Chapter 50 As long as there are no expectations, he can…
When Ai Ying reached out to touch the ice crystals on Norman's shoulder blade, she felt his body involuntarily flinch.
But only for a moment.
Soon, he forced himself to stretch out, exposing all his physical weaknesses to her gaze.
Whether it's the fatal weakness in the neck and in front of the insect core, or the shoulder blades already overflowing with ice crystals...
They were all harmlessly displayed before her.
Looking at Norman with his eyes tightly closed and his thick eyelashes trembling, Ai Ying's anger, which had already dissipated by half, subsided further.
She suddenly realized:
Norman thought... she would attack him.
Given the Lord Bug's immense energy and pain tolerance, he probably felt that the harm she inflicted on him would exceed his limit.
Even so, he did not back down an inch.
He stood there with his head tilted back, eyes tightly shut, waiting with a mixture of fear and unwavering loyalty for her next move.
An action that was destined to hurt him.
A complex emotion flickered in Ai Ying's eyes.
Norman reminded her of some foolish Gu worms in modern times who had been harmed by their masters.
But no matter how their owners hurt them, they will still choose to believe when their owners reach out.
She sighed silently in her heart, her fingertips gently touching Norman's shoulder blade, the Gu technique 'Healing' gently healing his battered body.
She didn't know what this insect had been through.
but--
Since she saw it, it must be her insect.
Her insects don't need to be anxious, they don't need to be careful, and they won't be harmed by her.
Even though he will make mistakes, it's enough for her to guide him properly.
She could sense that this insect was not inherently bad.
Thinking of this, Ai Ying's eyes filled with a gentle doting affection.
Norman felt the warmth surging through his body, opened his eyes, and stared blankly at the king in front of him with his lake-green pupils.
When he met those black eyes that showed no disgust or violence, only gentleness, his lifeless worm core suddenly throbbed slightly.
He could feel his body, which was so damaged that it was almost impossible to continue, being repaired little by little.
Norman's thick eyelashes fluttered in confusion:
The king...did not kill him.
The king is expending his own energy... to heal his body.
He didn't understand why the king would do that.
But he also knew that the king's personality was always unpredictable; one second he could elevate him to the clouds, and the next he could mercilessly cast him into hell.
But he couldn't control the thoughts in his insect brain at all.
Even knowing that he might be harmed and punished by the king soon, he still couldn't help but cherish this moment of warmth.
At this moment, Norman no longer even anticipated the demise he had been waiting for for so long.
He wanted to live.
I want to see more of Wang.
After Ai Ying felt that Norman's superficial injuries had been healed by her 'healing', she released her hand from his shoulder blade.
She looked into his fragile yet obedient lake-green eyes and sighed silently.
Her voice no longer held the anger it had when she first summoned him; she asked calmly:
Why attack Planet Fuli?
Did he not know that with his physical condition, he might die from energy dissipation after attacking Planet Fuli?
Doesn't he know that attacking Fuli Star would bring him nothing but harm?
Norman stared at the king before him, not even daring to blink.
He answered seriously:
"On Planet Fuli, there is an Eye of Life."
"Norman wants to dedicate the Eye of Life to you."
He wanted to offer the king one last treasure with his life before he died.
Upon hearing his answer, Ai Ying couldn't help but sigh.
Norman stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment after hearing the king sigh.
The shadow of seeing insects being tortured and killed after his birth spread uncontrollably from the depths of his insect core.
In his insect brain, angering the king was equated with being punished to death.
He lowered his head, gathering all his energy, and waited anxiously for the king's next punishment.
Ai Ying also sensed Norman's unease.
She reached out, placed her fingertips on his chin, and slowly applied pressure to make him lift his head.
No matter what had happened, she would tell him seriously the mistakes he had made.
Spoiling an insect is actually a deeper form of harm.
She watched as Norman's body stiffened slightly after she touched him, then instantly forced itself to relax. Suppressing her soft heart, she said in a serious voice:
"Norman."
