“Have you read that book? You know, the one about the instructor and the Male Zerg...”
Instructor spread rapidly among Female Zergs.
They could hardly contain their excitement as they discussed it with everyone around them and enthusiastically recommended it.
“A high-ranking Male Zerg from Capital Star married a military Female Zerg Colonel with an extremely dangerous Psychic Domain as his principal spouse.”
“Status, wealth, power—the things everyone says are most important for a principal spouse. His Excellency Xi'an doesn't care about any of them. He said he wants to marry the living, breathing person, not those lifeless things.”
“No way. What is this? A fairy tale for little hatchlings?”
Every Female Zerg who heard the premise for the first time found it absurd and confusing.
“Even fairy tales wouldn't write something this unrealistic. The gray-winged Female Zerg who marries the Male Zerg prince in fairy tales is usually a great noble himself.”
Zerg hatchlings inherited ancestral memories.
From birth, they already understood many things.
Constructing an overly idealistic fantasy world for them wasn't appropriate.
Even hatchlings would think it felt fake.
Too disconnected from reality to understand.
As a result, even Zerg fairy tales were filled with realism.
Some Zergs analyzed the situation rationally.
“A military Female Zerg Colonel from an ordinary background marrying a high-ranking Male Zerg as principal spouse? Without enough influence or wealth, he'll never be able to suppress the other consorts after marriage. Eventually the Male Zerg will grow tired of him, and he'll lose his position. That's inevitable.”
Others simply declared:
“Tonight's dream material!”
And some still stubbornly insisted:
“This is all part of His Excellency Xi'an's revenge plan! He has his own rhythm!!!”
Regardless, more and more Zergs learned about Instructor.
Increasing numbers flocked to read it.
Even Male Zergs who normally had no interest in Zerg novels had heard of it.
“Sounds like a novel written by a Female Zerg's daydreams.”
Most Male Zergs dismissed it immediately.
But those who actually read it responded differently.
“This one is different. The Male Zerg in this story is actually... a Male Zerg!!!”
A Male Zerg is a Male Zerg.
It sounded like a nonsensical statement.
But any Male Zerg who had read Zerg fiction immediately understood what it meant.
Because the Male Zergs written by Female Zerg authors really...
Didn't feel like Male Zergs.
They barely felt like Zergs at all.
They were more like bizarre creatures wearing Male Zerg skin.
Either cold, emotionless machines.
Or violent maniacs, rapists, and psychotic killers.
Then there was the third type:
Fragile idiots who cried all day long, couldn't accomplish anything, and constantly ran to Female Zergs for help.
As though their brains had never developed properly.
Male Zergs couldn't relate to any of it.
“Male Zergs are still Zergs! We have emotions and personalities! We're not computer programs!”
One Male Zerg angrily complained.
“Most Male Zergs see less blood in their entire lives than military Female Zergs see in a single day on the battlefield. Please stop disguising horror novels as romantic stories! It's terrifying! You people write skinning and dismemberment scenes in graphic detail. You're the real serial killers!”
“As for the fragile idiot type, I don't even want to comment. Male Zerg psychic power is generally stronger than that of Female Zergs of the same rank. They can provide Psychic Soothing across two rank levels. A B-rank Male Zerg can theoretically soothe an S-rank Female Zerg. How exactly did you conclude they're idiots?”
The difference between Male and Female Zergs in most novels was so exaggerated that they resembled separate species rather than different sexes.
But the Male Zerg in Instructor was different.
He genuinely felt like a Male Zerg.
Not a programmed archetype.
Not a murderous monster.
He had his own emotions.
His own thoughts.
His own personality.
Good heavens.
A Zerg novel that actually included a Male Zerg's inner thoughts!
That was practically miraculous.
How could Female Zergs possibly write Male Zerg psychology?
In their minds, Male Zergs had already become a completely different species.
Though none of them said it publicly, every Male Zerg who read the novel came to the same conclusion:
The author had to be a Male Zerg.
Female Zerg readers reached the exact opposite conclusion.
They were convinced it was written by a Female Zerg indulging in fantasy.
The story was unrealistic.
Ridiculous.
Almost absurd.
Yet they couldn't deny one thing.
It was satisfying.
Because of the phrase “the Male Zerg is actually a Male Zerg,” many curious Male Zergs opened the novel themselves.
