Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Without any Zerg rescue or assistance, the Male Zerg who had boarded the escape pod alone and entered the Chaotic Star Zone—though none wished to believe it—was almost universally presumed dead. Yet no one had expected that such a Male Zerg would one day suddenly return to Alliance-controlled space on his own.

As the first communication from the No. 3 outpost of the Chaotic Star Zone's surveillance division reached the military, responses swiftly followed from all corners of the Alliance.

Of course, the fastest reaction undoubtedly came from the military.

Decontamination of parasitic bioforms, escape pod inspections, absorption of cosmic radiation—despite the myriad tasks, the Zerg managed them in an orderly manner. Yet, beyond these chaotic and trivial matters, the most critical issue concerning the Male Zerg left them momentarily at a loss.

No, Philo's condition was truly not good.

Not only were his vital signs alarmingly low, but his genetic strands also appeared abnormal. Major organs throughout his body showed damage, and strangest of all were the internal radiation readings detected within him.

Though the Zerg who first discovered Philo had found parasitic organisms clinging to the surface of his escape pod, and though post-inspection, the pod itself exhibited signs of radiation exposure, Philo—who had spent months within the Chaotic Star Zone—showed surprisingly minimal impact on his genetic strands.

No, "minimal" wasn't quite accurate.

Rather, his genetic strands displayed no signs of fracturing or disintegration. On the contrary, their helical structure and compactness seemed to...

"Quick! Bring the newly developed No. 7 energy solution! His Highness Philo's genetic modification is showing signs of mutation! If his physique can't keep up, his body will break down!"

"Not enough, still not enough! Set the emergency ventilator to maximum power! Bring the micro-reactor and connect it directly to His Highness's limbs!"

"Excessive bleeding—deploy the smart transfusion device! Release the nanite hematopoiesis pod into His Highness's veins and arteries immediately!"

The resuscitation chamber where Philo lay was not fully enclosed. One side featured a transparent, high-grade vacuum shield. This material not only blocked most bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms harmful to the Zerg but also allowed medical staff outside to monitor the lifesaving protocols within.

But obviously, the Zerg standing outside the wall today were not other medical staff coming to observe or learn, but...

Clenching his fists, Gore, who had arrived first due to proximity upon receiving the news, stood rigid, his pupils contracting sharply at the sight of blood on the hands of the medical Zerg surrounding the male of their species.

When the military first received the notification from the sentry post of the Chaos Sector monitoring station, almost none of the Zerg dared to believe it.

After all, if Fei Luo had merely strayed into the Chaos Sector for a few days, there might still have been a chance for a safe return. But now, over four months had passed. Not only would the supplies stored in the escape pod he piloted have been utterly insufficient for such a long duration, but the threat posed by the voracious worm-like predators in the Chaos Sector would have made it absolutely impossible for the male Zerg to survive and emerge alive.

Considering all this, although the Zerg rushed over immediately, it wasn’t until they saw Fei Luo with their own eyes that they dared to believe he was still alive.

However... even though he was alive, the sight of the silver-haired male Zerg in the critical care unit—crisscrossed with life-support tubes, emaciated once again—made countless Zerg unable to bear looking for long. With eyes brimming, they staggered away in disarray.

At this moment, no Zerg dared to look at Fei Luo—not just out of heartache, but also because of guilt.

No Zerg knew what the male Zerg had endured over these past four months. Just the thought of the female Zerg who had once escaped from the Chaos Sector, dying in agony from the disintegration of their genetic structures, was enough to make them shudder. None dared to imagine what the male Zerg had gone through during this time.

Or rather, the sight of the male Zerg on the brink of death was already too much for them to bear, filling them with overwhelming guilt.

After all, male Zerg today—whether high-level male Zerg or even those as low as F-Rank, nearly incapable of performing Psychic Soothing—were treasured beings cherished in their care and shielded behind the backs of female Zerg.

