105: selfishness

With his tactic proving effective, Lu Jianchuan's confidence soared. He immediately followed the same method, grabbing broken stones, ready to use the information torrent to shatter the next wave of rabbits.

However, this time, the rabbit horde's response was completely different. Facing the incoming stones, they no longer showed any hesitation, as if they had already predicted the trajectory. They evaded with near-perfect synchronization, their formation not disrupted in the slightest.

What's going on?

Lu Jianchuan's heart tightened. Unwilling to accept it, he tried again, but the result remained the same. He even gave up on feinting, directly throwing a punch and charging at the nearest rabbit. But the other party began retreating the moment he initiated his move, dodging perfectly. This was a far cry from their previous state of last-minute, desperate evasion just before an attack landed.

No! Their reaction speed... seems to have suddenly increased? No, not increased... A thought flashed through his mind like lightning:

They're like an army! Someone is commanding them in unison! That's why they can predict in advance and move with such coordination!

This discovery sent a chill down his spine. He must find the hidden commander!

He immediately changed his strategy, charging fiercely toward a pile of discarded junk stacked on one side of the warehouse. His arms flailed wildly, hurling rusted parts and broken steel pipes toward the rabbit horde like a storm! This wasn't a feint, but a genuine area-of-effect attack, forcing them into large-scale physical evasion.

Crash! Clatter!

Amidst the brief chaos and displacement caused by the rabbits dodging the substantive attacks, Lu Jianchuan's sharp gaze swept across the entire battlefield like a searchlight.

His vision suddenly fixed on a relatively clean, abandoned conveyor belt platform in the deepest part of the warehouse.

There, one rabbit stood out.

Its size was slightly larger than its counterparts, its fur pure white without a single blemish. It sat quietly, not participating in the fight, not even moving a muscle. It held its head slightly aloft. In its pair of ruby-like eyes flickered a kind of almost indifferent, all-seeing calm.

And what made Lu Jianchuan most certain he had found the right target was—this special rabbit wasn't standing on the ground. Instead, it was being carried steadily on the backs of four exceptionally robust Rabbit-form Evolved Entities, like a living, mobile command platform!

That's it! The thing commanding the entire rabbit horde!

Although he didn't know what exactly it was, Lu Jianchuan instantly determined this was the core causing the rabbit horde's sudden tactical shift! As long as he dealt with it, the rabbit horde would revert to a disorganized mob!

He ignored the surrounding harassment, pushed off the ground with force, and his crimson figure tore through the air, his target directly aimed at that white leader being guarded by the mass of rabbits!

Lu Jianchuan's crimson figure shot like a meteor straight toward the white Rabbit King being carried.

The Rabbit King's ruby-like eyes showed no trace of panic. The four strong guard rabbits beneath it immediately exerted force, carrying it backward at a speed not inferior to the other rabbits. Simultaneously, a flood of ordinary rabbits surged from the surroundings, blocking with their own bodies without hesitation to buy space for their leader.

Lu Jianchuan's heavy fists continuously swung, smashing and scorching the rabbits blocking his path. But the Rabbit King was always transferred away at the last possible moment, its movement trajectory tricky, clearly also trying hard to predict his attacks.

Just as Lu Jianchuan's fierce pounce was once again narrowly avoided by the Rabbit King, a clear voice, even carrying a peculiar rhythm, sounded directly in his mind:

"Why... must you... exterminate us to the last?"

Lu Jianchuan's forward charge abruptly halted. Beneath his helmet, his face revealed an expression of disbelief for the first time. This rabbit... could actually communicate directly with his consciousness?! No, it felt more like it was speaking, and he understood its meaning!

"Language... is a bridge for communication, and also... proof of wisdom." The Rabbit King's voice sounded again. It was being carried, maneuvering with Lu Jianchuan from a safe distance. "I evolved... chose this path. I learned... your language, understood... your history."

Its voice carried a tone of grievous accusation: "You humans... proclaim yourselves the wisest of all creatures, yet you are greedy, expansionist, endlessly plunder... Every inch of this planet is soaked with the blood and tears of other life! You... are the greatest predators, the deadliest virus! How can such beings as you... claim exclusive ownership of this world?!"

