Chapter 21: There Are Still Many Fighting for Humanity

Xurui stepped forward, raising a stone high above her head. Selvan, struggling to move, pulled a notebook from his clothes and hoarsely said, “Cough… my research is in the cockpit—take it with you.”

In his still-intact eyes, a flicker of humanity remained.

“Is he really the true Mr. Selvan?”

“My goodness! He still has self-awareness?”

“Has he been devoured by the insect race?”

Xurui sensed his return to humanity and slowly lowered the stone, reaching out to take the notebook. When the explosion occurred, he must have been clutching the notebook protectively, as only the thick cover was slightly scorched.

Suddenly, Selvan groaned in pain, his half-intact face twisting in agony.

“Child, the insect race—they infiltrate from the edges. My wife and I held out for a year, but we were still consumed… cough, cough…”

“All my research is here. You must take it out—it could help develop weapons fatal to the insect race.”

Moved, Xurui knelt down and gently held his burnt hand.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take it out.”

With that promise, Selvan finally showed a relieved smile. “That’s good, that’s good…”

His hand fell limply.

Xurui closed his unwilling, half-open eye, took the notebook, and headed toward the cockpit ruins to search for the research Selvan mentioned.

The ending was already known.

Selvan’s research, under the care of the institute’s scientists, had led to the development of useful weapons.

Based on his work, various weapons specifically targeting the insect race were created.

The high-energy laser cannon that Jiang Chen used to finally destroy the insect hive was built upon Selvan’s research.

“Mr. Selvan was truly a commendable scholar. To endure a year after being consumed by the insect race and still produce so much research is remarkable.”

“Mr. Selvan, you deserve a medal!”

“We should also thank Xurui. She kept her promise and released Selvan’s research under his name. She could have destroyed it or taken credit herself.”

“Yes, Xurui endured so much suffering at such a young age. Perhaps, if someone could guide her onto the right path, she could become a hero for humanity.”

“What a pity, such a pity…”

Although Xurui would later prove difficult, at six or seven years old, she had done nothing wrong.

Even Xuzhu’s disfigurement was caused by the insect race.

Xurui had only wanted to help him disguise himself, never truly harm him.

The Commander sighed, “In this long war between humanity and the insect race, besides the heroes who stand in the spotlight, many others fight for humanity.”

“They hide in the shadows, perish in the ruins, unknown to anyone.”

A sorrowful atmosphere filled the plaza.

This time, Tang Feng furrowed his brows, lost in thought.

Xuzhu’s face showed sorrow, one hand clutching his chest.

The half of his face that looked like a ghost was even more grotesque and terrifying under the light.

Yet his dark, narrow eyes shimmered with clear tears, adding a touch of warmth to that haunted visage.

“I always thought she had been taken in by the couple and lived a happy life, traveling across the galaxy, seeing countless wonders.”

“But during the painful time I was recovering, she suffered even more.”

Liu Han stared at the pause button for a long time.

Bu Xingye said, “I’ve never heard her mention her time on this planet.”

“Perhaps that tragic experience shaped her difficult personality later.”

Jiang Chen sneered, “So now you’re sympathizing with her? Your loved ones died such undeserved deaths.”

His words silenced Bu Xingye’s response.

…

On the screen,

Xurui gathered data core chips from the ruins.

Only then did she have the heart to survey her surroundings.

This planet had been abandoned for a long time, showing no sign of life. The desolation was cold and empty, with only the howling cold wind sweeping through.

The only chance to survive was to scavenge everything usable from the ship and send a distress signal.

Xurui clearly understood this and entered the ship to search for daily supplies.

That night, she curled up alone in the abandoned cabin, barely sleeping.

On this desolate, deathly silent planet, she looked especially pitiful, shrinking into herself.

In the plaza, someone had already pinpointed the planet’s location from the coordinates Xurui sent.

“My God, this planet truly is abandoned. The indigenous people had reached a mid-level civilization, but after mining all the planet’s minerals, the world was left barren.”

“The ship should no longer be able to send distress signals. How did she survive?”

“So tragic. After barely escaping the insect horde, she’s doomed to die alone here.”

In the following days, Xurui scavenged useful items in the ruins by day and sheltered in the cockpit at night.

For several days, everyone just watched, nearly driven mad by the foggy weather.

Then, on the seventh day, a craft appeared in the dim sky.

“A ship? A ship has arrived?”

“How could anyone know about this place? Xurui hasn’t sent a new distress signal.”

“No, she sent one before.”

Suddenly, Tang Feng’s spirits lifted. “Someone received that signal? But that wasn’t supposed to happen until five years later…”

He frowned deeply. “What’s going on? The military only got that message five years later.”

Bu Xingye said, “Maybe it’s a civilian organization? Some civilian groups also played key roles in fighting the insect race.”

“The Mecha Guild I joined once formed a team that fought in W5 and T78 sectors, repelling a surprise insect attack.”

Jiang Chen sneered, “Civilian groups have their own agendas—either to make a name for themselves or to profit.”

“My army has nearly missed chances multiple times because of their false intelligence, allowing large insect forces to escape.”

“Besides, this civilian group clearly wasn’t formed solely to fight the insect race, or else the military wouldn’t have gotten the message only five years later.”

Tang Feng and Bu Xingye nodded in agreement.

As they discussed, the ship landed near the ruins.

Xurui heard the noise, licked her cracked lips, and clenched the hammer tightly in her hand.

Soon, the ship’s hatch opened, and two people in protective suits stepped out.

Their faces were hidden by the suits. Seeing Xurui standing there in tattered clothes, they exchanged surprised glances.

Xurui warily asked, “Who are you?”

At that moment, a man leaned against the hatch with his arms crossed and called out, “Xurui, we received your message. We’re here to rescue you.”