Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The thick silver chains were slowly unfastened, the clinking sound clearly audible in the quiet reception room.

No one spoke. Even Yi Jia Fa, who had earlier urged Philo to accept this Insect, fell silent. Seeing Philo’s rare expression devoid of a smile, all the Insects present tacitly maintained their silence.

The wrists, not particularly slender, appeared pale due to the Female Insect’s usual confinement as a female attendant, not permitted to go out alone. Yet now, these fair wrists bore bruises in varying shades, evidence of how long they had been bound.

Without lingering on the bruises—as if not seeing them—Shang Ling, who was responsible for unlocking the chains, politely helped the kneeling Female Insect stand with his usual impeccable courtesy.

As if he hadn’t been the one moments ago preparing to hand the Female Insect over to the Tulas Family, Shang Ling looked at the Insect before him and spoke softly.

“My apologies, Song Emperor. Considering you needed to apologize to His Highness Philo, I followed protocol and restrained you, even though you hadn’t violated Alliance law.”

“It’s alright, sir. I accept this willingly as atonement to His Highness Philo.”

With a deep bow, the Female Insect showed not a trace of resentment despite having been locked in a dark room overnight.

This show of harmony undoubtedly softened the previously tense atmosphere.

Smiling, both Du Dafei and Norman, who had been solemn, now revealed satisfied smiles.

Undoubtedly, the Female Insect’s clever response was one all present were pleased to hear.

But Philo wasn't one of them.

Yet, what did it matter?

He didn’t push the matter or continue seeking justice.

Watching as the Female Insect stood with Shang Ling’s support, appearing equal, observing the other’s expression and posture that gave nothing away—even though everyone present looked human—this wasn't Earth.

This was the Insect Clan, a society with rigid and impenetrable class divisions. Philo’s mind was clear.

“Philo, since you like this drummer, why not keep him?”

Unusually, the Veteran General, who typically remained silent in Yi Jia Fa’s presence, spoke up today.

After speaking, observing Philo’s silence, Zhousha’s voice was gentle.

“You like music, right? This drummer could be your friend, and you could often play music together.”

...A friend? A Female Insect, formerly another Male Insect’s attendant—how was he worthy of being Philo’s friend?

Frowning, Yi Jia Fa instinctively wanted to object. But after glancing at Philo’s face, he only opened his mouth and refrained from openly contradicting Zhousha, only muttered instead,

“Indeed, Philo. If you like this Insect, let’s keep him.”

After all, it was just a Female Insect. There was no reason to get upset about it.

Instead of immediately responding to the two elders, Philo looked at the Female Insect before him, who even while standing kept his head bowed out of habit. After a moment of silence, Philo spoke quietly.

“Your name is... Song Emperor?”

“I heard you were once the leader of a band. But since you’re no longer His Highness Siluan’s attendant, would you like to reform your band? Or join another? I can sponsor you.”

Rather than taking him under the Tulas Family’s name as Zhousha and Yi Jia Fa had suggested, Philo offered another choice—one that stunned everyone present.

If Philo had really liked this Female Insect and thus disapproved of his punishment, why didn’t he now follow Zhousha’s suggestion and make him an attendant? Or at least keep him as a mere servant under the Tulas Family?

Ignoring the puzzled looks around him, Philo patiently waited for the Insect’s answer.

After all, the Insect named Siluan had picked on him out of spite, and this Female Insect had suffered as a result. Whatever this Insect desired, within his power, Philo wished to compensate him.

But—

Raising his head—the first time since entering the room—the Female Insect named Song Emperor met Philo’s gaze.

His amber eyes, bright as the morning sun, now seemed to hold two impenetrable blocks of ice.

Without lowering his gaze, as if the Male Insect’s gentle demeanor had emboldened him, the normally silent and unnoticed Female Insect of the Qi Mengtu family spoke calmly yet distantly, giving an equally shocking reply.

“I am devoted to His Highness Siluan. I wish to serve him for life.”

“If possible, please allow me to remain by His Highness Siluan’s side.”

...

Today, the tension in the Tulas Family’s reception room was bound to continue.

Was the Female Insect’s response strange? Not at all. Many Female Insects never even meet a Male Insect in their lifetime, let alone work through military or political achievements for just a chance with one.

As a Female Insect who had become an A-Class Male Insect’s attendant just for his musical skill and decent looks—even after public humiliation—Song Emperor was still envied by many.

