Skadi inexplicably felt offended.
"Torturing Zerg?"
Kiana Kaslana immediately jumped out.
"How have I been torturing Zerg?"
She had gone to great lengths to take care of Zerg and tried to feed him until he was full. Even if she deserved no credit, she had at least put in the effort, right?
How had she suddenly been slapped with the label of torturing Zerg?
Was there something wrong with this woman?
"I was even planning to work sixteen hours a day just to feed Zerg, and you say I'm torturing him?"
The white-haired girl was furious.
"Sixteen-hour shifts?"
Were you some kind of workaholic superhero?
Raiden Mei's thoughts came to a halt.
And how could anyone be so poor that they needed to work sixteen-hour shifts just to feed Zerg?
"..."
Kiana Kaslana suddenly felt offended.
"On the other hand, you actually laid hands on such a small child. Do you have any shame at all?"
The white-haired girl quickly turned the accusation around.
"?"
When had she ever laid hands on Zerg?
Though Zerg really was adorable, she was the proper young lady of ME Corp.!
Raiden Mei shot the white-haired girl a glare.
But she also realized that there might have been some misunderstanding between them.
"Zerg, has this Kiana person ever tortured you?"
She bent down slightly until her gaze was level with the little child's.
Then—
"Slurp."
Volume One: Eat This, I'll Blast You Apart!
Energy should not be wasted.
After extracting Biomass, he was starving.
Though he was not hungry enough to lose his mind.
It was just—
Even after eating Mei's breakfast, he still could not feel satisfied.
So, faced with temptation right in front of him—
Zerg stuck out his tiny pink tongue.
Mei's face tasted like energy!
"Huh?"
Feeling the wet, slippery sensation on her face, Raiden Mei's thoughts froze for a moment.
She had been licked?
"Mei, tasty!"
The little child narrowed his eyes and spoke with some satisfaction.
Then he licked her a few more times.
He gathered that erratic, scattered energy with Psionics, then consumed it directly through physical means.
Without a Hatchery, this was the only thing he could do for now.
But even if there had been a Hatchery, the Swarm Overlord would never have put the girl inside to drain her energy.
After all, Mei was a good person who fed Zerg!
"Eeeeeek!!!!"
Raiden Mei's face instantly turned scarlet.
"Gah, you woman actually tricked Zerg into doing something like this!"
Kiana Kaslana saw the scene, her sky-blue eyes fixed fiercely on the black-haired girl.
That woman must have tried putting food on her body before, tempting Zerg to lick her!
"I never taught Zerg to do anything like that!"
The young lady of ME Corp. instinctively retorted.
This had been entirely Zerg's own initiative!
"Slurp."
At some point, the little child had run back to Kiana's side and began licking up the remaining energy again.
"..."
Feeling the wetness on her face, Kiana Kaslana's thoughts entered uncharted territory.
I-I-I got my face licked by Zerg?
She subconsciously touched the cheek he had licked, then accidentally pinched something soft and tender.
"Mm?"
The little Swarm Overlord looked at the white-haired girl with a blank, adorable expression.
"Hehe, tiny, soft, sweet-smelling Zerg."
Unable to resist the temptation, the white-haired girl wrapped her arms around the little child and vigorously rubbed her face against his.
Why refuse something delivered right to her door?
You got licked, so why couldn't I?
"You, let go of Zerg right now!"
Raiden Mei glared furiously at the girl wearing a besotted expression.
"..."
Skadi shook her head.
She lifted Zerg out of Kiana's arms, then casually held him against her own chest.
"All right, perhaps it's time for us to speak frankly."
The misunderstanding needed to be cleared up.
The white-haired, red-eyed Abyssal Hunter remained calm beneath the furious stares of the two girls.
Even while holding her tiny kin in one arm, Skadi could suppress both girls with only one hand.
"Speak frankly?"
Zerg tilted his head slightly, unable to understand the phrase.
"It means everyone should communicate honestly."
Skadi calmly pinched his soft cheek.
"Communicate honestly?"
The Swarm Overlord still did not understand.
"For example, what did you tell Miss Mei earlier, Zerg?"
The Abyssal Hunter asked.
M-Miss Mei?
Raiden Mei's hand involuntarily clenched.
She was a young girl in the prime of her youth!
"Mm... Zerg told Mei that Kiana fed Zerg something long, thin, hot, round, and a little hard, along with warm, sticky water!"
The Swarm Overlord said with complete honesty.
"..."
Kiana fell silent.
For a moment, the white-haired girl's thoughts went in the wrong direction.
Then she violently shook her head.
She had only fed Zerg instant noodles!
Why did it sound, coming from the little child's mouth, like she had fed him a hot dog sprayed with milk?
"Cough, cough, Zerg, the thing I gave you to eat is called instant noodles."
Kiana Kaslana coughed a few times.
In that instant, she understood Raiden Mei.
If she had heard that, she probably would have misunderstood too.
"..."
Raiden Mei instantly blushed bright red.
So Zerg had eaten instant noodles?
She had immediately let her imagination run wild back then.
"Kiana also likes to touch Zerg when she's holding Zerg!"
The Swarm Overlord added.
"..."
The white-haired girl did not deny it. Instead, her gaze drifted away.
The young lady of ME Corp. looked at the white-haired girl.
Yet all she received in response was an awkward silence.
Kiana, say something!
Raiden Mei's eyes widened.
"Zerg also told Mei that Skadi likes to hug Zerg from behind and feed Zerg something thick and hard!"
Zerg continued adding details.
"..."
Skadi fell silent.
What he said... seemed to be correct.
But why did it sound so strange?
At that moment, Kiana Kaslana's thoughts went in the wrong direction again.
Hugging Zerg from behind and feeding Zerg something thick and hard... wasn't that—
Cough, cough. She had not thought of anything.
The white-haired girl's fingers twisted together uneasily.