Noel ran to the garden and took two deep breaths of fresh air, finally calming the faint restlessness churning in his heart.
He frowned, complaining that his body was not quite up to the task.
The insect patterns on the inner side of his arms began to heat up faintly, signaling that his rutting period was fast approaching.
Unlike on Earth, both male and female zergs had fixed rutting periods.
After a male zerg reached adulthood, the discomfort of the rutting period would drive them to seek out female zergs for release as quickly as possible. Even the lowest-ranking male zerg, living on the most remote and wretched garbage star, could find a relatively decent mate just by waving his hand casually.
For male zergs who were not picky, things like rutting fever simply did not exist!
Female zergs, however, were much less fortunate.
Due to the reality of having more males than females, female zergs encountering rutting fever had no choice but to use cheap inhibitors for suppression. Although the effect of inhibitors was minimal, they gave thanks to the heavens as long as it helped them survive the most critical peak of the rutting fever.
Those with slightly wealthier family backgrounds would buy some simulated pheromones, immersing themselves in illusions surrounded by male zergs, enduring it until the urge finally passed.
However, the greatest stroke of good luck was to be favored by a male zerg. If they could genuinely and properly go through with it and produce a few zerg eggs, they could basically say their zerg life had no regrets.
Yet Noel happened to be an atypical male zerg; he avoided female zergs coming to show goodwill as if they were plagues.
It was purely a matter of emotional cleanliness. He did not want strangers carrying his descendants to be scattered across every corner of this star system.
Noel shuddered. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
After wandering around the garden for a few turns to calm his mood, Noel unexpectedly ran into John pruning the flower bushes at the corner.
This was a low-ranking sub-female from the assassin bug clan.
He was using his large shears to cut off the excess branches on the round shrubs, making clicking sounds that were particularly striking in the quiet night.
“Why are you still here this late?” Noel frowned in displeasure. He had already ordered everyone to go home. Logically speaking, only he and that female zerg should be in the estate today.
What was he doing here?
Hearing this interrogation, John trembled all over, hurriedly knelt down, and stammered, “Lord Duke…”
With a troubled expression, John raised his head, avoided Noel’s gaze, and said haltingly, “I was worried that the female zerg you brought back today might make you angry, thinking that if you threw him out, I could drag him away quickly and not let him hurt your eyes here.”
Looking at John’s trembling body, Noel had almost forgotten about this matter.
He had originally intended to throw him out, but now he had changed his mind.
His mind conjured up Alpha’s calm eyes and submissive posture once again.
Having picked for so long, he had finally found someone with decent mental resilience. He was certainly not going to throw him out so easily and let that fellow outside who picked up stray zergs take advantage.
“I am still quite interested in that female zerg.”
Noel paused, watching John’s eyes darting around furtively, knowing that he was still scheming behind his back.
Ever since his parents left, his Duke’s estate had been penetrated into utter disrepair by bug spies sent by various clans to gather information.
Whatever he did every day, down to how many meals he ate, could be priced and sold off.
However, although these fellows harbored their own ulterior motives, they were also quite useful. After his fierce reputation spread, they consciously kept eight yards away from him, and his daily life was managed quite comfortably, so Noel had not bothered to argue with them.
Yet this did not mean they dared to pry into his thoughts.
“Get out,” Noel kicked him fiercely, “tell those fellows outside not to dare covet my zerg again!”
Watching John scurry away in a panic, Noel still learned his lesson.
Since he was putting on an act, he still had to do it thoroughly.
Sleeping in separate rooms? What kind of nonsense was that?
To prove that he was genuinely interested in that military zerg, interested to the point of being unable to put him down, no matter what he said today, he had to properly torture him for a whole night!
A faint mental power fluctuation drifted from outside the fence. Although well concealed, Noel’s sharpness was not for show.
It was people from the Interrogation Department!
Right, this fellow’s crime was concealing top-grade energy stones. Such a grave crime, even if Lyon had let him go temporarily because of his own identity, would probably cause him to regret it before long and rack his brains to pry the person back!
Noel hurried to turn around. If the people from the Interrogation Department came tomorrow and found out that this fellow’s injuries were completely healed, wouldn’t all the effort put in during this period go to waste?
