Chapter 90

Chapter 90

The innate nature of the Insect race is possession.

From birth, they compete for territory, resources, and the attention of their kin. As they grow, this possessive instinct not only persists but often intensifies.

Yet, adult insects crave more than just material things—they begin to yearn for emotional bonds.

But while material desires may be easier to satisfy, emotions are another matter...

Watching Philo pressed against Morton's arms, Songdi found himself momentarily speechless.

When Morton had been unconscious, Songdi had even risked infiltrating the heavily guarded medical complex to seek Philo's help. But now, with Morton awake, Songdi only frowned deeper.

His empty hand clenched into a fist as he observed Morton's grip on Philo's wrist and the way the red-eyed female pressed against the prince's back. His breathing grew heavier, and he growled in a low voice,

"Morton, let go of Philo."

"Don’t disrespect the Prince."

Disrespect?

Without lifting his gaze, Morton ignored his only kin entirely. If anything, the sudden interruption seemed to provoke him—his grip on the male tightened instinctively.

Even in his severely injured state, a female's strength was formidable. The slightest increase in pressure made the unconscious prince instinctively recoil, his brow furrowing in discomfort.

Seeing Philo's peaceful expression, Morton stiffened, quickly loosening his hold. After a moment, the prince's features smoothed back into normal.

There was no denying it—Philo was a strikingly handsome male.

Up close, both females present could clearly understand why this Prince had drawn so many suitors at first sight.

His brows and eyes were like painted brushstrokes, his nose as strong as mountain peaks—such beauty could only be described as a blessing from the Insect God.

Morton blinked.

He liked him.

So, just like that idiot Amber, he liked him too.

To understand his own feelings, to decipher why he had been so drawn to Philo since their first meeting, Morton had spent a long time retracing the stellar coordinates of Philo's accident.

At first, he told himself it was only because of Amber's desperate plea before falling into slumber.

But when he finally returned to the site of Philo's accident, the female—whose consciousness often blurred during transitions—felt his memories clearing like wiped glass.

He remembered.

Details he had forgotten, moments he had overlooked—they all came rushing back.

He recalled Amber's panic when Philo was in danger. He remembered his own failed attempts to wake during that time. He even remembered momentarily wresting control of their shared body to shout one phrase at Philo when the Prince refused to leave.

He had shouted...

"Go! Are you fucking stupid?!"

Yes.

That phrase—something Amber would never say—had come from him.

So, the female who ultimately chose to confront the star beast... was Amber, yet not just Amber.

If anything, it was a brief merging of consciousness between them. Their consciousnesses merged, but the body remained Amber's, still dominant at the time.

And it had to be Amber's body.

Forced into slumber, Morton had momentarily surfaced but couldn’t break free—no matter how desperately Amber willed it.

Even when Amber begged him to save Philo, Morton couldn’t emerge.

Helpless, he could only watch as Philo was forced back step by step. He could only watch as Amber fumbled in defense. He could only shout one phrase. He could only... watch Philo draw the star beast off alone.

He had heard Philo's command to survive.

He had seen the direction Philo ran toward.

And that direction... Standing at the edge of the Chaotic Star Zone, the female who had finally determined the Prince's possible location felt a rare moment of clarity.

As an experimental offshoot born from Amber's agony, Morton had always been unique.

Though he possessed the formidable battle capabilities the researchers had hoped for, such gifts always demanded a price.

The cost of his enhanced psychic and physical abilities? Among other things, his reason and emotion were subject to violent fluctuations.

Unlike Amber, Morton was often uncontrollable—utterly unhinged.

He tormented other insects at will, male or female, unrestrained, never afraid.

As an S-class female, the only one who gave him pause was Major General Gore. Otherwise, few could rein him in.

So he was wild. So he acted on impulse. So he followed his whims.

If anything could restrain him, it was his obsession with his own existence. Yet it was this very obsession that brought clarity to his mind as he stood at the edge of the Chaotic Star Zone.

Was living good?

Of course.

For Amber, who had struggled for decades in the lab, and for Morton, whose existence faced constant threat of vanishing—survival was their greatest desire.

They didn’t want to fade too soon from this universe.

They didn’t want to be swallowed by the void that had hung over them for so long.

They didn’t want to die. They wanted to live.

For years, whether it was Amber or Morton, all they wanted was to survive.

To that end, both had done much—killing those in their way, stooping to despicable acts. They... truly wanted to live.

Death, like darkness, was what they hated most.

Yet neither could have imagined that one day, what they valued above all would fall into what they loathed.

So, what choice was there?

Standing before the Chaotic Star Zone, Morton stared ahead, tugging at his hair as he deliberated for three days.

Three days sufficed for the female to assess the situation. By now, Philo was probably dead—perhaps even completely obliterated.

He would not only fail to save him by going in now, but he himself would most likely die inside as well. By this calculation, Morton felt that entering would truly be an act of madness.

But was he mad?

Wasn’t he—already quite mad?

