Chapter 46 Illusion

Chapter 46: Phantasm

"Alright, now we're back to the previous question."

Ivar took a sip of fruit tea, his eyes crinkling contentedly as he plotted how to talk Yisang into making some specifically for him next time.

"How are you getting along with that little...Your Excellency? Does he usually show that he likes you a lot? Is he particularly clingy toward you?"

Idris hummed in acknowledgment, lowering his gaze to ponder Ivar's question. Bulan had said something similar at the hospital.

Was it possible that the severity of His Excellency's secondary differentiation was related to him?

Getting a response, Ivar unusually set down his cup, sat up properly with a serious expression. "If His Excellency likes you to that extent, then his experience should be quite similar to your father's."

Idris listened attentively without interrupting.

Seeing his rare, childlike obedience, Ivar cleared his throat and put on his fatherly demeanor. "Then I'll explain from the beginning."

"The secondary differentiation of male Zerg is not actually a process of adulthood and psychic ability elevation. Perhaps it was like that before, but it changed several hundred years ago."

"Several hundred years ago?" Idris suddenly spoke up.

"Yes," Ivar said. "Starting several hundred years ago, male Zerg would for no apparent reason fall into a phantasm during secondary differentiation. The phantasm doesn't directly harm the Zerg, but it affects the stability of the male's Mind Sea."

"At first, not many males fell into the phantasm. Later, more and more males were affected, which gradually drew the Empire's attention."

"The MPA was established under such circumstances."

"According to ongoing research, the MPA found that the phantasms experienced by males during differentiation are not actually the same. But they can roughly be divided into two broad categories: having a beloved one and not having a beloved one."

"If there is no beloved one before secondary differentiation, then after differentiation, the male will at most experience a period of mental disturbance, which improves after psychic soothing. However, after matching, the male will become periodically irritable and occasionally unable to control himself, hitting or scolding the female."

"What if there is a beloved one?" Idris had already realized why Ivar had asked that earlier.

"If there is a beloved one," Ivar recalled an unpleasant experience, saying through gritted teeth, "then after waking, the male will briefly be unable to distinguish between phantasm and reality, and will intensely reject the female he loves, even harboring resentment and fear, yet with a morbid, twisted desire to approach her."

"Why is the difference between these two so great?" Idris was very puzzled.

"Because the experiences of the two types of males in the phantasm are different. For the first type, during differentiation, the phantasm usually only involves scenarios of being forcibly drained of pheromones by females during adaptation. But the second type is more complex." Ivar stood up, opened a locked cabinet, took out a dossier, and handed it to Idris. "You'll understand after reading the materials inside."

Idris took the dossier with both hands, took out the contents, and flipped through page by page.

As the papers in his hand grew thinner, Idris's face grew paler. By the last few pages, his fingertips were trembling slightly, and the color had drained from his face.

He abruptly closed the file, his voice hoarse as he asked, "The content in these materials... is it all true?"

Ivar nodded, his mood also somewhat soured. "Yes, and you should have noticed that all the phantasms are drawn from the real experiences of other Zerg. However, to this day, the MPA has not fully understood why real scenarios can be reflected in the phantasms."

"My understanding is that the phantasm is actually similar to a psychic virus, and is contagious. Males who haven't undergone differentiation and are infected directly enter the phantasm during differentiation."

"And males who were already differentiated when infected remain in a latent state, with the virus being passed on to male offspring through pheromones, eventually gradually affecting all males."

"Then why do only males enter the phantasm during differentiation?" Idris was very confused.

Logically, a psychic virus should attack indiscriminately. Why do they only exist within males?

Ivar spread his hands. "The MPA hasn't figured that out yet either."

Idris's purple eyes flickered. Perhaps it wasn't that they hadn't researched it clearly, but that they couldn't research it clearly.

Idris thought of the conversation he overheard at the hospital when Samuel first woke up and the results of his investigation through Ray. He always felt things weren't that simple.

But for now, Idris couldn't dwell on that. He turned his thoughts back to secondary differentiation.

Looking down, he pulled out the last document separately. Idris stared at the sentence on the paper: "The phantasm projects the male's beloved Zerg into the scenario, making them an unattainable abuser who forces and torments the male, with no escape except through death." He read these words over and over.

The more he read, the more his heart ached with regret.

If he had known the consequences of a male falling for a female before differentiation were so severe, he would never have deliberately tempted and provoked Samuel around his estrus period.

It was his fault. He shouldn't have been so eager in seeking answers.

"Father..." Idris looked up at Ivar, a rare confusion in his eyes. "What should I do next to help His Excellency?"

"Don't use that tone with me," Ivar said, shuddering at Idris's pleading voice.

The thought of engaging in father-son affection with his female offspring made him feel awkward and extremely uncomfortable.

However, for the sake of his Male Master, he wouldn't make things difficult for him.

Clearing his throat, Ivar said, "I suggest you first investigate the identity of His Excellency within the phantasm. That will make it easier to understand the phantasm's content and address it appropriately."

"But, you'd better also prepare yourself mentally." Ivar was not very good at comforting anyone other than Yisang. He said somewhat awkwardly, "Not every male has the courage to overcome the phantasm. You... must be prepared for the possibility of not becoming his primary consort."

Upon hearing this, Idris did not respond. He thought of the reason for the male's coma, of his comrades who had already returned to the military, and of the beautiful moments and surprises the male had brought while by his side.

Idris thought, he couldn't give up on Samuel. He couldn't give up on this male who treated him as his entire world.

