Without the constraints of the hours designated by Chris, Winslow performed mental grooming from morning until night. He handled nearly all the military insects returning from the battlefield, yet he remained full of energy.
Chris’s emotions shifted from initial worry to shock and admiration, finally settling into numbness. He realized he had indeed underestimated Lord Winslow’s strength. However, the stubborn military insect still believed that overworking like this was not ideal.
An entire day of mental grooming passed, yet Winslow still had not found his limit. At this point, after Winslow finished grooming a green-haired military insect, the persistent Chris politely suggested it was dinner time. Winslow could only stop with a sense of regret. Nevertheless, today’s results were excellent; he had converted and absorbed a significant amount of energy. Furthermore, with the Marshal’s prior approval, Chris would no longer obstruct his long grooming sessions.
Thinking of Samuel, Winslow’s gaze drifted toward the handsome military insect in the silver-gray uniform nearby. However, the usually sharp Samuel did not immediately sense Winslow’s gaze this time. He had been distracted since the moment Winslow retracted that little white snake.
A species that only existed in books, the cool, lingering sensation of it wrapped around his neck still felt faintly present, capturing the attention of a Marshal who usually only cared about official business.
The three of them soon left the mental grooming room. Winslow politely declined Chris’s invitation to dinner, softly stating he would eat in his room. He nodded to the two insects, turned, and left faster than usual, leaving the accessories on his silver-white formal suit swaying in his wake.
If he did not leave now, he would not be able to keep his little white snake contained.
For some reason, even though it was a part of his spiritual manifestation, this little white snake was somewhat different from him. It seemed to especially like the Zerg Marshal, constantly transmitting thoughts of wanting to go up and nuzzle him, making Winslow feel a bit embarrassed to be seen.
It was a sin.
Returning quickly to his room, Winslow released the little white snake and headed straight to the bathroom. Having seen so many military insects today, his body was covered in dust from the constant movement. He needed to wash up before eating and resting.
By the bedside, the little white snake, which had been tossed haphazardly onto the mattress, slowly crawled up. Its red eyes glanced toward the bathroom where its master was bathing, then it turned and slowly crawled toward the door.
On the other side, strong military insects could go many days without eating, so Samuel did not join Chris for dinner. He bid a plain farewell to his Colonel and returned to the room the military district had prepared for the Marshal. He planned to handle the accumulated official business. Even if he was not on the main planet, work could not be ignored; in just a few days, it had already piled up like a mountain.
Before starting work, the clean-loving Samuel prepared to take a shower as usual. Inside the steam-filled bathroom, the tall, handsome young commander took off his silver-gray uniform, revealing firm, well-defined muscles.
Samuel did not use the quick robot system for a one-click bath. When time permitted, he preferred the traditional flow of water. It was one of the few moments he could truly clear his mind.
The cool stream of water sprayed down, caught by the military insect’s sturdy frame, flowing along the sharp lines of his muscles and splashing around his feet.
By nature, the Zerg did not like excessively hot water. Males, with their delicate and precious bodies, used lukewarm water, while females preferred it ice-cold.
Samuel ran a hand through his short, sharp black hair, slicking it back. Guided by the water, his full, smooth forehead and sharp brow line were revealed. He lifted his head slightly, letting the cool droplets hit his face. His wandering thoughts began to focus, turning toward the Male who had performed the mental grooming today and his little white snake.
He had never let go of his suspicions regarding Winslow. A Male of unknown origin, an untraceable identity, and a mental grooming ability so powerful it was almost perverse, Samuel could not ignore these facts. As the Marshal of the Zerg Federation, he bore the responsibility of protecting the race. Logically, any suspicious insect should be executed immediately or locked in prison. Yet, surprisingly, Samuel had not done so this time.
The cool water blurred his vision. He was unsure why he had experienced this sudden softness or whether sparing this Male would bring harm to the Zerg. This was the first time he had failed to react with decisive action.
Samuel slowly closed his eyes. The water hit his eyelids and lashes, weighing down the slightly curled tips. Under the collision of the cold stream and the military insect’s hot body, the bathroom became even more mist-filled and blurred, much like his current state of mind.
Deep in his confused thoughts, Marshal Samuel did not notice an uninvited guest in his room.
After slowly leaving Winslow’s room, the little white snake crawled toward Samuel’s quarters. Taking advantage of the fact that no insect could see it, and utilizing its spiritual ability to phase through walls without being touched, it easily followed the scent it had liked earlier today all the way to Samuel’s room.
At this moment, Samuel was still in the shower, his thoughts split between his next moves. First was the conflict on the border planet; he needed to resolve it once and for all during this visit to avoid future troubles. In such a tense situation, as the Marshal, he should be stationed on the main planet. Second was this Male of unknown origin. He could not allow him to remain on the border planet; it was too dangerous. If the Male was truly a spy sent by the Sky Wings, given his powerful mental strength, it would be a major crisis if he collaborated with them from the inside after Samuel returned to the main planet. Therefore, he had to take this Male with him back to the main planet.
Regardless of identity or purpose, keeping him under his own eyes was the best choice.
The little white snake circled the living room. Its emotionless red pupils swept over the layout, which was nearly identical to Winslow’s room. Noticing no one was in the living room, it slowly crawled toward the sound of the bathroom.
In the steam-shrouded bathroom, Samuel pulled his thoughts back. He had been showering for a long time, far exceeding his usual duration. It seemed the matter of the Male had a significant impact on him. He blinked his dark-red eyes, reached out to turn off the showerhead, and turned to activate the robot system to dry his damp body.
As he turned, Samuel’s eyes instantly sharpened. There was something in his bathroom! He had only just noticed! Samuel quickly heightened his senses and, sensing something, looked down. There, he saw the little white snake, dampened by the puddles on the floor that had not yet been dried.
Samuel’s sharp gaze instantly softened. He looked expressionlessly at this little white snake belonging to the Male, feeling a hint of confusion. He wondered how it had gotten in. Then he remembered the snake’s ability to remain invisible to other military insects; if it could do that, it was not surprising it could crawl in here.
While Samuel looked down at the snake, the snake tilted its head, looking up to observe the tall military insect before it, an insect it found quite delicious.
Two pairs of red eyes met for a long time. The little white snake moved first. As it approached the military insect, it could more strongly sense the scent that attracted it.
It shook the water off its body unsuccessfully and continued to crawl forward unbothered. Samuel remained still, watching the snake crawl from half a meter away to his ankle, and then continue upward.
The moment he first saw the snake, conspiracy theories had flickered in Samuel’s mind. He suspected the Male had sent it. But almost the next second, he dismissed the thought. A Male controlling a snake was unheard of. Besides, this little white snake did not look particularly bright.
Samuel, unaware that Winslow was a Guide rather than a Zerg Male and that the snake was a spiritual body rather than a common pet, thought carelessly. He did not stop the little white snake as it climbed up his sturdy, long leg. Based on its actions in the mental grooming room today, he assumed it intended to wrap around his neck again, like marking its territory.
Recalling the cool touch against his neck from earlier, a hidden sliver of anticipation even welled up in Samuel’s heart.
Under Samuel’s tacit permission, the seemingly unintelligent little white snake continued to climb. It climbed and climbed, but then it stopped halfway. It seemed to have smelled a place that was even more fragrant.