Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Amon was about to say something else when a sudden splash came from beside him—Dexter had collapsed into the birthing pool.

The nutrient solution mixed with honey nectar flooded his nasal passages. He coughed painfully, but his body was as rigid as a frozen steel pipe, unable to move even a finger.

He sank entirely, the water passing over the tips of his hair, on the verge of drowning in a pool that barely reached waist height.

Yor startled, lunging over and reaching out to support Dexter's chin, dragging him out of the water.

Dexter coughed up two mouthfuls of pale golden liquid, but his body was still convulsing violently, his spine arching and then snapping backward, completely beyond his control.

Yor was caught off guard and knocked back into the pool, only to be immediately pulled back by Leonius.

"He's leveling up." Leonius steadied the anxious Yor.

Dexter had been an adult for many years, his body long since settled. Trying to force a breakthrough to Sub-Lord level now was no different from snapping every bone in his body, melting away every inch of flesh and blood, then growing it all back from scratch.

The new skin hadn't even finished forming before the next wave of pain crushed it. Over and over, his skin kept weeping blood—tiny beads oozing from his pores, running together into thin streams that stained the water red around him.

Yor watched him, breaking into a cold sweat: "How do I help him? Mental soothing? Pheromones?" He turned to look at Leonius. "Tell me what to do!"

Leonius pressed down on his arm: "He's got to tough it out. When it comes to leveling up, nobody can do it for him."

Yor watched Dexter bleed more and more, his breathing getting faster and shallower, pain twisting him until he was almost unrecognizable. Yor paced around him, frantic: "Dexter..."

Just as he was at his wit's end, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and gently rested on the back of Dexter's neck.

Amon had somehow already materialized at the edge of the pool. He lowered his eyes, fingertips pressed to Dexter, mental energy fanning out and probing into Dexter's sea of consciousness.

Dexter's body gave one jerk, then slowly relaxed. Pain still showed on his face, but it was way better than a moment ago.

Yor stared at them. He could feel it—Amon... Amon was taking on Dexter's pain.

That kind of agony hit him, yet Amon's face stayed as calm as ever. Only the hand at his side curled slightly, fingertips going white.

Dexter's breathing slowly steadied.

Yor couldn't stop staring at Amon.

Amon caught his gaze, tilted his head, and the corner of his mouth twitched like he was trying to force a smile: "...Used to the pain. No big deal."

Yor looked away and said nothing.

This Amon...

Back then, Leonius and Seraphiel had their messed-up methods, but there was no doubt they wanted to save him. Only Amon had maliciously dragged him into the vortex of becoming the Broodmother forever, and had also... done that to him...

Amon's motives were obviously all about his own selfish desires.

Of course Yor loathed him.

It was only because he knew Amon was another side of Seraphiel—their mental frequencies identical—that he couldn't just kill him outright. The only option was to wipe his memories of that incident and have Dexter beat the hell out of him.

He still didn't think much of Amon.

But Dexter was his important dependent bug. Amon had helped Dexter, which meant helping him. That was a separate thing from what happened before.

Dexter's aura grew steadier and steadier. The shredded muscle tissue was visibly regenerating at an insane rate—the healing power of a Sub-Lord level bug was something else, and his new skin gleamed with a healthy sheen.

His lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Yor's face so close, he smiled on instinct: "Yor... sorry for worrying you."

Yor looked at his now-clear eyes, and the weight in his chest finally lifted. "As long as you're okay."

Yor straightened up, stared at Amon for a moment, then picked up where they'd left off: "Once you get to the Purification Clan, whatever method you use, as long as you free all of Zane's test subjects—" He paused. "When I go to the Serian clan, I'll take Seraphiel with me."

Seraphiel's head shot up, totally confused, not understanding why completing Mother's task would earn him a reward.

He opened his mouth, but before he could ask, Yor went on flatly: "After all, the happier Seraphiel is, the faster you fade away. Since you're so set on dying, I'll help you along."

Seraphiel froze. Amon, though, looked at him, his smile slowly deepening, his expression full of undisguised infatuation: "Now that's my Mother..." He licked his lips. "I'll definitely get it done, as long as Mother gives me a little honey."