"I dislike war, and I especially dislike seeing insects injured and killed because of it."
Upon hearing the king's words, panic and coldness spread through the Norman worm's core:
The king disliked war.
However, he went against the king's wishes and led the insectoid race to attack the planet Fuli.
No wonder Wang was so angry when he first called his voice.
Even though the king's preferences were completely different from those in his bloodline memories, he still had no doubts.
The insect that angers the king must, of course, be subjected to a cruel punishment that will deter other insects from repeating the same mistake.
Wang Neng explained the reason for his punishment, and he already felt extremely happy.
He looked at the king before him, his light-colored eyelashes trembling slightly:
Norman admits his mistake.
"Norman is willing to accept any punishment."
He was willing to die a bloody death, just like the insects he saw at birth, as long as it would stop the king from being angry.
Ai Ying originally thought that Norman would, like the other lord insects, sincerely admit his mistake and promise not to do it again.
Since no real damage was caused, she could easily move on from this matter.
She hadn't expected that his first reaction after learning she disliked war would be to accept punishment.
The panic emanating from his insect core suggests that the punishment he speaks of is far from mild, perhaps even severe enough to instill fear in all insects.
She frowned slightly:
What kind of environment did Norman grow up in?
Why does he think that anyone who makes a mistake will be severely punished?
Ai Ying frowned slightly, her voice still serious, but much gentler than before:
"You weren't around before, so it's normal that you don't know my preferences."
Ignorance is no excuse.
Seeing that Norman's eyes were slightly widened, as if he didn't understand what she was saying, she lightly tapped his forehead:
"Don't do it again next time."
"Do you understand?"
Norman nodded blankly.
He blinked sluggishly, feeling his body being repaired by the energy Wang had used.
He suddenly realized that this king seemed to be a little different from the previous king.
Within his desolate and lifeless worm core, something tiny sprout seemed to have emerged.
However, he still managed to suppress them completely.
The shadow of the dead insects he saw after his birth made him afraid to have any expectations.
As long as he has no expectations, he can always calmly await the punishment and death that may come at any time.
After 'teaching' Norman a lesson, Ai Ying finally had the mind to continue looking at the current situation outside the energy window.
Now that she has come here, there will be no more war.
She rested her chin on her hand, as if she had thought of something, and turned to look at Fedorock not far away:
"If I remember correctly, Planet Fuli should be adjacent to your territory?"
Upon hearing the king's question, Fiedlock quickly responded:
"Yes, Merton, which is next to Fuli Star, is the territory of Fidellock."
Ai Ying said lazily upon hearing this:
"Since we're so close, let's go to your territory first."
Fiedlock's eyes were filled with surprise, and the black energy around him overflowed happily like dancing black smoke.
He nodded vigorously and said:
"yes!"
"Fidlock, go and prepare!"
Horace glared fiercely at the excited Fiedlock:
Bad bugs, bad bugs, bad bugs!!
The king was originally going to his territory!
He blinked his eyes, looking aggrieved.
The king couldn't be wrong, so the one who must be wrong is Fiedlock, who seduced the king into changing his mind!
Ugh, ugh, ugh! Ugh, ugh!
Fiedlock was the insect he would hate the most from then on!
Isaiah was also very jealous of Fiedlock.
But looking at Horace's expression, a strange sense of joy rose in his worm brain.
Even if Horace is cunning and has schemed so much, what good is it?!
Didn't the king abandon him and choose to go to Fedorok's territory?
Only Savile was completely oblivious to the undercurrents raging among the Lord Insects.
The first place the king visited was his territory.
All the lord insects, no matter how fiercely they fight, are only fighting for second place.
He felt a tiny joy within the insect core, his deep blue eyes filled with self-consolation:
It doesn't matter that he wasn't favored by the king.
He has already gained so much.
This warmth is enough.
That was enough for him to watch as the king bestowed the tenderness that rightfully belonged to him upon the bodies of other insects.
