Xia Jin was momentarily stunned upon seeing this stranger, then fell into deep thought.
A human species? She had encountered another one.
Facing his expectant gaze, Xia Jin shook her head, chose to avoid him, and ran off into the distance.
The man stared blankly until her figure disappeared, then muttered to himself, “How can she be so beautiful? But why is she heading toward the Black Forest people? Does she like that type?”
...
When Xia Jin stepped through a gate into another area, she immediately regretted it.
At a glance, dense crowds of tentacled creatures were swaying about.
Suddenly, several Black Forest people noticed her and cried out in surprise.
“Zerg!”
In an instant, countless gazes focused on her.
“Uh...”
Oh no, she had walked right into a pile of tentacle monsters.
Why were there so many individuals from the Black Forest Civilization here? Were they participating too?
She remembered that Star Martial Arts were popular in the Kawi Civilization; was it the same for the Black Forest people?
As she racked her brain, the nearest Black Forest individual approached.
“Hello, beautiful Zerg lady. Your kind is truly too cute. Whenever I think of your tender little tentacles, I feel my whole body tremble. I’ll never be able to love another Black Forest person in this lifetime. I wonder how you feel about us; I really want to entwine my tentacles with yours in a sticky embrace.”
Xia Jin: “?”
Wait, what on earth? What sticky embrace?
Her eyes widened; she felt these Black Forest people had some very strange ideas about her.
“Ahem, sorry, I don’t want to talk about that. By the way... why are you all here? Are you also here for the competition?”
“Of course, the Black Forest people are here to participate. This year... things are different. They lowered the standards, so many civilizations can compete now. They even set up a regular bracket. Regardless of psionic strength, even ordinary individuals can engage in combat.”
“Is that so?”
“Little Zerg sister, are you participating too? Please, protect yourself. If you were to get hurt, my heart would break. You are so cute and endearing.”
“Ah, haha.”
Xia Jin just wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
Cute and endearing? She couldn’t for the life of her understand how tentacles could be associated with such words.
Regardless, in the eyes of these Black Forest people, her image had probably become that of a cute 2D anime girl—the “white moonlight” type. Despite doing nothing, she was already famous in the Black Forest world.
This made Xia Jin realize that if she actually sent a batch of tentacle bugs to the Black Forest territory to run for president, she might actually succeed.
However, plain tentacle bugs didn’t seem to have enough appeal. These Black Forest people specifically liked human forms with tentacle-limbs.
To them, this slightly bizarre aesthetic had a magical quality that struck deep into their genes.
Xia Jin made up a bunch of excuses and finally managed to leave, arriving at the tournament venue at last.
In reality, this so-called Star Martial Arts competition had long since moved beyond being just a sport; the political significance behind it was far too heavy.
Her coming here was indeed to showcase the Zerg’s strength. The more powerful they appeared, the more suspicious other civilizations would become. And the more suspicious they were, the less they would dare to act recklessly.
Of course, she couldn’t overdo it. If they were too strong, it might have the opposite effect.
“Tier 16 might be good.”
Thinking this, she stepped through the venue’s main entrance, only to find that the large screen in the distance had suddenly focused its camera on her.
Xia Jin: “?”
“A new representative has arrived! This is the Zerg’s diplomatic official and a new participant in this Star Martial Arts Tournament. They are an external civilization with formidable strength and have now become a member of our Starsea Alliance. Everyone, welcome!”
Countless voices erupted in the venue.
Besides the familiar sound of clapping, there were various incomprehensible noises mixed in.
For example, a nearby creature covered in fleshy slabs slammed the wall repeatedly, expressing its own way of welcoming her.
Some humanoid creatures had already stood up.
“The Zerg? Heh, clearly a bunch of monsters, yet they wear such beautiful human skins,” a high-ranking official from some civilization sneered.
“Aspiring to such an appearance is quite logical. There’s a latent interference effect in the information of this region, and the Zerg are naturally no exception,” another person beside him replied.
“Heh, look at her, she smiles so cutely. She reminds me of my first love. Unfortunately... even her appearance can’t compare to the one before us.”
“Your first love has nothing to do with you anymore. Forget her.”
Xia Jin noticed someone coming to invite her.
She was ushered to a specific seat.
“Is the competition starting so soon?” she asked the Juxin Civilization staff member beside her.
“It hasn’t started yet; what you see now is just a routine performance. However, according to the rules, main representatives from each civilization must be introduced upon entry. This is a sign of respect for our guests,” replied the figure, who looked quite ordinary, somewhat like an upright reptilian creature.
“Alright.”
Xia Jin stretched and swung her legs.
Turning her head, she saw a Black Forest individual staring intently at her.
“Ah...”
“Beau... beautiful lady, could I please have your autograph?”
The Black Forest person tremulously held out a piece of paper with its tentacle-limbs.
Xia Jin’s lips twitched awkwardly as she picked up a nearby pen and scribbled a few marks on it.
To her surprise, the Black Forest person collapsed to the ground the next second, all its limbs going limp.
“What happened to it?” Xia Jin asked in shock.
“It seems to have gotten too excited,” the Juxin Civilization staff member said uncertainly.
Xia Jin: “...”
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