As Noel hurried back to the western guest bedroom, the lights suddenly flickered on. The female zerg uncomfortably closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, carrying a shattered helplessness.
Noel felt as though his insect patterns were beginning to grow hot once again.
“That…”
Noel had not dealt with a conscious female zerg for a very long time, and just as he wanted to inquire about his condition politely, his inner alarm bells rang.
Before completely figuring out his background, he must not slip up in front of him.
The female zerg lifted the quilt and stepped down from the bed: “Do you have any other instructions for tonight?”
The military zerg pressed his lips together, looking somewhat troubled: “It was my fault for falling asleep just now without waiting for you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Noel cleared his throat, straightened his expression, and tugged at his vine whip:
“I haven’t had a chance to ask you since you woke up: regarding the theft… do you know your crime?”
Noel stood in place, tapping his toes, maintaining an indifferent expression and an arrogant posture, utterly acting like a high-and-mighty inquisitor.
Yet those cherry-pink eyes swept across him with a slight tremor, shimmering with watery light, looking exceptionally gorgeous.
Alpha lowered his head, suppressing the scorching heat burning in his heart.
“I know.”
He bowed his head, his magnetic voice lowered deliberately, carrying a trembling undertone of endurance.
Originally, Noel had calculated well. This military zerg, having suffered such torment without revealing the truth, would surely still keep a stiff upper lip, and a minor punishment from him would be completely justified.
He had already picked out the angle for striking.
The area from the shoulder to the chest was conspicuous while avoiding vital organs.
As long as he took care to control his strength, he could leave a clear mark on his body.
That way, when seen by coming and going zergs tomorrow, they would surely chew the fat thoroughly, brainstorm a passionate scene, and embellish it with extra fabrications about the female zerg being tortured both physically and mentally, adding a heavy, striking stroke to his fierce reputation.
Yet the attitude of the female zerg before him in admitting his fault was truly a bit too fast. He hadn’t reacted in time, and the vine whip he lashed out failed to pull back, leaving an obvious red mark right across his exquisite face.
The vines were barbed; even as tender branches, the small thorns rolling up with the force of the wind still scratched the female zerg’s face.
Droplets of blood seeped out one by one.
The military zerg before him turned his face slightly from this unexpected lash, his expression remaining completely unchanged.
Noel tightened his grip on the vine whip in his hand, a trace of guilt slowly welling up from the bottom of his heart.
It was like an acidic, swollen bubble bursting abruptly.
Finished.
When hitting a zerg, one does not hit the face.
Had he really offended this zerg?
Seeing Alpha’s slightly clenched fists, the ancient silver energy ring began to emit a soft glow.
It was the precursor to a mental power riot.
This zerg’s emotions seemed somewhat agitated at the moment.
Noel couldn’t help taking two steps back.
He was a little scared.
After a long while, the female zerg made no move whatsoever.
He still half-knelt on the ground, his posture upright like a verdant pine and cypress.
Yet right now, he looked as if he had been washed over by a cold rain, carrying a pitiful, damp, and chilly aura.
He raised his gaze, and his trembling dark golden eyes reflected his figure.
Alpha didn’t speak, but Noel inexplicably read a trace of grievance from it.
He had clearly obediently admitted his mistake, yet he still hit him anyway.
Noel couldn’t help stepping forward and rubbing his head.
“Sorry. I wronged you after all.”
After apologizing, he actually felt much more comfortable inside.
To avoid breaking his persona, Noel had no choice but to put on a stern front, using his vine whip to lift his chin: “Speak, what is the deal with the energy stones?”
The female zerg Alpha was forced to tilt his head up. His Adam’s apple trembled slightly as he frankly and directly confessed: “The energy stones obtained by clearing contamination star No. 78 were all completely used up by me.”
“Used up?”
Noel opened his eyes wide, patting his face in disbelief: “Even with your 3S-level mental power, you couldn’t possibly use up that many top-grade energy stones, could you?”
Even if used to power top-tier mechas, it would last three to five years. How could a single person use them all up?
“Clearing contamination zone No. 78 was not considered difficult.” Alpha slowly recounted the inside story to Noel.