Thus, his answer wasn’t completely surprising. Yet, the Insects present couldn’t conceal their shock.

If he'd rejected another A-Class Male Insect like Ya Jin of Qiankesilan, it might not have been so shocking. But it was Philo.

Good-tempered, handsome—even Du Dafei had to admit Philo outshone his own son. Though they'd only met twice, Philo’s character was clearly better than the eccentric Siluan’s.

Yet he chose Siluan anyway. Even after being stripped of his attendant status, even with Philo’s invitation...

*Slap!*

His hand slammed on the fragrant stone table. Yi Jia Fa, who had been in good spirits all day, now looked thunderous.

Forget that this was just a lowly B-Class Female Insect—even an A-Class Female Insect raised in a noble family would never dare speak this way to him!

This was exactly why he always said Philo was too lenient. Otherwise, nobody would dare make demands in his presence!

“Are you certain?”

Ignoring Yi Jia Fa on the verge of fury, Philo—the one who had been rejected—couldn’t help but frown, though his tone remained steady as he regarded the Female Insect.

But as their eyes met, a slight flicker passed through the Female Insect’s amber pupils. Yet in the end—

Bowing his head in respect, the Female Insect’s voice was calm and resolute.

“I am certain, Your Highness.”

"You must have a death wish! Du Dafei, Norman, did you deliberately send this insect to die?!"

Standing up, this time not suppressing his temper, Yi Jia Fa snapped at the two insects sitting nearby, his voice dark.

But before he could order the attendant to teach this damned female insect a lesson, Philo, after silently glancing at the now expressionless female insect, turned to Yi Jia Fa and curved his lips into a smile.

"Dad, don’t get worked up. It’s no big deal."

With the familiar tone of Philo’s jokes, the male insect waved his hand, his face regaining the relaxed casualness from when he woke up in the morning.

"We’re just chatting. No need to blow it out of proportion."

"How is this trivial?! Philo, you’re just too forgiving!" Frowning, Yi Jia Fa couldn’t help but roar.

Counting the time, it had been a while since he last lost his temper after Philo was found. Now, a female insect dared to reject his son right in front of him—did they really think they were something special?!

"Heh, not at all. Didn’t I just lose my temper and beat up His Highness Siluan yesterday? Today, Uncle Du Dafei and Uncle Norman even brought insects to apologize. If I had taken Siluan’s attendant too, wouldn’t that make me not too forgiving but plain mean?"

A series of wisecracks took the edge off most of Yi Jia Fa’s anger. His lips twitched again, and for a moment, he couldn’t think of how to correct Philo’s twisted logic, his words pausing briefly.

After speaking, without another glance at Ge Di, Philo turned to Du Dafei and Norman, tongue-in-cheek but serious, saying,

"Yesterday’s incident made Siluan and me frenemies after our fight. Uncle Du Dafei, Uncle Norman, there’s really no need to apologize on his behalf today."

"As for Mr. Ge Di here, it’s rare to see someone so devoted to Siluan. I even admire his loyalty. Such a good sort—why don’t you take him back and tell Siluan about today’s events? I think once Siluan hears, he’ll change his mind and won’t want to give him to me anymore."

……

Such an unexpected turn of events left even Du Dafei and Norman, who had seen all sorts of insects and things in the Qimengtu family, somewhat caught off guard.

But it had to be said—this version of Philo… Deepening his smile, Norman, the Senior Speaker, nodded gently.

"If that’s the case, then let’s take Ge Di back. However—"

Looking at Philo, the old speaker’s wise and world-weary eyes were warm.

"Originally, we wanted this child to make it up to you on Siluan’s behalf. But since you’re letting him return, to compensate, why not have Shang Ling accompany you around the capital star in his place? What do you think?"

After speaking, the old speaker met General Zhousha’s gaze and smiled.

"Coincidentally, I heard General Zhousha has been looking for a tutor recently—likely for you, young master. Shang Ling happens to have a light workload lately, and he’s well-versed in literature and has some knowledge of music. I believe he’s a good fit for the role."

A tutor?

No one expected today’s already messy conversation to take this turn.

Glancing at the recommended Shang Ling, Yi Jia Fa pondered and saw no problem. After all, he still felt his son had been slighted by Ge Di’s refusal. Now that the Qimengtu family was offering one of their own as compensation, he was somewhat satisfied.

