Chapter 95
Three days later, the morning star.
Travel to other star systems typically involves space travel technology. Females are fully adapted to the stress of the journey, while males are too fragile to withstand it and therefore need to remain in a nutrient pod to hibernate until they reach their destination.
But Hilgard has too many things to deal with right now and can't just drop everything and go into hibernation.
Fortunately, Venus is close to the capital star, and it only takes three days to reach the destination.
"Your Highness, Marshal Celt has arrived," the guard announced respectfully.
Hilgard sat by the starship window, calmly retracting the floating quantum computer in front of him, and then turned his gaze to the outside of the starship.
As his gaze fell upon it, the cold, dark walls around him seemed to shed a layer of blue light, and after a moment of distortion, the cabin walls became transparent, clearly reflecting the true face of the universe.
Ahead lay a cluster of scattered, fragmented stars, the darkness unfathomable, a sight that made the insect feel uneasy, as if it were caught in a vortex.
Celt's small starship, a private insect, docked on a pile of rocks. After receiving his permission, the hatch opened, and Celt spread his bone wings. His bone wings had new scars, making them look ferocious and terrifying. The sharp bone spikes seemed to still be stained with the blood of the battlefield.
The battle for the Insect Emperor and Insect Queen is not decided by life or death, but he still personally went to the battlefield. The Star Network updated his battles in real time, and every battle made countless female insects' blood boil.
He gave his all in every battle, displaying a level of self-discipline that was truly admirable.
Glass is one-way transparent, but Celtic's keen intuition made him sense the spying. His cold, gray eyes swept over him, and in an instant, it felt as if a beast's sharp teeth had pierced his neck.
Celtic had never looked at Hill like that before.
When he was the young prince, Celtic looked at him with disdain; later, when he was Hilgard, Celtic looked at him with more affection and respect. He never stood opposite Celtic as an opponent.
Because he needed to utilize Celtic, he had been keeping a distance and giving Celtic room to maneuver during this period.
But now, it's no longer necessary.
He exhaled softly, and the door opened at that moment; Celtic had arrived.
"We won't arrive at Morning Star until tomorrow." Hill said, his back to Celtic, without turning around.
"Yes, but I can't wait to see you." The female insect's pheromones filled the entire room, and the female insect carrying eggs had an intensified craving for the male insect's pheromones, which often troubled the male insect.
The female insect's hand was too hot; the places it touched trembled slightly, and he was completely enveloped from behind.
Good weapons always require more careful maintenance. Hilgard did not refuse, but simply hummed softly.
"Won't this affect the front lines?"
"No," the female insect assured her firmly.
The pure white silk fabric slipped to the ground and was trampled under Red Riding Hood's ankles.
The male insect was picked up, its pale back pressed against the cold bulkhead and slowly raised, finally lifted by strong, firm arms, its scarred fingers sinking into the leg.
It was suddenly placed on the female insect's broad shoulder blades, up to shoulder height.
Hill tilted his head back, his knees involuntarily tightening towards him, and his arms wrapped tightly around the female insect's head. The female insect's hair was very stiff, just like the insect itself, and it stung Hill's palms.
He dared not let go; the feeling of being suspended in mid-air terrified him.
The pain was mild, yet it occasionally jolted him awake from his endless despair.
......
The pheromone exchange went smoothly, requiring little effort from Hill. Celt was the type of female insect that completely controlled him, knowing every inch of his body's reactions intimately.
After being cleaned up, Hill lay on the bed as Celtic helped him up, held him in his arms, and fed him water. His throat was dry and hoarse, and he felt a little sore. The slightly cool water flowed over his dry throat, and he tasted a hint of sweetness.
“I have something I want to ask you.” Hill swallowed the last mouthful of water and turned his head to indicate that he did not want to drink anymore.
"What is it?" Celt naturally took out a handkerchief to wipe the water stains from his lips.
"Back then, on Nuka, why didn't you go directly to find Sirius?"
Instead, they chose to save me.
You could have simply pretended not to see me and not saved me; I would have been killed by the Star Beast immediately, and no insect would have known.
You will successfully become the guide of Cyrus, and your life will be smooth and successful, without the need for later painstaking calculations.
So, why?
The male insect on the bed has a pair of clear eyes. He is no longer the helpless man sitting in the ruins. He has grown up, has a healthier body, and has the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Celt stroked the male insect's slightly thin chin with his thumb, brushing a strand of sweaty hair behind his ear, his eyes deep: "Do you want to hear the truth?"
Hill nodded slightly.
"Because I know that Sirius has feelings for Isidore, I may not be able to become his queen smoothly. Moreover, at that time, His Highness Sirius was not S-rank, but A-rank. Letting Isidore go was actually to explore the risks."
If he becomes the guide for Cyrus, he will surely die if Cyrus fails; Isidore is merely a probe.
For a moment, Hill wanted to laugh out loud. Isidore thought he had betrayed Celt and struggled with this for six years, unable to face Celt. But in reality, Celt only used him as a test subject.
Celtic stroked the straight corner of Hill's mouth, which seemed to want to curve upwards but didn't quite manage to.
"Because I saw your eyes as I passed through the sky."
"You were lying on the ground, your silver hair cascading over your shoulders, with pure eyes, calmly awaiting death, and the whole insect seemed to darken."
"But deep in your eyes, there is a will to survive."
With the star beast about to fall and kill the male insect in front of him, the little male insect felt no fear. He simply looked at himself, his eyes filled with helplessness in the face of fate, deep sorrow, and a thirst for life.
Perhaps Hill himself didn't realize how intensely strong the will to live was in his eyes when facing death.
"You want to live."
Celt was born on a barren, garbage planet. Before being admitted to the Imperial Military Academy at the age of sixteen, he lived in an orphanage with very limited resources. He had to fight tooth and nail to get a bite to eat in order to stay alive. He had an inexhaustible, burning desire for life.
