Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Unlike the real world, the time flow inside the simulated examination field was much faster.

Thus, although the female insects present felt only a few hours had passed, the Male Insect on the screen had clearly already spent a full day inside and was now in a deep slumber.

However, what made the newly arrived female insects hold their breaths wasn’t the fact that the Male Insect was asleep, but rather...

Their gazes swept over Philo’s visibly flustered expression.

Watching the Male Insect sleeping directly on the cave floor, using only an ordinary supply pack as a pillow, with nothing beneath him but a single jacket, Zhousha and the others couldn’t help but frown.

This was...

Their eyes darkened. As graduates of Kalms Military Academy, Zhousha and Gore were well aware that these challenges the Male Insect faced were nothing compared to what female insects endured. But still—

Though neither spoke hastily, their silence seemed to speak volumes.

The corners of Principal Aofu’s lips curled slightly as he shot an amused look at his old friend beside him. But before he could tease, the black-haired female insect had already turned to Director Esther with a diplomatic question.

"Director, given the noble status of the Male Insect and his immense contributions to the Alliance, while I understand the academy’s rigorous standards, wouldn’t excessive trials risk turning him against the Alliance? Might it exacerbate tensions between the genders?"

After speaking, the black-haired female insect dipped his head slightly, his tone humble.

"Pardon my directness, but considering the increasing reports from the Government Office regarding declining birth rates, low happiness ratings, and shortened lifespans among Male Insects across planets, I had to raise these concerns."

...

A mere examination—one without life-threatening risks, mental stress, or competitive demands—was now being linked to inter-gender tensions and declining birth rates?

And as for the happiness index being low... if even Male Insects were unhappy, then what about female insects? In the negatives?

Director Esther, usually adept at handling Military Females, found himself at a loss. Perhaps it was due to his recent promotion and lack of experience dealing with government officials, but he struggled to respond to the young female insect’s loaded questions.

Meanwhile, Principal Aofu, who had quietly retrieved his teacup, sipped leisurely, seemingly oblivious to the tension. After all, Shang Ling hadn’t directed his questions at him.

Fortunately, there was another female insect present who was better suited to mediate the discussion.

Glancing at the composed Aofu, Zhousha—though wearing military boots—was dressed in casual attire. Since this wasn’t a military setting and none of those present were active-duty Military Females, the high-ranking general appeared relaxed and spoke gently.

Turning, Zhousha neutrally observed that the examination’s strictness was beneficial for his son’s growth, while also thanking the young Government Office official for his concern regarding Male Insect well-being.

He struck a perfect balance.

Some of the female insects in the room, momentarily distracted by the exchange, shifted their gazes from the monitoring screen.

Yet, even as quiet conversations unfolded around him, the female insect with blue eyes’ gaze remained fixed on the Male Insect on the screen, unwavering.

Unaware that his every move was being watched not only by the academy’s proctors but also by several unexpected observers, Philo slept soundly in the simulated field—perhaps his most restful sleep he'd had in ages.

Despite lying on a cold cave floor with nothing but a makeshift pillow, despite the wind howling outside, the Male Insect, who had been struggling with insomnia and nightmares lately, slept peacefully until dawn.

Upon waking, Philo checked the time on his communicator, quickly packed his belongings, and pushed aside the stone slab blocking the cave entrance.

Outside, he found yet another collection of offerings left for him.

But although they had left many things for him, the female insects were nowhere to be seen now.

Clearly, the group had worked late into the night, but now, these female insects had already woken up early again to continue their exams.

When his eyes landed on the pile of gifts on the ground, the male insect crouched silently for a moment, deep in thought. But soon, carefully packing everything into his supply pack, Philo also resumed his journey.

There were still two days left, and today he needed to reach the next resting spot early as well.

Without lingering, the male insect followed the direction indicated by his communicator and strode forward.

Similar to yesterday, today Philo occasionally ran into some female insects along the way, even observing their battles with star beasts for a while. However, the journey was generally smooth, and he eventually found a suitable place to rest for the night.

But whether it was because this year’s candidates were particularly excitable, even as Philo stayed in the stone cave that night, he could just barely hear the distant commotion of star beasts frantically fleeing.

