Chapter 22

Unlike servant Zerg who sold themselves to higher-ranking swarms as cannon fodder and laborers, the Dew Nest were weak-so weak they were not even fit to serve as cannon fodder or laborers. Even the strongest adult among them was so weak before other Zerg that he could not withstand a single blow. Because of their innate weakness, the species had evolved a very unusual way to survive: they secreted a special liquid, something like honey, to feed other Zerg. To the vast majority of Zerg, their honey was exceptionally sweet and delicious, and they exchanged it for the protection of other Zerg. That was how their colony, the Dew Nest, came to be. In fact, even the term the Zerg now used for weak Zerg who traded their bodies for protection, "honey bugs," had originally referred specifically to them.

The Dew Nest's last master was the illustrious Blood Wing, renowned for producing high-ranking Zerg.

However, the Dew Nest had extremely weak constitutions and found reproduction far too difficult. They had been attacked during the war with humanity decades ago and declared extinct.

But now, Colonel Carlos had found a living Dew Nest larva among the ruins of a human research institute.

All the Zerg fell silent at once.

Medises was the Blood Wing most likely to become lord. In a sense, he had simply happened to find something that belonged to him and brought it back. No one was entitled to object.

But Carlos had been the one to bring this Dew Nest larva back...

Medises seemed to be the only one in the examination room whose emotions remained unchanged, as always.

"Notify Carlos Pale Calamity. As of today, ownership of this larva will be transferred to me."

At those words, one of the lower-ranking Zerg nervously waved his antennae, his voice trembling slightly.

"Lord Medises, this larva bears a very obvious scent of the Pale Calamity. He is Lord Carlos's honey bug. If you take ownership of him, I'm afraid the other party will protest. Considering that we are currently seeking cooperation with the Pale Calamity, perhaps... perhaps we could discuss this matter later?"

The Zerg who spoke felt bitter.

The moment he saw the Blood Wing mark on Su Lin's chest, he knew things would turn bad. The Pale Calamity's scent on Su Lin was so strong that everyone could smell just how possessive its owner was of this honey bug. Medises was justified in claiming ownership, but taking another powerful male Zerg's honey bug could easily cause friction between the two colonies.

"Oh, is that so?"

The silver-haired Zerg calmly interrupted his apprehensive subordinate.

"First of all, this larva is not Carlos's honey bug." At that, a faint, utterly contemptuous sneer appeared on Medises's frozen face, making him look far more terrifying than before. "If all it took to obtain a honey bug was an injection of pheromone fluid..."

As he spoke, Medises suddenly turned his head with apparent indifference.

The instant his eyes met the Zerg's, Su Lin nearly stopped breathing.

This was bad.

Really bad.

He could feel that something terrible seemed about to happen.

Su Lin was so frightened he nearly cried, but he quickly adjusted his expression.

Open his eyes wide, and they would easily take on a moist, teary sheen. Relax his facial muscles, but keep the muscles around his eyes tense. That would make him look pitiful and innocent, yet also faintly trusting and affectionate...

That was how Su Lin looked at Medises. Although Medises was a Zerg, he really did look too much like He Zisen back then. At a time like this, with his life on the line, Su Lin could not think of much else. He simply faced the Zerg named Medises in the same way he had habitually soothed He Zisen.

In the beginning, the reason he had been able to get close to that icy young man was that whenever He Zisen grew irritated, he would put on this same silly, utterly harmless face. Su Lin did not know why, but it worked every time. Yes, merely looking at him like that was enough for He Zisen to inexplicably rein in his coldness and anger.

Sure enough, after Su Lin looked at Medises that way, the Zerg's movements seemed to pause.

Su Lin immediately felt relieved.

The Zerg inspector's clear, cold eyes overlapped perfectly with He Zisen's from many years ago.

["Get rid of that stupid look."]

For a moment, Su Lin even thought he could hear He Zisen's faintly disdainful whisper again.

How strange.

Su Lin thought.

He had not even known he still remembered Senior He's expression and tone from back then, even though so many years had passed...

Yet just then, at the very moment Su Lin thought his little survival trick had worked again, Medises suddenly raised his hand. The tall, cold inspector grabbed the slender young man by the hair with a roughness that did not quite fit his usual manner, forcing the pitiful larva to bare his slender neck.

Then the silver-haired, high-ranking male Zerg lowered his head and bit into the curve of Su Lin's neck.

Blood welled out.

Su Lin's body trembled violently without stopping.

If he had been able to make a sound, he would have been screaming in agony.

It hurts!

It really hurts!

Su Lin suspected that the disgusting Zerg before him had bitten through his artery. The Zerg was extremely rough, and Su Lin could clearly feel his sharp mouthparts piercing straight through and tearing open his flesh. If the pitifulness he had shown before had been more or less an act, he truly did look pitiful now.