Its popularity reached unprecedented heights.
The comment section buzzed with excitement.
The only place completely opposite to that atmosphere was the Xi'an Admirers Group.
There, despair covered the ground.
The atmosphere was so tragic it felt as though everyone had just been abandoned by their Male Lord.
[Xi'an's Principal Spouse]: “Why? WHY?! Why is another Female Zerg's name in Male Lord's principal spouse slot?! WAAAHHHH—! (Fierce military Female Zerg sobbing)”
[Xi'an's One True Principal Spouse]: “I'm the real one! Male Lord, I'm your principal spouse! Claire is fake! FAKE!”
[His Excellency Xi'an's Most Favored Secondary Consort]: “Uh... isn't this a bit much? It's just a novel. Besides, even if His Excellency married another Female Zerg, that's completely normal. Male Zergs never marry only one Female Zerg.”
[Xi'an's Principal Spouse]: “Of course you don't care. Your only ambition is becoming some seductive little secondary consort. Have some dignity.”
[His Excellency Xi'an's Most Favored Secondary Consort]: “??? That's still better than you people living in delusions. Has Male Lord ever spoken a single word to any of you?”
[Male Lord, Please Be Happy]: “Can we stop mocking each other? We're all suffering here. Hurting each other isn't helping anyone.”
There wasn't much point continuing.
Everyone in the group was heartbroken.
Tonight was destined to be sleepless.
The only comfort would be seeing His Excellency Xi'an at military headquarters tomorrow.
Soon, a well-informed military Female Zerg brought new information.
—His Excellency Xi'an had taken leave.
Marriage leave.
A bolt from the blue.
Every unmarried Female Zerg in the Ninth Legion froze.
“What happened? Is that information reliable? Why marriage leave all of a sudden? There wasn't any warning at all!”
“It's real. I saw it in the Legion Commander's office myself. His Excellency didn't come to headquarters all day.”
The sky had fallen.
Completely fallen.
In the novel, His Excellency Xi'an married Claire.
In reality, His Excellency Xi'an was on marriage leave.
Bitterness spread across the military Female Zergs' faces.
“So... did His Excellency return to Capital Star to get married?”
“It can't possibly be Claire the Colonel he's marrying, hahaha...”
No one could laugh.
The situation was too painful.
Heartbroken by both fiction and reality at the same time.
The blow was devastating.
“I wonder if His Excellency plans to take any secondary consorts...”
Every high-ranking Male Zerg eventually took secondary consorts.
That wasn't the real question.
The real problem was how few openings existed.
This was the true meaning of thousands of competitors fighting to cross a single-log bridge.
Opportunities were scarce.
The military Female Zergs of the Ninth Legion experienced the sensation of heartbreak without ever having dated.
That night, while tossing and turning in bed, they received a subscription notification.
—Instructor had updated.
【
After consulting Claire, Xi'an brought him back to his residence on Emerald Star.
Truthfully, he was curious about Claire's home as well.
He wanted to see it.
But Claire awkwardly explained that his house was currently undergoing renovations and wasn't suitable for guests.
Female Zergs were highly destructive creatures.
Especially Female Zergs classified as Psychically Extremely Dangerous.
Over the past few days, Claire had accidentally demolished parts of his home several times.
During confused episodes, he believed he was still on the battlefield.
His wings would deploy instantly, slicing apart wardrobes and even destroying walls.
Repair crews practically visited every day.
Replacing furniture.
Repairing damage.
Everything had been upgraded to durable alloy materials.
Even that wasn't enough to withstand a Female Zerg's destructive capabilities.
Once again, Claire was reminded of how dangerous he truly was.
Perhaps marrying Xi'an wasn't a good idea.
He might destroy Xi'an's home too.
Or worse...
He might hurt Xi'an himself.
He should be wearing restraints.
Hands and feet locked.
Confined inside a punishment room.
Instead, Xi'an brought him to the master bedroom.
His bedroom.
“I'm going to take marriage leave and prepare a few things... Get some rest. If you need anything, call the household AI. I'll be back soon.”
Xi'an squeezed his hand.
Reluctantly, he left.
Claire only felt that the hand Xi'an had touched was burning hot.
The warmth traveled through his blood to his heart.
Xi'an was preparing things...
He had to be.
Restraints.