Compared to an ordinary female insect like Ge Di, Shang Ling was undeniably outstanding even among the elite. An A-Class Female Insect, a young prosecutor, with a speaker as his mother and an A-Class Male Insect as his father—he was their only female offspring.

Even the picky Yi Jia Fa had to admit that having Shang Ling as Philo’s tutor was overkill.

But so what? This was the kind of insect worthy of staying by Philo’s side! That ungrateful B-Class Female Insect wouldn’t have measured up even if he’d agreed to stay.

Nodding slightly, though silent, Yi Jia Fa’s lack of immediate opposition made his position clear.

But…

Frowning, Xing Hua and Qian Hua looked at Shang Ling standing behind Philo, their eyes darkening.

The perspectives of female and male insects were undeniably different.

To Yi Jia Fa, this was about saving face. But to the female insects, it was an opportunity for the other side to get their hooks into Philo.

Studying Shang Ling, General Zhousha—a veteran who had long guarded the border stars—had rarely encountered such outstanding young female insects from the capital.

His calm eyes held no trace of resentment from the earlier conflict with Ge Di and Siluan, nor did they carry Yi Jia Fa’s open appraisal.

The seasoned general simply observed the tall, composed young insect with a gaze as heavy as lead.

"Your Highness, please grant me this chance to make amends. If you allow me to atone for Ge Di’s sake, I believe Siluan will also be more willing to accept him back."

"Accept… Ge Di back?"

Pausing, Philo had been ready to refuse the moment Norman proposed Shang Ling as compensation. But now, hearing the female insect’s words, his eyes flickered.

Meeting the composed and self-aware gaze of the insect before him, Philo confirmed the underlying meaning—and had to laugh in disbelief.

This guy… was threatening him?

Knowing Philo’s impression of him had soured after today, he dropped all pretense?

How rare. He’d genuinely thought female insects here only knew how to kowtow to males.

Curving his lips, Philo met Shang Ling’s steady stare and responded bluntly.

"Fine."

"If Prosecutor Shang Ling is so sincere, then I’ll… take you up on that."

Lifting his lashes, Philo put on a perfect smile.

Seemingly oblivious to the now slightly intense look, the female insect bowed with perfect manners.

"Just call me Shang Ling, Your Highness."

The Qimengtu family’s visit soon concluded.

Though the meeting had its twists, it ended with polite farewells.

After watching Du Dafei and the others leave, Yi Jia Fa couldn’t resist any longer, itching to lecture Philo on the supremacy of male insects and the inferiority of females.

But before he could finish his first sentence, the young female insect—who had polished off a huge meal that morning—clutched his stomach and loudly complained he was starving again.

As food was stuffed into his mouth, starch breaking down into glucose, his blood sugar rose, and the male insect’s head got fuzzy, easily sidetracked once more.

Closing the bedroom door, Philo let out a sigh. The sheer volume of socializing these past two days had been exhausting even for him. Thankfully, insects needed sleep too.

Pulling up the memo on his communicator, he watched the countdown to his return to Earth mark off another day, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

Perfect. One day closer to going home.

Though he still hadn’t figured out how to pilot a spaceship, he might as well start listing things to bring back. It’d be a pain if he forgot anything.

Adding a new page to the memo, he started eagerly listing essentials—clothing, food, shelter, weapons, technology, medical supplies, and more.

But despite soaking in the med-pod all night, his first attempt at using psychic energy had drained him. After another busy day, the male insect soon passed out.

The next day, in the great hall of the Turas family mansion...

Since the banquet for Philo had already been held, the two young Military Females, whose vacation only lasted until the day after the banquet, had already embarked on their return journeys this morning.

Xing Hua went back to her assigned legion, while Qian Hua returned to the military academy she was attending.

Walking down the stairs, Philo saw that the hall appeared rather empty, with only Zhousha sitting there since Yi Jia Fa was still asleep. Wearing his blue fluffy slippers as usual, he shambled lazily over.

"Mornin’, Dad. You’re up early again today."

Slumping onto the couch as if boneless, the young male immediately curled into the cushions.

Nodding without any objection to the male’s behavior, Zhousha smiled at the drowsy Philo.

"Good morning. I’m used to waking up early. But Philo, why don’t you sleep in a bit more? There’s nothing scheduled today—you should take the chance to rest."

Though he had been a quiet type all his life, Zhousha now seemed unable to stop himself from talking more whenever he saw Philo.