Lu Jianchuan remained silent, but his hands never stopped moving. He kicked away a rabbit attacking from the side, his gaze firmly locked onto the constantly moving Rabbit King. The Rabbit King's words were like thorns, piercing his heart. He couldn't refute it; human history was indeed filled with conquest and destruction.

"What you say... might be right."

Lu Jianchuan finally spoke. His voice, transmitted through the armor, carried a metallic resonance and the panting of battle, yet was exceptionally clear.

"Humanity's sins... I admit. Greed, arrogance, destruction... these inherent flaws exist."

He suddenly charged forward, a punch forcing back the rabbit horde trying to close in. The blazing white light from his visor was sharp as a blade.

"But—"

His tone was resolute, carrying an undeniable determination.

"If you think these words will distract me, make me feel guilty, or even make me stop... you've miscalculated. I absolutely will not."

"The reason is simple, just one—"

"Because, I am human."

He spoke while continuously trying to compress the Rabbit King's movement space.

"All life has self-interest, and I am no exception. I acknowledge humanity's sins, but I also possess humanity's self-interest—I instinctively lean towards protecting my own kind, protecting the 'civilization' I recognize."

"So, I'm sorry. I accept your accusation, but my fists will not stop."

The moment his words fell, he burst into speed again. The crimson figure, carrying an unwavering resolve, broke through layer after layer of obstruction.

After a fierce chase and contest, Lu Jianchuan finally compressed the Rabbit King's movement space to its limit.

Seizing an opportunity, he didn't pounce directly. Instead, he pressed his right hand, covered in crimson metal, against a huge metal shelf beside him!

Zzzzap—!

Fierce bio-electricity instantly surged into the shelf and, through the metal structure, formed a brief, unstable electric field zone on the ground. The Rabbit King and its carriers, attempting to move within the zone, suddenly stiffened, their movements suffering a fatal moment of paralysis!

Now!

Lu Jianchuan shot out like an arrow from a bow. His large hand, covered in high-temperature metal, clamped around the white Rabbit King's neck, lifting it off the backs of its carriers. The searing heat instantly singed the Rabbit King's snow-white fur, causing it to emit a painful mental fluctuation.

The surrounding rabbit horde instantly erupted into frenzy, roaring and swarming forward, trying to rescue their leader.

"Make them back off!" Lu Jianchuan's voice, transmitted through the armor, was cold and full of oppressive force. The hand gripping the Rabbit King's neck tightened slightly. "Or, you die."

A flash of humiliation and helplessness passed through the Rabbit King's ruby-like eyes. But a strong will to survive made it immediately issue a command. The surging rabbit horde seemed to hit a pause button. Although they still bared their teeth and fidgeted anxiously, they dared not advance another step.

Having control of the situation, Lu Jianchuan slightly relaxed his grip but did not let go. He needed to bring this highly intelligent leader back. Its value far exceeded simple elimination.

"Truly... full of resolve." The Rabbit King's thoughts transmitted again, carrying a hint of complexity. "Most humans... hearing those words, would always hesitate, waver, even doubt themselves... But you, not at all."

"Yes." Lu Jianchuan admitted frankly. He looked down at the strange life in his hand and gave his considered answer: "I've been thinking about this question. My answer is—I will do my utmost to protect my species. This stems from the self-interest of my identity, and I cannot deny it."

"But likewise, I will not make 'completely annihilating you' my ultimate goal. If possible, I will search for... a way to coexist with you, and all other intelligent life."

He shifted his tone, his voice becoming extremely serious, carrying an inviolable bottom line: "But the prerequisite for all this is—you have not actively harmed innocent lives, and have not threatened the survival of human civilization.

Once that line is crossed, my 'self-interest' and my duty will both make me stand up without hesitation, just like now."

He said no more. Holding the Rabbit King with one hand, his other hand had already pulled out an encrypted communicator, ready to contact GUPA Headquarters, report the situation here, and request further instructions.