Chapter 51 Sharing a Bed "He's talking about...his brother?"...
Unfortunately, the wound wasn't large, and Murphy didn't have to enjoy it for long before it was almost completely healed.
He was about to say something when he saw the silver-haired beauty in front of him stand up straight, throw the healing potion back into his hand, and then casually open his wardrobe, grab a set of pajamas, and go into the bathroom.
These movements were so fluid and seamless that Murphy blinked, not even having time to say a few words.
Ugh... I've been ignored.
In the bathroom, Atia let the hot water wash over her entire body. Thanks to the high-level healing potion, the wounds on her body had completely disappeared. If it weren't for the paleness from blood loss, it would be as if the battle had never happened.
A lot has happened lately. He let out a long breath, his face expressionless, but his eyes betrayed his exhaustion.
First, they searched several planets in succession, but they were still a step too late in dealing with Walsh. Then, they tried to kill the culprit who dug out the Walsh bug core, but were instead captured by this strange male bug and taken home.
Hot water trickled down his beautiful silver hair, and a hazy mist partially obscured his face. He lowered his eyes, suppressing all his emotions.
He must pull himself together as soon as possible.
After a quick wash, the silver-haired female insect came out wearing slightly oversized pajamas. The black-haired male insect was still squatting in the same spot, motionless, holding up his wrecked hand as if he were in a daze.
Attia didn't look at him, but walked straight past him and lay down on the bed, taking up almost only a corner of the bed, leaving a large space for Murphy.
Even though I know it might not be very effective, I still have to show my attitude.
The silver-haired beauty slowly turned to the side, leaving her back and the back of her head to Murphy.
A short while later, after the sounds of simple washing up, another insect crawled up from the other side of the bed.
However, this time, Murphy obediently slept on his territory, without moving, so obedient that the silver-haired female insect became somewhat suspicious.
But then he thought, why am I always so concerned about Murphy? In any case, he is no match for the insect, and he can't stop it from doing whatever it wants. Thinking too much is useless.
So he buried his head and went to sleep properly, not giving Murphy any chance to disturb him.
Murphy lay flat on his back, his dark, gold-patterned eyes blinking repeatedly, showing no sign of falling asleep.
It wasn't long before the atmosphere around him became calm and natural. Without any hesitation, Murphy rolled around on the bed twice and snuggled up to Atia, then tucked him into his arms.
He squinted his eyes contentedly, as if he had finally found the missing piece in himself.
A pretty little butterfly, his.
You must guard it carefully, or it will escape.
Whether it was due to blood loss or something else, Little Butterfly was very cold, and almost automatically clung to any heat source it sensed.
Murphy pulled the blanket over him, leaving only his head sticking out.
Hmm, that's good, it's warm and cozy.
...
The next day, Atia was forced to dawdle until almost noon before arriving at the cabin, mainly because the two insects had clearly been far apart the night before, but this morning they were huddled together—
Atia's mind slowly cleared. Before she even opened her eyes, she felt that the aura around her was abnormally strong. She felt that no matter how she breathed, she could only be immersed in this aura.
The constant warmth coming from his back, the hand on his waist, and the shallow breathing above his head made him instantly realize his situation.
However, Atia had only one feeling in his heart: "I knew it." The insect was being quiet, it must be up to something. It was strange that it was so well-behaved last night.
Moreover, the male insect's height was as strange as its strength. He didn't consider himself short, yet he could be completely encircled by this insect. Did he grow up by eating growth potions?
Atia tentatively moved his leg, only to find it tightly clamped and difficult to break free. The intense heat emanating from the tough leg muscles made him want to shrink back and hide.
Atia tentatively tried to pry the hand around her waist, but found that she couldn't budge it no matter what she did.
The hand even gently caressed and kneaded his sensitive waist, the tingling and itchy sensation penetrating his skin and reaching his brain almost instantly, making him tremble and lose his strength.
"Let go." His voice was cold and hard, yet it still carried a hint of unnatural softness.