Waving him off, though he would have liked to sleep longer, Philo was more eager to nail down his earlier school plans—thanks to the list he had made the night before of things he wanted to bring back to Earth.

Yes, if there was anything he absolutely wanted to bring back, it was undoubtedly the Interstellar Era’s tech.

And these were things only schools could teach. With that in mind, Philo couldn’t afford to lounge in bed any longer.

Looking at his father before him, Philo—who couldn’t help but see him through hero-worshipping eyes after learning he was a veteran general—asked eagerly,

"Have you picked a suitable school for me yet? I think the sooner I start studying, the better. What do you think?"

A male eager to attend school… Well, Philo might just be the first.

The smile in Zhousha’s eyes deepened as he put his teacup down and nodded.

"There are many schools on the capital planet suitable for male insects, each with different focuses in their curricula. Among them, *Unuto Academy* is the most popular choice for male insects—it’s also the only school with male instructors. It primarily admits students interested in music, painting, and literature."

"Earlier, I didn’t know you had learned to play the drums, so I was considering whether to recommend this school to you. But now, it seems Unuto would indeed be a great fit."

Unuto?

*Sounded more like Utopia.*

A school mainly for students interested in music, painting, and literature… Though he was indeed interested in those, what he really wanted was—

"Is there a school that teaches how to pilot a starship?"

No longer waiting for the other to continue, realizing that the insect race’s understanding of male insects was nothing like his own ambitions, Philo decisively took the initiative.

"Preferably one that also teaches shooting, hand-to-hand combat, and high-tech weapons. Oh, and I’m also interested in mechanical engineering—things like weaponsmithing, mecha engineering… Do schools on the capital planet offer those?"

……

Though in the short time they had known each other, the steady old general had already gotten a rough idea of his male’s temperament. Even so, the old gentleman couldn’t help but be somewhat surprised now.

"Philo, the capital planet is very safe. Besides, no matter where you go, you can have your own personal guard fleet. There’s no need for you to learn how to pilot a starship, let alone use weapons."

Looking at the eager young male before him, Zhousha’s voice was soft but firm.

"You don’t have to worry about your safety like before. The only thing you need to do is do what you love."

Didn’t he like music and fashion? He should just relax and enjoy those. Philo was already a perfectly good male insect.

Silence.

Seeing the reassurance in the elder’s eyes, Philo realized he had been misunderstood—but for the moment, he couldn’t think of a better reason beyond personal interest.

Then again, male insects probably didn’t need too many reasons, did they?

"Father, what I just mentioned *are* my interests. And even if I’m safe now, I’d still prefer to have my life in my own hands rather than rely on others."

Smirking, the young male’s face was full of cocky, youthful energy.

His eyes dropping, amusement glinted in Zhousha’s eyes—but even so—

"But Philo, if you truly want to learn what you’ve described, I’m afraid you’ll have to attend a military academy."

"Military academy?"

The male instinctively raised an eyebrow at the answer, but upon reflection, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Makes sense. Anything related to weapons and combat would naturally only be taught in military academies. And only such schools would have access to cutting-edge technology.

A military academy in the interstellar era…

Having played plenty of space-combat sims, Philo’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he smacked his knee.

"I’ll go!"

He was in the interstellar era now—if he didn’t get to pilot starfighters, tinker with battle mechs, and wield plasma blades, was he even a man?!

Go! Absolutely go!

"There are three main military academies on the capital planet: Kalms Military Academy, Bagtara, and Gulikia. Among them, Kalms is the strongest, while the other two are less elite. Qian Hua is currently enrolled at Kalms, and Xing Hua was also once a student there."

After briefly introducing the academies, the veteran general—who had also graduated from Kalms—smiled calmly at the male, who looked ready to sign up on the spot.

"If you truly want to study tactical engineering, Kalms would be an excellent fit for you. With Qian Hua there, you’d also settle in faster. However—"

"However what?" Philo, who had already more or less decided on this school, frowned at the sudden pause.

"However, military academies don’t have exemptions for male insect entrance exams, and no male insect has ever chosen to enroll in one before. If you really want to attend, you’ll likely have to pass the exam first to qualify."

Of course. No matter where you went, top-tier schools kept the same cutthroat admissions game.

Though his grades in math and science back on Earth hadn’t been terrible, facing an interstellar-era military academy entrance exam—especially for a military school—Philo would be nuts to think he’d ace it.