Chains.
Whips.
Knives.
Muscle relaxants.
Or perhaps other drugs.
Such things were important when dealing with a Psychically Extremely Dangerous Female Zerg.
The warmth in Claire's chest cooled slightly.
Yet he also felt relieved.
At least he wouldn't need to worry about hurting Xi'an.
He was still nervous.
The unknown always brought anxiety.
He wasn't sure his current condition could withstand whatever came next.
It was difficult to judge a Male Zerg's preferences in bed based solely on appearance.
But considering Xi'an's previous hostility toward him...
Considering how often they had clashed...
Tonight certainly wouldn't be pleasant.
Even so, Claire never considered running away.
Whether a whip or a blade descended upon him, he would accept it completely.
After all, he deserved it.
Soon, Claire no longer had the energy to think about such things.
Faint traces of pheromones lingered around him.
This was Xi'an's room.
His pillow.
His blankets.
His bathroom.
The sweet residual scent woven into the bedding left Claire dizzy and overheated.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Nervousness rose uncontrollably.
Would Xi'an enjoy him tonight?
Claire pressed his lips together and stared uncertainly at the bed.
Xi'an had retained habits from military life.
Everything in the room was neat and immaculate.
Not a wrinkle on the sheets.
Not a crease on the pillows.
It was almost excessively tidy.
A little cold, even.
Yet the lingering pheromones were anything but cold.
They inspired all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.
Making it impossible to stay calm.
Only hotter.
Claire loosened his collar.
Undid a button.
Perhaps he should shower first.
Yes.
He really ought to tidy himself up.
Thinking about his appearance, Claire found fault everywhere.
Had he known he would encounter Xi'an today—
Had he known they would register a marriage—
He never would have gone out looking like this.
Compared to meetings with ordinary Male Zergs, he had already dressed quite formally.
But when the other party was Xi'an...
Nothing felt sufficient.
He could identify countless flaws.
Not fashionable enough.
Not attractive enough to Male Zergs.
That was a fatal problem.
Then there was the Male Zerg he had been genetically matched with...
Thinking about that gave him a headache.
Along with a guilty panic, as though he were secretly committing a crime.
He had an appointment with his genetic match.
Xi'an had an appointment with some Female Zerg.
Yet somehow the two of them had ended up getting married instead.
What kind of absurd situation was this?
Ignoring the faint sour bitterness that appeared whenever he thought about Xi'an meeting another Female Zerg...
Claire opened his terminal.
He intended to explain things to that Male Zerg.
If Xi'an broke an appointment with a Female Zerg, it didn't matter.
But for Claire to stand up a Male Zerg was a serious offense.
He owed an explanation.
And an apology.
Most importantly—
He was now a married Female Zerg.
He needed to clarify everything immediately.
The relationship had to be cleanly severed.
Nothing could be allowed to affect his Male Lord.
His Male Lord...
Xi'an.
The thought filled Claire with a trace of sweetness.
Opening the conversation window, he expected angry messages condemning him for missing the appointment.
Instead, there was nothing.
Rather, all of the Male Zerg's information had suddenly become visible.
To protect Male Zerg privacy, their information was normally hidden from genetic matches.
Unless...
Both parties had chosen each other and entered a marriage.
Claire's breathing faltered.
He saw the Male Zerg's profile image.
The background was a military training facility.
The Male Zerg held a firearm in a shooting stance Claire knew better than anyone.
Beautiful.
Brilliant.
Aggressively captivating.
Like a bullet fired from a gun barrel.
Striking the target.
And striking his heart.
Xi'an...
The Male Zerg genetically matched with him was Xi'an?!
Which meant...
The Zerg Xi'an had originally arranged to meet today was him?
An indescribable mixture of joy and relief flooded Claire's chest.
Suddenly, he remembered the genetic compatibility report he had deliberately avoided reading.
Quickly pulling it up, he saw the number:
99.9%.
An astonishing compatibility score.
Practically every strand of their DNA was screaming that they should mate.
That they should produce offspring.
When the matched Male Zerg had been a stranger, Claire felt only resistance.
Discomfort.
Confusion.
But if it was Xi'an...
He couldn't help wondering.
Would Xi'an like hatchlings?
Little hatchlings with red hair.
Green eyes.
Sweet and adorable like tiny strawberries.
...】