They would never experience illness, injury, hunger, poverty... anything that brought suffering. Though their lifespans were shorter than those of female Zerg, their lives were far happier and more peaceful.

Their only daily concerns were how to live joyfully, what beautiful clothes to wear, what delicious food to eat, and what splendid houses to reside in.

Male Zerg were supposed to only worry about such things. Female Zerg had always strived to ensure male Zerg only had to consider these matters... Yet why did the Insect God seem so relentlessly cruel to His Highness Fei Luo?

Holding their heads, even many of the medical Zerg responsible for His Highness Fei Luo's care couldn’t suppress their emotions. After leaving the critical care unit, they collapsed in the corridors of the medical center, sobbing openly.

His Highness Fei Luo was also a male Zerg. He was no less than any other male Zerg. In the hearts of most Zerg, he was the most exemplary of their princes. So why couldn’t the Insect God show His Highness more favor, instead of burdening him with endless suffering?

A Highness so noble, yet he was separated from the clan since childhood and grew up on a barren planet. Now, after finally being brought back to the Insect race, he unexpectedly encountered an attack by star beasts, and ultimately fell into the chaotic star domain while rescuing female insects.

Misfortune after misfortune—why must all these befall His Highness Fei Luo!

Seeing Fei Luo now, battered and bruised, almost every insect couldn't help but question and resent the Insect God's unfairness. However, as more and more insects learned of Fei Luo's survival, though all shared his pain, gratitude and relief gradually took hold in the hearts of the majority.

Yes, while they grieved for the suffering His Highness Fei Luo endured, they were also immensely grateful that he was still alive. As long as His Highness lived, they felt it was enough to be thankful for.

Ordinary alliance citizens couldn't personally visit the medical center to see Fei Luo, so all the insects once again spontaneously organized various celebrations and prayer activities.

But unlike the previous prayers for Fei Luo's safe return, this time the people only begged that His Highness Fei Luo would never suffer any hardship again, remaining safe and thriving forever.

As for those who could visit the medical center to see Fei Luo, though many went, the vast majority ultimately had no chance to speak with him or even meet him.

Because... the SilverHaired Male Insect was still unconscious.

The SilverHaired Male Insect, who had stubbornly piloted the escape pod back to the alliance's border, had slipped into a coma the moment he confirmed that female insects had discovered him.

And this coma lasted nearly half a month.

During this time, countless insects came to see Fei Luo, including Zhousha and Gore, who were later driven away by Yi Jia Fa, as well as Li Wei and Xinghua Qianhua, who had just recovered from their injuries and left the hospital. Of course, there were also Shang Ling, Siluan—finally permitted to leave the Qi Mengtu estate—as well as Ya Jin, Nimir, Li Qi...

Though the SilverHaired Male Insect hadn't been back on the capital planet for long, it must be said that he had truly won over so many. Thus, even while Fei Luo remained unconscious, countless insects still applied daily to visit him.

All insects eagerly awaited his awakening, with inquiries about Fei Luo's recovery progress directed to Dr. Gu De at every moment. On the star network, Fei Luo's condition trended daily.

And amid such universal anticipation, amid such countless prayers—whether by the grace of the Insect God or due to breakthroughs in the medical center's technology under widespread attention—after nearly a full month in a coma, the SilverHaired Male Insect finally awoke.

Yes, he woke up.

The first to notice this was Yi Jia Fa, as he had the most time and was the most qualified to stay by Philo's side for extended periods.

With Yi Jia Fa's exclamation, all eyes focused on Philo were drawn in.

Yet, whether it was the insects' illusion or not, this time, the silver-haired male who had cheated death seemed somewhat different from before.

"Philo, how are you feeling? Is there any discomfort now? If so, you must tell us—don’t hold back. The medics can administer additional pain relief for you."

"Your Highness Philo, can you speak now? Could you tell us about your time in the chaotic star sector? Only by understanding your journey can we determine whether there might be hidden injuries. Your Highness, would you be comfortable talking to us?"