Seriously? You pamper male insects in every other way, but when it comes to the important stuff, you suddenly decide to drop the double standard?

Dropping his head into his hands, the male wordlessly conveyed his lack of confidence in passing the exam.

Chuckling—it was the first time he’d seen Philo like this—Zhousha lifted his teacup and added calmly,

"Don’t worry yet, Philo."

"Since Kalms has never had a male insect enroll before, all entrance exams are based on the standard for female insects. For fairness’ sake, I’ll talk to the academy’s principal later to see if we can adjust the difficulty for male applicants. If you’re still set on attending then, we can arrange for a Military Female tutor. You’d stand a real chance."

…*Talk* to the principal?

Just waltz in and haggle over the exam process with the headmaster?

Looking up—though his knowledge might not match the interstellar era, Philo had always been street-smart—he scanned the old general’s face, whose title he’d almost forgotten.

Meeting his gaze, as if understanding his unspoken question, the old general gave a faint smile.

"Although I currently hold a position in the military, nominally, I also serve as the honorary vice chancellor of Kalms Military Academy. So, Philo—"

"Dad!"

This single word was uttered with genuine sincerity by Philo.

On Earth, connections were highly valued when getting things done, but it seemed that in this Interstellar Era, Insect God connections couldn't be overlooked either.

Picking up their porcelain cups, the two insects clinked cups in silent agreement.

As they exchanged smiles, though their appearances were different, their expressions were nearly identical.

Indeed,

His Highness Philo was every bit General Zhousha's son.

Nodding in approval, the elderly butler felt deeply gratified.

In good spirits, breakfast that day was a pleasant affair, even though only Zhousha and Philo were present.

Come to think of it, though the main residents of the Toras mansion were few, the absence of Xing Hua and Qian Hua wasn't much different.

Even when they were home, these two young female insects were always quiet. Except when alone or speaking with their father, they mostly remained silent.

Thus, even after Philo returned to the Toras mansion, his interactions with these two brothers were few and far between.

Nevertheless, after the banquet, Philo—who had received his own personal high-end comm device—followed basic social etiquette and sent them both a polite greeting.

"Brothers, I couldn’t get up in time to see you off this morning. Be careful out there (at school/work). I’ll find a chance to visit you."

The brief message traveled through the network to the two young female insects.

Though the main intention was indeed a courteous greeting, Philo couldn’t help but remark as he typed the last line.

Connections, connections.

Just look at these two brothers of his—one a newly promoted military soldier, the other a top cadet at the military academy. Definitely worth cultivating.

Having realized the benefits of having a father who served as the honorary vice chancellor of a military academy, Philo, pleased with his newfound perspective, put down his comm after sending the greetings.

Without much thought, he eagerly turned to unwrap the gifts from guests at the banquet two days prior, not giving another thought to the two brief messages he had just sent.

However, the recipients of these greetings, Xing Hua and Qian Hua, were now silently surrounded.

If Philo’s earlier viral fame on the Star Network had mostly caught the attention of net-addicted homebodies, the spread of the Thunder Drum gameplay video meant nearly every Military Female knew his name.

Had Philo been able to fulfill his Psychic Soothing obligations at the Male Insect Management Committee, the system would've crashed from the sheer number of appointments. Even so, the queue of military females hoping to meet him grew longer by the day.

Compared to others, Xing Hua’s comrades and Qian Hua’s classmates were undoubtedly more familiar with the principle of "striking while the iron's hot."

"Brothers? His Highness Philo calls you brothers? You’re that close? Didn’t see that coming, Captain."

"You sly bastard, why didn’t you say your leave was to pick up His Highness? You think I’d have crashed the party? Was all this secrecy really necessary?"

"Colonel, didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to return to the capital to see the Captain?"

"Shut it! That’s not the point! The point is—give His Highness my contact info! Didn’t you see he said he’d visit? Let me give him the fleet lowdown beforehand."

"Get lost! Why your contact? Xing Hua, have His Highness add me! I’ve served in this fleet for eight years—since my academy internship. He can ask me anything; there’s nothing I don’t know!"

"Scram! You got no shame? I’ll knock your brains out!"

"Oh yeah? A B-class Female Insect like you dares challenge me? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson!"

A few heated exchanges later, the hot-headed insects escalated to blows, turning the once-quiet training room into a scene noisier than a mess hall.

"Enough!"

