The reverence of the Zerg race for the dominance of desire is traceable.
When a female Zerg falls into a state of frenzy, if they can be released in this manner, it can also alleviate their suffering.
It is at this time that the male Zerg’s uniquely endowed small tail hook comes into play.
At the heart-shaped tip of the small tail hook, there is a tiny, nearly invisible pore. As he had done before, he could release toxins through the small tail hook, causing the female Zerg’s body to gradually weaken and abandon resistance.
Simultaneously, it functions bidirectionally, akin to a straw. Once the small tail hook pierces, it can swiftly draw in the fluid, alleviating the discomfort and pain brought on by the frenzy.
As for the side effects, that is a matter for later.
At this point, Carlos had no other choice.
He skillfully released the small tail hook hidden at his waist.
After the last incident, he now felt confident in his ability to manipulate it proficiently.
The heart-shaped, devilish small tail hook emerged from behind him. Having been restrained for so long, it finally saw the light of day, swaying a few times in the air.
Then, targeting the female Zerg’s face, the small tail hook charged forward like a runaway wild horse, even affectionately nuzzling against it.
Carlos: Alright, he took back his claim of being proficient—he and the small tail hook were not familiar at all.
Before manipulating the small tail hook to work, there was one more thing he had to do.
He had to make the female Zerg aroused.
As someone who had been single his whole life, Carlos found himself momentarily at a loss.
With one arm wrapped around the female Zerg, his other hand hovered in mid-air, hesitating to proceed.
The female Zerg’s current condition left no room for further hesitation or delay. Every wasted minute would cause irreversible damage to the female Zerg’s body.
Perhaps, it was just like playing the piano.
Thus, a certain inexpErionced novice made a hasty decision.
Carlos had always envied those children who could learn the piano from a young age. It was something he could never attain. Only after repaying his debts and earning money as an adult did he have the chance to fulfill this dream. Even if it was the cheapest kind, he had finally bought a piano of his own.
But every time he sat on the piano bench, he felt as though something was missing, leaving his heart empty.
It was something he could never reclaim, no matter how hard he tried to catch up.
He never expected that his amateurish skills would come in handy at a time like this.
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
At this moment, Carlos’s heart pounded like a drum, the sound of its frantic beating amplified infinitely.
His fingers moved gently, as if dancing on a miniature piano, their slender tips seemingly possessing the most magical power in the world.
When his hand pressed on the keys, each key was tightly connected to the piano body, causing the strings inside to tremble uncontrollably.
However, this was likely a piano whose sound was not particularly pleasant. Its tones were unlike those of the fine pianos in grand concert halls; even producing normal sounds seemed difficult for it.
This was a scarred piano, its melody hoarse and fragmented, each note squeezed out with difficulty.
At this moment, he no longer seemed to be in the cramped confinement room but rather in a forest at dawn, sitting on the piano bench, playing the most moving melody.
Under Carlos’s touch, every string in the piano body was stretched to its limit. With just a gentle movement of his hand, morning dew would seep from the strings, trembling as it fell.
Even if this piano wished to restrain its own voice, only it knew that such efforts were futile.
The instrument could not deceive; it always produced the most honest sounds under the player’s touch.
“Uh…”
In the haze of consciousness, a few syllables escaped from Zelan’s lips.
He weakly reached out, trying to grasp something, but could see nothing clearly and touch nothing solid.
Only when the strings were stretched taut to their limit did Carlos finally cease his movements.
Seizing the moment when the female insect was disoriented, Carlos hurriedly began to manipulate the small tail hook. It swayed its little heart-shaped tip in mid-air before darting straight toward its target.
Morning dew always drips from the stems and leaves.
Like a thirsty bee in a drought, the small tail hook clung to the leaf, drinking the dew, but that was not enough. It circled the flower stem until it found the most tender shoot, then hastily stopped.
Though this was its first venture out to gather nectar, it did not waste much time. Aiming at the slender entrance at the stem’s neck, it thrust its tail sting deeply, drawing the most fragrant nectar.
The small tail hook’s work needed to continue for a while. During this time, he had to restrain the female insect, preventing it from moving recklessly.
Carlos embraced the female insect, feeling the transfer of energy between their bodies.
“Zelan, it’ll be over soon.”