Yet soon, on the third and final day of the assessment, Philo, who had always trailed slightly behind the female insects, finally found himself far ahead of them.

Of course, this wasn’t because the male insect had suddenly gained superhuman speed, but because many insects weren’t in a hurry to reach the finish line today—after all, the closer they got, the fewer star beasts there were.

Because of this, many female insects even doubled back, determined to accumulate more points before rushing to the finish line.

Bracing his legs, unlike the energetic female insects still hunting star beasts, Philo was genuinely exhausted by now.

Checking his communicator and seeing that he wasn’t far from the finish line, Philo simply found a rock to lean against and rest. At his pace, he could easily reach the finish line before sunset, so there was no need to rush.

Taking out his collapsible water bottle, since he wasn’t hungry, Philo didn’t bother eating yet—just taking a sip of water before relaxing against the rock.

As usual, fearing he might accidentally fall asleep, the male insect, out of habit, set an alarm. But this time, Philo was abruptly jolted awake before the alarm could sound.

Opening his eyes, his arms—previously folded across his chest—instinctively braced against the ground. Feeling the tremors beneath him more clearly now, the male insect immediately grabbed his backpack and dashed toward open ground.

Yet even so, the barren ground beneath him continued to shake violently, causing him to lose balance and crash to the ground mid-run.

Left with no choice, Philo clung to the trunk of a withered tree, bewildered as he watched the ground seemingly split apart before him.

An earthquake? Or was this simulated arena collapsing?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a virtual world? Did the overseers at Kalms Military Academy really simulate disasters like earthquakes and mudslides? While female insects could handle such situations, he was a male insect, wasn’t he? Wasn’t it asking too much for his physique to endure this?!

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sudden flying rock fragment grazed his cheek, leaving a cut. Philo hastily raised a hand to shield his face.

But blocking with his hand proved futile. Soon, clinging to the withered tree, Philo felt himself lurch downward—and the next moment—

"Philo!"

"Your Highness!"

"His Highness Philo!"

Standing up, the insects in the monitoring room—just as shocked by this scenario—all rose to their feet in an instant.

Turning to Director Esther and Principal Aofu, the black-haired female insect’s previously polite and warm smile was now gone, replaced by a cold, pointed question:

"Has your academy perhaps overstepped its bounds?"

An assessment of this intensity was undeniably excessive for a male insect.

However, before the two lead administrators from Kalms Military Academy could respond, the blue-haired female insect, frowning, cut in quietly:

"This isn’t part of the academy’s assessment. The problem lies with the Giant Cave Beasts—they’ve been driven to the brink."

Indeed, at this moment, as the male plummeted from the collapsing rocky ground on the screen, a horde of frenzied Giant Cave Beasts surged out from underground simultaneously.

True, according to the Academy's parameters for this virtual assessment arena, star beasts were programmed not to harm males. However, if the actions of the star beasts caused changes in the assessment environment, indirectly endangering the male, such a scenario was undoubtedly still possible.

The rock ledge where the male had been sitting moments ago had been completely shattered. Brandishing razor-sharp claws, one after another, the Giant Cave Beasts crawled out from beneath the ground.

In an instant, the once flat and open rocky terrain had transformed into a sheer cliff face.

Clenching his fists, Esther's face darkened.

Based on their settings, Giant Cave Beasts would not naturally appear so far from rocky gathering areas. The current outcome was likely due to the overhunting of the beast herds by the female insects participating in the assessment, causing the numbers of these star beasts to fall below the predetermined survival threshold they had set, thereby triggering the Giant Cave Beasts' migration protocol.

Understanding this wasn’t difficult, and now, more than just Esther realized the cause. The other Military Females quickly deduced the cause through their rapid exchanges, making the situation clear.

Yet at this moment, rather than knowing why these Giant Cave Beasts had suddenly gone berserk, the observers were far more concerned about the condition of the male who'd tumbled down the rocky cliff while clutching a withered branch.

Fortunately, the glitching monitor feed quickly restored, but the male in the footage...

"Hngh..."

Pushing aside the rock that had landed on his leg, Philo, who had instinctively shielded his head the moment he tumbled down, now was battered and bruised all over his body—though thankfully, his head remained unharmed.

