To a malicious person, the entire world was filled with malice; to a kind person, the world was far more beautiful. Those filled with malice found malice reflected in lies and deception, in the masks that people wore.

As the swarm of bugs approached the settlement, the soldiers grouped up and prepared to break through their lines.

Suddenly, the ground shook. A huge rumble portended the arrival of another five-star bug from underground, a snakelike worm that was the twin of the five-star bug that Li Pu was currently fighting against.

The humongous worm surrounded the encampment, causing the soldiers, civilians, and Martian clans to...