Tl-ed by Wei

Edited by Oz

QC-ed by LD

***

Scythe Beetles were considered relatively small in size. Neither was their proficiency in battle exceptional; it was probably a notch lower than the Crimson Crowned Beetles.

The reason why they were labelled as the harvester of human flesh was because they had an ability to fly at extremely fast speeds and when coupled with their sharp, sickle-like mandibles, they had an outrageous efficiency in which they lopped off human heads, akin to harvesting wheat!

"Those... Those are the rumoured Scythe Beetles?! This isn't good. Go shut the windows!"

Buzz~ Buzz~

The sight of the Scythe Beetles shuffling before the building, their eyes flashing with cruelty as though looking for prey, made the scalps of the students present tingle. However, as they were about to rush for the windows, Li Jiayu tapped their shoulders. "Don't be silly. Scythe Beetles are extremely strong. Do you think a thin layer of glass can stop a motorcycle from crashing through? Ludicrous... Just hide under a desk and protect yourself..."

Hearing that, the girls scurried off under the desks and curled up into balls to hide. Some amongst the boys also exposed a tint of panic. They hesitated for a moment, then eventually ended up crawling under the desks.

Eventually, only five remained next to Li Jiayu. Their statures trembled slightly; their chests heaved and their eyes contained complexed emotions - fear, excitement and also a desire to fight.

In this type of cruel reality, deserters and cowards were abundant. Albeit rare, there also existed brave and unyielding men who would battle even if the odds were against them.

"Go hide, I don't need your help." Li Jiayu swept his gaze across the five and spoke faintly.

"Li Jiayu, don't look down on others!"

Lin Zhibin, who was at the helm, slapped his own face and forced himself to calm down. Clenching his fists, he screamed.

"If a sissy like you can take up arms against such terrifying monsters, so can I... I am tall and strong and even learnt a little Sanda[1]. How can I let you fend for yourself, alone? What's more, I will protect Zhou Jiamin, so I will not hide! If these monsters want to hurt her, they will have to do it over my dead body!"

"That's right!"

An emaciated boy followed up with an excited yell, "I... My physique is weak but.. I- I will not be a turtle... I- I want to be a hero! This is already the end of the world. I don't want to be a coward that everyone looks down upon. I want to die a glorious death!"

"Oh? You aren't afraid of death? Do you not feel fear?" Li Jiayu's tone turned a little mild, his eyes flashing with a little praise. Never would he have expected five brave men to appear. So, maybe they were worth saving once.

"I'm afraid. Of course, I'm afraid... But rather than relying on others and hiding because of fear, I'd much rather gamble and fight for a chance at survival... Since you are so confident, I firmly believe that the insects will be killed!"

Sun Weiwei said. She seemed to have mustered up her courage as her face was flushed red when she crawled out from under a desk. In her hand was a fitter's hammer and she obviously wanted to join the fight.

"Well, now that you've decided, I shall not stop you. However, try not to fight but distract the beetles. Remember to be clever and dodge if you can't handle it."

Li Jiayu waved his hand at Sun Weiwei and spoke without batting an eyelid, "You just wet yourself? I smell something strange. Hand over your panties. Those girls who wet themselves as well, hand it over hurry!"

"WHAT?!'"

Hearing these words, the entire class exchanged looks while Sun Weiwei and the other girls' faces reddened.

'This is a little too rogue-like, isn't it? Why would a perfectly normal human being ask for a girl's panties in such an outright manner?"

"You guys misunderstood. I need your stained underwear to attract the attention of the beetles! Well... If you can't, then hand over your stockings, pants or whatever you can get your hands on! Hurry! Why are you ashamed? I don't mind your dirty clothing, so why do you mind?!"

Reaching the last sentence, Li Jiayu shouted, his overbearing momentum frightened the girls. Gritting their teeth, they took off their pantyhoses and tossed them over to Li Jiayu. Some even threw their underwear...

Under the strange gazes of the public, Li Jiayu calmly held the panties in hand and smacked his lips. "En... Although the scent is a little strong, it’s sufficient to be utilized as bait... You people, what are you guys standing around for? Get a few stools as a weapon! The carapaces' of the beetles aren't tough and the joints of their legs are weak spots. Additionally, their eyes and wings are extremely sensitive to pain, so a hit is all it takes to cripple their flying capability!"

As Li Jiayu's voice faded, a Scythe Beetle 20 meters away hissed and stared fixedly at him with its scarlet gem-like eyes, obviously treating him as a target.

"Oh, here it is! It’s coming!"

Sun Weiwei and the five boys felt an inexplicable sense of panic. Although they were determined, their legs shook with paralysis the moment they stood face to face with a monster like that and nearly buckled to the ground. However, they quickly composed themselves, each grabbing the nearest chair as a weapon.

Swish!

With a flap of its wings, the beetle swiftly flitted onwards like a black streak of lightning. In a flash, it appeared before their eyes!

Crashhh~

In an instant, the windows shattered into innumerable pieces after the heavy impact of the collision. Shards and debris scattered all over the ground!

‘This body hadn't undergone much exercise nor strengthening to begin with. Its reflexes are too slow but fortunately I have my 'dynamic vision', otherwise I would've been shredded to pieces…’

Soothing his mind, everything within his sight began to slow down and the speed of the beetle was also reduced by half!

'My spiritual energy is still low, so I can only use it for half a second but it’s more than enough!'

The Scythe Beetle swept toward Li Jiayu, its eyes boring holes into his skull as it hissed. The wind, as it blew over his head, made the hair at the back of his neck stand!

"Ha!"

Li Jiayu spun, leapt sideways then, followed it up with a brandish of his fire axe. It's sharpened tip shone with a cold metallic glint as it sliced the wind like a meteor toward the Scythe Beetle!

--- Translator Notes ---

[1]Sanda - Chinese kickboxing