Yor frowned: "You want to use the honey to prove a real Broodmother has shown up?"

Amon nodded vaguely, but inside he thought, Not at all... I just... want to taste Mother's honey. Can't have Mother, but a little honey—maybe then this thirst that's killing me won't hurt so bad...

Speaking of honey... Yor looked down at his chest, his cloak completely soaked through. The sticky feeling clung to his skin, damp and clammy, unbearably uncomfortable.

He yanked at the edge of his cloak in irritation. The honey was still seeping, like it would never stop.

Seraphiel suddenly spoke up: "Mother, as long as you keep absorbing the nutrient solution, the honey won't stop easily."

Yor froze mid-motion. That was true... His body kept absorbing the nutrient solution from the birthing pool, and the Broodmother's instinct kept converting and secreting.

Leonius reached out, pulled Yor back into his arms, and stepped away from the pool. The front of his shirt was soaked through too, but he didn't care: "These eggs can't take in any more either."

The eggs at the bottom of the pool had stopped throbbing. Nourished plump and round by the honey nectar, they lay quietly at the bottom, like they'd eaten their fill and were settling down to digest.

Seraphiel suggested quietly from the side: "Maybe... we should have a honey bug come take a look. Honey bugs have always taken care of the eggs—they turn them regularly, keep the temperature and humidity right, and give them the right nutrition." He paused, glancing quickly at Yor. "It could solve your problem too, Mother."

Yor's heart gave a weird jump. He was genuinely scared of these strange bugs now: "How's that gonna solve my problem?" He looked at Leonius. "It's not gonna be like you, is it?"

Leonius lowered his head and whispered something in his ear. Yor's face went through several changes before he finally bit his lip: "Where's the honey bug lord?"

Seraphiel quickly answered: "On the other side of the Purification Department. The honey clan has a natural instinct for nurturing eggs and larvae. After the Purification Department developed tech to replicate bug genes and induce egg production, the honey clan built a breeding center on their home planet. Business is good, and it's easy to get to from all the departments." He moved closer to Yor. "If you want, you can link to my mental sea, and I'll show you the breeding center."

Dexter and Taste were both born at the breeding center. Yor was actually a little curious. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.

Seraphiel eagerly reached out with his mental energy. The moment it touched Yor, bone-deep pleasure made his fingers tremble, and even Amon behind him was dazed for a second.

Linked into the vast mental world of the Domain Insect Lord, Yor "saw" the breeding center.

Totally different from the cold, metallic lab of the Purification Department, the breeding center was a translucent, crystalline gold. The walls formed a hexagonal honeycomb structure, each cell serving a different function, housing eggs with different needs—some getting sprayed with water, others slowly rotating.

Eggs at different stages of development were placed in different cells. Honey bugs bustled in and out, busy as hell.

They mostly kept their bug form, way smaller than war bugs. Their bodies were covered in fine, thick golden-and-black striped fuzz, like they were wrapped in a warm blanket. Even their elytra were short and rounded, with soft, gentle curves.

They looked... kinda cute, actually.

Playful noises came from behind—probably the already-hatched larvae playing around.

Seraphiel's voice came through the mental link: "The honey bug lord and several Sub-Lords are in the very center of the breeding center. They take shifts, with their mental energy linked across the whole clan, constantly monitoring the eggs and larvae."

They seemed... a really non-aggressive clan. Add that to the real discomfort in his chest, and Yor finally nodded: "Have him come. I'll take a look first."

Seraphiel immediately responded: "I'll contact him right away. Domain bugs exist exactly to link you to the whole bug race—I'm linking to the honey clan's domain bug now."

Seraphiel was totally reluctant to break the mental link, but Yor had already pulled away without a trace of lingering attachment.

He could only sidle up to Yor, continuing to prattle on: "Mother, the honey bugs also handle all the construction in the hive. When he arrives, you can tell him what kind of nest you like." He shot a quick glance at Leonius. "This nest right now... is way too basic..."

That made Leonius narrow his eyes a little, but he didn't argue. He just raised a hand, and the starship walls came apart at their master's will, forming a new pool.