After solidifying his resolve, Idris looked up, his gaze blazing. "But Father, I want him."

"I only want him."

Ivar stared into Idris's stubborn purple eyes, suddenly reminded of many years ago when Yisang, around this age, had said something similar to him.

In that moment, Ivar suddenly felt a slight emotional tug from their bloodline.

Idris was his offspring, his and Yisang's offspring.

Thinking of this, Ivar for once felt a bit of paternal responsibility.

"Alright, if you insist, then give it a try." Ivar stroked his chin, thoughtfully saying, "How about you try the method I used back then?"

"What method?" Bulan's warning still echoed in his ears. Idris was skeptical about whether Ivar's method would be effective, yet he was also curious.

"Imprison him, and win him over through intimacy!" Ivar said, exceedingly pleased with himself. "Maybe once His Excellency is subdued by you, you'll even have eggs, perfect for applying for matching—killing three birds with one stone!"

Idris had initially held some expectation, thinking Ivar might have a good strategy. After listening, all that remained was helplessness, speechlessness, and despair. "Father, I'm curious how you managed to get the MPA to let you off back then?"

Ivar remained silent, simply staring at Idris. After a while, he gave a light cough, tactically took a drink of water, and put on his adult air, emphasizing, "The process isn't important, the result is! The result! Understand?"

Idris: ...

Alright, he admitted it was indeed an excellent method for a female. However, not everyone was like his Male Master, so devoted to their beloved. He couldn't gamble on it.

More importantly, he couldn't let Samuel be hurt again.

Having gained a general understanding of secondary differentiation, Idris suddenly felt a sense of calm. After learning some other information about differentiation from Ivar, Idris went downstairs to bid farewell to Yisang and hurried back to the hospital.

Inside the hospital room.

Samuel was still in a deep sleep. Idris sat by the bedside, gazing at the thinner male, his heart aching with every beat.

"Your Excellency, I won't abandon you." Idris took Samuel's hand, gently kissed it, and then, instinctively, buried his face against it, feeling the warmth of the male's body.

"Even if Your Excellency wakes up and still hates me, I won't leave. Idris will stay with Samuel, always."

Outside the window, clouds drifted slowly with the wind. Sunlight peeked out from behind them, casting a soft glow on Samuel's pale face, adding a touch of warmth to his even colder, sterner features.

After pouring out his heart, Idris took a deep breath and began to process the newly acquired information in his mind. Recalling the name Samuel had mentioned upon waking, Idris opened Ray's message box.

Just as he was about to urge Ray for a quick response, Idris suddenly remembered that Ray had been taken away and imprisoned by the MPA when Samuel fell into a coma. The charges were for privately taking a male to the hospital to handle a military male and causing injury.

During that time, Idris had managed to visit Ray once. Ray was covered in whip marks, far worse than Idris's own punishment had been.

Fortunately, before punishing a female, the MPA must seek the male's opinion. So, aside from the superficial wounds, Ray hadn't suffered any other severe punishments.

Now, all Idris needed was for Samuel to regain his senses before he could start working on Ray's release.

But with Ray gone, Idris felt the loss of his capable assistant, somewhat adrift.

After a moment of thought, Idris forwarded the information to the trustworthy Luoken and Aosen. He was currently staying with Samuel and simply couldn't manage everything alone.

The replies came almost immediately.

"Luoken: Received. I heard His Excellency has woken up. How is he doing now?"

"Aosen: I'll look into it right away. Did His Excellency's differentiation go smoothly?"

Idris didn't inform the two of them about Samuel's true condition, simply replying that he still needed rest, before rushing off to handle military affairs.

Without Ray's assistance, Idris's workload doubled. He worked tirelessly to clear the backlog of tasks, and by the time he finished, it was already late at night.

Idris rubbed his sore temples, took out the prepared nutrient solution from the hospital cabinet, drank it, washed up, and then returned to sit by Samuel's bedside.

In truth, the hospital wasn't short of Medical Staff, and the MPA had also sent insects to keep watch, but Idris had politely declined them all with various excuses.

His insect was his to protect.

"Samuel, good night."

Idris leaned down, kissed Samuel's forehead, then held his hand and soon fell asleep by the bedside.

Outside the window, the moonlight faded, dawn light appeared, and the sky brightened.

Samuel woke up.

He opened his eyes in confusion, staring at the stark white ceiling, then glanced at the beeping instruments beside him, momentarily unable to process where he was.

After his mind cleared a little, Samuel grew more alert. He tried to sit up but found his hand tightly held. Turning his head to follow the sensation, he saw Idris lying by the bedside.

Brother?

Samuel blinked slowly, unable to believe his eyes. He edged closer cautiously, raised his other hand, and poked Idris's cheek.

Warm.

Brother was alive, and he was still with him. Then all those things before must have been a dream. Brother still loved him the most.

Feeling a bit happy, Samuel carefully shifted closer to Idris, lying down beside him. Like a cat, he gently stroked Idris's white hair, then played with the long, delicate eyelashes beneath, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Poked and prodded, Idris soon woke up. He frowned slightly, slowly opening his eyes to find Samuel's face right in front of him.

"Brother!"

Seeing the sleeping insect awakened, Samuel beamed a bright smile and then planted a loud kiss on Idris's cheek. "Brother, good morning~"

"Today, can I have a morning kiss?"

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Author's Note: Star Calendar 4056, September X, Cloudy, Day X. A bit confused. Did the script change today?