Now, what could he not understand? The insect had clearly been awake for a long time, but it hadn't spoken, watching him try to probe in vain.
That's absolutely awful.
Finally, a sticky, pleasant melody came from behind.
"Baby, you're so cute."
Atiya felt the arms around him tighten even more, as if he were suddenly embedded in an embrace. The intense aura surrounding him enveloped him, and the burning heat emanated from where their skin touched, giving him the illusion that their bones were pressed tightly together.
He frowned and was about to make a move when he noticed that a certain insect was sucking a mouthful of blood from his head like a pervert.
Attiyah: ...
Atia, unable to bear it any longer, suddenly raised her long leg to launch an attack. Just then, the wicked black-haired male insect released its grip, rolled backward twice, and raised its hands in a gesture of surrender, saying, "I'm letting go."
He blinked his eyes, as if to say, "Don't hit me if you let go," looking incredibly irritating.
The silver-haired beauty paused, glared at him fiercely, then turned and got out of bed without looking at him again.
Murphy lay flat on the bed, looking at the beautiful little butterfly wrapped in his clothes. He could still feel the soft touch and faint warmth of her body in his hand. The mixed atmosphere around him was a little unfamiliar than usual, but it didn't feel bad.
Is this what it feels like to keep a pet butterfly at home?
I love it.
...
After agreeing to a few unequal treaties, Attiyah was able to return to Walsh's hut as he wished.
There were two figures attacking each other rapidly, and even though they were so fast that they were just afterimages, Atia immediately recognized them as Palmer and Walsh.
Walsh's movements were somewhat hesitant at first, but became increasingly fluid and powerful later on.
It doesn't resemble a female insect that has lost its nucleus at all.
The fight didn't end until Walsh was knocked away by Palmer.
Palmer pulled Walsh to his feet, while Walsh smiled at Attiyah, who had been standing behind Palmer for who knows how long.
"Big Bug, you've finally arrived."
Walsh breathed a huge sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "If you hadn't come soon, Palmer would probably have been preparing to gather the whole army. Thank goodness, I've already tried to persuade you countless times this morning."
He saw the legion commander, a worm with red pupils, looking at him with a strange expression.
"Walsh, you..."
Walsh mistakenly thought that the Legion Commander was not satisfied with his situation, so he scratched his head embarrassedly, "My recovery is still not enough. Before, I could at least manage a draw against Palmer, but now I've been completely defeated. I will continue to work hard."
Even so, Walsh was not frustrated, because he felt that his mind had never been so calm and his strength had never been so abundant. He felt as if he had been reborn, and given time, he would soon be able to recover and even surpass his previous level.
Atia had already sensed something was amiss. His friend had shown obvious signs of exhaustion the next day, even struggling to stand up, while Walsh seemed more energetic. Was it because he had returned the insect core, or...?
He instinctively turned his gaze to the black-haired male insect.
Is his treatment real?
The black-haired male insect immediately turned around, his face beaming with obvious delight. "What's wrong? Want to go home? Let's go back now."
Atia immediately looked away. The insect had clearly not noticed him at all, so how could it be so perceptive of his gaze?
As for his question, Atia turned his head away, pretending not to hear it.
Because of Walsh's unusual behavior, Attia decided to return a few days later. Coincidentally, the Federation army's offensive also stopped during these days, and it was unclear what they were planning.
But considering that Nehemiah went to the peace talks as usual, he could guess that he had probably ceded a lot of interests and sought help from the Empire.
It seems his S-class status really gives him the confidence to try and seduce someone. Atia's eyes narrowed, and he snorted coldly in his heart.
In his previous life, Rupert and several close friends died at the hands of Nehemiah's son. This time, he would never let Nehemiah go.
"Your Excellency, is there anything you need me to do?"
Doris tried to convince himself to speak kindly and look gentle, but when faced with the face of the black-haired monster, he still felt some of his voice stuck in his throat.
