Chapter 59
The flying insects in the swamp floated with the distant specks of light, and faint stars flowed past Hill. A trembling flying insect seemed to be attracted by the beautiful male insect and gently landed on his fingertip.
The light at the tail flickered with each breath, illuminating the pale veins on the male insect's palm.
He raised a slight smirk, leaning against the window, as if talking to himself: "Isn't it always like this? People don't cherish what they can get easily, but they value what they have to go through great hardships to obtain, even if what they get isn't actually that good."
It's certainly not as good as it used to be.
Hill stared at it for a long time, then ticked off the score.
Celtic +1.
That's what fishing is all about, isn't it? You always have to give the fish some bait so they'll willingly swallow the hook that can pierce their throats.
He didn't close the window tonight, and the faint warm light from afar enveloped the entire water forest, dispelling the endless darkness.
——
Hill is unhappy.
His Majesty the Insect Emperor, who was watching from the capital planet, made a pronouncement.
Even though his little male son was smiling at the moment, his eyes were watching the flying insects with great interest.
"Why?" Cyrus fiddled with the Insect King's long hair, letting it spread across his raised knees.
The Insect King frowned slightly, but it only took him a few seconds to figure out the key point.
"Because after Celtic realized he had lost points, he thought about how to make them back, rather than reflecting on where he went wrong."
"He's too meritocratic; all female insects are like that," said His Majesty the Insect King.
This is determined by the Zerg system. The courses for male Zerg are mostly about how to enjoy life, maintain a good mood, or what interests them, because their weak bodies make it difficult for them to do some hard work.
Female insects prioritize academic performance above all else. The higher the rank of a female soldier, the more initiative she gains. Academic performance is the sole criterion, and even marriage requires consideration of the female insect's course grades or asset/military merit credits.
Female insects are naturally meticulous when it comes to calculating scores, but they seem to have lost a certain emotional aspect when it comes to feelings.
“Who said that?” Cyrus raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “I’m not one of them.”
The Insect King looked at him with his pale eyes and corrected him: "Many years ago..."
“I was wrong.” Cyrus surrendered without any pressure.
The Insect Emperor stared at him for a long time, his tense lips gradually relaxed, and he nodded slightly.
"I accept your apology and forgive you."
He was so serious yet his eyes were gentle that Cyrus couldn't help but laugh out loud.
——
Celtic raised his hand to look at the scoreboard. Eric, standing to the side, thought the Marshal had scored another point, and a mixture of admiration and jealousy welled up in his heart.
The marshal has widened the gap with them again. But then again, it makes sense, since the marshal is the one who devises the ideas, locations, and organizations. It's expected that he would receive extra points.
He had no idea that Marshal Celtic was still one part smaller than a normal female insect.
"The female insects near the inner edge of the swamp have stopped working; their movements are too large and will disturb Your Highness's sleep."
After a moment's thought, Celt made an adjustment: "The remaining Foxfire Mosquitoes, Large Field Female Fireflies, and Knocking Beetles will be rotated in three shifts to control the altitude. In addition, each team will be guarded by five non-light females to prevent any females from trying to disturb them."
When female insects encounter male insects during their mating season, some of their pheromones cause them to lose their rationality. Reasonable supervision is necessary. Even if the guardians of the water forest can protect Hill, the battle will inevitably wake him up.
He has difficulty falling asleep, and once he is woken up, he is unable to fall back asleep. Even with sleeping pills, he can only sleep for a few hours each night.
I wonder if he's asleep yet. Celt wanted to press his temples, but that gesture would show fatigue in front of the insects. There was no need to pretend in front of Gust and Dick. Eric wasn't an insect he could trust, and exposing his fatigue wouldn't be a good thing.
"In addition, prepare for insects that can gnaw on trees, such as longhorn beetles, jewel beetles, wood-boring moths, and scale insects."
The swamp is a body of water where towering ancient trees grow. Reconnaissance revealed that treehouses are built on the trees, and large fish with sharp teeth live underwater.
It's impractical to fight for males in a narrow area, as it could easily injure Hill in the ensuing melee. The surrounding area must be cleared to ensure Hill's safety.
“Yes, it’s ready!” Eric obeyed instinctively.
Everything for tomorrow has been arranged. Eric unconsciously looked towards the swamp. He was a little nervous, so much so that his mind was a bit confused, and he unconsciously started talking.
"I hope everything goes well tomorrow. Please don't disturb His Highness. I don't know why, but I always feel an unconscious urge to protect him. Maybe it's because His Highness seems so fragile, like..."
The tongue-tied and shy female insect couldn't utter a word: "Like a star that has already shattered."
Perhaps realizing his words were too ridiculous, Eric quickly changed the subject: "Marshal, if I may be so bold, six months ago on a First Army warship there was a male insect with short golden hair and blue eyes. Do you recognize him?"
The Marshal commands the First Army. Any insect that boards a warship needs the Marshal's personal approval. Female insects are not worth the Marshal's attention, but male insects will definitely receive special treatment. Perhaps the Marshal knows this?
Upon hearing this, Celt paused, his cold, gray eyes seeming to be caught in a vortex, but with his back to Eric, he didn't let the female insect notice anything unusual.