Before the starship started, Ai Ying glanced out the energy window and saw a swarm of insects watching her starship with pious anticipation. Her fingertips twitched.
Now that her Gu techniques have improved, she can heal the wounds on these insects as well.
In any case, the Zerg territory is vast and sparsely populated with Zerg.
These insects can also roam freely in Fidelock's territory.
Thinking of this, she said softly:
"Norman."
"Let all the insects in your territory follow."
A hint of surprise flashed in Norman's eyes, but he quickly relayed the King's order to every insect outside the starship.
A swarm of hairy insects didn't even glance at the terrified Fuzhi tribesmen below.
They all happily skipped and jumped away from there with the starship.
The gloomy sky gradually brightened as the Zerg departed.
The Fuzhi tribe members, who thought they were doomed, looked up at the bright and clear sky, still not daring to move.
After a long while, when the aura of the surrounding insectoids began to dissipate, they finally realized what had happened:
The Zerg... are gone?!
They originally thought that Furi Star and even the entire surrounding star system would be destroyed by the Zerg.
But... nothing happened?!
The tangled branches on the head of the Fuzhi tribe finally unfurled, but disbelief still lingered in his eyes:
The Zerg, they just left like that?!
The Zerg have always been a group of unreasonable, fearless madmen.
Whenever they set out, the planets they visit are left barren and devoid of all their treasures.
In hundreds of years, there has never been a bizarre incident where a group of Zerg swarmed out, did nothing, and then left.
The clan chief of the Fuzhi tribe took a deep breath and said solemnly:
"Continue the curfew for three more days."
If Fuli Star is still alive three days later.
Then they are truly safe!
In a neighboring galaxy, the Feathered Beast Clan members observing the war scene quickly reported the progress of the situation to the Beast King.
Upon hearing his words, the Beast King's eyes widened like copper bells:
"What did you say?"
"The Zerg are gone?!!"
"They left without killing a single member of the Fuzhi tribe?!"
This was even more outrageous to him than the fact that the Zerg lord Isaiah had to pay Starcoins to buy Feather Iron.
With a sudden effort, he accidentally plucked a golden feather from the back of his hand, causing him to hiss in pain.
The Beast King snapped back to his senses, his face turning serious as he said:
Something must have happened!
"Otherwise, the Zerg would never have come out in such a grand manner, only to leave in such a sorry state without doing anything."
But what exactly happened?
The Beast King's beast brain struggled to turn twice:
This time, the Zerg's actions were exceptionally unusual.
And the last time, the incident of Isaiah paying with star coins was also extremely bizarre.
So many days have passed, and Isaiah still hasn't thought about getting those star coins back.
Is there any connection between these two?
As if he had just thought of something, the Beast King suddenly clapped his hands.
He looked at his people and instructed them:
"Go and find out the human empire's reaction from the beast scouts."
"Humans are cunning; they must know something inside!"
The tribesmen's eyes lit up, their faces filled with reverence for the Beast King's unparalleled intelligence:
"Yes, sir!"
Inside the palace of the human empire.
A long conference table was filled with people sitting on both sides.
Emperor Nergard Landis sat in the main seat.
The dukes and nobles sat on one side of the conference table.
The military commanders sat on the other side of the conference table.
The expressions on everyone's faces were unusually serious.
They all received news of the Zerg's retreat from Flystar.
What terrifies humanity most is not the powerful Zerg, but the unknown.
Although the Zerg have always been powerful, their thinking has been very simple, and humans can easily understand their thoughts.
For example, this time they sent troops to obtain the Eye of Life on Planet Fuli and offer it to the Insect Queen.
But they didn't obtain the Eye of Life at all, so why did they retreat completely?
What made them suddenly make such a strange decision?
Emperor Nergard glanced at the knight commander behind him and recalled the message he had received that day.
It seems that the news is most likely true.
His golden pupils swept authoritatively across each person's face, observing their expressions:
"What if an insect commands them to leave?"
"How is that possible?"