The black-haired male insect tilted its head, and the light shone from above, the shadow under its eyelashes slightly obscuring half of its pupils, giving its entire insect and even its voice a somewhat sinister feel.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting strange today."
Doris seemed to guess his unspoken words—"Lie down on my dissection table and let me treat you."
Oh no, it's definitely not going to work. How could this black-haired monster be a sweet and soft male insect? He can't do it.
Doris shook off the distracting thoughts in his mind and breathed a sigh of relief, then chuckled awkwardly, "Of course not, boss. I'm exactly the same as yesterday, the day before yesterday, and the day before that. I haven't changed at all."
"...That's good."
Doris seemed to see a regretful expression on the strange insect's face. He must have been mistaken, he must have been mistaken.
Just then, Talos appeared and rescued him. "Sir, the female insect you placed in the treatment pod seems to be in worse condition. Would you like to go back and check on her?"
Doris quickly hid behind Talos; it was good to have Talos around.
Talos's reminder reminded Murphy of his initial purpose in coming to see Walsh, which seemed to be to make a large pot of medicine.
"Ah..." This is a bit of a headache. Murphy tilted his head, supporting his elbow with one hand and tapping his temple with his index finger with the other.
Atia didn't hear them talking, but she heard the black-haired male insect suddenly turn to her and raise his voice lightly, "Baby, I have to go back for a bit. Remember to come home before dinner, okay? Of course, I can come pick you up."
He emphasized the words "pick you up," and Atia, looking into his smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, instantly recalled what happened last night—not only being picked up horizontally, but also…
"..." That incident still made him a little embarrassed when facing the two insects, so he hadn't specifically mentioned last night. He didn't expect the insect to bring it up directly.
Atia didn't even turn his head, his voice cold with a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment and annoyance, "No need."
Murphy tacitly accepted his agreement, and cheerfully said to Palmer and Walsh beside him, "Please take care of my little butterfly for me, thank you."
Palmer and Walsh: Thanks for the invitation, but I dare not utter a sound, for if I did, I'd likely get hung up and beaten.
"……roll!"
...
Palmer tried to ignore what had just happened. His powerful legion commander, whom he regarded as a god, had been harassed by a strange insect. The key point was that the strange insect was male, and the three of them combined couldn't defeat it.
It's so shocking that I don't know which thing is the most shocking to the insect.
After completing several training sessions, Palmer tried to maintain a calm expression as he reported to the Legion Commander.
"Big Worm, Rupert discovered a potion yesterday..."
Palmer's expression betrayed his excitement as he recounted the story. If the drug was real and stable, then many high-ranking female insects in the legion could be saved. Excessive use of pheromone drugs could lead to drug resistance, and many of his friends had gradually weakened, lost control, and died because of it.
However, he didn't seem particularly surprised to see the Legion Commander's expression.
Atia remained calm. "I had heard about this before. I have sent an entire research team to study the drug's components, but there has been no progress. However, what I can confirm is that this drug is indeed effective, and even more effective than the male insect pheromone drug."
His voice was so certain that it made Palmer's eyes light up. This was undoubtedly great news. If this drug could be supplied stably, or if the secret of the drug could be cracked, then the female insects would no longer be controlled by the male insects, and their revolution would have a chance of success in another sense.
Atia continued, "Now that Rupert has made his intentions clear, let him be the link, and let the Dawn Legion join the competition next time it's released."
Yes, competition is inevitable as more and more insects become known, while the fixed release quantity remains at only 100 bottles. However, due to the special nature of the mechanism, competition can only be based on luck and the number of insects.
"yes!"
...
After guiding Walsh's recovery training for several rounds and discussing follow-up tactics with Palmer for several rounds, Attiyah hesitated for a while, but still returned well before the scheduled time.
He had a premonition, or rather, he had already grasped some of the black-haired male insect's behavioral logic. If he had arrived any later, something he probably wouldn't have wanted to see would have happened.
