Chapter 33

After a brief moment of astonishment, he looked straight at his mentor, his eyes shining as if filled with a sky full of stardust.

"I want to see it..."

He spoke softly, and perhaps because he was terribly embarrassed, a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.

Yet his gaze was so intent and earnest.

"The world you came from, Professor."

In truth, when Medises had seen Su Lin's utterly focused and resolute expression back then, he had already sensed that this day would come.

No one could have been more useful than Su Lin. He trusted Xue Yao so completely that he had been willing to turn himself into a half-human, half-Zerg test subject.

"Professor Xue, ahem, I don't think he saw this coming either, did he?"

Now that Medises had said so much, Su Lin could only say sorry in his heart to that unsmiling man, then neatly lay all the blame on his former mentor.

"...He arranged for me to enter Research Institute No. 37, and after a few small experiments, I discovered that I seemed to have developed some Zerg characteristics. But I really never intended to be a spy among the Zerg or anything. We were just doing research. Then the Zerg overran the institute, and I was mistaken for a larva and brought here. I, I really never meant to infiltrate Zerg territory. Really, it was all an accident."

Su Lin emphasized several times that he had never intended to be a spy, doing his best to appear harmless and pitiable.

But in the end, he couldn't resist a probing question.

"Still, it's a good thing the Zerg I fused with was from the Dew Nest. As your servant Zerg, I should be safe, right, Senior?"

Medises frowned slightly at that.

"Xue Yao didn't even tell you-"

"What?"

Su Lin's eyes widened nervously.

A moment later, Medises let out a cold laugh.

"Didn't he tell you what Zerg species you actually fused with?"

"No, wasn't it from the Dew Nest?"

The young human's face went deathly pale, as though he had been dealt a terrible blow. Medises watched the panic in his eyes with satisfaction, and on impulse, decided to give him a little more detail.

"The Zerg genes Xue Yao had you combine with were probably ones he modified himself-they don't belong to any known Zerg species. Of course, one thing is certain: they most likely contain genes from the Dew Nest or the Sweet Tail. Otherwise, you couldn't possibly smell..."

He couldn't possibly smell so tempting, so sweet, so irresistible that one wanted to lose oneself in it.

Medises abruptly cut himself off.

"All you need to know is that he never considered your safety."

The silver-haired Zerg spoke somewhat stiffly.

The distinctive sweet scent on Su Lin was also why he had immediately connected Su Lin's situation to Xue Yao. Su Lin's pheromones were simply too enticing; they could make even a male Zerg like him struggle to control himself. When Medises had examined Su Lin's wings earlier, he had needed almost every ounce of self-control to keep from bending down like a beast to kiss and lick the larva's delicate newly formed wings.

Apart from Xue Yao, Medises couldn't think of anyone capable of making such a pathological modification to Zerg pheromones.

The only question was, he couldn't imagine why Xue Yao had done it.

"Th-then what am I supposed to do now?"

Medises's blunt words left Su Lin particularly flustered.

He looked at Medises, his eyes full of helplessness and dependence.

"Senior, you know I really never meant to be a spy. Am I in a lot of danger now because of this damned identity? Senior, could you send me back? Back to the human world..."

Taking the opportunity, Su Lin naturally made his plea to his senior.

Everything was going smoothly, or so he thought, at least for now.

It was just that after hearing him out, Medises glanced at him. Perhaps because the structure of Zerg pupils differed from humans', there was a moment when, under the room's lights, his senior's eyes looked unusually pale. Combined with his pinprick pupils, the silver-haired Zerg's gaze looked a little frightening.

"I'll find a way."

But in the next second, Su Lin heard Medises speak.

The Zerg's voice sounded perfectly calm, just as it had many years ago when He Zisen had said indifferently that he would take care of his trouble, with an indescribably reassuring quality to it.

Su Lin felt relieved.

"But you'll probably have to pay a price."

Medises spoke as he gazed at the young human, whose expression had suddenly stiffened, concealing all the darkness surging in his heart bit by bit.

"A price? What is it, Senior?"

Su Lin asked in a panic.

Medises raised his hand and, seemingly gentle, adjusted Su Lin's overly large collar.

"Just kidding."

He said.

"You can stay here with me without worrying. I'll find a way to solve everything."

A moment later, Medises placed Su Lin inside an A-grade healing pod to prevent any problems that might arise from the earlier impact to his newly formed wings.

"The artificially modified Zerg genes will put a heavy strain on your body. We'd better be careful."

That was what he said.

Su Lin happily accepted his former boss's gift, letting the damp cocoon envelop him completely. Before the treatment-induced sleep overtook him, the last thing he saw was Medises's blurry shadow beyond the translucent wall of the pod.

Senior... is he still watching me?