Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Instead of answering Philo's question immediately, Zhousha unexpectedly brought up the name of another Insect—a male Insect, no less.

"No."

Compared to getting to know the Insects here, Philo was more interested in the technology/surroundings.

Seemingly unsurprised by his lack of knowledge, Zhousha turned and opened the semi-transparent military console behind him. With a few taps, a hologram flickered to life.

The photorealistic hologram was striking. Even though Philo had seen similarly realistic scenes in games, he couldn’t help but examine it curiously.

It had to be said, this male Insect, clearly high-status, was actually handsome—at least better-looking than several other male Insects Philo had seen. But more notably, this individual had a head of aquamarine locks.

Vibrant blue, glimmering, like sunlight dancing on ocean waves.

"Is this... Gore’s father?"

Though the figure had gunmetal-gray eyes, the nearly identical hair color and the earlier conversation made it easy for Philo to guess his identity.

But—

"Has he... passed away?"

Earlier on the first floor, despite their extensive dialogue—even touching on Gore’s mother—neither Gore nor Zhousha had mentioned this male Insect. Even at the Tulas family banquet, there was no trace of his presence, not even a gift.

Given that, it was likely he was already...

Recalling Gore’s age, even if he was a few years older, considering Yi Jia Fa, who was still traveling the stars for leisure, this male Insect’s death seemed tragically early.

"Lord Di Hainuo Kajifei fell in battle many years ago, alongside Admiral Qinluo, in the frontline defense against the star beast tide."

Gazing at the virtual image as if seeing an old friend, Zhousha’s voice grew heavier.

"Back then, weapons against star beasts weren’t as advanced as they are now. We didn’t even have the most basic portable Psychic Stabilization Implant. Yet, star beasts affected the psychic cores of Insects—especially female Insects—more intensely than any other creature we’d encountered."

"After prolonged warfare, many female Insects died from Psychic Outbreaks on the battlefield. Many didn’t even make it back to the inner systems to receive Psychic Soothing from male Insects."

As the current interstellar hegemon, the Insect race now freely enjoys vast cosmic resources, paid for in blood by the previous generation—including many male Insects.

"In fact, the war also claimed the lives of many high-ranking male Insects."

Especially those with lower psychic ratings. Overusing their psychic energy to soothe female Insects led to premature depletion, drastically shortening their lifespans.

This is why male Insects today are reluctant to fully engage in Psychic Soothing, with many preferring hefty fines over fulfilling this enforced duty. Due to the declining male Insect population, the Male Insect Management Committee declared decades ago that male Insects over sixty would no longer be obligated to perform soothing.

"But among high-level psychic male Insects, only Lord Di Hainuo Kajifei perished." At this, Zhousha’s brow furrowed, as if reliving the brutal battle in the former Suffolk Star System—now the Di Hainuo Star System.

Without high-powered weapons or temporary psychic stabilizers, facing star beasts that naturally disrupted female psychic cores, waves of female Insects fought like cannon fodder in suicidal assaults.

During the fiercest star beast tide, most Insects on his starship were on the verge of Psychic Outbreak. Had Di Hainuo not accidentally ventured onto the front lines and been caught in the tide, urgently sounding the Thunder Drum, and had Admiral Qinluo not blocked the bulk of the assault, Zhousha would have perished that day.

Then, turning to Philo, he added quietly,

"And Lord Di Hainuo Kajifei’s psychic rating was S-Class."

An S-Class Male Insect—the highest psychic rating, yet the only one to die after being mistakenly drawn into battle.

Hearing this, the young male Insect frowned, meeting his father’s gaze as he reflexively asked,

"Then... is Gore’s psychic rating also S-Class?"

"Yes."

Nodding, the Old Female Insect smiled faintly.

"Gore is already a lieutenant general, though he’s only a few years older than Xing Hua. His rank comes from relentless combat on the border worlds, powered by his psychic strength."

Though most star beasts have been pushed beyond the frontier, stragglers still prowl on barren planets. While large-scale tides no longer occur, small clusters occasionally attempt incursions against Insect-controlled systems.

Since graduating from the military academy, Gore has spent nearly all his time on the frontier, purging star beast remnants—returning to the capital only for rotations.

Years of this unending deployment explain his rapid promotions.

"But won’t this cause lasting damage to his body?"

Meeting Zhousha’s eyes, Philo got straight to the point.

Closing the virtual image and pulling up Gore’s latest psychic scan results from the Military Committee, Zhousha nodded.

"Correct."

"Constant battles with star beasts have severely damaged Gore’s psychic core. Even with compact Psychic Stabilizers, these devices only delay deterioration—they can’t cure it. So..."

"So you want me to help him?"

Seeing Zhousha’s rare hesitation, and the battle-worn general—worn from his own battles—Philo smiled and voiced the unspoken request.