In that little male insect that could neither walk nor escape, and could only wait in despair to die, Celtic sensed that desire to survive.
He was dying and fragile, yet he possessed a fiery thirst for life and everything, but he was powerless and could only quietly and sensibly await death.
Celtic leaned down and kissed Hill's eyelids: "I was so lucky to have met you back then."
Hill closed his eyes to accept it, but spoke silently in his heart.
Meeting you was my misfortune, Celtic.
The female soldier's strong arms lifted him up and held him tightly in her embrace.
"Sleep well, Your Highness. I promise you will get everything you want."
Everything you've ever wanted will come true: a healthy body, the right to be respected by no insects, including the desire to be loved.
Through a layer of bone, Hill listened to the female insect's rhythmic heartbeat. He quietly asked in his mind, "Including your life, Marshal Celtic?"
No insect could answer him, so Celt blindfolded him.
Strangely, Hill was afraid of the dark and never wanted to turn off the lights, but he would sleep soundly when Celt covered his eyes, probably because it reminded him of the brief time he spent with Celt on Nuka.
Logically speaking, there shouldn't be such a cluster of boulders on the route from the capital star to the morning star, and the Empire did indeed clear them during its early expansion.
The reason this star field was formed is that there is a natural cosmic rift here, which constantly releases a weak gravitational force. This gravitational force has a very large range but the attraction force is not very strong. After assessing the situation, the Empire was unable to resolve it and chose to leave it alone.
Large warships are only slightly affected by gravity, while small spacecraft are prone to accidents and can be transported by starships, which can serve as a natural barrier to prevent lone insects from escaping or committing crimes.
However, large warships also need to slow down and avoid the chaotic stars when navigating through such star clusters, making the navigation route much more difficult.
As Hill prepared to continue with his official duties, Celtic stopped him: "Official duties can be dealt with at any time, but a beautiful sight may only be seen once."
These words sounded strangely ridiculous coming from the mouth of a workaholic like Celtic, but Hill still stopped what he was doing.
"Is this the gravitational rift?" The male insect's fingertip touched the glass from afar.
How a huge chasm was cleaved out from the end of the Milky Way. It is like a cut, narrow at both ends and wide in the middle, but because of its length, it appears slender when viewed from a distance.
It presents a deep, dark purple color, which gets deeper towards the center, and the deepest part is as black as ink. It seems that all time, life, love and hate must stop here, be swallowed by it, and never be opened again.
“Its name is Gufa’er, which means ‘the stomach of a demon’ in the nearby star system.” Celt stood beside Hill, his cold, gray gaze also fixed on the rift that seemed to cleave the universe.
It appears so calm yet terrifying, and possesses a bizarre and grotesque beauty; anything that gets close to it, whether a starship or a piece of flesh and blood, will be devoured.
Countless criminals have been forced to enter this rift, most of whom have vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead. Only the extremely lucky Zerg have managed to reappear in some completely unrelated place in the universe.
Their description of this crevice was extremely terrifying. It was said that even some of the Zerg that were caught in it at the same time would melt away and disappear completely for no reason, a completely random selection of luck.
"If Your Highness wishes, the starship can stay here for one night. It's just right, there will be a gravitational storm tonight."
The gravitational field will expand, drawing in nearby stardust like a flowing, silent cosmic blizzard, a spectacle admired by countless wonder enthusiasts, yet only a very few insects can witness it.
Hill was lucky.
Hill looked at the eerily beautiful slit and softly replied, "Okay."
Hill abandoned his tedious official duties and leaned against Celtic's chest to watch a massive blizzard.
Hill had seen snow falling heavily, but he had never seen a blizzard filling the entire universe. These discarded stardust pieces passed by the magnificent starship and eventually fell into the dark purple crevices, as if returning to final peace, the embrace of death.
Everything was so quiet, and Hill closed his eyes.
The female insect's pheromones completely enveloped him.
That night, all was quiet.
The starship moved steadily and slowly, allowing it to fully appreciate this cosmic wonder without causing any damage to the male insect's frail body.
"I don't know why, but it feels a bit cold today." The female naval officers on patrol exchanged glances. "The temperature inside the Mingming Star is constant."
"It's probably because it really looks like it's snowing."
When will the endless snow floating in this universe ever end?
Hill thought he wouldn't fall asleep, but he actually slept very soundly. He had made up his mind. As he slept, he felt Celt's gaze on him, enveloping him. When he woke up, it was still the same. It seemed that Celt had never closed his eyes during this time.
Awakening Hill was a violent impact.
"Boom—"
What kind of powerful attack could cause such turbulence in a starship the size of a planet? Hill was shaken awake. He wasn't afraid because Celt held him tightly, and the shaking only made him sink deeper into her embrace.
He opened his eyes and saw Celtic's cold, gray eyes. His eyes were like a blizzard, so cold that the insects could not feel the temperature. But at this moment, for only this instant, Hill faintly sensed that the ice and snow in those eyes were showing signs of melting.
"Beep—Starship under attack—"
"The protective shield has been activated—"
"marshal--"
Rapid knocking came from the door. This level of attack was the enemy's last stand. This place was close to a cosmic rift with too many chaotic star clusters. A collision would cause a devastating disaster.
Celtic stood up and planted a kiss on Hill's brow: "I'll be back soon."
Hill nodded slightly, seemingly not quite fully awake yet.
Celt walked away, but returned after only one step, covering Hill with a soft blanket and tucking the edges of the blanket around him, ignoring the knocking at the door.
He took one last deep look at the seemingly dazed and sleepy little male insect.
The heavy, steady sound of military boots faded away, and the place fell into a long silence once again.
The young male insect lay sprawled on a pristine white blanket, its long, silvery hair cascading down, reflecting the swirling snow outside the window—a vast blizzard was descending before his eyes.
With a beep, the door opened again.