"Philo, is there anything you’d like to say? Or any insect you’d like to see? Whatever you need, just say the word, and we'll do everything we can."

Concerns from loved ones, inquiries from official insects, messages from friends…

Since Philo had woken up completely, many insects had tried to reach him through various means. Yet… gazing out the window, the male insect, though clearly awake, seemed constantly distracted.

He never checked his communicator, even as it chimed incessantly with notifications—the silver-haired male never once glanced at it.

Even when insects approached him directly, the young male insect, perhaps still weakened from his injuries, barely spoke. Like now.

"Philo, what would you like to eat today? The medics at the center say you can start eating high-energy foods again…"

Looking at the silver-haired male in the hospital bed, Yi Jia Fa patiently inquired about his meal preferences for the day, as if trying to lift his spirits by mentioning his former favorite dishes.

Yet—

His violet eyes stared blankly. The young male insect initially appeared to listen politely to his father’s words. Yet… his gaze gradually drifted from the elder’s face, settling instead on the dots adorning his coat.

Staring blankly at those colorful dots, the young male insect in white hospital attire seemed lost in thought—still hearing the elder’s words, but his mind had long wandered elsewhere.

This wasn’t the first time Philo had acted this way since waking up, nor was it intentional.

His attention was waning, emotional fluctuations were diminishing, and his desire for verbal communication and expression had significantly decreased... Watching such a Philo, Gude, who had now been appointed as Philo’s dedicated physician, frowned.

Then, the elderly male Insect specialist unusually interrupted Yigafa’s words and abruptly asked,

"Your Highness Philo."

"Do you want to know what happened to the female Insects left on the warship after you lured away the star beast?"

It must be said, this was a topic more likely to pique the male Insect’s interest than anything else.

Seeing Philo become alert and refocus his gaze, Yigafa was momentarily stunned. Forgetting his displeasure at Gude bringing up such lesser female Insects, he hurriedly took over the conversation.

And this seemed to be a stimulating topic—at least today, the male Insect remained conscious longer, unlike before when he would unconsciously fall asleep mid-conversation with the medic or Yigafa.

Watching as the silver-haired male Insect only drifted back to sleep after the topic was exhausted, Gude and Yigafa quietly exited the luxurious, high-end medical suite, careful not to make noise.

Unlike the hushed tones from earlier, Yigafa couldn't help but smile as he turned to Gude outside the closed medical suite door.

"Philo seems to be doing better today. His injuries are almost healed, so he shouldn’t need to stay at the healing complex much longer, right? The facilities here are subpar—I think it’s best to return him to his estate soon."

It must be said, if one didn’t know Philo well or hadn’t seen him in his previous state, Yigafa’s words wouldn’t seem out of place.

But—

Frowning, Gude glanced at the male Insect inside the medical suite, who had fallen back into deep sleep after just a brief conversation. Without answering Yigafa’s question, he instead asked,

"I heard you’ve kept General Zhousha and other young female Insect friends familiar to His Highness Philo from visiting, for the sake of his rest. While I understand your concerns, for His Highness’s emotional well-being, I suggest—"

"No need."

Raising his head, Yigafa, taken aback by Gude’s sudden mention of this, cut him off before he could finish, firmly rejecting the suggestion the female Insect was about to propose.

An icy glare flashed in his eyes as the elderly male Insect, seemingly recalling something, said sternly,

"Since Philo’s body is almost fully recovered, and you’re mainly letting him rest now, there’s no need to keep him at the healing complex any longer. The conditions here are too inadequate—the food and amenities aren’t good enough. I’ll take him back to rest properly."

With that, the elderly male Insect wasted no more time. After one last glance at the sleeping Philo inside the room, he left without another word.

Left behind, Gude’s frown deepened, a flicker of concern in his eyes. But what was this anxiety about? The old female Insect couldn’t quite articulate it—or perhaps, for now, he didn’t dare to.

