“Oh my god, am I seeing things? Is that a male Zerg’s tail hook?”
“How could a male Zerg appear here?”
“A male Zerg shouldn’t be allowed in the arena!”
“Someone, quick! Is there anyone in charge here?”
The spectators in the arena stands belatedly reacted, shouting in shock.
A few of the more agitated ones, if not for their fear of the white-haired female Zerg who fought like a god of death, would have already jumped down from the stands to “rescue” him.
In the Zerg race, fragile male Zergs were never associated with bloody and violent scenes. Even low-level male Zergs would never be allowed to appear in such a deadly arena where lives could be lost in an instant.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the arena, several Zergs had been hiding in the shadows, monitoring every move inside. It was they who had locked the gates at the critical moment, cutting off any chance of escape for the Zergs in the arena.
But the transformation of the sub-female Zerg in the arena into a male Zerg had completely exceeded their expectations.
The Zergs stationed here were merely following orders and had no authority to make decisions. They, too, were thrown into disarray.
“Should we continue with the original plan?” asked one of the attendants, a punk-style red-haired Zerg.
“Do you know what happens to those who disobey the boss?”
“Then… then let’s continue. Let’s wear that Zerg down until he’s half-dead.”
“Continue my ass! Has your brain been eaten by a star beast?”
A dark-skinned Zerg slapped the punk Zerg on the head, his voice filled with anger. “How did the boss end up raising such an idiot?”
In the shadows, the dark-skinned Zerg almost blended into the darkness, his features completely obscured and indistinguishable. However, judging by his tone, he was clearly the leader among them.
His gaze fell on the arena, where the male Zerg who had descended from above stood tall. The black cloak he had used for disguise lay completely shattered on the ground. The tail hook near his waist and hips seemed as startled as its owner, hanging stiffly by his legs, unmistakably revealing his identity as a male Zerg.
But that wasn’t the most critical part. Having spent so many years in the “Sweet Home,” the dark-skinned Zerg had plenty of experience in judging Zergs.
The physical condition of a male Zerg was directly linked to his psychic energy. Male Zergs with higher psychic energy levels had stronger metabolisms, resulting in smoother skin and a lower likelihood of obesity.
The male Zerg before him had a well-proportioned and slender figure. Even with black gloves on, the skin on his exposed wrists showed faintly visible blue veins, clearly indicating he was no ordinary Zerg.
If a low-level male Zerg died, it wouldn’t matter. The black market wasn’t short of such Zergs, and losing one was hardly a rare occurrence. As for the female Zerg they intended to torture and kill, there was no rush—they had plenty of other methods.
But a suspected high-level male Zerg appearing in the black market was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed. Such a prize was truly in high demand.
“Hasn’t the boss been looking for a male Zerg lately? Now that such a treasure has been delivered right to our doorstep, how can we let him escape?”
The dark-skinned Zerg made an immediate decision.
“The plan is suspended for now. You lot, get the situation under control. I’ll go report to the boss.”
Still somewhat uneasy, he added like a fussy old mother, “Remember, be quick about it! Don’t mess this up again.”
The top floor on the outskirts of the arena was the highest point in the entire area.
At the very end of this corridor lies a room accessible only to high-ranking members of the Sweet Home.
After being announced by the guard insects at the door, the dark-skinned insect was permitted to enter and report.
The enormous room was pitch-black, with heavy curtains blocking out all light.
Upon entering, the dark-skinned insect faced the sofa and knelt on one knee.
“Speak.”
Seated on the sofa was a female insect, holding a rather old-fashioned cigarette between her fingers, exhaling clouds of smoke.
She wore only a thick robe, its belt loosely tied, revealing skin that had begun to sag—a sign of age, no longer young.
This insect was the master of the Sweet Home—Ruby Modo.
“Boss, the high-quality male insect you mentioned earlier… we’ve found one.”
“Tell me, what kind of male insect?”
Ruby Modo finally showed some interest upon hearing this.
“His appearance is still uncertain, but he’s definitely top-grade.”
“Why haven’t you brought him here?”
“He was just discovered,” the dark-skinned insect replied hesitantly.
“He’s currently in the arena. Should we bring him over? However, the insect slave you ordered to be half-beaten to death is also in the same arena, Boss. You…”
Boom—
A kick landed squarely on the dark-skinned insect’s shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
“Fool, is this how you handle things?”
Ruby Modo, advanced in years, rarely lost her temper these days, but now she couldn’t hold back her anger.
She had climbed from obscurity to her current position entirely thanks to the guidance of that figure from the Imperial Star.
Not long ago, she had received an order from that powerful insect on the Imperial Star: to slowly torture the insect slave 2757, who had come from afar.