Bright stood behind him, watching the battle raging through the blizzard with him: "The passage has been built; we can evacuate at any time."
Hill didn't speak, but slowly reached out and pulled off the pure white blanket covering him. The soft blanket fell to the ground like flowing water, and the male insect's bare ankles stepped into it. The warmth was stripped away the moment the blanket left, and the biting cold eroded the male insect's bones.
The temperature of the Mingxing warship remains constant, so why does it feel a bit cold?
He didn't know, and he didn't want to know.
In that boundless universe, the crack resembled the giant eye of a demon, and under the demon's gaze, two equally excellent female insects began their final battle.
First came the clash of warships, which escalated into a stalemate, followed by the mechs. The extreme mech maneuvers dazzled the insectoids, using the chaotic star cluster as a battlefield for maneuvering and repositioning.
It attacks the terrain and the space debris attracted by the gap as if it were its own arm.
"Bang--"
"It hit Hessen—" Dick couldn't help but scream.
A female insect popped out the instant the mech crashed. Hesen's long brown hair was slightly disheveled, but he still retained enough noble demeanor. He spread his bone wings with a whoosh. His bone wings were not as huge and ferocious as Celt's, but they had smooth lines and beautiful posture, possessing extraordinary beauty.
Only female insects that are outstanding in appearance, posture, and exoskeleton can win Nathaniel's heart. In terms of strength alone, Hesen is currently the best.
Unfortunately, the Zerg only value absolute strength.
"Marshal Celt, your mech piloting skills are truly impressive." Hessen said with a smile as he launched an attack on Celt, taking advantage of the fact that the Zerg were more agile than the mechs.
Fifteen minutes later, black smoke billowed from Celt's mech. Celt decisively abandoned the mech and deployed his bone wings.
Countless energy projectiles exploded in the universe. Dozens of cruise and escort ships were dispatched from the starships. The more powerful female insects directly transformed into insects to launch a surprise attack. The sharp exoskeletons clashed, creating dazzling sparks. The firepower warmed the cold blizzard.
Hill rarely saw large-scale battle scenes. The chaotic star cluster was destroyed, flying debris hit the protective shield, and the huge warships shook uncontrollably, as if the sky was about to collapse and the earth was about to sink.
The duel between Celt and Hessen is enough to be written into the Zerg textbook. They are absolute masters of strength and cunning tactics. Death is always with them. They lure enemies into battle, feign weakness, and use their strength against them. Their sharp exoskeleton can take the life of any Zerg in an instant.
Even the hard skeleton of the female insect was torn open, and fresh blood fell and evaporated like rain.
Hesen was swept away by the edge of the bone female and the whole insect was hit hard and landed on a pile of jagged rocks. This place was infinitely close to the Ancient Fal'er Crack. The movement of the jagged rocks was visible to the naked eye. When you enter a certain range, the gravity will be infinitely strengthened until you are completely swallowed up.
The moment he landed, Hesen had no time to stop and forced his way onto another chaotic planet by unfurling his torn bone wings.
He raised his hand to wipe the blood that had spilled from his lips, but the blood seemed to flow endlessly, and he suddenly vomited another mouthful of blood.
Hesen shook his head regretfully and sighed, "Defeating you head-on is indeed too difficult, but I always wanted to try, unfortunately..."
Unfortunately, no matter what they did, they couldn't defeat Celtic.
He was like a wall blocking his way, shutting out the infinite possibilities of the future.
Hessen abruptly raised his eyes: "Your Highness Hilgard, aren't you going to make a move?"
A gentle smile slowly curved his lips: "This is your only chance to kill him."
This female insect, who has never been defeated, is not only his nightmare of resentment, but also Hilgard's. Even if he is chained to a depth of a hundred meters underground with the most advanced chains, he can break free completely. The powerful female insect, which even the suppression ring cannot completely erase, only makes the male insect feel fear and unease.
Male Zerg do not have the power to control most of the Zerg's resources. Mentally, female Zerg rely on the mental strength of male Zerg, so strict laws and regulations have been established, and female Zerg are required to wear suppression rings.
If the suppression rings have all failed, then a bomb must be installed on the female insect's nucleus.
But who can capture Celt, cut open his body, and place the fatal switch on his insect core?
No insect could do it, and Celt would never surrender without a fight.
A female insect that cannot be completely suppressed and controlled is the most dangerous to a male insect, especially since this female insect actually wants to join forces with Hesen to betray his male insect.
The arrogant and proud male insect could never tolerate such betrayal.
Celtic's attack came again in an instant, and half of Hessen's wing was completely torn apart. He could not take off smoothly, and his swaying body fell backward, spitting out another mouthful of blood.
"Surprised? Marshal, cough cough—I clearly agreed to your conditions."
He coughed up blood as he rolled and dodged, a mocking look flashing in his light brown eyes, which were quickly covered by pure blood. This was the first time such a gentle and humble female insect had shown such a crazed expression.
His words were stained with blood.
"I will not allow any insect to steal Nathaniel from me!"
“Cough cough—after all, you don’t love your male insect,” the gentle female insect struggled to her feet, her insect-transformed eyes coldly fixed on Celt, who even gave a faint smile, “But I’m different.”
When Nathaniel chose me, I had already given him everything.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the Annihilation-class weapon had begun charging up and locked onto Celt.
"What's going on?! Why is the annihilation weapon aimed at the marshal?"
"What are you doing?" Dick asked incredulously. As the adjutant, he had the authority to temporarily take control of the starship, but this time was different from any other.
"Beep—Permission error—"
A cold, red warning message appeared on the quantum computer, and soon all of Dick's permissions were restricted, preventing him from interfering with the starship in any way.
Dick seemed to sense something, abruptly raising his head to face the cold, impersonal surveillance system. He gritted his teeth, "Your Highness Hilgard, he is your Empress—"
"Access has been taken over."