Once the pool was full of warm, clean water, Leonius placed Yor inside. "It's just water. Soaking in it will feel better."

It was indeed much better than wearing the soaked cloak. Yor let out a comfortable sigh as he soaked in the pool.

Seraphiel, not standing on ceremony at all, had already plopped down by the pool and continued: "Mother, where will you settle down in the future? Anywhere is fine—wherever you pick for your nest, that's where the bug kingdom's capital will be."

.....

Yor propped his chin on the edge of the pool, letting Seraphiel chatter on. He... really should learn more about the bug race.

The honey bug lord got there way faster than Yor expected.

Despite being several star systems away, he must have used his lord-level body to just jump the whole way without stopping.

This was probably a lively one—his voice showed up before he did.

Yor heard a sweet, clear "Mother!" first, and then a figure came darting in from the hive entrance.

A... dark-skinned little dude.

Short black hair, chocolate skin, bright black eyes, and a little fang that showed when he smiled. The whole bug looked sweet enough to have just been scooped out of a honey jar.

The most touching thing was his height—when all the male bugs were over two meters tall, suddenly seeing one around 1.7 meters made Yor—who barely cleared 1.8 meters—want to cry.

Maybe because his bug form had fluffy fur, the honey bug lord's collar also had a ring of fuzzy black trim after he shifted. Seeing Yor staring, the honey bug lord thoughtfully leaned in, offering the fur collar.

Yor couldn't help reaching out to touch it—it was actually warm, like petting a little animal that had just been lying in the sun.

Instead of dodging, this honey bug took the chance to burrow right into Yor's arms, his voice still sweet but trembling with excitement: "Mother, I'm Holland. I can't believe I wasn't there when you were laying the eggs... You must have been through so much..."

Yor got knocked back a bit by the impact, but Leonius steadied his waist from behind.

As they talked, a few sub-lord level honey bugs came in through the door—all of them handsome dark-skinned young guys, all staring at Yor with eager eyes, like pups waiting for permission to come closer.

Yor nodded at them, and only then did they excitedly back off to the side, quietly going to take care of the eggs.

Quiet but hardworking... a trait Blue Star humans just couldn't resist!!

In just that short time, Yor's fondness for the honey bugs was shooting up. He couldn't help patting Holland's head again, rubbing a red flush into that chocolate face, before asking softly: "Want to take a break... have some honey first?"

Holland shook his head vigorously: "Mother, I'm not tired. You must be uncomfortable, right? Let me help drain the honey first." He turned around, patting a bulging area behind him. "I'll store your honey nectar properly, ferment it, and feed it to the eggs—I'll raise the strongest war bugs for you."

Only then did Yor notice that Holland's tail wing was completely different from other clans'. Where a tail should be, there was a round, plump honey sac that jiggled "boing~ boing~" as he patted it.

Yor swallowed. "...How do you drain it?"

Holland turned back, eyes sparkling: "My mouthparts can extend directly into the depths of your gland—I promise not a single drop of honey will be wasted! And it won't hurt at all!"

Yor looked down at his cloak, completely soaked through with water, and fell silent for a moment.

Fine, he couldn't stay soaking in water forever. He'd just treat it like getting blood drawn.

He resigned himself with a sigh.

"Mother, I heard you weren't originally from the bug race. I looked up some info on the way here—your planet doesn't seem to like bugs much, and they'd especially dislike my long, thin mouthparts. So when I drain the honey, would you close your eyes?"

Before Yor could respond, Holland had already smiled and leaned in, gently covering Yor's eyes with both hands: "I don't want you to think I'm ugly. Just for a moment—I'll be gentle, just a moment..."

Watching Holland seamlessly "take over" Yor from his arms without any chance to intervene, Leonius: ...

Seraphiel, dumbfounded: ...

That's not what the inherited memories said!!! The honey clan had always been despised by the Broodmother for being small, weak, and not imposing enough, hadn't they?

If not for their usefulness in caring for eggs, they would have been driven out of the hive long ago—which was exactly why Seraphiel had boldly proposed bringing the honey clan here.

Watching Holland coax Yor with soft words, Seraphiel regretted his decision immensely!

This... this... was completely different from what he'd imagined!