But it seemed that was the only part of him left unscathed.

Lowering his gaze, Philo took in the tattered uniform after multiple impacts. At this point, he had no time to worry about these minor scrapes.

He wiped his bloody hands hastily against his clothes, then carefully extracted his left leg—the worst injured—from the pile of rubble.

Rolling up the torn pant leg, he expected to see large patches of blood and livid bruises covering his skin.

Rather than attempting to stand immediately, he first tested the movement of his puffy ankle. Though the pull of his muscles sent a dull ache through his calf and blood welled from the cuts, at least his ankle wasn’t broken.

Letting out a sigh, Philo gave a bitter laugh, unsure whether to consider himself lucky or unlucky.

After all, though the ground beneath him had given way without warning, he hadn’t sustained any broken bones or dislocated joints. Painful as it might be to move, he wasn’t completely immobilized.

Releasing his grip, he ignored the worrying amount of blood—his leg could still support him—and scanned the area before looking up at the cliff above.

Though he wasn’t certain what exactly had happened, one thing was certain: he was alone. If any female insects had heard the commotion, they would have arrived by now. Most were likely still tracking star beasts elsewhere, meaning rescue wasn't coming.

And even if they had accumulated enough points, given the vastness of this area, there was no guarantee any would take this exact path.

With that in mind, Philo turned his attention to searching for his resource pack—he remembered it contained medical supplies.

When he had fallen, the pack he’d been holding had tumbled down with him.

A quick scan of the area revealed the familiar cooling device he’d attached to the pack, jammed under a nearby boulder.

Without delay, Philo dug out the medical supplies from the pack. Though he’d never used any of these items before, the academy had mercifully included instructions.

Soon, with the combined effects of medication and a portable med-scanner, the bleeding wounds on his leg began to seal and crust over, while the swelling in his ankle subsided significantly. Though his body still ached all over, at least he could move.

Catching his breath, he pushed up from the uneven rock wall and carefully put weight on his injured leg. Confirming it could bear his weight, he tilted his head back again.

Unlike naturally formed cliffs, this collapse-formed cliff wasn’t impossibly high—only about six or seven meters, a survivable fall height even for a male.

Moreover, the surface wasn’t smooth. With decent handholds, climbing back up wasn’t impossible.

Yes, gazing upward, Philo wasn't about to wait around for a passing female insect to rescue him.

He had always trusted himself more than others.

According to the academy’s instructions, he had to reach the endpoint within three days. The clock was ticking, and if he stayed put, there was a real risk of failing the assessment if no female insect happened upon him.

Besides...

Glancing at the blazing midday sun despite the dropping temperature, Philo lowered his head and began ripping cloth strips from his tattered jacket.

The proctors outside could undoubtedly see his situation, yet there had been no system warnings or assists since his fall. Clearly, they expected him to complete the assessment as originally intended.

Fine. So be it—free climbing. Though injured and without proper gear, he had no intention of giving up.

Having made his decision, the male’s face was pale from blood loss, but he remained composed. Outside, however, the mood in the observation room—who Philo thought were watching calmly—was anything but composed.

The male was injured. Even if this was a simulated system, even if the real Philo lay safely in the simulation pod in the next room, few insects present weren’t frowning.

"Did you lower Philo’s sensory settings? Was his pain threshold reduced?"

"...No. Considering the simulation arena generally poses no danger, we set His Highness Philo’s parameters the same as the other participants’."

The young female insect responsible for configuring and adjusting all insect parameters spoke in an increasingly hushed tone, but her words were still audible to everyone in the room.

Watching the injured male on the screen, seeing him treat his wounds alone on the sandy ground, the black-haired Female Insect’s expression darkened as she spoke again.

"If the academy’s goal is to assess whether His Highness Philo can adapt to military school management, his conduct and capabilities have already been sufficiently demonstrated thus far."

"Given this unforeseen incident, if the assessment continues, I can’t help but question whether the academy’s admissions officers remember the original intent of the Male Insect Protection Regulations."

Silence. The typically assertive Kalms Military Academy management offered no rebuttal today.