The cold, mechanical voice sounded again, and the access was transferred to Hilgard's quantum computer. Dense text and various data flooded into Hilgard's mind.
Just a few months ago, the young male insect was clueless and fearless about everything, but now he is able to skillfully capture information from it. His powerful mental strength allows him to handle several things at the same time, including Dick's distorted face on one of the split screens.
The command module door was locked, and Dick couldn't break it. He could only pin his hopes on the starship's main insectoid: "Your Highness Hilgard, Marshal, and your insectoid eggs—"
You can't—
He is not a single insect; he has two lives. Even though the laws of the empire allow male insects to dispose of their females at will, they are exempt if the female has eggs.
You cannot kill him.
The tall male insect extended a finger and, at such a critical moment, suddenly replied to the loyal female insect who was devoted to Celt.
Why not?
The male insect's bedroom is spacious and quiet, making its voice sound ethereal and distant.
Are you only allowed to hurt and betray me, but not to kill me?
The male insect curled its lips into a cold smile.
Did Celt agree to Hessen's conditions, becoming the Zerg Emperor and then imprisoning himself as his concubine? To this end, he and Hessen set up an ambush in the Ancient Frost Rift, waiting to imprison himself and declare the Zerg dead, thus supporting Nathaniel.
He himself would lose his identity and everything, becoming Celtic's nameless little male concubine—what a wonderful plan! But how could Celtic possibly have it all? How could he possibly have it all?
Celt hasn't changed at all. What's the difference between this and the choice made six months ago? He's tired of this endless entanglement with Celt and never wants to see that bug again.
I never want to again.
The male insect closes its eyes and presses the launch button.
The Annihilation-class weapon has completed its charge.
"No—" Dick's voice was completely out of control, distorted, and after reaching a certain point, it became a state of aphonia. A dazzling white light shot out, and a blizzard descended, covering everything.
Hill turned away resolutely. He didn't look at the energy of the explosion, nor at the dying female insect. He turned his back to Celt and looked at the cold bulkhead, which opened silently as it had countless times before.
It was so cold, yet it felt as if he had walked into Marshal Celtic's office full of anticipation and excitement to apply for his little male favorite.
He stepped through the door, attempting to shove himself into the cold, hard heart of the female insect; he failed. Celt should pay the price for his hypocrisy and arrogance.
At this moment, as he stepped out of that door, the starship would enter a pre-constructed spatial passage. He would leave Celt, Hessen, and everything else behind, never again—
"Bang--"
The starship suddenly tilted to the other side, and the gravitational imbalance forced Hill to stagger and grab onto the hatch, her long silver hair falling down and sliding past her arm.
He suddenly realized that the bulkhead was indeed very cold to the touch, so cold that his heart skipped a beat.
Then she suddenly turned around, her azure eyes flickering.
This level of attack wouldn't cause devastation to a massive starship, but—
Because they were too close to launch the final attack on Celt, he knew that the annihilation weapon would have limited killing power on Celt. He had thought from the beginning that if this couldn't kill Celt, then the annihilation weapon would at least push him toward the Ancient Fa'er Rift.
Celtic will perish in the crevice, and he will not bear the guilt of killing Celtic.
He did indeed do it. The universe is ancient, the stars are eternal, and the dark purple gap in his pupils gradually widens, as if a demon is opening its deep pupils and mocking the world.
The starship was still shaking, and the sounds of panic from the female soldiers around it were barely suppressed.
"Unable to stop the momentum—"
"Inertia—the inertia is too great—the suction from the Ancient Ferael rift is getting stronger and stronger! It's pulling us out of the passage—"
"what to do?
"Abandon the starship and escape with Princess Hilgard using a spacecraft?"
"No! Starships can barely resist gravity using their central engines, but small spacecraft have limited engines; if they go out, they'll be immediately sucked into the gap!"
Hesen lay on his back on the pile of rubble, blood gushing from his throat. His wings had been completely torn apart by Celt, and the blood soaked the ground on the starstones. He struggled to sit up, placed his hand on his chest, and barely managed a bloody ritual.
"Cough cough—"
"Welcome, Your Highness Hilgard—"
"With you and me dying together, I have no regrets, cough cough—"
His smile widened, and so did his wound; blood soaked his handsome face, revealing a kind of madness.
He first negotiated with Celt, enticing Celt to agree to his conditions, and initially devised a plan to lure Hilgard to the planet Lurking Rock, fake Hilgard's death, then divide the spoils and hand Hilgard over to Celt to become his possession, and then send the news of Celt's betrayal of Hilgard to Hilgard.
No insect could tolerate the uncontrollable Celt, such a powerful and terrifying insect. If Hilgard wanted to kill Celt, he would definitely choose to join forces with him.
The second plan was devised so that he would lure Celt to the front of the Ancient Frost Rift, while Hilgard would use an Annihilation-class weapon to kill Celt, or at least push him into the abyss if he couldn't kill him.
After Celt dies, Hildegard and Nathaniel will have a fair duel.
Hilgard's plan was to use an Annihilation-class weapon to eliminate Hessen and Celt here, as is typical for insects.
However, there is a distance limit to the use of annihilation weapons. The starship will get infinitely close to the Ancient Frost Gap, which is normal. The risk is at least much smaller than that of Hessen, who used himself as bait.
Hessen's ultimate plan was to arrange for Brandon to carry out a suicide attack as a backup plan to strike Hilgard's starship at the critical moment when the annihilation weapon was charging.
It doesn't require military force comparable to a starship; simply deflecting the starship's position by even an inch is enough to cause the suction effect of the Ancient Farrar to reach the starship.
Hilgard, Celtic, and he will all die here together.
He was utterly defeated by Celt. His wings were torn apart, and he could no longer take off. Even if he survived, he would only be a crippled insect, and a crippled female insect could no longer become the queen of Nathaniel.
Fortunately, he could at least do one last thing for Nathaniel.
