Gu Lin, who was still soothing his upset stomach, had no idea that Kaxiu had quietly given himself another “shot of chicken blood.” At the moment, he and his system were deep in a discussion about the novel’s protagonist.
Unlike Gu Lin, the villain who began at the peak and stayed there without ever leveling up, the protagonist started as a low-ranked C-grade male Zerg.
Though not quite the bottom of society, he was still far less popular than the original body’s A-grade status. Yet, just like Gu Lin, the protagonist had also come from the human world.
Influenced by ideals of equality and fairness, the protagonist couldn’t stand the distorted hierarchy of Zerg society. After being found by the protagonist shou and brought back to the Zerg world, he began to display a series of traits utterly unlike other males.
He respected females.
He was devoted to his mate.
He was unafraid of power and dared to say no to higher grade males.
He was clever, brave, and..
“Wait, wait, wait! System, don’t you think all of that sounds a little weird?” Gu Lin abruptly interrupted the system’s enthusiastic narration. He had a feeling that if he let it keep talking, he might mute it permanently.
“Of course it sounds familiar. I’m just reading from the novel’s text,” The system replied, puzzled. “Didn’t you already read this? How could you forget?”
Wasn’t his host supposed to have a ridiculously good memory? How could he forget something as important as the story’s setting?
“I remember,” Gu Lin said flatly, rubbing his temples, “I just don’t want to hear you read that out loud again. It’s too embarrassing.”
The system blinked its digital eyes, “Oh. Okay.” It might not have been the most reliable companion, but at least it was obedient.
“If I’m not mistaken,” the system continued after a pause, “The protagonist is supposed to make his first appearance tomorrow. The Balke family is holding a banquet to celebrate finding their long lost male heir.”
The Balke family was one of the Zerg’s oldest houses, vast in scale and strong in influence. For generations, however, they had failed to produce a male.
When they finally found the protagonist, the family patriarch, his male parent, immediately decided to throw a grand celebration.
According to the plot, the protagonist would appear at the banquet as the Balke heir, only to be publicly humiliated by the “vicious villain” that is, Gu Lin himself.
It would be their first official encounter.
Rather than feeling nervous, Gu Lin found himself faintly looking forward to it.
“System, when will the mission trigger?” he asked, curious in his tone.
“It should be soon,” the system replied, scrolling through its virtual forum, “Once the host receives an invitation from the Balke family and accepts it, the mission should be issued automatically.”
A notification chimed, “Oh! There it is!”
Gu Lin glanced at his light-brain terminal. A formal invitation from the Balke family sat neatly in his inbox. He skimmed the content with little interest, then shut the screen.
“Didn’t expect the real villain to start making moves this early,” he murmured.
“Huh?” The system blinked in confusion, “But the novel’s main villain doesn’t appear until much later! How do you know that?”
“Look at the venue,” Gu Lin said meaningfully.
“The Starl Palace? What about it?”
The system stared for a while but couldn’t figure out what Gu Lin was hinting at. In Zerg society, it wasn’t uncommon for royal properties to be loaned out to high-ranking males for banquets. So what was strange about that?
“That place belongs to the real villain,” Gu Lin explained, “Remember later in the book, when he does all sorts of unspeakable things there? He had control of that palace from the very start.”
He didn’t elaborate further. The opening chapters of the novel only briefly mentioned the banquet, it focused instead on the protagonist’s discomfort with Zerg life and his first conflict with the villain, Gu Lin himself. The specifics of the event’s setting were left vague.
“The banquet was too rushed,” Gu Lin mused. “Even though it’s held at a royal palace, many will see it as a sign that the protagonist isn’t valued. And since he’s only a C-grade male, it’s no wonder the original body looked down on him.”
“Then how did the real villain force the Balke family to hold such a hasty banquet?” the system asked, full of curiosity.
“You’ll find out when the time comes,” Gu Lin said, deliberately keeping him in suspense.
The system huffed in frustration, declaring it was going to reread the script, and vanished.
Watching it disappear, Gu Lin chuckled softly. He shook his head and opened his light-brain again.
He had promised Kaxiu that he would help him get reinstated in the military. Since he wasn’t one to procrastinate and his evening was free, now was as good a time as any.
He drafted and sent messages to both the Male Insect Association and the military headquarters. If things went smoothly, replies should arrive by morning.
As for why he’d waited until nighttime to send them, well, that was just a tiny bit of petty revenge for the trouble they’d caused him. Hardly excessive.
And those who had secretly targeted Kaxiu behind the scenes, Gu Lin’s lips curved into a faint, cold smile. They had better stop while they still could.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, as punctual as ever, Kaxiu awoke at dawn.