A duke couldn't help but speak first:
"Your Majesty, the one leading the Zerg to attack Fuli Star this time is the Zerg Lord."
"How could any insect possibly command a lord insect?"
The leading general frowned, and he said decisively:
"The known Zerg lords have a tense relationship; they rarely even communicate, let alone give orders."
"There's definitely no way there could be any insects that could influence the actions of a Zerg Overlord."
Seeing that everyone was indeed completely bewildered and had no idea what the 'insect' he was talking about meant, the emperor finally began to have some trust in the Joint Military Academy and the Knight Commander's ability to keep secrets.
Although the United Military Academy has a large number of students, they managed to keep the news of the Queen's birth a secret for so long, which can be considered as passing his test.
He also knew that keeping it a secret until now was almost the limit of human nature.
Fortunately, the knights, who are loyal only to the Landis family, have already discovered some unusual behavior by the Zerg.
With this Zerg retreat, it's almost certain...
The emperor dropped a bomb in a deep voice:
"The queen insect has been born."
"How is this possible?!" The general who had just spoken stood up in disarray, his voice losing its usual composure. "So many researchers in the Empire have conducted countless probes, and every single time the result is—"
"The current Zerg no longer have the possibility of producing a Zerg queen gene sequence."
"From the moment the last Queen died, the extinction of the Zerg was already destined."
"How is this possible..."
Suddenly, a queen insect was born, defying science and common sense.
Although the others did not speak, they all shared the same thought.
The emperor instructed the knight commander to list all the unusual events that had occurred with the Zerg during this period.
The others listened to the unusual behavior of these insectoids, their expressions changing several times before finally settling on a deathly pale look.
Over the years, they had long been preparing for the demise of the Zerg and for the human empire to dominate the interstellar space.
But now, they suddenly realize that the Zerg may not be extinct.
The thought of the Zerg's power and terror weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
The emperor raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully to everyone:
"Is the birth of the Queen of Insects truly only beneficial to the Zerg?"
I don't think so.
...
By the time the meeting ended, everyone's expression had improved considerably.
Upon returning to his temporary palace, Duke Dirk finally dropped the feigned worry on his face.
The birth of the queen insect is something the military needs to worry about.
As long as the empire exists and the emperor remains, he will always be a duke and will not need to care about the war between humans and the Zerg.
Seeing the illegitimate son cowering slightly in the palace, he said in a deep voice:
"What kind of cowardly behavior is this!"
Kenneth quickly straightened up and said respectfully and obsequiously:
"Father."
“That’s more like it.” Duke Deke looked at his son, who was now nominally his only heir, and nodded in satisfaction. “You are my true bloodline, the child born to General Visera. Be more confident and magnanimous, understand?”
When he spoke of General Versella, his voice was filled with barely suppressed disgust.
Fortunately, she is already dead.
He was finally free from her control and could do what he wanted without worry.
Hearing his father's words, Kenneth stammered, "But Charlotte..."
Duke Decker interrupted him coldly: "Everyone knows she's just a 'fake' duke's daughter of unknown blood who has enjoyed wealth and luxury for so many years!"
"What are you worried about with such a counterfeit product?"
At this point, Duke Decker sneered: "Besides, how could she possibly survive in the territory of the Zerg?"
"Perhaps she has already gone to see her mother."
Upon hearing his words, the unease in Kenneth's eyes finally dissipated.
Yes, how could Charlotte possibly be alive on Zerg territory?
In the third branch of the human empire's army.
As an officer who had been promoted to lieutenant, Charlotte silently pressed her arm, which had just been healed in the treatment chamber.
This is the army her mother once led, and the only place that can provide her with a new identity, allowing her to gradually gain power and find evidence to bring down her father's crimes.
Thinking of the evidence she had found, Charlotte looked down at her arm, which was now completely uninjured:
Not enough, she wanted to go even faster.
She wants to reclaim her rightful identity and seize power.
Only in this way can she do what she wants to do, avenge her mother, and protect those she wants to protect.