After Hildegard's death, Nathaniel will become the Zerg King.
I will fulfill his wish, even if it costs me my life.
He opened his arms and, with a smile, poured himself into the demon's stomach.
Goodbye, Nathaniel, my dear male.
——
The gap seemed to expand infinitely in my eyes. From a distance, it was so beautiful, but up close, the fear of the unknown overwhelmed everything. It represented both death and eternal slumber.
Hilgard saw Celt.
Throughout this contest of betrayal and being betrayed, he never made eye contact with Hilgard until this moment, when Hilgard was certain that he had seen him.
Their gazes met across a blizzard of stardust, and all love and hate ceased to matter. There were no winners in this contest; they would all return to the eternal stillness.
“The backup power is activated, but Hill is still not working—” Bright’s voice came hurriedly. Various data were displayed in front of him, with violent fluctuations rolling, but he could only see the powerful female insect.
Celt leaned against the back of a massive starstone, which reduced the pressure, but even that massive starstone was moving toward Gufaer with irresistible force.
His downfall was inevitable.
Even now, Celt seemed calm. The panic, madness, and loss of control that Hill had predicted did not happen to him. His ferocious and enormous bone wings made him hover in the sky like a god, and his cold gray eyes met his gaze across the distant stars.
"The energy consumption is too high; in two stars' time, we'll be completely trapped in the Ancient Frost Rift—"
"His Majesty the Insect Emperor has urgently opened a passage to rescue us, but—"
"It's too late," the male insect said softly.
Yes, it's too late.
Even if they arrive at the fastest speed, it will take at least three days. Once their energy is depleted, they will be completely pulled into the Ancient Fa'er Rift and face their death.
No insects could save them, none.
What would the female father, the male father, and Sirius do after they found out he was in trouble? He thought he was fully capable of bearing all the consequences, but it turned out he still couldn't. He dared not think about the female father and the male father, nor did he want to hear the terrified cries and pleas for help from the warship touched by the mental threads. He had harmed Bright and all the insects who trusted him.
He placed his handprint on the transparent window, his slender hand trembling slightly.
The ancient crevices are truly beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful the closer to death, and no insect will ever see this scene again.
The starship's powerful energy was being pulled by the suction of the ancient rift, but this pull was like a river fearing to flow into the sea, and in the end it would only be forcibly swallowed up.
Celtic, can you see me? Are you laughing at me too?
They laugh at me for not doing well, they laugh at me for being deceived again. Am I always being deceived?
Hill wanted to speak, but he knew Celt wouldn't hear him; they were too far apart. He would watch Celt step into the river of death first, and then he himself.
His gaze met Celt's, and the next instant Celt took flight, using the brief moment between the colliding rocks to head back towards the direction where the mech had crashed. After several thrilling jumps, he successfully arrived.
Celt's mech was the same color as his exoskeleton, entirely black, with sharp edges, each cut resembling a blade, as if it could easily slice through life, torrents, and time.
The mech, which had been damaged in the battle with Hesen, slowly revived from the pile of rocks. The mech arms supported the ground, lifting the entire mech up, and the broken electric current made a crackling sound.
Hessen, who was now almost at the edge of the gap, coughed mockingly: "Marshal Celt, still trying to struggle and beg for help? It's useless, cough cough..."
Even warships can't withstand the suction force, so what use are mechs? They're just wasting their time.
"Bang--"
"Beep beep—"
“Hill, Dick—” Bright’s voice trailed off as the surveillance footage showed Dick using a suicide attack to deplete the starship’s energy and successfully break through the smart lockout.
Bright's abilities as Hill's bodyguard are beyond question, but he is, after all, only a male insect, and cannot contend with a female insect like Dick in close-range attacks.
Command once again fell into Dick's hands. This fierce female insect abandoned automatic operation and chose manual control, forcibly putting all the energy of the entire starship into operation and forcefully turning the starship to the side.
"Are you crazy?! This energy level won't even last for more than an hour!"
The energy consumed by forcibly turning under suction is difficult to estimate.
This will not even change the starship's forward orientation, and will even make the lateral contact area more extensive.
Dick completely ignored Bright's voice, his pupils fixed on the front, until the starship was about to collide with several huge piles of boulders, when Celt's mech crashed into them.
Hill instinctively raised his arm to cover his eyes.
For a moment, his mind went blank.
What does Celtic want? Does he hate him and want to die with him? Or is he so unable to bear dying with him that he takes action prematurely?
Before him was an endless expanse of white light. The starship was being rammed by mechs and piles of boulders one after another, shaking violently like a small planetary warship. He couldn't stand and had to hold onto the bulkhead for support.
It's like standing on a terrifying and turbulent ocean, with a bottomless abyss beneath your feet.
Until he heard Hersen's shrill, hysterical scream: "No—no—impossible—"
Then came Brett's incredulous exclamation: "Hill—we turned successfully—"
Bright's voice trembled, as if even he himself could not believe that, with the warship's flanks completely destroyed by the continuous collisions, they had been forcibly pushed out of the area with the strongest suction force, and now, by starting the engines at all costs, they could escape.
"It really worked!"
This represents hope for life; they can survive!
Hill froze for a moment, then abruptly removed his arm.
Smoke and debris drifted before his eyes, and the flames were still burning, but none of that mattered. As long as they could escape the gravitational pull, the losses were entirely worthwhile.
Celtic's mech was completely destroyed, cracked in many places, and the broken fragments scattered in space like black snow.
"Beep—Your Highness, your queen requests an urgent communication—"
The cold, mechanical voice remained as indifferent as ever.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
"We are acting entirely according to His Highness's wishes. If you are unwilling—"
Hill pressed the button at the last second.
"Communication has been established."
Celt appeared in the drifting void, his insect armor not yet completely gone, his crimson pupils still retaining a trace of reason, and his sharp face, broad shoulders, and even his taut abdomen all bore deep, bone-revealing wounds.
