Chapter 13

　"…"

　　When Caesar opened his eyes, he saw a hazy blackness in front of him, as if he was wrapped in a thick layer of smog, and mottled and scattered spots of light swayed in his field of vision.

　　He blinked slowly, but his vision did not become clearer. Instead, it awakened other senses of his body. Amidst the excruciating pain that was sweeping over him, he heard a strange humming sound coming from not far away.

　　"Da dee da lala Da dee da lala...I love cooking and cooking loves me..."

　　What was that sound?

　　Gradually, his body and limbs regained feeling, and Caesar realized that he was not lying in the freezing snow.

　　He was wearing clothes and wrapped in a thick, soft quilt. The warm feeling was like poison mixed with honey, gently numbing the pain in his body.

　　Most importantly, he didn't sense any danger.

　　The heater blows out warm air periodically , turning the house into a cozy nest that exists stably in the wind and snow, protecting everything inside.

　　Safe, warm and comfortable.

　　But the hideous flesh and blood of the wound was exposed, and when it was covered by the airtight quilt, it itched desperately in sharp pangs, like a steel nail hammering through and shattering the cozy nest and nailing straight into the top of his head.

　　The flesh around the shoulder blade was rotten and tattered. It was the wound after the bone wing had been pulled out by the roots. It hadn't healed much yet. The slightest movement would tear it open again, revealing clean white bone.

　　"Augh…cough cough cough…!"

　　Caesar's body suddenly spasmed, and a large amount of blood rushed up, overflowing from his mouth and nose with a hoarse cough.

　　In a trance, he could hear the rhythmic footsteps of military boots and the clanking sound of chains dragging on the ground.

　　"…Are you awake? What happened…"

　　A strange mechanical sound was mixed into the messy noises, but it was soon drowned out by the sharp tinnitus and turned into a kind of complex noise.

　　Buzz——

　　Caesar opened his eyes instantly, his golden eyes were completely bloodshot, with madness and cruelty hidden in their indifference.

　　＊

　　"I heard that his Excellency picked up a female slave and took him home?"

　　"Really? Really?? Why haven't I heard any news?! Your Excellency finally wants to recruit female slaves and servants? If I recommend myself now, is there any chance that I will be accepted? Wuwuwu..."

　　Whispers came from the break room. Almost all the insects working in the library were absent-minded, but no one blamed them because they were also confused by the news that the male insect had picked up a female slave.

　　But no matter how curious they were, no one dared to ask Yael directly, allowing him to spend an afternoon that was both chaotic yet peaceful.

　　"Tunk."

　　A hardcover book was closed.

　　After finally finishing the fourth-year courses at the Imperial University, Yer pinched his brows, leaned back in his chair tiredly, and closed his eyes to rest.

　　It had taken him three months to learn the Zerg common language, and more than two years to learn all the Zerg courses starting from kindergarten to university.

　　He absorbed knowledge almost like a sponge. He couldn't say that he was proficient in everything, but at least he could make a living in this completely unfamiliar world.

　　"Bepbep bepbep!"

　　The light brain made a rapid beeping sound, and Yael opened his eyes instantly.

　　It was a message from 015 - "That female insect seems to have woken up!!"

　　In the blink of an eye, a new message popped up, "Help! I'm being... "

　　It was just time to get off work, and the female insects, who had been eager to gossip all afternoon, were planning to get close to Yael and find out what he was thinking.

　　The coveted creature flew out the door and disappeared in an instant.

　　…

　　"boom!"

　　The sound of a heavy object falling to the ground suddenly sounded and reached his ears through the door and a corridor. Yer's expression changed slightly and he quickly ran to the door.

　　But in just a few breaths, the battle situation inside seemed to escalate further.

　　A series of crackling sounds rang out, at one point drowning out the howling cold wind outside. If you listened carefully, you could even hear 015's screams.

　　"…Sizzle…"

　　"Help... don't damage 015..."

　　The little robot butler was hung in the air by its throat, screaming in a panic, and sparks were coming out of its half-broken body.

　　"I have a power leak, don't touch there..."

　　The Female insect's eyes flickered, and the reflection of the door monitor revealed a pair of extremely terrifying golden pupils, like a ferocious beast that was so angry that it had lost its mind, destroying and tearing apart anything that dared to approach.

　　"Crunch—"

　　The approaching footsteps and the sound of the door opening were like a needle puncturing a balloon, igniting the stagnant atmosphere in the room. The female insect, who was struggling with gritted teeth, instantly lost his sanity.

　　He threw the 015 in his hand towards the noise, and let out a violent roar from his throat.

　　"Don't come over here! Get out!"

　　"Woooaaaaaaah!"

　　Yael just barely caught the flying 015, but was shocked by the power leaks and took a few steps back. Little 015 belatedly realized what had happened and whimpered, "You're finally back, wuwuwu..."

　　The living room was dark, but one could still tell it was a mess.

　　The female insect half-bent its body and panted heavily. His pair of molten-gold vertical pupils kept shrinking and were full of murderous intent. He no longer had much clarity and rationality.

　　What's worse, he had regressed into half-insect form.

　　Countless intricate and gorgeous patterns unique to the zerg insect species spread and grew, occupying half of the female insect's body, extending from his neck all the way to his temple.

　　Thick red blood flowed along the lines, staining the striped hospital gown with large patches of light and dark red.

　　If the female insect's bone wings had not been plucked out by the mafia people, the wings would have stretched out from its wing sheaths from the female's back and swept everything in the living room to the ground.

　　Yael's pupils suddenly shrank and he subconsciously took a step back.

　　As if stimulated by his actions, the half-kneeling female insect trembled, and actually stood up by supporting itself on the ground and the sofa, with its claws and arms crossed in front of its body, assuming an attacking posture.

　　"Get lost…!"

　　A hoarse voice came out of the female insect's throat, like a warning growl from a wild animal, but he no longer had the energy to pretend he was uninjured. Anyone would know that the one in front of him was just like a sick panther that was bluffing.