Chapter 7

Levi came to his senses and hesitantly said, "It's nothing... this is fine, let's go."

The journey was silent, with everyone deliberately softening their breaths.

However, several glances fell on Rey, subtle yet noticeable, carrying no malice but filled with curiosity and longing.

Rey felt conflicted; this wasn't quite what she had expected.

The camp wasn't far, and they arrived quickly.

Upon reaching the camp, more eyes landed on Rey, with Ural scanning each one, his gaze subtly threatening.

Newly born protectors easily adopt the queen's habits and views. Aware of Rei's apparent dislike and wariness towards the insect race (including himself), Ural naturally came to despise them too.

Most in the camp were combat and support insectoids, currently gathered inside to heal and await their next deployment.

Rey's arrival broke the stillness, like a soft petal falling onto water, creating gentle ripples.

"Heavens, where did she come from?"

"So cute..."

Lin Si sternly directed his team members to disperse and rest, feigning a cough, and the area immediately fell silent.

"There should be some empty rooms," Levi said. "Come with me."

The three insectoids walked down the empty corridor, each lost in their own thoughts. Levi was quickly considering how to probe for more information about Rey, Ural didn't want to interact with anyone but Rey, and Rey herself was momentarily lost in a haze of worldview-shattering confusion.

"What do I need to pay?" Rey suddenly asked, referring to the cost of a temporary stay.

Levi couldn't help but laugh and replied, sidestepping the question, "The camp isn't safe either. Did you really not leave R27 star with the star fleet a while back?"

Rey responded indifferently, not wishing to elaborate on Levi's question.

She had the ability to ensure her own survival.

Levi paused for a moment, glancing at Ural who was closely sticking to Rey.

A newly born insectoid, whose abilities were already comparable to those of a mature male insect.

Levi gave a slight smile, his tone unusually serious, "Would you be able to assist us if necessary?"

In an instant, Rey understood Levi's subtle implication. She stopped in her tracks, turned to look at him, her beautiful, exotic eyes reflecting his face.

She could still hear the eternal cries and screams echoing in her ears, the faint beating of a struggling heart.

Countless lives of the insect race were fading away.

But Rey regarded them indifferently, viewing her kin and the deaths of the initial "Rosa" as no different, all as fragile as ants.

Now, a strong and cunning ant was seeking a lifeline from her.

Rey asked with curiosity, "To what extent do you want assistance?"

An overwhelming pressure bore down on Levi, making him tremble slightly as he fought to maintain his composure. Swallowing the words about involving Rey in battle, he managed a strained smile and changed his approach, "It's just me. I want to survive, not die on the battlefield."

A sincere yet selfish request.

Rey quietly looked at Levi for a moment, reluctantly agreeing, and replied in line with his wish, "Alright, if you find yourself in danger."

Rey was completely unaware of the powerful intimidation her moment of contemplation had unleashed, silencing even Ural for a moment.

Crisis averted. Levi quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is it," they stopped in front of a room, Levi said, "Given that it's a temporary military facility, the conditions aren't great. You'll need to collect your daily nutrient solution from the lobby."

Levi then pointed to the door opposite and said to Ural, "Since you're moving together, it's better if your rooms are close."

Ural immediately felt alarm bells ringing, sensing a turn for the worse.

"I have to head back to the camp," Levi said with a smile, "There's a lot to do usually, so I can't stay and chat more. If you have any questions, just grab any support insectoid and ask."

Rey nodded in response.

Levi turned and left.

"Rey..." Ural looked at her pitifully, "I want to share a room with you!"

Rey pushed open the door to find a small one-room studio with a cold, metallic style.

She glanced at the mere few steps separating the two doors and said coldly, "No, stay in your own room."

The young man looked disappointed but still fixed Rey with his clear, silver animalistic eyes, trying to look pitiable in a bid to change her mind.

Rey closed the door.

Ural: "...Whimper."

-

"She's not an ordinary female insect," Lin Si said with a frown, his tone serious, "You should report this to the main star immediately."

Levi didn't respond right away, fiddling with a test tube in his hand containing a few milliliters of a clear liquid – a lifeline for delaying the mental collapse of the insect race.

"It seems you have other ideas," Lin Si said coldly. "I usually don't interfere in other matters, but when it comes to matters of principle..."

Levi smiled casually and interrupted him abruptly, "We stopped discussing the existence of princesses long ago. Now, they just have a bit more potential but can never become real queens. They are no different from normal females in daily life. You really don’t need to be so intent on investigating, do you?"

Lin Si's expression remained disapproving and unshaken, "If you continue to act on your own, I’ll have no choice but to bypass you and take action."

"As far as I know," Levi said, "she seems to subtly despise ‘us’. You should have noticed it too. Lin Si, even I can’t ascertain her real authority. Don’t you think your rash actions might lead to disastrous consequences?"

"Moreover," Levi said mysteriously, drawing out his words, "I’ve made a deal with her."

Lin Si smirked and said, "Do you know what you look like right now? Like a foolish dog that's overly pleased with itself for being a step ahead."

Levi, unfazed, replied with a smile, "Think what you will, but let’s end this matter here. Next, we should focus on arranging the distribution of our forces for the coming days..."

-

Rey looked up at the cafeteria’s big screen displaying today’s menu:

Nutrient Solution.

Golden Scale Minced Crab Meat.

Stone Rock Star Beast Bones.

Desert Six-Legged Toothfish.

……

Rey saw a menu truly belonging to the insect race for the first time, even though the names were quite strange.

"Rey," Ural muttered in a low, grumbling voice, "Yesterday, we were so far apart."

From the moment Rey opened the door to head to the camp's cafeteria, Ural keenly sensed it and hopped out to follow her.