“Hill.” His voice was deep, hoarse with a berserk quality, as he extended a virtual hand.
The starship was shaking so violently that Hill couldn't stand steadily, and he seemed to need to help the weak male insect.
Hill swung his hand away, but all he hit was emptiness, nothing at all.
He staggered and could not stand steadily, so he could only lean on the desk. Paper, pens, books and various reports on the neat desk were flying all over the bedroom. A piece of paper slid across Hill's cheek, leaving a thin bloodstain, but he did not notice it.
"Why did you save me?" His voice trembled, as if being cut by a sharp piece of paper, every word shaking.
"What makes you think I need your help?"
The handsome male insect smashed the last item on the table—a small, exquisite box—which slammed to the ground with a thud, rolled away, and dropped out a silver ring.
Celtic's gaze was not drawn to the ring; he remained focused on Hilgard.
Do you think I'll forgive you just like that?
The starship began to tilt, and the male insect's long hair floated up, fluttering like a wisp of moonlight, with only a few strands clinging to the male insect's thin cheeks, refusing to leave.
Was it because there was fresh blood from a wound there, or because warm liquid filled his eyes?
It is impossible to know.
Hill shook her head, saying each word clearly, "I will never forgive you—"
His lips moved, and he thought he was calm, calmly recounting Celtic's crimes.
"You'll always be this arrogant, ruthless, and headstrong—"
Do you think everything will go according to your plan?
Do you think you can keep winning and be invincible?
"I thought I would be moved and forgive you, right?"
"On Decas, I told myself, if I don't survive, so be it; but if I do survive, you should all pay the price. You, Hesen, you will all pay the price you deserve—"
You must also bear all the suffering and pain I have endured.
It must be because the starship was shaking so violently that even his voice was starting to tremble, like a glass of wine that was about to overflow.
He shook his head inch by inch, staring intently at Celt. Perhaps it was the impact to his chest that had caused the pain in his heart, which made his throat feel congested. He stubbornly raised his neck, refusing to admit defeat or show weakness as he looked at Celt.
"I'm telling you, it's impossible—"
"I will never forgive you—"
The female insect listened silently as he vented his emotions. Her virtual hand reached out one last time, but instead of touching him, it touched his chin. A drop of warm liquid fell from the male insect's taut jaw.
It pierced through the female insect's virtual palm and fell with a tick.
Celt's mech had completely disintegrated, revealing the female insect's form, and he began to leave in the opposite direction.
The impact only allowed half of the starship to escape the area with the strongest suction. Celt was still heading towards the Ancient Farr Rift, and the impact even brought him closer to it.
A hint of regret seemed to flash across the virtual eyes—was it regret for not being able to catch that tear?
Celt's steady figure drew closer, and Hill instinctively raised his head to appear haughty, but the height difference prevented him from seeing Celt's face.
Celtic hugged him.
The hug was cold and virtual, yet Hill seemed to suddenly collapse.
"Get away—don't touch me—"
"What right do you have to touch me? Celtic, I order you to let go! Get out—"
He tried to break free and attack the female insect with his mental threads, but it was all in vain. This was not a Celtben insect; it was just virtual data condensed from the last bit of quantum brain energy. No matter what he did, he could not break free.
Celt hugged him tightly, the virtual data seemed to merge into his body, and the female insect's hands covered his ears and eyes.
The world fell into complete silence, everything disappeared, he could hear his chest pounding violently against his thin sternum, he could hear his own panting, he was about to choke, but there would be no more insects kissing his lips to help him breathe.
He is a male insect who needs to be completely served and controlled by other insects. When he was very young, he was sick and even breathing made his chest hurt. At that time, he made a wish in his heart.
Breathing hurts so much, I wish there were bugs to breathe for me.
Later, when he entered Nuka for the second time, Celt would kiss him whenever he couldn't breathe during his tanning phase, teaching him to take over his breathing, as if giving the female insect the power to breathe completely as well.
The virtual insect kissed him.
How strange, even though he couldn't see or hear, he could still feel the female insect kissing him.
But this time, the female insect could not breathe for him.
He didn't want him to kiss him; Celtic didn't deserve it.
But his lips were sealed shut, and he could no longer utter those words; he couldn't say a single word.
"Hill, breathe."
He heard Celtic's voice.
Why? Why won't you help me? Why do I have to do it myself?
He didn't understand why he felt so wronged, as if years of grievances had welled up from the bottom of his heart. He didn't want to be a calm, obedient, and sensible insect; he should be more willful.
When he was young, he wanted to leave the recovery pod and go to the outside world. His female father told him that it would be bad for his health, but he refused to obey and stubbornly refused, even though he really wanted to go out.
Later, Celt's mental strength became increasingly rigid, and he had to marry a high-ranking male insect. They held a grand welcome banquet, which he wanted to attend, but the insect doctor told him that he was not in good health and could not go, and that he needed to wait.
He wouldn't listen, and even after waiting a while, things didn't get better.
So many grievances and bitterness welled up inside him, making his eyes burn, his throat feel tight, and his heart ache, as if a lemon had been forcibly squeezed into them, the sour juice flowing from his eyes into his heart.
Until Dick's distorted voice rang out: "Marshal, capture him—"
Hill opened his eyes. The moment the starship disappeared into the distance, Dick piloted his spacecraft into the ruins. Gust manipulated the starship's tail fin, using a mechanical arm to connect with the spacecraft. Dick's spacecraft would then approach Celt under the influence of inertia.
The opportunity was fleeting; if Celtic could seize this chance, he could survive.
At that moment, Hill couldn't describe his feelings—disappointment or relief?
He didn't know that his original goal was to kill Celtic, wasn't it?
He opened his eyes blankly, but a sharp light flashed from behind Celt.
That's Hessen—
He also found the damaged mech and, in a final desperate attempt, lunged at Celt.