Before Zhousha could reply, Philo scanned Gore’s evaluation, its flashing red warnings and danger-level readings making him wince.

After accidentally using his psychic energy once, Philo had studied Insect psychic physiology in depth—including the symptoms of severe female psychic instability.

Brief disruptions caused headaches, irritability, and vascular swelling. Prolonged instability or repeated stimulation led to agony, internal hemorrhaging, and eventual Psychic Outbreak.

This was why frontier soldiers rotated back annually, with a newer triennial rotation to minimize prolonged star beast exposure.

Currently, male Insect soothing alleviates—but doesn’t eliminate—frontline psychic strain, preventing epidemic-scale breakdowns among officers.

Yet...

Gore’s report suggested he’d flouted rotation protocols, staying on the frontier. Philo even doubted he’d received any soothing—how could his readings be so critical?

"I don’t know how to use psychic energy yet, but—"

Tabling the report, Philo met the Old Female Insect’s gaze and answered firmly,

"If I can help, I will."

Studying Zhousha’s time-worn features and scarred hands, Philo’s eyes grew solemn.

He wasn’t the original host—he remembered that clearly.

But he was now Philo Tulas—he remembered that too.

Though he never asked to be transmigrated, whether repaying a debt for this second life or thanking Zhousha for his two-decade search for the original body's owner—and now caring for him—Philo wanted to give back.

Especially... before he found a way back to Earth.

Seeing the male Insect’s smile, the Old Female Insect’s frown deepened. Even knowing this newly returned son was atypical for their kind, his unhesitating assent stirred complex emotions.

Psychic Soothing is not something to be agreed upon lightly.

It is not a gift that can be given away and bought back, nor is it a weapon that can be replaced with a new model once lost. It is... The Female Insect's slightly turbid eyes darkened, her expression stiffened, and the muscles on her face trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.

Last year, the number of star beast swarms breaking through into the border stars exceeded the total of all previous years combined. Moreover, the proportion of A-Class star beasts within these swarms has been steadily increasing, while the number of lower-level star beasts has been decreasing year by year.

During that war back then, although they severed half of the Star Beast Monarch's body and used this to drive the entire star beast race led by the Monarch beyond the border stars...

Nowadays, as the number of male insects decreases year by year, the population of high-level Female Insects has also sharply declined. In the latest round of Insectoid psychic level evaluations, the number of Female Insects with A-Class psychic abilities was almost halved compared to previous years.

Under such circumstances, Gore cannot afford to have anything happen to him now. At least, not until the next S-Class Insectoid appears.

"Philo, thank you."

A very brief sentence, yet it seemed to drain all the strength of this Veteran General.

But—

Shrugging his shoulders and looking at the seemingly embarrassed Zhousha, Philo still smiled with his usual bold fearlessness.

"What can I say. After all, I’ve taken so many treasures from one of your rooms. It’d be rude not to put in some effort, wouldn’t it?"

Smirking, the male insect blinked, lightening the mood. Without waiting for Zhousha’s reaction, Philo swiftly changed the subject.

"Though I’m happy to help, I still don’t quite understand. Logically speaking, there are quite a few A-Class Male Insects on the capital planet. How come Gore’s psychic assessment report is still so bad? Could it be that he never sought Psychic Soothing from other male insects during his previous postings?"

That doesn’t seem possible. Besides, if he really did that, the military insects probably wouldn’t have allowed it. So then, what’s the deal—

"Gore... has conflicts with some male insects."

"Hmm?"

To be precise, some young male insects bear resentment toward Gore, especially the high-level ones.

Originally, as the only female heir of Dihaino and having inherited the psychic abilities of both elder insects, Gore was quite popular among male insects at first—after all, having such a female companion in social settings was a matter of pride.

But unfortunately, perhaps because this Female Insect hatched and grew up on a border star, her temperament, to put it nicely, is excessively formal, or to put it bluntly, just downright obstinate.

Other Female Insects would go to great lengths to please male insects, but Gore not only is socially awkward but even frowns upon and intervenes in situations where male insects in the capital’s circles privately discipline their female companions.

Once, an A-Class Male Insect tore off the silver wings of a favored Military Female, and Gore insisted on pressing charges in the Alliance Court under public charges.

Though the A-Class Male Insect wasn’t worried about the accusation—ending with just a nominal fine under alliance law, not even a confinement—the repercussions from the incident left the accused male insect furious despite escaping unscathed. As for Gore...

Well, A-Class Male Insects all know each other, and even if they aren’t all close, they frequently interact. With the male insect’s embellished account and the blue-haired Female Insect’s stoic refusal to defend herself, Gore’s reputation in the capital’s male insect circles has never recovered.

It's worth noting, while Psychic Soothing is an obligation male insects must fulfill, the Male Insect Management Committee can only regulate the frequency of this duty—not the extent to which the soothing must be performed.