However, Yigafa’s attempt to take Philo out of the healing complex early ultimately failed. Similarly, his efforts to block Zhousha, Gore, and other female Insects from visiting Philo were overruled by Alliance officials.

Because an even more joyous piece of news emerged, surpassing the initial relief of Philo’s return.

During Philo’s final comprehensive pre-discharge physical examination, while the healing complex’s Insects conducted routine checks on the now-recovered young male Insect—including his current psionic rating—no one expected the results to differ so drastically from his previous test.

Up until now, since Philo’s return to the Insect race, he had only undergone one psionic rating test due to his physical condition: A-Class.

Admittedly, Philo being an A-Class male Insect wasn’t surprising, given both his father and mother were high-level psionic Insects. Thus, while Gude’s earlier speculation that he might be a Super A-Class psionic male Insect had startled many, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

After all, even a Super A-Class male Insect was merely an honorary classification for those whose psionic strength slightly surpassed ordinary A-Class Insects—still fundamentally within the A-Class range.

But S-Class was different. Entirely different.

It was a gap rooted in genetics, a quantum leap in capability, a presence that could genuinely influence the Alliance’s future and pose a real threat to races like the star beasts.

If Insects had once puzzled over why the star beasts suddenly attacked Philo’s warship—especially their relentless pursuit of him—now, upon learning his true psionic rating, no one would question it.

Who their prime predator was, who their most significant rival was, who posed the greatest threat to their lives—the star beasts, with their keen sense for danger, naturally understood.

Take Gore, for example. The number of star beasts attempting to kill him annually was nearly countless.

Whenever Gore appeared near the frontier systems, the Insects would attack him with a mix of fear and frenzy. As a result, the squadrons he led consistently earned the most combat citations, rose through the ranks the fastest—but also suffered the worst neural fatigue levels.

In fact, if all of Gore’s individual decorated service were tallied, his military rank could likely climb even higher.

The disparity in strength, the gulf between tiers—the difference between S-Class and A-Class combat power was truly vast.

Originally, the Alliance should have counted their blessings at possessing an S-Class female Insect. But truthfully, beyond relief, what the Alliance felt more keenly was regret.

After all, they still had one S-Class female Insect—but an S-Class male Insect... had long been lost to time.

Given the current birth rate and psionic conditions of the Insect race, the likelihood of the Alliance ever obtaining another S-Class male Insect like Gore seemed like a fantasy.

But who could say miracles didn’t exist?

If the news of Philo’s return had initially spread excitement and joy throughout the Alliance, the revelation of his S-Class psionic rating plunged the entire Alliance into a collective ecstasy.

Thrilled, exhilarated, overjoyed, spines tingling—

Cheers and cries of support seemed desperate to reach the silver-haired male Insect’s sleeping medical suite on wings. Countless female Insects, previously denied by Yigafa’s refusal to allow visits, now fervently petitioned anew for permission to see Philo—their families equally eager.

But among these Insects, none were more anticipated by the Alliance to meet Philo soon than Zhousha and Gore, who had been promptly removed from his side the moment Yigafa arrived.

After all, like S-Class female Insects, an S-Class male Insect’s significance transcended the individual—it became a matter of racial destiny.

Philo had truly positioned himself at the very heart of the Insect race’s evolutionary trajectory.

"Gore?"

"Long time no see."

Sunlight, early morning.

In the top-floor medical suite of the healing complex, occupying an entire opulent level, the young male Insect—having just finished half a glass of stoneflower nectar—turned to the blue-haired female Insect he hadn’t seen in months and greeted her with a wan smile.

Though, "long time no see"...

The blue-haired female Insect, who had been forced to leave the healing complex not long ago while the silver-haired male Insect was still unconscious, let the greeting stand. Instead, she quietly responded in kind.

"Long time no see."

"Philo."