He couldn't stop the starship from turning around, and Hilgard would survive. So at least he could take Celt with him to die, which would buy Nathaniel a chance and time.
Dick's aircraft and Hessen's mech approached Celt almost simultaneously, and he could make a decision with a simple gesture.
But he kept looking at Hill, as if waiting for something.
Hill bit her lip, choking back tears as she shook her head: "I will not forgive you—"
"Go to hell—"
The insect shadows woven from virtual data were so illusory that Celt lowered his head and pressed a kiss to Hill's forehead.
Hill couldn't see his face and didn't know whether Celt felt relieved, regretful, or even hateful at this moment. His voice was still so steady, just like on Nuka six years ago, on that desperate morning.
He said, "My wish has always been that you are safe and well."
The wish from six years ago was a mixture of sincerity and pretense; the male insect thought it was genuine, but this time he can no longer tell.
The voice merged with the voice from six years ago, but the moment the voice fell, the powerful figure of the female insect completely disappeared. His figure, which was about to merge into Hilgard's body, was blown away by the wind, leaving not a trace.
The disappearance of virtual images was silent.
Hill kept his eyes wide open, stubbornly refusing to close them; he wanted to see it with his own eyes—
Celtic had a chance to grab Dick's aircraft, but he didn't; instead, he turned and attacked Hessen.
No matter what tricks or schemes this female insect may have up her sleeve, she will be dragged down into the eyes of the devil.
"I hate you..."
Hill lost his balance, bracing himself on the table. Large drops of scalding liquid dripped onto the surface, creating ripples: "I hate you..."
He screamed at the top of his lungs, even though the female insect could no longer hear him: "I hate you—"
I hate you, I hate you, Celtic, I've never hated an insect so much—
The female insect could no longer hear; she was completely swallowed by the ancient crevices, leaving only a vast, dark silence.
——
"Your Highness, your temperature and vital signs are normal, and the data are within a controllable range. Have you been feeling unwell lately? Have you been showing signs of insomnia?"
The sub-female medical insect put down her diagnostic equipment and gently inquired of the handsome male insect.
This male insect was not yet twenty years old, still a typical young insect according to the insect race. He was beautiful and frail, and had just experienced a huge accident, but he was still able to decisively create a chance for the entire ship of insects to survive after the accident and lead the insects to return to port successfully.
Later, he successfully captured Nathaniel, who had somehow wandered into the chaotic rocky planet. Now, Hilgard is the dream lover of countless female insects on the insect planet.
Because his lord had just died, he received even more pity from female insects, and countless female insects flocked to him. Even now, there were still female insects pretending to pass by and gathering downstairs at the hospital.
The sub-female doctor couldn't help but smile as he thought about the countless female insects who had come up with ridiculous reasons to force themselves into hospitalization today.
"Yes, I always have trouble sleeping at night."
The male insect leaned against the wicker chair by the window, covered with a clean white blanket.
The white blanket, the long silver hair, and the pale complexion made this beautiful male insect look like a handful of melting snow.
The sub-female doctor was filling out something in the medical record book, and continued to ask gently, "Why? Is it because you're having dreams? Are they nightmares?"
The male insect had a thin chin. He nodded slightly, his eyelashes drooping. The green plants by the window had been moved, and the sunlight fell unhindered onto the male insect's hair.
Male insects have a fear of crevices.
It's a very niche illness, but it's understandable given what Hilgard experienced.
The male insect frowned slightly, as if recalling the dream.
"No, it wasn't a nightmare."
The female doctor was a little curious. The previous doctors hadn't been able to solve the prince's problem, and he was a new doctor, so he asked again, "Oh? What kind of dream was it?"
The male insect pursed his lips, his pupils unfocused as he looked at the bright sunlight through the window. He didn't like the dark, but the sunlight was too dazzling, making him involuntarily close his eyes.
"I dreamed of an egg."
"Eggs?" The sub-female doctor frowned.
The male insect looked somewhat bewildered and said in a low voice, "I dreamt that it called me, Father."
Yes, Marshal Celtic was carrying an egg when he died, which is very regrettable.
Many male insects don't have a deep emotional attachment to their eggs, but some naturally sensitive males might pay more attention to their offspring, especially since this is Prince Hilgard's first offspring.
The female doctor lowered her head regretfully.
Hill looked at his hand; Celt had an insect egg, but he couldn't quite feel it.
Celt's body was still so strong and muscular. Even when he got very close, he couldn't hear the other insect's heartbeat. He couldn't feel the insect egg, and Celt had never mentioned it to him.
Was that a small life?
Did he cause the death of a young life?
“No,” Dr. Sub-Female replied, “medically speaking, it was just an embryo; it wasn’t a real life.”
The Zerg place extreme importance on reproduction, and even regard their eggs as life itself. But of course, we can't say that now, since the eggs are gone and His Highness Hilgard still needs to live.
“Is that so?” Hill frowned and asked softly, as if he himself was not quite sure.
"Of course, it was just an immature egg. It didn't have the facial features and limbs of a normal Zerg. It couldn't move, laugh, speak, or give any emotional response, Your Highness..."
"What is emotional feedback?" the male insect suddenly interrupted him, seemingly puzzled, his azure eyes looking at him quietly, seeking an answer.
What a fragile yet beautiful male insect! The sub-female doctor's heart softened.
"Emotional feedback refers to other insects providing warmth to you, such as hugs, kisses, care and attention. In the case of a pair, the female insect will protect the male insect and provide companionship during the greening period."
“For example, when it rains, it will fly over to pick you up from get off work,” the female doctor said too quickly and made a mistake. Male insects generally don’t need to go to work. He then turned his gaze to another point. “For example, the blanket on your knees right now is because an insect is afraid you’ll get cold, so it’s covering you up.”
“But the indoor temperature is constant,” the male insect retorted softly, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Then why don't you take it off? Because it feels comfortable and warm, doesn't it?" The sub-female doctor smiled gently, flipping through the medical records.