Letting the stellar winds and debris sweep past him, bracing against the silver-white hull of the stolen ship, the red-haired female gazed at the chaotic expanse ahead—a region of space so dark it seemed to devour even light itself—before his lips twisting into a smirk.

*Yes… wasn’t he already mad to begin with?*

Philo, no one can live another's life.

Besides, I still haven’t figured out why you keep haunting my mind, why I’d even want to risk my life to save you, or why you’d agree to offer Psychic Soothing on an insect like me.

You haven’t answered any of these important questions yet—how can you die? Don’t they say males are under the protection of the Insect God? If that’s true, how could you possibly die?

Seated in the stolen ship, the red-eyed female spent three days in quiet contemplation. When those three days passed, without hesitation, the insect—who had been crouched motionless like a stone on the hull—suddenly stood and unfurled his crimson wings, plunging into the dead zone of space that no other insect dared approach.

And then…

Looking down at the silver-haired male’s tightly shut eyes in his arms, Morton instinctively held his breath.

How strange.

He had gone in to save him, yet now, it seemed as though it was the other way around. But—

Despite his injured body, Morton’s mood was unexpectedly pleasant.

So this was what it felt like to be protected by a male.

Admittedly, for a female, this might seem like a sign of weakness, but this feeling… was good. Surprisingly good.

"Why should I let go?"

Instead of releasing the male as the Song Emperor demanded, Morton only tightened his embrace.

"He's mine. Why should I let go?"

As if unaware of how absurd his claim sounded, the red-eyed female’s words carried only his usual madness and arrogance.

But—

"Yours… Do you even deserve him?"

The concealed, heavily guarded medical room doors slid open abruptly, revealing not a single familiar face from the clandestine facility, but rather—

A green-haired female dressed in a simple gray shirt with precision-fastened cuffs. Though his attire was plain, his sudden appearance here was downright shocking.

Li Wei…

For him to find this place was both strange and yet not surprising at all.

It seemed they had underestimated the capital’s females after all. Truly befitting the Geshaluolin Family, renowned for their peerless expertise in mechanical development… To raise such an heir, the family’s reputation was well-earned.

"How did you find this place?"

Clenching his fists, the Song Emperor’s voice was stiff as he addressed the unexpected arrival.

And his reaction was hardly unwarranted—after all, the Song Emperor wasn’t wearing his disguise device right now.

Siluan, the only remaining consort of this A-Class Male, was hardly inconspicuous in the capital.

But…

Though it was the Song Emperor who spoke, though his face was far more conspicuous than Morton’s current appearance as Amber, the green-haired female didn't so much as glance at him—let alone respond.

His steps carried him forward without pause, as if oblivious to the hidden weapons lining the walls or the targeting sensors of the weapons trained on him. Without hesitation, Li Wei strode straight to the innermost medical pod—then—

Reached out. His fingers, precise and purposeful, moved toward the male’s arm. His intent was unmistakable, but—

A sharp motion. Ignoring the festering injuries on his own hand, the red-eyed female swatted away the approaching limb with a mocking grin.

"Impressive, boss."

"Just from the few communications we had and the disguise device, you managed to figure out we took Philo and even tracked us here. Color me impressed. But—"

Tilting his head, the red-eyed female’s S-class Psychic Power covertly enveloped the green-haired female, his bloodless lips twisting as he whispered:

"Aren’t you afraid?"

If you could find this place with so little to go on, if even seeing the Song Emperor doesn’t surprise you… then seeing me now—aren’t you afraid?

What did an S-class Female signify?

Simply put, under the capital’s current restrictions on mid-tier energy weapons, an S-class Female was equivalent to one of those high-yield weapons—restricted-yet-lethal when unleashed.

So even if the corridor outside was packed with Li Wei’s personal security detail, all armed with standard-issue energy weapons… facing an S-class Female—one who, unlike Gore, had no restraint—Li Wei, are you truly unafraid?

The crimson of his irises didn’t fade like the pallor of his lips from blood loss. If anything, whether from recent awakening or rising excitement, the color only intensified.

Eyes locked, the green-haired female’s gaze—cool as jade—lacked the crushing presence of his red-eyed counterpart. But… since when was an insect’s strength limited to Psychic Power alone?

"Crack—"

Blood seeped from the already infected wound on the female’s shoulder.

Even an S-class Female, freshly awakened and at his limit, couldn’t stifle the tremor that forced his grip on Philo to slacken.

The silver-haired male swayed as he was released, but before he could collapse, a pair of hands swiftly caught him, lifting him from the now contaminated nutrient bath.

"Click."

A familiar med-patch attached itself to the male’s arm. But even the latest high-end medical device from the Geshaluolin Family could only treat—not instantly restore—his injuries.

Thus, unsurprisingly, the green-haired female took in the lacerated condition of Philo’s arm.

Injuries this severe, complexion this ashen, Philo like this…

"Morton—or perhaps I should call you Amber. Or, to simplify, perhaps I should address you both as Chiavi's royal spawn."

"What you intend to do is not my business. But if you don’t wish to see years of patience be for nothing at this eleventh hour, then I advise you—keep your distance from Philo." "He… is someone far beyond your station."