He had never been one to sleep in. Even after his retirement, his habits remained strictly military: wake up early, physical training, nutritional supplement, then work. In the afternoon, he would return home, conduct mecha simulations on the star network, and finally go to bed.
His life was monotonous but disciplined.
Because he maintained such an intense routine, his physical strength hadn’t declined since leaving the army, if anything, it had improved.
Kaxiu was an A-grade female Zerg. Upon reaching adulthood, he would undergo a third metamorphosis. He could sense that if he survived until then and his mental power didn’t spiral into chaos first, he might even break through and become an S-grade.
But that “if” was a heavy one.
He was already nearly broke, unable to afford mental stabilizers. Most A-grade stabilizers were monopolized by the military; only a few ever reached the open market, where they sold at exorbitant prices.
Gu Lin offering him a way back into the army wasn’t just kindness, it was saving his life. For that, Kaxiu was deeply, sincerely grateful.
Even if he had to start again from the lowest rank, he believed that one day, he could reclaim everything he’d lost through his own effort.
Just as he was about to begin his morning routine, training, supplement, then work, his terminal chimed.
A message from the military.
When he opened it, he froze in disbelief.
It was a reassignment order, he was being transferred to the Fourth Legion as captain of the elite mecha unit.
Though not a full reinstatement, it was already an incredible position. In recent years, mecha divisions had become the pride of every legion, their absolute trump card.
And mecha had always been his passion.
Seeing that letter, Kaxiu’s chest filled with joy and excitement he hadn’t felt in years.
At the end of the message, there was even a note: his case would be re-investigated, and if proven innocent, his former rank would be restored.
At that moment, words couldn’t express his gratitude toward Gu Lin.
Ding-Dong
The familiar sound of the doorbell cut through his thoughts. Startled, Kaxiu rushed to open the door and found the little household robot standing there, uncharacteristically solemn.
“First day of duty,” It intoned in a flat mechanical voice. “Master invites you to breakfast.”
Its usual playful expression was gone, today, it looked positively serious. Kaxiu blinked in confusion but followed it to the dining room nonetheless.
Gu Lin was already seated at the table, dressed neatly in understated loungewear. His posture was relaxed, his expression lazy, and his attention fixed entirely on his light-brain, as if he were watching something amusing.
Kaxiu quickened his steps, guilt pricking at him.
How could he let his master wait? And for breakfast, no less. He didn’t even know how long Gu Lin had been sitting there.
“Sit,” Gu Lin said without looking up, his tone casual.
The air grew a little awkward, but neither of them minded much.
Kaxiu wanted to thank him, but seeing how absorbed Gu Lin was, he decided against interrupting.
Gu Lin, meanwhile, was watching the chaos unfold online.
The news of the Balke family’s young heir, of the long lost protagonist had already spread across the net.
Countless discussions flooded the forums, theories about how he’d gone missing, debates over his appearance, and wild speculation over potential marriage alliances between the Balke family and other noble houses.
The entire star network was buzzing.
As a self-proclaimed villain, Gu Lin was thoroughly entertained by the spectacle but soon, breakfast was served, and he reluctantly set aside his device.
The meal was exquisite, top grade ingredients, meticulously balanced nutrients, and all tailored to his personal taste. Gu Lin ate with genuine satisfaction.
Kaxiu, on the other hand, was visibly tense.
It was his first time dining with a male, this male, no less. His composure hadn’t quite reached the point of being bulletproof, and in such a setting, he couldn’t help but feel awkward.
After the meal, he finally found the chance to express his thanks.
But Gu Lin only shook his head, “You’re thanking me too early. I don’t know much about military politics, but I have a feeling things won’t go as smoothly as you hope.”
He made a casual “good luck” gesture, “Do your best.”
Kaxiu didn’t quite understand what he meant, but he nodded earnestly, “I will.”
Just as he was about to leave, Gu Lin’s voice called out again.
“Oh, and don’t forget your lunch.”
A small robot approached, carrying an elegant, high tech lunchbox that looked far too expensive for an ordinary meal. It placed the box carefully in his hands before retreating.
“Remember,” Gu Lin’s voice drifted lazily after him, “Act well, What’s inside is both your payment and your prop.”
As the door slid shut behind him, the room grew quiet again. Kaxiu looked down at the beautifully crafted container in his hands, puzzled.
Payment? Prop?