"Moreover, it seems that you were unable to stand up in your early years. Although you have recovered now, you still have a tendency to feel cold and need more care."
"Now can you tell me who put this blanket on you? That bug must love you very much."
The male insect twitched the corner of its mouth: "There were no insects. I covered it myself."
The words the sub-female doctor wanted to say suddenly got stuck in her throat, and she couldn't make a sound.
A quarter of an hour later, Dr. Ya walked out of the ward, holding a thick stack of medical records in her arms, and said with great concern, "Your Highness's psychological trauma must be very serious."
“I originally wanted to suggest that His Highness go to other star systems for recuperation, but His Highness has a fear of gaps and is unwilling to go anywhere except for a specially made ward, which makes it difficult to carry out treatment.”
Sirius leaned against the door, his long golden hair slightly disheveled.
This is the third month since Hill returned to the capital planet, and everything has settled down.
Without Hessen's protection, there was no need to deal with Nathaniel, that stupid bug. He just barged into the Rock Cluster and got caught red-handed. He's currently imprisoned in the temple awaiting trial, constantly clamoring to see his female and male fathers.
Celt's death dealt a devastating blow to the military. The more intelligent of the Star Beasts were cunning enough to take advantage of the situation and attack large areas of habitable planets, forcing the Mother to personally clean up the mess.
While dealing with political affairs, the father also had to contend with the unreasonable Nathaniel, leaving him to care for Hill, whose condition remained fluctuating.
Is it bad? Not really, it's just that it doesn't like to talk, doesn't like to see cracks, and most of the time prefers to stay alone like an insect.
It's actually very similar to how Hill was in the past when his illness wasn't cured, but Hill shouldn't be like this. He should be happier and more joyful.
Sirius was feeling restless and wanted to light a cigarette, but then remembered something, took a deep breath, and held back.
"Is Hill scheduled for a nutrient chamber consultation this afternoon?"
The sub-female doctor flipped through the medical records and replied, "Yes, His Highness Hilgard suffers from sleep deprivation. He's been receiving nutrient capsule treatment every two days to replenish his sleep, but this method isn't very effective..."
“Extend the time,” Sirius said decisively.
The sub-female doctor had no choice but to obey.
He took another nap. He didn't dream much in the nutrient tank; he didn't know whether he wanted to dream or not.
Do he want to see that bug? The answer is no, he doesn't want to see it.
But he would feel that such sleep was a waste, and that it was really meaningless.
Celtic is dead, Hessen is dead, all his hated enemies are dead, Nathaniel has been captured, and the female father said that his opinion would be fully considered in the sentencing.
Now, the battle for the Insect King is down to him and Sirius. Sirius is carefree by nature and has no interest in the position. Moreover, he always feels guilty about himself. Sirius would give up the competition for him.
What else could he possibly be dissatisfied with?
No, he should be enjoying a life of luxury and extravagance; no insect could be more satisfied than him at this moment.
Isn't that right?
He walked to the door of the room, a seamless, all-in-one door that slowly opened as he approached.
Opening the door would inevitably create a gap, so he calmly closed his eyes and walked in, waiting for the gap to close.
The light was dim, and he felt he could work at his desk for a while, but he had no work to do. There were also open books on the table, and his powerful mental strength allowed him to read several books at the same time; this was just the absorption of information.
There were insects in the room, and warm kisses spread to the back of his hand.
Hill opened his eyes and saw a female insect dressed very scantily clad.
By normal aesthetic standards, this is a rather beautiful female insect, with smiling eyes and outstanding features. If I remember correctly, she also comes from a good family and is a noble female insect with a military rank. How did Sirius manage to make this female insect give up the possibility of becoming a queen through legitimate means and instead submit to him?
Hill gently parted her lips: "Get out."
The female insect was unwilling to give up and continued to release pheromones, which were very sweet and made him feel uncomfortable.
"Don't make me say it a second time."
The female insect could only bow her head and reply, "Yes, Your Highness."
Shortly after the female insect left, Sirius appeared, wearily rubbing his forehead, a hint of helplessness in his eyes: "Hill..."
"Can't they survive without female insects?" Hill asked first.
“Uh, of course not,” Sirius replied inexplicably, “Only female insects can survive without males.”
“So you knew.” Hill raised her light blue eyes to look at Sirius.
"Then why are you so keen on finding female insects for me?"
"Will I die without female insects?"
His gaze was as calm as still water, which made Sirius's heart sink.
"But Hill, you need the female insect to take care of you."
“No need,” Hill interrupted him. “Get out.”
Sirius opened his mouth, but could only leave. He didn't know when Hill had become so opinionated. Not only did he inherit his father's hair color, but his personality also seemed to be getting closer and closer to his father's.
Sirius left, leaving only Hill, the insect, in the room once again.
The robot worm busily tidied the table, placing a seashell on the rounded edge of the table.
The mermaid's song was melodious and gentle, like a soft lullaby to lull the delicate male insect to sleep.
That conch shell was Marshal Celtic's keepsake, one of his personal belongings, which he kept in a small compartment in his office.
He thought that the renowned Marshal Celt, who was famous throughout the stars, would have something precious hidden in the Migris that required the key, but it turned out to be just a worthless conch shell.
It's so cheap, he doesn't need it at all.
Beneath the conch shell lay another report, evidence of Celt's crimes.
Six years ago, Celtic had already obtained Sirius's genetic report, and he was certain that Sirius had a greater than 90% chance of being promoted to S-class male.
Celtic said he was worried that Sirius would fail to advance, so he sent Isidore to pave the way for him.
fraud.
fraud.
Hill pressed his hand on the thin genetic report: "You deserve to die."
You lied to me again, you deserve to die.
Author's Note:
Sirius: My rotten hands are bringing back winter, Doctor! [Clown]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com