Extending an arm, Xing Hua forcefully separated the brawlers, his sharp gaze sweeping over the communications officer who had carelessly leaked the message. His voice was stern.

"Non-military personnel are prohibited from entering warships without authorization. Philo won’t be coming."

With that, he released them, gave a quick salute, and said, "Officers, I have evening patrol duty. Excuse me."

Without another glance at the lingering crowd, the female insect in light training fatigues marched out briskly.

Watching him leave, the others, empty-handed, snorted and dispersed as if nothing had happened.

While Xing Hua resolved things quickly, Qian Hua was pestered from the training grounds all the way to the sim pod bay.

Unlike Xing Hua, whose Psychic Soothing abilities were B-class, Qian Hua was neither as strong in psychic power nor as strong-willed. While this limited his military advancement, it made his relationships with classmates way better than his brother ever had.

Still, even so...

"No letters. I won’t pass them on, and Philo won’t read them."

"No gifts, no contact info—nothing!"

"I'm hitting the sim pod now!"

The silver-gray mechanical hatch hissed shut. Still clutching their rejected gifts, the insects exchanged glances before all piling into nearby pods to enter.

This scene had been repeating since Qian Hua’s return to the academy.

"Rip—"

Glossy bio-wrap was torn open with gusto. Blissfully unaware that his two brothers were being hounded because of him, Philo remained focused on ripping open presents.

Judging by the growing pile of shredded packaging beside him, the presents so far had been duds.

Opening another box, he pulled out a small item—yet another necklace—and snorted in disbelief.

You kidding me?

Even for a male insect, was this all they got—clothes, jewelry, even toys? Was this what male insects normally played with in this era?

Dumping the necklace onto the growing accessory pile, Philo, who had initially been curious about what affluent insects in the Interstellar Era would gift, now had zero expectations.

Speeding up, he ripped into the rest of the boxes.

But perhaps low expectations spared him disappointment. Spotting the silver-gray mechanical gaming helmet in his hands—especially the words "Full-Sensory Simulation" emblazoned across it—Philo’s eyes lit up again.

Wait—

Was he still dreaming?

This was the interstellar age! If spaceships were real, how could there not be full-sensory space games?

Now we're talking! This was a gift worthy of a true warrior!

Excitedly clutching the helmet to his chest, Philo tilted his head and pulled out the card from the gift box gratefully. His eyes quickly scanned the text before landing squarely on the signature at the end.

"Li Wei Geshaluolin"

"That name sounds badass just hearing it!"

Even though he hadn’t heard of this guy’s name during the banquet, and the gift box was likely sent as a proxy gift, Philo didn’t hesitate to voice his admiration.

Honestly, his excitement wasn’t unwarranted. Though his room had a dedicated gaming space, the games inside were all selected by Yi Jia Fa based on typical preferences of male bugs. After trying them once, Philo never touched them again. Later, he got so busy he nearly forgot just how insane interstellar games could be.

I mean, wielding a glowing lightsaber in a fully immersive VR adventure—how could any male bug resist that in favor of outfit changers and dating games?

Unable to comprehend this, Philo could only say he didn’t understand but respected their choices. Still, playing those games was out of the question—he’d rather grind in a war game than touch them!

Tapping open his communicator, the now-amped-up bug eagerly skimmed through the helmet’s quickstart guide before jumping right in.

Come on, friends!

Time to swing some steel and save this world together!

---

"Where’s Philo? Haven’t seen him all afternoon."

Having just finished bragging to some friends about how amazing his male bug was, Yi Jia Fa descended the stairs for afternoon tea, glancing curiously at the now-empty backyard.

From his observations over the past few days, Philo’s favorite spots in the mansion were the dining room and the backyard, where their private aircraft was parked.

But today, he was nowhere to be seen from both.

"He’s in his room, probably gaming."

Setting down the military report he’d been reading, Zhousha—who was on a month-long leave—offered his guess with a smile as he watched Yi Jia Fa’s puzzled expression.

Hearing this, Yi Jia Fa couldn’t help but beam with pride.

"I knew Philo would love the gaming room I set up for him! It’s loaded with all the latest games young male bugs are into nowadays, plus a few classics I still play occasionally. No shock he’s glued to it."

...

Having spent time with Philo since their meeting, especially after their conversation this morning, Zhousha had a rough idea of the male bug’s preferences. For once, he didn’t rush to agree with Yi Jia Fa.