“Energy stones can cleanse mental power, enhance the talent of adult zergs, and have a certain probability of triggering mental power abilities. However, energy stones are also the core of the contamination zone, maintaining the stability of the entire contamination zone and preventing it from expanding significantly.”
“Yet the production of energy stones is limited. Therefore, the Empire requires that after obtaining a certain amount of energy stones, the contamination planet must be detonated to prevent hazardous substances inside from spilling over and affecting ordinary residents of the zerg star.”
Noel nodded.
This was content written in imperial textbooks and was not particularly rare.
However, the things the female zerg Alpha recounted next greatly surprised him.
“Through numerous contamination zone clearances, I discovered that besides a small number of exploration teams composed of adventurers on contamination planets, there are also many indigenous residents. If detonated according to the Empire’s requirements, these residents simply cannot escape the contamination star because they cannot afford the expensive interstellar leap fees, nor can they adapt to life on other planets.”
Alpha paused, looking at Noel’s tangled expression, and softened his tone.
“After countless experiments, we came up with a good method.”
Since the energy stone was the core of the contamination zone, what would happen if the core was shattered?
He scattered the energy stone fragments across various parts of the contamination star, burying them deep underground and monitoring them on schedule.
Unexpectedly, without taking too long, the soil quality of the planet underwent a subtle change.
During the slow dissipation process of the energy stones, a large amount of beneficial substances gradually formed, the air gradually grew fresh, and the originally harsh environment was imperceptibly improved.
Of course, in the eyes of the imperial nobles, a contamination star that had undergone improvement was nothing more than a garbage planet after all.
Yet such a garbage planet was the home of countless zerg indigenous residents.
Who would dislike their own home?
“Therefore, all the energy stones seized this time were violently destroyed and deeply buried underground. This is why I could not give the Empire an account.”
Noel fell silent.
If this was the case, then pulling Alpha out of the Interrogation Department really was doing a good deed.
After all, he had saved countless ordinary zerg residents.
To the imperial nobles, that was merely a number, an insignificant abandoned zerg population that did not need to be factored into consideration.
Yet they also had the right to survive!
This zerg was upright and unyielding, yet filled with goodwill. He could truly be described as a good zerg.
Yet he had just emerged from one vortex, and now he was going to be dragged into another vortex by himself.
Noel examined this female zerg and asked, “Are you of the mantis clan?”
Alpha raised his head, seeming somewhat surprised that he would pay attention to this point.
He admitted with a bashful blush: “Yes, I come from the floral mantis clan.”
Noel let out a soft hiss.
“No wonder.”
Generally speaking, when a military zerg made a mistake, they still had the opportunity to write an appeal report to appeal to the Military Administration Office.
Only one clan was the exception, and that was the mantis clan.
Perhaps due to their origin, the locust clan, owing to their massive population and overall excellent strength, was elected by the Zerg Star Alliance as the King Zerg of the entire race.
Yet the King Zerg also had favoritism. Aside from heavily planting female zergs of his own clan into critical departments, he particularly detested the mantis clan.
Except for the floral mantis clan, which was the most outstanding within the mantis clan, being allowed to possess visas to come to the imperial capital star and male zerg juveniles being qualified to reside in the imperial capital star, all other categories were driven away to live on remote garbage stars and third-class planets.
Presumably, before making a mistake, the military zerg Alpha must have been extremely cautious and never caught with any handle.
Because once caught with a handle, his path of promotion would come to an end.
“You probably won’t be able to return to the military for service.”
Noel felt a bit regretful for him.
He was clearly a military zerg who cared deeply for ordinary citizens.
Such female zergs were already very rare nowadays.
“I understand.”
The military zerg raised his head slightly. He had maintained his kneeling posture throughout, answering every single question of his respectfully.
However, he did not feel particularly dejected about not being able to continue serving the military.
Instead, he straightened his back slightly and strove to lean a bit closer in Noel’s direction.
Seeing that Noel was still lost in thought, he could no longer hold back the anticipation in his heart and presumptuously raised his head.
Transgressive words echoed in the room.
He gazed into Noel’s cherry-pink pupils and repeated: “Then do I have a chance to stay by your side?”