He glanced at the time. There wasn’t enough left to investigate. With a small sigh, he tightened his grip on the lunchbox and left for the day.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Somewhere, a translator stares dramatically into an empty coffee cup. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · KaxiuChapter 3 · Social DeathChapter 4 · Female Servant/WifeChapter 5 · ConfusedChapter 6 · MysteryChapter 7 · CamouflageChapter 8 · AcquaintanceChapter 9 · Man in a ShellChapter 10 · FoodChapter 11 · RemunerationChapter 12 · GossipChapter 13 · TaskChapter 14 · CoverdaleChapter 15 · Mission AccomplishedChapter 16 · ExchangeChapter 17 · DreamChapter 18 · DelicateChapter 19 · ReasonChapter 20 · SpecialChapter 21 · 2 Dose of VialChapter 22 · Night WatchChapter 23 · One NightChapter 24 · GratefulChapter 25 · ContestChapter 26 · FortChapter 27 · RecordChapter 28 · SealChapter 29 · MissedChapter 30 · Treasure TroveChapter 31 · Battle SpiritChapter 32 · IllusionChapter 33 · PhotosChapter 34 · DifferentChapter 35 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 36 · TeasingChapter 37 · InterestChapter 38 · TrappedChapter 39 · Borrowing a knifeChapter 40 · SecretChapter 42 · ConditionChapter 43 · QuestionChapter 44 · AnswerChapter 45 · CoreChapter 46 · MeetChapter 47 · WeirdChapter 48 · DifferentChapter 49 · Spiritual SeaChapter 50 · ConceptsChapter 51 · Hicks Return!Chapter 51 · RoefellerChapter 53 · 10 thousand points!Chapter 54 · RedemptionChapter 55 · ChangeChapter 56 · ReceiveChapter 57 · Side QuestChapter 59 · It seems like a old FriendChapter 60 · TrainingChapter 61 · MoodChapter 62 · ConfusedChapter 63 · Children’s PlaygroundChapter 64 · GiftChapter 65 · ApproachingChapter 66 · ThreatChapter 67 Part 1 · Do you have any objections?Chapter 67 Part 2 · Do you have any objections?Chapter 68 · MaintenanceChapter 69 · Thank youChapter 70 · UndercoverChapter 71 · VisitChapter 72 · FrenzyChapter 73 · TransactionChapter 74 · ReminderChapter 75 · ArenaChapter 76 · InterestingChapter 77 · CuteChapter 78 · SecretChapter 79 · CompareChapter 80 · StrategyChapter 81 · CrisisChapter 82 · ProtectChapter 83 · Blind SpotChapter 84 · SafetyChapter 85 · Mission ObjectiveChapter 86 · DeterminationChapter 87 · Grave DangerChapter 88 · GuessingChapter 89 · Chess PieceChapter 90 · EmotionsChapter 91 · Guardian’s HeartChapter 92 · A Dangerous FigureChapter 93 · FrustratedChapter 94 · BullyChapter 95 · NegotiationChapter 96 · ChallengeChapter 97 · RejectionChapter 98 · PlantingChapter 99 · Thank youChapter 100 · LeveragingChapter 101 · ChaosChapter 102 · SubmitChapter 103 · ThoughtsChapter 104 · Good news and bad newsChapter 105 · MadmanChapter 106 · CooperationChapter 107 · Just drawingChapter 108 · It was a pleasure working with youChapter 109 · StargazingChapter 110 · GuideChapter 111 · Plant FlowerChapter 112 · White WolfChapter 113 · SterilisationChapter 114 · CollarChapter 115 · RunChapter 116 · GenerousChapter 117 · ImageChapter 118 · FriendlyChapter 119 · LostChapter 120 · TasteChapter 121 · System upgradeChapter 122 · Transfered FromChapter 123 · Keep dragging it outChapter 124 · CategoryChapter 125 · DemolitionChapter 126 · I want to cry but can’tChapter 127 · Upgrade completeChapter 128 · Tears streaming down my face in the windChapter 129 · Strange luckChapter 130 · UnknownChapter 131 · Dog plant flowersChapter 132 · Contest of Wits and Silent UnderstandingChapter 133 · ColinChapter 134 · AmbushChapter 135 · DullChapter 136 · BattleChapter 137 · Post-WarChapter 138 · Return ToChapter 139 · Strength EnhancementChapter 140 · Is this a staged accident scam?Chapter 141 · ToolChapter 142 · ProcessingChapter 143 · CluesChapter 144 · MemoryChapter 145 · UnderstoodChapter 146 · I want to hug youChapter 147 · Differential treatmentChapter 148 · So DifficultChapter 149 · Going to farChapter 150 · Real or FakeChapter 151 · ResponseChapter 152 · The truthChapter 153 · Let’s chat Causally?Chapter 154 · A Way to RelaxChapter 155 · ConversationChapter 156 · Daily MissionChapter 157 · A QuarrelChapter 158 · NamelessChapter 159 · ProbingChapter 160 · A Good HelperChapter 161 · ConfirmationChapter 162 · DiscussChapter 163 · ForgottenChapter 164 · TraceChapter 164 · TraceChapter 165 · Contact