As if coaxing a child, Carlos gently stroked the female insect’s neck. The body beneath his hands trembled uncontrollably, but everything was moving in a positive direction.
“Stop… stop.”
The female insect in his arms suddenly uttered a complete sentence, startling Carlos.
He was thick-skinned, but not so thick that he could remain unperturbed at this moment. He quickly lowered his head to examine the female insect, seeing that Zelan still had his eyes tightly shut, and only then did he relax.
“Ah!”
Before Carlos could react, pain struck his shoulder once more.
The female insect had bitten his other shoulder.
Was Zelan a dog?! Why bite one shoulder and then seek symmetry by biting the other?
This time, however, the female insect’s agitated, insect-transformed sharp teeth did not revert, but the biting force was extremely light. Carlos’s clavicle and a small part of his neck could not escape the grip.
Under the teeth’s friction, his shoulder merely suffered some broken skin, covered entirely in saliva, with no serious harm.
It was… it was just a bit like a chew toy without dignity. Carlos suddenly thought, his mind wandering.
At this stage, Carlos observed the female insect’s condition. Zelan seemed to have opened his eyes, but it was still unclear whether he could recognize the insect.
“Zelan, are you awake now?”
Carlos waved in front of Zelan, then chose the most primitive method.
He gestured with his finger, showing a one.
“Zelan, look carefully, what number is this?”
Zelan’s vision was filled with light, but everything was blurry. The sky was below, the ground above, wings seemed to flutter everywhere, and silver-white long hair ran across his body.
He could not see the finger clearly now, let alone identify who the insect before him was. Driven by bodily instinct, he uttered the answer he most believed.
“Big… big lemon!”
Carlos held his forehead in pain. What nonsense was this?
The female insect’s condition had improved somewhat, but his body temperature had not dropped significantly, enough to burn an insect with fever.
If he continued, he could further alleviate the female insect’s suffering and ease Zelan’s agitated insect transformation.
Yet Carlos still couldn’t overcome that psychological barrier. Though it was merely a treatment method, it was also an act of extreme intimacy.
Earlier, when his small tail stinger had released venom into the female insect’s neck, it had shown some effect.
But now, to alleviate this level of violent insect transformation, the venom had to be released in the innermost and most vulnerable part of the female insect—the reproductive cavity.
Carlos hesitated in place. Just as he was about to retract his small tail stinger, a sharp pain suddenly shot through him.
“Hiss! My little ancestor.”
Zelan had actually grabbed Carlos’s small tail stinger, pulled it back, and then began gently rubbing it with his fingertips.
“Quick! Let go, let go!”
Carlos hurriedly pressed down on Zelan’s wrist, stopping the female insect’s unprecedented actions.
Zelan stared into Carlos’s eyes, still panting heavily, yet the strength in his grip didn’t lessen in the slightest.
Wrapped in the scent of lemon, his entire body felt warmth spreading from the tips of his toes all the way to the top of his head, mingling with the pain from his injuries. Even every feather seemed soaked in honey—a pain tinged with sweetness.
Instinct drove Zelan to continue.
“Don’t leave…”
“Keep going.”
Zelan’s movements with his palm didn’t stop either, as if encouraging something, yet also as if doing nothing at all. Though clearly committing mischief, he appeared utterly innocent.
Sigh. Carlos let out a heavy sigh.
“Since you said it yourself, don’t regret it.”
Carlos’s small tail stinger broke free from the female insect’s grasp and began swaying in the air once more. The long, devilish little tail was entirely black, looking exquisite and beautiful under the light, like the Creator’s most proud masterpiece.
He didn’t dare open his eyes, relying entirely on instinct to guide the small tail stinger, letting it slowly explore the place it needed to reach.
“It might hurt a bit. Bear with it.”
This was Carlos’s first time doing something like this, so he didn’t dare use too much force, afraid he might accidentally hurt the female insect in his arms.
“Mmm.”
Zelan’s throat could only manage a muffled whimper at that moment.
The small tail stinger began groping along a path it had never traveled before, filled with countless obstacles along the way. The slightest misstep could lead to failure.
Beads of sweat gradually appeared on Carlos’s forehead. He wasn’t faring well either.
The effects of the drug he had taken earlier hadn’t fully worn off, and now this was happening. It was like adding fuel to the fire, making a bad situation worse.