Turning away, the Veteran General picked up a glass of Stone Flower Juice—Philo’s favorite—and said quietly,

"Drink up, Yi Jia Fa."

Uh...

Well, Stone Flower Juice *was* delicious.

Unaware that Yi Jia Fa downstairs had once again misunderstood his tastes, Philo was currently fully immersed in-game.

The helmet contained nearly every game currently on the market. Ignoring the rankings, he randomly selected a frontier planet base-building war game set in the Algae Nebula.

Like most games, the initial setup required filling in basic info and customizing an avatar.

Staring at the floating, full 3D model that looked exactly like him, Philo excitedly set aside the info section for now.

Examining it from all angles—this was his first time seeing such a lifelike digital version of himself—he couldn’t help but marvel,

"Hot damn, I clean up nice."

Even better than he had back on Earth.

But while his real-world looks were decent, having the same appearance in-game might draw too much attention.

Opening the customization panel, he grinned when he saw the option to tweak his avatar’s stats. Without hesitation, he maxed out the muscle stats.

A war game demanded a strong physique—how else was he supposed to play?

Clicking away, engrossed in tweaking his character, Philo finally stepped back to admire his creation. For the first time, he somewhat understood the appeal of those popular dress-up games among male bugs.

Alright, fine, maybe changing up appearances *was* fun sometimes.

Confirming his avatar, he pulled back the info section he’d pushed aside earlier. Since the helmet synced with his communicator, most details pre-populated.

After a quick check to ensure nothing was wrong, he casually threw in "Berserker" as his username and closed the menu.

With that, the setup was done.

Unlike Earth’s 2D or 3D games, the realism of a holographic experience was insanely realistic.

As he pressed the final confirmation button to enter the game, Philo’s vision darkened as if swallowed by eternal night—only for light to gradually seep back in, revealing an unbelievably lifelike game world.

"Freshly spawned Quantum Disintegrator for sale! 200 credits, first come first served!"

"Pulse Rifle for trade! Anyone got an Armor-Piercing Cannon? Two rifles for one cannon!"

"Who’s got Nano Meds? 100 credits per bottle—I’ll buy as many as you’ve got!"

"What’s your price on that shield? I’ll trade you a Mecha Forge. Hey, don’t say no yet—if you don’t want the forge, I’ve got Mid-tier Grav-Boots too!"

The massive newbie spawn area, located at the heart of the game’s starter village, doubled as a revival point for fallen players.

Due to heavy traffic, it had naturally turned into an unofficial trading hub.

Unlike the game’s official marketplace, the stalls here were all player-made, each with wildly unique designs.

Clad in noob gear and experiencing holographic gaming for the first time, Philo was completely awestruck.

No freaking way!

The immersion was so intense that if he hadn’t remembered logging in, he’d have thought he’d isekai'd again.

Just look at these people—everyone was jacked, with guns holstered at their hips or blades strapped on. So freaking cool! And what were those things flying overhead? They didn’t look like aircraft. And that guy with skin dark as coal—what kind of creature was he carrying on his shoulder?

Looking around shamelessly at everything, Philo didn’t notice the silence spreading out from the spawn point like ripples in a pond.

Deals froze mid-negotiation. Players bargaining shut their mouths.

All eyes turned toward the fresh spawn.

Finally snapping back to reality, Philo blinked in confusion.

Huh? Why was everyone staring at him?

He’d customized his avatar to look like a shredded beast—what's the big deal?

Before he could wonder more, a voice piped up from somewhere in the crowd, giving him the answer. "Your Highness... a male bug?"

"..." What the hell—how'd they even recognize me?!

Instinctively touching the back of his neck, Philo—who distinctly remembered removing the markings when adjusting his character's appearance—still reacted instinctively.

And that reaction undoubtedly confirmed the truth for the crowd of gobsmacked insects.

The next moment—

"Oh fuck oh fuck—"

On his very first day in the game, before even taking off his newbie gear, Philo found himself being chased by every insect in the starter village.

No looking back,

the male insect, who was running so hard he even forgot he could just log off, genuinely wanted to curse them all at that moment.

Author's Note:

A swearing Philo bolts past...

Note:

1. Reminder again, tomorrow's update will still be at midnight for now.

2. Additional warnings as per the announcement: Unequal rights, many important characters appear later, very chuunibyou (over-the-top edgy teen behavior), multiple one-sided insect crushes on the protagonist, the protagonist is slow to realize feelings...