With that thought in mind, she accepted the dangerous mission assigned to her by the major without any expression.
No matter how dangerous her mission was, it could never compare to Ai Ying's struggle to survive in front of the Zerg lord.
She took a deep breath and walked resolutely toward the command center.
Meanwhile, Ai Ying had already arrived at the center of Fidelock's territory—Merton Star.
The planet wasn't too different from what she had imagined.
All insects prioritize training themselves in their living environment, without considering the comfort level of the environment at all.
The planet was shrouded in darkness.
Her mental power allowed her to see the black rock crystals that rose and fell about three to five meters around her.
The land and rocks on this planet are incredibly hard.
There is no food, no plants, no color other than black, and no life.
Only insects.
The lower insects live here, searching for crystals within the hard rock.
Find the best crystals and offer them to the king.
At the very center of the planet, a crystalline insect hive carved from top-grade rock crystal gleams faintly in the darkness.
Just a quick glance is enough to tell how much the insects have sacrificed to build their nests.
Ai Ying felt somewhat helpless.
No matter how many times, she may never get used to the insects' one-sided, limitless giving.
Under Fidlock's respectful guidance, she walked step by step toward the insect hive.
She needs to think carefully about how to make the insects here live a better life.
*
After the king went to rest.
Fidelock, Savile, and Isaiah looked at the new Lord Worm Norman with different expressions, but a hint of wariness lingered in each of their Worm cores.
They felt that Norman was too indifferent; although he was loyal to the king, he lacked the excitement and ecstasy that normal insects should have.
It was as if there was a thin membrane separating him from everything around him.
Of course, the reason they disliked him was even more because he did things that the king disliked.
Because of the king's constant admonitions, they did not do anything to Norman, but simply kept their distance from him.
Only Horace kept staring fiercely at Norman.
During the time the starship flew to Fidlock's territory, his worm brain finally caught up.
It was certainly wrong of Frederick to not refuse the king's decision to descend upon Frederick's territory.
But the real culprit was Norman, who started the war and forced the king to go to the planet Free!
If the king hadn't gone to Planet Free, why would he have chosen to settle in Fidelock's territory, which is closest to Planet Free?
If it weren't for Norman, the King might already be resting in the insect hive he built!
Horace grew angrier the more he thought about it.
But he dared not disobey the king's orders and fight with the other insects.
He could only storm past Norman, 'accidentally' bumping into him seven times.
Norman was pushed back step by step by Horace, but he never gave Horace any reaction.
He watched his movements silently, quietly enduring the bruises from the impact, without uttering a word.
Finally, after Horace had vented his anger, a faint, almost imperceptible sense of guilt began to stir within the insect core:
He thought he would go to Wang to complain...
However, remembering that it was because of him that Wang Cai hadn't gone to his territory, he raised his head and left angrily.
Norman watched his bright, energetic back view, then slowly lowered his head, no longer wanting to look.
He could sense the trust these lord insects placed in their king.
He could sense that they were captivated by the king's tenderness.
They all regarded the king as their everything.
They all felt that the king...would not harm them.
Sadness surfaced in the green pupils of Lake Norman:
If one day they witness the king's rage, see mountains of insect corpses, and witness themselves being rejected and punished by the king.
Will they lose their current brightness and happiness?
The pain and despair of losing something you've already gained will be even greater for the insect.
But……
Norman reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder blade, which had been healed by the king, a silent sorrow emanating from him:
It would be fine as long as there are no expectations.
All I had to do was be a loyal insect, obediently waiting for whatever the king gave me, whether it was pain or pleasure.
But--
It's so difficult.
In the vast study, Norman was like a lost blue butterfly.
He stubbornly confined himself in his cocoon.
I will not look, I will not listen, I will not ask.
Just wait.
Even he himself didn't know what he was waiting for.
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Author's Note: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to my dearest, most adorable, wonderful, beautiful, and kind readers!!!
I'm giving out red envelopes to all my little angels today, love you all~~
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