But the arrow was already on the bowstring; it had to be released.
The poor little tail stinger was nearly exhausted, panting heavily, before it finally reached its destination.
The venom was released in an instant.
Drip, drip.
Unbeknownst to Carlos, outside the window, a heavy rain seemed to have begun pouring down.
Rainwater cascaded from the sky, enveloping the entire Sweet Home in a curtain of rain.
Someone or something had opened a window in the restricted area, leaving a crack. But even that small gap was enough for the storm outside to sneak in.
On the windowsill sat a potted plant, forgotten there by someone.
It was a tender, snow-white little flower.
The rain mercilessly beat against the window, wetting the sill and dampening the petals of the little flower. Rainwater slid down the petals, completely absorbed by the soil in the pot.
This timely rain was the best nourishment for a little flower.
Perhaps only when the storm ended could this little flower unfurl its petals once more.
The sound of rain still hadn’t ceased.
“Relax, don’t resist me.”
A voice lingered in Zelan’s ears—he remembered this voice.
Though somewhat hoarse now, it was not unpleasant. Each time it sounded, it was like a ray of sunlight breaking through, always warming the insect’s heart.
Zelan stood on the isolated island, letting the rain and lemon blossoms fall upon him.
The rain grew heavier, and the sea level outside the island gradually rose, slowly submerging Zelan’s ankles, then his knees. His consciousness, too, was gradually engulfed in the seawater, drifting deeper into his memories.
“You wretched insect! Who taught you to defy your sire?”
Zelan was slapped to the ground.
For a female insect like him, the force wasn’t particularly strong, but it came so suddenly that the six-year-old Zelan was caught off guard.
Zelan struggled to get up from the ground and looked at the insect who had struck him.
It was his sire.
“Give my dam back to me!”
The little Zelan, despite being hit, did not give up. He glared at his sire, his anger fueling his courage anew.
Ignoring the red handprint on his face and the blood seeping from his ear, he took a running start and charged at the male insect.
With a thud, little Zelan successfully bit his sire. However, being too young, his body was still undeveloped, and his jumping ability was insufficient—he only managed to bite the male insect’s wrist.
“Wretched insect, let go!”
His sire grabbed his hair and pulled, but little Zelan had clamped down on his target with all his might, making it difficult to pry him off.
It wasn’t until a clump of Zelan’s hair was forcibly torn out and his strength was nearly exhausted that he fell to the ground. He spat out a piece of flesh from the male insect’s wrist.
“It was you! You killed my dam! Give him back to me!”
Little Zelan repeated these words like an emotionless machine.
His dam had gently lulled him to sleep just the night before, but after entering his sire’s room, he never came out again.
Zelan had heard loud noises from that room. The sound of heavy objects falling and faint, almost inaudible screams.
At the time, he didn’t know what was happening. He pressed against the door, hoping his dam would come out to see him one last time.
All he received in the end was a dismissive statement: “Your dam is dead.”
Little Zelan slumped to the ground, preparing to gather strength for another attack, when his body suddenly felt weightless.
He was lifted into the air by his sire.
“You little wretch, you’ve got quite the nerve! If you don’t suffer a bit, you’ll never learn who your sire is!”
Splash—
Zelan was thrown into the garden pond.
Overwhelming water engulfed him, countless streams rushing into his mouth and nose.
At six years old, Zelan had never learned to swim.
He struggled, releasing the five pairs of wings on his back, trying to break through the water’s surface by flapping them.
But as a member of the plume moth tribe, they disliked water—it was their natural enemy.
The five small white wings were instantly swallowed by the water the moment they were released. The wet feathers became a heavy burden, dragging him step by step deeper into the water.
Little Zelan remembered his dam’s words: the more critical the situation, the calmer you must be.
Relying on instinct, he retracted his wings into their sacs and paddled fiercely with his limbs.
That night, he learned to swim.
Xiao Zelan knelt on the grass, coughing up water, his internal organs burning and stinging with pain, yet he did not cry.
It wasn’t until the old butler, who had been away, returned and wrapped him in a white towel that Zelan finally shed a tear.
The old butler had once told him that even after he was gone, there would surely be another insect who would reach out to pull him up and give him a hug.
All these years had passed, and Zelan remained submerged in the gray seawater that never seemed to fade.
But this time, a pair of hands caught him.