She didn’t know the origins of this insect slave, nor did she need to. Likely, it was just another unfortunate soul who had offended some noble. She had dealt with countless such insects.
As an exchange, the Sweet Home was starting to feel more like a private execution ground for the nobility.
But some things, she knew all too well, were best handled by simply following orders. Unnecessary curiosity would only cost her head. Some matters were better left unquestioned.
Recently, with all the troublesome orders from above and the private male insect she had acquired dying under her “care,” Ruby Modo had no outlet for her pent-up emotions.
The Sweet Home was far from the main Imperial Star, and under the chaotic order of the black market, she had played many male insects to death in the past. But as an A-grade female insect, her body craved more—those lower-grade specimens could no longer satisfy her desires.
She needed higher-grade male insects, but those esteemed gentlemen were all tightly guarded on the main planets. They were rare in remote stars and nearly impossible to obtain.
Just as she was lamenting the lack of good specimens, she heard that a male insect had practically been delivered to her doorstep only to learn it was on the verge of death. How could she not be furious?
“That lowly slave 2757 can be tortured in countless ways before finally being killed. Since the insect is already in the Sweet Home, where could it possibly escape to?”
Ruby Modo held the cigarette between two fingers while toying with a glass of wine in her other hand. As the glass turned, it reflected her increasingly darkened expression.
“You’re right, Boss. I’ve already sent insects to control the situation…”
“Get out of here now! What are you still babbling about? Now! Immediately! Right away! ‘Invite’ that male insect to my room.”
The cigarette in his hand was nearly burnt out, the crimson ember almost reaching his fingertips, but Rubi Modo made no move to extinguish it. Instead, a smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
He couldn’t wait to meet his new toy.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
The atmosphere in the arena was completely different from that of the top-floor room.
Carlos was locked in a standoff with Zelan, who had entered a state of violent insect transformation. This alone was already a major headache, but now an unexpected complication had arisen—his tail hook was exposed, revealing his identity as a male insect beyond any doubt. It was a disaster of epic proportions.
The only saving grace was that his silver mask remained intact. His cover wasn’t completely blown, and the mission wasn’t a total failure yet.
Carlos looked again at the female insect before him.
After entering this state, Zelan could no longer recognize who stood before her. The flying feathers on her back had launched one wave of attacks and then seemed to enter a kind of passive standby mode. Her body was as if frozen, remaining motionless with no follow-up actions.
She appeared exhausted, unable to launch any further attacks.
Every muscle in the female insect’s body seemed to tremble. The blood and sweat mingling on her face couldn’t hide the struggle etched across her features.
Zelan was fighting desperately to restrain herself, but the overwhelming power of the violent insect transformation would completely dominate her body, reducing her to little more than a walking corpse. The fact that she had only managed to tear Carlos’s robe was nothing short of a miracle.
Reason told Carlos he needed to put distance between himself and the female insect. Only by preserving his life could he keep his options open and plan his next move.
But…
“You must make me stop.”
The last words Zelan had spoken still echoed in his ears.
He had wanted to say it then that he would definitely do it.
The situation had been too urgent, and Carlos hadn’t even had the chance to utter those words.
All those years, he had been nothing but a liar. Now, when he finally wanted to keep a promise, he hadn’t even been able to say it out loud. How ironic.
But at least this time…
The female insect before him dragged her feet, step by step, closing the distance. Whether he would face flying feathers or sharp blades remained unknown.
He could even hear the roars from the spectators’ stands, their volume doubled. Those insects seemed to be shouting at him to run.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Carlos also lifted his foot.
Only, his direction was straight toward Zelan.
Male insects could provide mental soothing to female insects. This was common knowledge he had found in the data. For him, a former inhabitant of Blue Star, it was almost unimaginable.
But as long as there was a sliver of hope, he had to try.
“Zelan. Can you hear me?”
Carlos moved closer, step by step.
“Zelan.”
Under Carlos’s soft, repeated calls, the female insect’s movements slowed, and a few syllables escaped her lips.
“Uh…”
“Yes, just like that. Let’s take it slow, Zelan.”
Carlos gradually approached the female insect, gently wrapping an arm around her half-hunched waist.
“Zelan, no one here will hurt you.”
He didn’t know if Zelan could hear his voice, but her aggression was undoubtedly diminishing. As long as he continued like this, there was a chance of success.
“Zelan, be good…”
The female insect before him still had grayish-white eyes, but she gazed calmly at Carlos, finally showing signs of easing.
“Ah!”
The next second, the female insect let out a wail.
Before Carlos could react, the female insect collapsed weakly onto him.
“Good afternoon, esteemed male insect! Our boss has extended an invitation. Would you be so kind as to join us as a guest?”
An insect grabbed Carlos’s hand and smiled.