"Why ask this?" the marshal asked in a low voice, seemingly impatient.
Eric knew he had disturbed the Marshal. His rank rarely allowed him to speak directly with the Marshal. Every female soldier admired the Marshal. The Marshal, who came from humble beginnings, had risen to his current position and was able to control her marriage and gain the control of the military. This was the dream of every female soldier.
He was eager to explain, so he spoke faster: "It's nothing! It's just that I only met that gentleman once. We met briefly when the warship landed. I wanted to befriend him, but he was probably talking to his female insect and didn't pay any attention to me."
Seemingly to prove his point, Eric took out his personal computer and quickly opened a photograph.
It wasn't even a frontal photograph, but a shadow. The airport was surrounded by reflective alloys and hard glass, and the little male insect's face was reflected in the glass, making the photograph even slightly distorted.
I could vaguely see him walking out while communicating with someone. He had beautiful eyes like lake water and short, light-gold hair. His eyes were curved and round, as if he were immersed in an ocean of happiness. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He walked hurriedly, and the wind that blows through the airport all year round blows his hair.
It's Hill—
Celtic clenched his fist tightly.
"At the time, this gentleman declined my invitation. I was curious to know how he was doing. When he landed at the airport, his female insect didn't come to pick him up. Was that female insect not very nice to him? Did she not value him much?"
Eric was still speaking in a low voice when his personal computer was interrupted by a burst of light, and the image of the male insect slowly disappeared.
"Marshal—" Eric exclaimed in surprise.
"Taking photos of Your Excellency the Male Insect without permission is a violation of the law. According to Article 396 of the Imperial Male Insect Protection Regulations, you could be sentenced to six months of labor service or three thousand credits. Do you want to be expelled from the selection process now?" Celt's voice was authoritative and left no room for doubt.
Insects with criminal records are ineligible to participate in the selection of female insects for Her Highness Hilgard.
"Yes!" Eric instinctively looked around warily. Fortunately, there were no other insects around, and he breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
He was blinded by the male insect, and the marshal did not expose him. Instead, he helped him destroy the evidence immediately. This was protection and the marshal's favoritism towards him.
"Thank you, Marshal. I just wanted to know how this gentleman is doing..."
Celtic's straight back seemed to stiffen for a moment, and after a moment of silence, he replied, "I know this gentleman, and he will be doing very well in the future."
He will no longer be shrouded in darkness or suffer any more pain; he will transcend the shackles of this life and ascend to an unattainable height.
He will get everything he wants in this world.
His tone was resolute; Marshal Celtic always kept his word. After he spoke, Eric didn't even have the courage to question the gentleman, only feeling at ease.
If that gentleman is happy, what is there to worry about?
In preparation for tomorrow's brutal battle, the female insects also needed to conserve their energy. After a brief period of highs and lows, Eric chose a place to sleep, leaving only the Celtic insects outside the swamp awake for a long time.
The computer screen displayed a photo that Eric had just secretly taken; it was of Hill six months ago.
Keeping male insects is an unforgivable sin. To avoid leaving evidence, Celt never kept any photos of Hill, and even surveillance footage was immediately destroyed.
This later became his biggest inner demon in the six months after Hill left. Hill's arrival was like an unreal dream, disappearing without a trace when he woke up. During countless times of losing control, even the things around him gradually lost their scent.
This almost became the biggest reason for him to lose his mind, but fortunately, he still had the last piece of evidence left by Hill's existence.
A sharp pain swept over him again, causing his bones to ache as if they were about to break—a pain that indicated Hill had been there.
In the blurry image, the male insect has curved eyebrows and eyes. Although it is thin, it has a vibrant life force. How was that weak little male insect in the Nuka Forest raised so well, and how was it destroyed by his own hands?
“Hill…”
He murmured the name, his voice weak and heavy, as if carrying an immeasurable weight.
The next day.
It was a clear day, and the female insects were dutifully patrolling among the towering ancient trees. Occasionally, one or two scaled fish would bite and churn in the water, creating waves of blood, but the female insects were not surprised.
"Did you hear anything?" One of the female insects suddenly stopped, as if she could hear a rustling sound.
“The sound of water,” the other female insect answered decisively.
Today, the insects flying in the sky are not glowing insects, but rather some beautifully winged flying insects, hoping to win His Highness's favor by displaying their plumage like peacocks.
There's time to display wings, but not time to launch a full-scale attack. At the very least, all the insects should break through their defenses before attempting to seize His Highness.
The rustling sounds were barely noticeable, masked by the ceaseless flow of water, until at one moment a certain insect in the sky let out a long cry.
"What happened?"
What's in the sky?
Are they about to launch an attack?
The guardian insects immediately took to the sky to prepare for the attack, but at that moment the towering ancient tree collapsed with a crash.
Unbeknownst to them, the core of the ancient tree had been completely devoured by the female insects lurking underwater, leaving the hollow tree with only its bark for support. At that moment, it received a long cry as a warning and broke apart.
Hill, who was standing by the window, was startled for a moment when she heard the long cry, and then the treehouse collapsed completely.
He fell from mid-air like a bird without feet, plummeting towards the water's surface.
Author's Note:
Eric, who knows the truth: [Joker][Joker][Joker]
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