“Chapter 22”

"Chapter 22"

"Rei stepped onto the deck where the walls were silver-white with a hint of blue, and the floor was made of a special, precious gemstone that reflected a beautiful, twinkling light. Even the smallest details had subtle blue lines, which would activate corresponding functions upon a light touch."

"The starship, grand and huge on the outside, was exquisitely detailed inside. A wide pathway could lead to numerous possibilities, the lighting bright yet not glaring, and even the air temperature and flow maintained at the perfect level for Rei’s comfort."

"This starship, having endured many hardships, was welcoming the new queen in its own way."

"'Your Majesty,' several higher-ranking insectoids bowed slightly, having been waiting inside the starship to assist the queen."

"Rei, usually expressionless and even her smiles tinged with coldness, slowly turned her gaze to one of the silver-haired insectoids, her eyes showing clear displeasure and confusion."

"The silver-haired insectoid had handsome features with sharp angles, his pale red eyes resembling glazed glass, slightly upward-tilted at the corners but extremely gentle, softening his otherwise piercing gaze. He wore pure black gloves, and his uniform was meticulous, fitting snugly over his skin, subtly revealing well-defined muscles."

"Unlike most insectoids who maintained humanoid forms but still had a non-human aura, he blended the insectoids’ inherent aggressive nature with his own unique calmness, maintaining a balanced demeanor."

"The silver-haired insectoid knelt slightly, looking up with a clear, pleasing voice, 'Your Majesty, I am Darian Shelton, one of the commanders of the Sovereign. This voyage will cross two galactic barriers. Due to unstable time distortions in the barrier regions, the total duration will be approximately ninety-nine hours and seven minutes.'"

"Then he fell silent, quietly watching Rei as if awaiting her next command."

"This was Darian Shelton, who had held the greatest power among the insectoids before Rei’s ascendancy, once mockingly referred to by the Alliance as 'the insectoid with thoughts and emotions most like a human.'"

"Even his appearance was closer to interstellar human aesthetics than typical insectoids."

"—Though, by the insectoids’ standards of pursuing ultimate strength, Darian’s appearance was not appreciated, often criticized by many insectoids: 'How could he possibly be a consort to the queen?'"

"In fact, appearances and demeanors too aggressive often brought back unpleasant memories for Rei. At least Darian’s appearance was not of the type that Rei disliked."

"Just like Ural, who initially differentiated himself to mirror Rei’s appearance due to his close proximity to her, and then strived to temper his own sharp edges to make his presence more tolerable for Rei. But Darian, whom Rei had never seen or sensed before, still somehow followed a unique genetic trajectory, emerging as a slender, refined young man."

"What displeased Rei, though, was that the moment she saw the silver-haired insectoid, she heard all the cells in her body screaming in frenzy, a strong urge to kill slowly emerging in her emotional system, not just a simple desire to devour but also accompanied by a faint liking."

"Rei indifferently suppressed these inexplicable evil thoughts, despising any form of control, even from her own genetics. Her eyes remained calm as she looked directly at Darian: 'What is this? An attraction between genes?'"

"Darian's soul seemed to shiver deeply as he met Rei's icy gaze, plunging into a chilling unease."

The girl with white heterochromia scrutinized him, not hiding the murderous intent in her eyes, yet exhibiting a frightening level of restraint. Compared to her usual calm indifference, this trace of murderous intent was just a trivial spark, disappearing into the icy depths.

"Many queens would succumb to their desires, especially an insectoid like Darian, who had long been in power and held the highest authority, posing a potential threat to Rei’s rule in some sense."

"Therefore, Darian was prepared for the possibility of being executed. Rei, without needing his response, had already understood his thoughts from the aura he emitted."

"But in the end, Rei merely glanced at him lightly: 'Go do what you must.'"

"'Yes.' Darian felt a slight sense of loss, replying gently and leading the other subordinate commanders away."

"It was then that Carissa slowly appeared behind Rei, following the order to the insectoid legions to immediately mobilize and swiftly boarding the starship after Rei, without intruding on Rei's brief exchange with Darian."

"Rei wandered casually, stopping occasionally at interesting spots, observing with curiosity. Carissa immediately provided detailed explanations."

"'A library of physical books. Several previous queens enjoyed reading actual books, so a space was carved out on the Sovereign for storing thousands of volumes. We rarely engage in artistic creation, so aside from technical resources, most come from various interstellar species.'"

"The beautifully constructed, massive dark brown bookshelves, with long vines hanging down, creaked underfoot on the wooden floor, obviously designed with a traditional, retro aesthetic in mind."

"Rei initially glanced casually, ready to move on uninterested, but paused and crouched to pull out a book from the bottom shelf as she passed by."

"The moment the book was removed, a segment of dark, rustic art popped into the air."

"Book title: [Unable to Parse]"

"Author: [Data Lost] (Amandipean)"

…………

"The book was extremely rudimentary in design, with a cover resembling peeling tree bark, unsightly and blotchy. Opening it revealed incomplete pages with random, broken strings of unfamiliar text."

"Carissa, noticing the information pop-up, explained, 'I apologize, Your Majesty. This is an ancient document, containing biological encryption power beyond our technology’s capability to further decipher. Besides, the Amandipeans hold little relevance to our research.'"

"'A race forever buried in the dust of the eighth galaxy. Our database knows very little about their true form, but... in the historical records of past queens, one of the first queens mentioned them once.'"

"Rei smiled slightly, saying, 'Auras can reveal much. I can overlook your past and the latent factors of betrayal, but this is both the first and the last opportunity.' Each word resonated heavily in the minds of the insectoids present, sending shivers to their core."

"'I need no feigned pity, protection, or flattery. Only mutual exchange and eternal, loyal submission qualify for my recognition.'"

"The Sovereign slowly opened, scattering numerous stars that formed a near-transparent staircase descending in front of Rei."

"Rei ascended the staircase, moving upwards without concern for the insectoids' thoughts below."

"The Sovereign embarked."

"The commanding officers working intended to stand up and salute Rei, but a glance from her, coupled with an unintentional aura of authority, conveyed a message of refusal."

"Upon reaching the deck, Rei observed its silver-white walls with a hint of blue, and the floor made of precious gemstones reflecting a beautiful shimmer. Even the smallest details held light blue patterns, activating respective functions upon a light touch."

"The starship, having endured much, welcomed its new queen."

"'Your Majesty,' a few high-ranking insectoids bowed slightly, awaiting orders inside the starship."

"Rei's gaze, usually cold and detached even when smiling, fell on one of the silver-haired insectoids, her eyes betraying clear displeasure and confusion."

"The silver-haired insectoid, with handsome and angular features and pale red eyes, exuded a gentle demeanor, balancing his sharp gaze. Clad in a meticulous uniform that fit snugly over his sculpted physique, he wore pure black gloves."

"Unlike most insectoids with humanoid forms but non-human auras, his temperament fused insectoid aggression with unique calmness, maintaining a balance."

"Rei slowly withdrew her gaze, speaking to Carisa, 'I need an earring-style cybernetic brain.'"

"The silver-haired insectoid knelt slightly, looking up with a clear, pleasant voice, 'Your Majesty, I am Darian Shelton, one of the commanders of the Sovereign. Our journey will traverse two galactic barriers, lasting approximately ninety-nine hours and seven minutes, due to unstable time distortions in those regions.'"