Generally, male insects dislike wasting too much psychic energy on Female Insects. If they’re in a bad mood or simply take a dislike to a particular insect, the effects of Psychic Soothing will be greatly reduced.

To be brutally honest, if Gore weren’t an S-Class Female Insect, the male insect’s psychic energy might not only fail to soothe his psychic sea but could even invade it to make him suffer.

No matter how formidable a Female Insect’s physique is, their psychic sea remains susceptible to domination by male insects of equal or higher levels.

Under such circumstances, after standing up for the wingless Female Insect, Gore rarely received full-strength Psychic Soothing from high-level male insects.

However—

Looking at Philo, Zhousha couldn’t help but relax slightly.

"But I think... you and he could become friends."

Hearing this—

"Of course, I’m the easiest to get along with."

Fresh off his arrival on the capital planet and already causing chaos at his welcome banquet, Philo confidently tilted his head up.

Not to brag, though he used to think his temper wasn’t great—especially in high school when he skipped classes and got into fights—compared to the male insects here, Philo still believed his personality was pretty good.

Especially when it came to making friends. As long as the other party wasn’t too difficult, Philo had no problem befriending them.

But there’s an old saying on Earth.

Never say never, because you never know what the next second of your life will bring—just like the currently cocky Philo.

"These... are all the books I need to read?"

Sitting in the innermost room of the study Zhousha had specially arranged for him, Philo found that overnight, the originally gun-filled space had been replaced with brightly colored, ergonomically designed furniture and study supplies.

Yet even so, seated on a high-grade sofa that adjusted to his posture, staring at the booklist Gore had prepared for him early that morning, Philo couldn’t quite muster a smile.

"Kalms Military Academy’s entrance exams are divided into three categories: theoretical assessment, combat assessment, and psychic detection. Since your specific exam content is still unclear, I’ve only selected some core subjects for tutoring."

"First is the theoretical assessment, which includes Basic Scientific Theory, Military Strategy Theory, and Star Beast Evolution Theory—all compulsory for every major. Basic Scientific Theory is further divided into astrophysics, Energy Materials Science, and Psychic Sea Stability Laws. For non-military students, this section accounts for a large portion."

"As for the other two assessments, given your status, there’s no need to prepare for them yet. Unless something unexpected happens, you likely won’t have to take them."

...

Buddy, were his words this long and tedious yesterday? Philo didn’t remember him being this long-winded and irritating back then... Annoying—no, mustn’t be annoyed. He’d already moved all the guns out of this room, and Gore meant well. He meant well...

A tick developed on Philo’s forehead as he pasted on a polite smile, though truthfully, he hadn’t even processed the titles of the books Gore had listed.

Reaching out, he tapped the floating screen displaying the booklist and randomly opened one. The thick, bold-lettered title on the cover made him grit his teeth.

Astrophysics...

Well, if you’re traversing the cosmos, studying physics makes sense.

But how was he supposed to explain to this Female Insect that back on Earth, even grasping the concept of universal gravitation had been a struggle? Besides, wasn’t his current insect persona supposed to be a half-amnesiac, borderline mentally deficient insect?

Just look at him—still using a translator! Friend, isn’t jumping straight into such advanced material rather presumptuous?

Faced with the reality of a physics book driving him to self-deprecation, Philo genuinely felt a headache coming on.

But—

"These are condensed study materials and question banks I’ve compiled based on past exam patterns and published works by Kalms Military Academy’s faculty. I’ve also prepared several mock test sets."

Gore’s gaze swept over the silver hair strands that had unconsciously drooped on Philo’s forehead. Lowering his eyes, the blue-haired Female Insect closed the booklist Philo had opened and instead introduced the other materials he’d prepared.

"Additionally, Kalms Military Academy offers set bonus point categories, including Social Honor Badges. According to Male Insect Management Committee regulations, any adult male insect fulfilling Psychic Soothing duties once qualifies for this badge. Though you’re currently unable to perform the duty, you may apply for early issuance."

"There are also Legacy Honors bonus points, Special Contribution bonus points..."

Row after row of categories unfolded, interspersed with images of classical badges. The blue irises seemed to merge with the hue of the floating screen as Philo watched the text reflected in Gore’s eyes. Slowly, his previously drooping hair started to bounce back.

Wait... This could work?

Staring at Gore, who was still earnestly explaining in detail, the male's purple pupils flickered with disbelief. Based on his observations from yesterday and Zhousha's later description, no matter the aspect, the other party was clearly the type of insect who was by-the-book and had strong principles.

Considering this, Philo had deliberately declined the butler's suggestion to prepare snacks, juice, and other refreshments in the room today, worried Gore might think he wasn't taking this seriously.

