Chapter 106: Contributing to the Hatchling Guide Series: Who’s in the First Military Region? So Hard to Guess

An Ruo slept until he woke up naturally.

It was rare for him to lounge in bed for a while. A solitary life without any need to socialize was incredibly comfortable. He wanted nothing more than to stay cozily buried beneath the blankets forever.

But remembering the things he needed to do, he finally sat up after lying there a little longer, brushing his hair behind one ear.

A faint, cool fragrance drifted past his nose.

An Ruo paused and looked down at his long hair.

Was this the scent left behind from burying himself in Ulysses' embrace yesterday?

But he'd clearly taken a shower.

That person's pheromones really were incredibly invasive—lingering for a long time, refusing to fade away.

Still...

It smelled wonderful.

An Ruo secretly leaned closer and breathed it in, allowing the scent to remain on him as though it were an expensive luxury perfume.

In an excellent mood, he got up, washed, ordered breakfast, and then went next door to check the study.

The room was completely empty.

The layout was identical to the study he had used himself.

The Marshal had already left—or perhaps hadn't used the room at all.

He had been far too exhausted yesterday. The moment his head touched the pillow, he'd fallen asleep.

He'd even fallen asleep right in front of Ulysses...

Thinking about it now still made him feel awkward.

Hopefully he hadn't slept too disgracefully.

Hopefully Ulysses hadn't witnessed anything embarrassing.

An Ruo patted his own head, pushing those mortifying thoughts to the back of his mind.

Breakfast first.

Then he'd ask Major General Uriel for a brand-new anonymous StarNet account.

His original account was already tied to the author identity "An."

It would be far too easy for people to follow the trail back to him.

It would be much safer to separate the two identities completely.

Before long, everything he requested was delivered.

The military didn't even ask what he wanted the account for.

His freedom inside the Military Region Prison was even greater than he'd imagined.

An Ruo picked up the terminal that had come with the account.

It was designed as a ring.

After Xi'an had placed a ring-shaped pheromone suppressor on Claire's finger, all kinds of ring-style accessories had become fashionable throughout Zerg society.

This terminal happened to be the newest and trendiest model.

It resembled a decorative flower ring—more ornamental than anything else—and carried no special meaning.

Rings had never held any particular symbolic significance among the Zerg anyway.

Otherwise, Male Zergs wouldn't have enough fingers to wear them all.

An Ruo didn't think much of it. After trying it on, he discovered it could freely adjust its size, so he casually slipped it onto one of his fingers.

As he ate breakfast, he organized the theoretical knowledge he'd accumulated together with his practical experience into a much simpler, easier-to-understand tutorial.

Then he added a title and published it with a single tap.

"A Group Psychic Soothing Tutorial Even Hatchlings Can Learn"

Looking at the title, An Ruo felt a little sentimental.

When he had first arrived in Zerg society, he hadn't understood anything.

Those hatchling tutorials had helped him tremendously.

Now...

It was his turn to give something back.

€€€€Contributing to the Zerg Hatchling Tutorial Series!

...

Hatchlings: ???

[Did I wake up too early? The moment I logged onto StarNet, I saw something bizarre. I know every word separately, but what do they mean when put together?]

[This has to be a joke, right? Somebody's just trying to ride the hype.]

[Let's see what it says... "Group Psychic Soothing is fundamentally no different from one-on-one Psychic Soothing. The only additional skill required is multitasking, which isn't difficult for Male Zergs to accomplish..." ]

[Male Zergs: ?]

【...If you can draw a circle with your left hand and a square with your right hand simultaneously, then you've mastered splitting your attention into two.

If you can draw both a circle and a square simultaneously with your hands, then you can use your psychic power to draw both a circle and a square simultaneously.

If you can use your psychic power to draw both a circle and a square simultaneously, then you can perform Psychic Soothing on two Zergs at the same time.

If you can simultaneously perform Psychic Soothing on two Zergs, then you can do it for three, four, or even more.

Congratulations. You've mastered Group Psychic Soothing.】

[???]

[Wait! Professor, slow down! I'm drawing the circle and square! I'm drawing them! (furiously taking notes)]

[Finished drawing. Alright, that's enough studying for today. (closes textbook) (rests peacefully)]

[You're joking, right? How is that even possible? Isn't the leap between each step way too huge?!]

[You people aren't actually treating this like a real tutorial, are you? It's obviously made up. No pictures, no proof.]

[Well... theoretically nothing here is wrong. But in practice... drawing simple shapes and performing Psychic Soothing on Female Zergs aren't remotely the same level of difficulty. (crying)]

[Can any Zerg actually do something like this?]

[Attached: Military Legion Festival livestream recording.]

[Brilliant. They're really treating us all like we're that person.]

Most readers remained skeptical about the tutorial's authenticity.

The main reason was that it was simply too difficult.

There were no successful examples—

Well... Annor didn't count.

No one knew what method he had actually used.

Soon, however, someone noticed that the poster was using one of StarNet's extremely rare anonymous accounts.

There was no personal information whatsoever.

Only a string of garbled ID numbers.

It looked exactly like the sort of account someone would use to stir up trouble.

But when people traced its location...

It led straight to the First Military Region.

Who was in the First Military Region?

What a difficult mystery.