Atia returned to the specimen laboratory and discovered a new device in the corner that she hadn't seen the night before—
The large pot, which requires two arms to encircle, is placed on an automatic heater. The automatic stirring rod on top rotates round and round, causing the deep purple liquid in the pot to bubble continuously. Then, as it rotates, the color gradually lightens. Meanwhile, the main insect of the house has disappeared without a trace.
Before Atia could figure it out, a certain insect suddenly appeared from some unknown corner, and upon seeing him, its face showed obvious regret.
"Oh, baby, you're back? I was just thinking of picking you up. What a pity."
It's such a pity I can't give you a hug today.
Attia said coldly, "...There are still two hours until dinner time."
Murphy tilted his head, his tone quite self-righteous, "But there are only two hours left. I'll walk over and pick you up, that'll be perfect."
Attiyah: ...
It's only a ten-minute distance. How long does this bug plan to dawdle on the road? Is it trying to circle the planet?
Atia hesitated, wanting to speak but not wanting to argue with him, as he always lost in the end, so she turned her gaze elsewhere.
"What's this?"
He kept staring at the large pot in the corner. The deep purple liquid had lightened considerably over time. The pot looked like a large cooking pot used in the kitchen, but it was a bit too big. It seemed to be used for cooking large meals. The liquid inside didn't look like anything drinkable.
Murphy looked bored and troubled. "It's the medicine I brewed. It's so boring. It doesn't have even a fraction of the fun of making collectibles."
As he spoke, he gestured with his thumb and forefinger, the distance between them so small it was almost invisible.
Boiling medicine? This was something Atia had never thought of. His upbringing had never included boiling medicine in a large pot. In his view, all kinds of medicines were made through strict proportions, extraction, and production, and there was absolutely no such thing as a large pot of random stew.
Atiyah asked again, "Who is it for? Who's so unlucky?"
Of course, if it's the strange insect that wants to drink it, then everyone is happy, and it's considered to be ridding the people of a scourge.
Unfortunately, that's not the case.
“Hmm…” Murphy’s eyes turned to the jar-like treatment chamber next to the dissection table.
Atia followed his gaze and saw that the golden-haired female insect in the treatment chamber had deteriorated considerably in just one day. The treatment fluid had been somewhat effective yesterday, causing her to grow some new hair and the scars on her face to fade.
But today it seems completely out of control. Both new and old hair have turned dry and yellow, and it seems that they will all fall out soon. The scars on my face are raised layer upon layer, making it almost impossible to see my face.
Atiya frowned. "He has a severe case of cosmic radiation sickness and needs to go to a specialized hospital."
Murphy propped his head up with one hand and sighed dejectedly, "But they said there are no professional hospitals here."
Otherwise, he would never have set up a pot here to wait out the time; it's not fun at all.
Atia also thought of this point. What the insect said was not wrong. There could not be such a place in the Chaotic Star Sea. Moreover, whether going to the Federation's hospital or the Empire's hospital, one must have local identity.
There is truly no solution.
Should he be allowed to receive treatment at the military hospital as a member of the Dawn Legion? But he also doesn't know the insect's identity...
As Atia was thinking, he suddenly noticed that the mouth of the insect in the jar seemed to move.
Atia hesitated, "He... seemed to be talking?"
"Hmm?" Murphy's gaze also turned in that direction.
Inside the jar-shaped treatment chamber, the blonde female insect had her eyes closed, but her mouth was slightly open and closed as if she were murmuring something. However, because of the liquid layer between them, the sound could not be heard.
So all they could see was the blonde female insect opening her mouth and exhaling a few small bubbles.
"..."
"..."
Murphy blinked. "I don't understand."
As a professional insect soldier in the military, Atia could tell, "He's talking about...his brother?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you AAA for the gift! Love you~ Chu chu mi~ [starry eyes][heart eyes][cheers]
Thank you to "Clear Sky," "Soaring Clouds," and "Nonsense Language Class Representative" for the nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Keep it up!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com