But now... it seemed the other party's attitude wasn't exactly by-the-book either.

"Based on the cumulative points from these bonus projects and the accuracy statistics of the final practice exams, as long as you complete these tasks according to the plan, the probability of passing the entrance examination shouldn't be too low."

After briefly explaining all the prepared plans, Gore finally met the male's gaze and delivered his final estimated conclusion.

Such a well-organized and highly feasible preparation... truly worthy of the blue-haired woman recommended by Zhousha!

"You're amazing, Gore! Let's go with this plan—I promise I’ll stick to your plan from now on!"

Without hesitation, Philo immediately gave his praise and affirmation after listening to everything.

Not only was the preparation thorough and impressive, but the fact that Gore had even compiled subject-specific prep books and test banks in just one night blew Philo away.

Forget one night—even given a month, he probably couldn’t have pulled this off. The sheer workload made Philo suspect whether Gore had even slept last night. But upon closer inspection, there didn’t seem to be any dark circles under his eyes... Hmm, he must have crashed in a med-pod right after finishing.

Lowering his gaze, the blue-haired female insect avoided eye contact as he felt the male's scrutinizing stare.

Fortunately, Philo didn’t linger too long. Overflowing with gratitude, the excited male couldn’t help but stand up and step closer, raising a hand to pat Gore’s shoulder and build camaraderie—only to—

"Gore, I really appreciate it...?"

His outstretched hand met empty air as the female insect dodged a step ahead. Philo blinked in confusion.

What, was his hand poisonous? Why the evasion?

"Sorry, Your Highness. I’m not accustomed to close contact with male insects."

Eyes still lowered, his expression as composed as during the explanation, Gore remained unfazed, as if his reaction was perfectly normal.

But if his behavior was normal and proper... then did that make Philo the abnormal, improper one?

Retracting his hand, Philo glanced at his open palm and twitched his lips.

Was this kind of contact... considered intimate among insects? Well, then, he must've come on too strong—my bad.

"Sorry, I haven’t interacted with many insects before, so I’m not familiar with social etiquette. My bad, I'll watch it, haha." Forcing an awkward laugh, Philo quietly withdrew his hand.

Still, gratitude was due. He sincerely thanked the female insect before adding,

"Oh, and just call me Philo from now on. ‘Your Highness’ sounds way too formal." As if to prevent himself from accidentally making another "intimate" move in his excitement, Philo crossed his arms and grinned at the female insect.

"See? I’m not calling you General Gore."

"...Understood, Philo."

Nodding quietly, the female insect didn't react. Philo smiled. Though he knew he should start studying according to Gore’s plan, his innate curiosity won out.

"By the way, can I ask you something?"

"Mm."

"I heard you don’t usually interact much with male insects. So why are you willing to help me so much this time? And things like compiling test banks and scouting bonus points—you don’t mind?"

Gore didn’t seem like the type to take initiative in such matters.

"Male insects willing to learn is a good thing. Kalms Military Academy is indeed top-tier, and you won’t be stealing spots from female students, so there’s no need for concern."

Without hesitation, Gore answered swiftly, his reasoning made sense.

Since male enrollment wouldn’t affect female admissions and could expand opportunities, naturally, the female insect had no issue assisting.

But—

He’d asked two questions, right? Was the first one skipped because Gore forgot, or because he didn’t want to answer?

Studying the blue-haired female insect, Philo had to admit that Gore, with his blue hair and eyes, looked like one of Earth's silent, mysterious sea gods when quiet.

Since it was just a casual question, Philo let it drop.

Shifting his focus back to the floating screen, the male steeled himself.

To bring high-tech knowledge back to Earth, Philo—who hadn’t opened a textbook since high school—vowed to power through space-exam prep starting today.

He’d prove to his homeland that her kid wasn't a slacker—he’d sweat for Earth! He’d bleed for Earth!

Eyes burning with resolve, Philo radiated unwavering determination!

...Two hours later.

Maybe death would be easier.

"The mutual gravitational pull between neutrons and quanta drives material changes. When gamma rays participate in this process, we observe particle dust in the nebula exploding at 10^17 kasu speeds. Finally, using the Doskafen Formula, we can calculate..."

A rough fingertip traced the dense text on the screen. Pausing at the complex formula, the blue-haired female insect’s flat voice trailed off as he turned to remind the male on the sofa to note it down—

"Haa..."

Eyes shut, Philo face-planted on the darkened e-pad.

Silver strands fluttered in the breeze from the window, his slow breathing muffled by the wind. The fine features that usually so animated now lay still, the male dead to the world.

Still in yesterday's outfit, Gore’s gaze lingered on Philo’s long, closed lashes. The female insect stood there, unusually still.

...Had he bored him to sleep?

Author’s Note:

Philo: Space physics—would’ve put Einstein to sleep...