As for Esther, who had proposed allowing male insects to participate in the assessment, he too stared at the bloodied male on the screen and did not refute the black-haired Female Insect’s thinly veiled threat.

Indeed, this male, who had insisted on applying to the military academy, had already met their expectations. Under these circumstances, whether they temporarily halted the assessment to let him withdraw or provided external assistance, neither would be unreasonable. But...

"Kalms Military Academy activated its latest high-security closed simulation assessment system a few years ago."

The blue-haired Female Insect’s gaze lingered on the central screen, slowly tracing the bloodstains on the male’s body before settling on the wound on his leg.

"Unless we forcibly disconnect all participants’ neural interfaces now, the simulated assessment can only end when the preset time limit is reached."

As a renowned cradle for high-ranking military officers, Kalms Military Academy had no shortage of offspring from military families—despite their mediocre psychic and physical abilities—desperately vying for admission.

After all, their family legacies were rooted in the military, and leaving would severely hinder their future prospects.

However, competition for enrollment was fierce, with many high-aptitude female insects traveling great distances to apply. Some, relying on familial connections, had resorted to cheating in the simulation assessments.

At first, the academy might not detect isolated incidents, but over time, the truth would surface. To eradicate this practice, Kalms Military Academy had adopted this highly secure new simulation system.

"Is there no other way to withdraw him from the assessment?"

The black-haired Female Insect, still fixated on the monitoring screen, clearly disapproved of leaving the male inside.

His expression darkening, Gore remained silent this time, but Shang Ling quickly grasped the implication.

If the male voluntarily gave up or died in the simulation, his neural link would naturally disconnect, ending the assessment. But if it came to that...

"Technical team, attempt to decrypt the secure data blocks linking the simulation system’s internal and external modules. See if you can temporarily disconnect the male’s simulation pod alone. If that fails, we’ll have to—"

Esther’s words were cut short—or rather, halfway through his sentence, the female insect about to dismantle the secure data blocks froze, hands hovering over the control panel as the footage on the monitoring screen left them stunned.

"What's His Highness up to with this move? Is he actually trying to..."

From beginning to end, Zhousha, who had remained silent, felt his eyes darken the moment he noticed the male insect wrapping strips of cloth around his hands.

Yet he said nothing. The female just watched as the male wrapped his entire palms, stood still for a brief rest, and then—made a beeline for the rock wall and began... climbing.

Yes, while the insects outside were considering how to get him out, Philo carefully wrapped his hands with torn fabric from his clothes. After carefully assessing the footholds on the rock wall before him, the male insect tentatively tested his weight on his uninjured leg the next second.

And then—

Gripping the protruding rocks with both hands, using his uninjured leg as a support, and cautiously lifting and lowering his injured leg, Philo quickly made it up a short stretch of the wall.

Though his movements appeared clumsy and unsteady due to the lack of professional climbing gear, he was actually making headway.

Stabilizing himself with effort, Philo—unaware that the cloth strips on his hands were now stained with blood—curled his lips into a rare, fierce grin.

Hah. So what if things went sideways? He would never admit defeat so easily in this lifetime!

Raising his brows, the male insect’s violet eyes now seemed brighter than the sunlight above. Ignoring the pain from his injured leg and the stinging in his hands from gripping the jagged rocks, this male—who looked more battered than ever—appeared more impressive than ever.

He couldn't afford to pause, nor did he have the stamina to spare. Knowing that the longer he delayed, the harder it would be to summon strength, Philo worked his way up carefully but steadily, step by step.

Outside the simulation field, the insects who had been planning to call off the test early now fell silent. All eyes were fixed on the male insect’s face as he gritted his teeth and climbed upward.

At this moment, no one could quite put into words what they were feeling—regret, guilt, heartache, admiration, but also confusion.

Just a spot at the military academy? Why was His Highness pushing himself this hard for it?

Female insects enrolled in military academies for various reasons: some sought glory, some aimed to change their social status, some wanted to accumulate military merits to apply for offspring, and some even did it just to catch a glimpse of a male insect.

These motivations were understandable, even expected. But Your Highness... what is *your* reason?

Author's Note:

The insect race will come to understand Philo bit by bit, but also...