Rey, uninterested in Ural’s constant mumbling, headed to the shortest line, with Ural closely following her.

To her surprise, a dozen or so insectoids quickly formed behind her, but they politely maintained a considerable distance from Rey.

Rey glanced at the insectoids at nearby tables and felt they guiltily averted their gaze the moment she turned her head.

It seemed they indeed wouldn't attack her and bore no malice.

"How strange."

Soon it was their turn. The food distribution was clearly automated. Rey asked Ural, "What do you want to eat?"

Ural decisively answered, "The same as Rey!"

Rey randomly selected a few items on the screen, like the all-purpose nutrient solution, which didn’t require payment. But she wanted to try other foods.

With no response, Rey waited patiently for a few seconds before the screen displayed, “Account Unusable.”

Rey was momentarily puzzled: “?”

Rey tried again several times in disbelief, but the result was the same. It dawned on her that her identity as a Rosarena star person might not be valid at the insect race's military base.

"It seems you might need a little help?" An insectoid approached her and said softly.

"I'm Nolan Grec, the Logistics Captain," said the chestnut-haired young man in a gentle tone. "Levi mentioned you to me."

Rey's gaze shifted to him, meeting his calm and tranquil azure eyes. Nolan had a lean figure and lacked the aggressive presence typical of other insectoids.

As Nolan spoke, he used his cyber-brain to unlock permissions for Rey, apologizing slightly, "There, that should work. These are your choices, right? Sorry, we can’t provide better quality food for now. It's indeed a bit inconvenient for you."

Upon receiving the command, the robot immediately dispensed freshly prepared food and passed it through the window.

Rey said, "Thank you."

"It's part of my duty," Nolan replied with a slight bow, quietly retreating without saying much more.

However, he cast a casual glance at the insectoids pretending to be busy nearby, smiling faintly.

The cafeteria was usually quite empty, with most just grabbing nutrient solution and leaving. Who had the leisure to linger here?

Besides, the camp's cafeteria hadn't been distributing anything other than nutrient solutions lately. Today's menu was clearly Nolan’s personal arrangement.

Ural, carrying two plates of food, followed Rey to a sparsely populated table.

Rey slowly ate a piece of meat, finding its texture delicate and smooth, slightly surprised.

Ural, who hadn’t eaten yet, noticed an empty dish in Rey's plate and offered, “Rey, I have more here.”

Rey replied, “...Just finish your own.”

“Oh,” Ural said, visibly disappointed, and obediently lowered his head to eat.

Rey set down her utensils and looked around casually, her gaze meeting Nolan's, who was still in the cafeteria.

Levi had been obviously watching their position, not panicking even when caught, merely smiling gently.

Rey averted her gaze and sighed, “I think they’re strange.”

"Enemies?" Ural immediately said, alert.

“You’re strange too,” said Rey, “Do you like it here?”

Maybe she should leave this guy with the insect race instead of having him cling to her every moment. Rey thought indifferently.

“Rey?” Ural couldn’t grasp the true meaning of her words, nor sense any emotion from her, just looking at her puzzledly, with a wide smile.

“It’s nothing,” Rey lowered her eyelids, unwilling to touch upon this overly intense warmth, “Let's go. We have to do something productive, as promised.”

Before leaving, she had inquired through her cyber-brain about Levi’s whereabouts but received no response.

Rey thought for a moment and walked towards Nolan.

The chestnut-haired young man's face lit up with a hint of surprise when he saw Rey approaching and he asked warmly, “What's up?”

Rey inquired, “Do you know where Levi went?”

“Him?” Nolan paused briefly, checking his cyber-brain before lowering his voice, “Last night, he and Lin Si led a group of Black Crow members to the defense line at ten o'clock direction.”

“He won’t be back anytime soon,” Nolan said hesitantly. “Do you need him for something?”

Rey nodded and asked, “Do you know their exact location?”

Under Rey’s steady gaze, Nolan realized he couldn’t deny her request.

But he was cautious, “Can you tell me the purpose? Operational routes can't be revealed easily.”

“I just want to find him,” Rey said, “to fulfill a promise.”

She faintly sensed that Levi's physical condition wasn’t much better, seemingly only slightly healthier than the blue-eyed insectoid with him. If it weren't for Ural's intervention yesterday, they would have been dead or severely injured.

Why keep moving towards death when they clearly want to live?

She didn’t understand.

Rey wasn’t bound by a strong sense of obligation, just curious about the insectoids' logic. Like a newborn child, she observed this world awkwardly.

“I understand,” Nolan said with a slight smile, “I need to add your cyber-brain ID first.”

A minute later, Nolan glanced at Rey's account information, a flash of surprise in his eyes. But remembering Levi’s instructions, he suppressed his curiosity and sent the route and location to Rey.

“Is this your name?” Nolan asked, his mind swiftly composing numerous compliments, hesitating over which to choose, “Rosa Garcia?”

Rey paused, then replied slowly, “...No.”

“I'm Rey.”

Nolan’s azure eyes instantly brimmed with amusement.

After Rey left the cafeteria, the insectoids there finally broke their stern façade, bursting into excited chatter.

“I really wanted to talk to her! Ah…”

"Grec sure is sly; he's not usually so easy to talk to."

"The insectoid with her seems quite young. Does it have the maturity to fulfill the duties of a guard?"

"My heart nearly leaped out of my chest, I thought I was going to make eye contact with her! Her eye color is so unique..."

"Quiet," Nolan clapped his hands to silence them, his smile fading as he returned to his usual no-nonsense demeanor, speaking sternly, “Who gave you permission to gossip? I don’t want to hear such talk again. Get back to work as soon as your break is over. Do you really think I can't see your curiosity?”

"Yes..."