriously."

He disappeared while leaving a ball of light behind.