[No way... If this really is that Lord's account, then this tutorial...]

[Wait... is this tutorial actually serious? Huh???]

[The post originated inside the military region. If it were fake, the military would've removed it already.]

[Suddenly realized both An-shen and that Lord are in the First Military Region. What a coincidence.]

Some readers noticed the connection.

But no one's imagination ran wild enough to conclude they were the same Zerg.

The military region was simply enormous.

Even counting only the permanent bases and training grounds, its size was measured on the scale of planets.

Even the smallest military region covered tens of thousands of square kilometers.

Still, the fact that two wildly popular figures both happened to come from the same military region attracted quite a bit of attention.

[I'm starting to ship An-shen and that Lord. Maybe they know each other.]

[Don't make things up. There's zero evidence.]

[Is it really that Lord?]

[I heard there was a suspected sighting of that Lord, so I rushed over immediately!]

[If it's really you, Lord, blink once. Are you being coerced inside prison?]

[If this post really came from that Lord, then he should be safe. He's even publishing tutorials.]

[Confession of love to Lord.]

[Lord's tutorial is amazing. I'll study it carefully.]

[? You're a Female Zerg. What are you studying it for?]

[Everything about Lord!]

Once people connected the account with that mysterious Lord, even a tutorial that sounded like science fiction suddenly became much more believable.

It still looked incredibly unbelievable.

But at the very least...

It gave people a direction in which to try.

After reading the tutorial, Philor became eager to experiment.

So he immediately contacted everyone.

Before long, his Female Lord and several Female Attendants who were currently on Capital Star had all returned home.

When Cyril received the call, he assumed something had happened at home.

He hurried back from Military Headquarters, only to find all of the Female Attendants who had remained on Capital Star already gathered there—

And a certain pink-haired Male Zerg looking at him expectantly.

"What is it?" Cyril asked.

"Come to my room! I'm going to perform Psychic Soothing on all of you at the same time!"

Philor declared excitedly.

Considering the nature of Psychic Soothing in Zerg society...

That sentence sounded suspiciously like he intended to organize one enormous group session.

There was nothing inherently wrong with that.

But calling everyone home specifically for this...

Even recalling his Female Lord from an ongoing military meeting...

Some of the Female Attendants cautiously glanced at their Female Lord's expression.

Others folded their arms and prepared to enjoy the show, practically fanning the flames.

The veins on Cyril's forehead throbbed.

He didn't have time to indulge the Male Zerg in this sort of game.

"I still have work at Military Headquarters."

With that, Cyril turned to leave.

"Just try it."

Philor hurried over, hugged his arm, and started dragging him upstairs.

"I just learned Group Psychic Soothing. Don't you want to test how effective it is?"

Cyril looked at him in surprise.

Yet he still allowed himself to be dragged along.

"You learned it?"

Philor choked.

He wasn't sure whether he should be surprised by his Female Lord's confidence in him.

Did his Female Lord really believe he could master it after reading a single tutorial?

"Anyway... let's try first. We won't know unless we try."

Speaking with guilty determination, Philor secretly signaled the Female Attendants with his eyes, urging them to hurry up and follow.

The blond adjutant suddenly considered retreating.

Whenever the Female Lord was present, he always tried to avoid competing for favor.

The brown-haired principal patted him on the shoulder and pulled him along to watch the excitement.

"Come on. With the Female Lord in front, it might not even be our turn."

Cyril glanced backward.

Hearing everything perfectly well, Philor—who was also a high-ranking Male Zerg, not deaf in the slightest—shouted angrily,

"Together! At the same time! Group Psychic Soothing! I'll make every single one of you feel amazing all at once!"

The brown-haired principal let out an eager whistle and cheerfully led the younger man inside.

Inside the bedroom.

Facing his Female Lord...

And Female Attendants One, Two, Three, Four, and Five...

Philor silently encouraged himself.

If I can spit eight times in one second—no, if I can draw a square and a circle simultaneously... then I can perform Group Psychic Soothing at the same time!

...

The Group Psychic Soothing performed during the Military Legion Festival had caused a tremendous sensation.

Even the Heavenly Garuda were stirred by it.

Many Heavenly Garuda climbed over the firewall to watch the Zerg Military Legion Festival with their own eyes and witnessed the astonishing display of Group Psychic Soothing.

Those who hadn't seen it heard about it through word of mouth.

An incomparably beautiful Male Zerg.

Overwhelming psychic power.

The long-lost art of Group Psychic Soothing.

Any one of those alone was enough to drive the Heavenly Garuda into a frenzy.

Within their own nation, they couldn't openly discuss Zerg-related topics on official platforms.

So they resorted to all kinds of code words, speaking almost like members of a secret society.

Or they simply moved to foreign networks instead, while keeping a close eye on everything happening on the Zerg side.

Inside the Heavenly Garuda Imperial Palace.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor frowned as he watched the Male Zerg in the video, cloaked in holy radiance.

This looked almost like propaganda deliberately produced by the Zerg.

The Prince asked,

"What do you think, Your Majesty?"

After a moment's thought, the Heavenly Garuda Emperor replied,

"I'm going to steal him."

The Prince was speechless.

It was obvious this battle maniac had grown sick of remaining in the imperial capital and merely wanted an excuse to start another war.

"That's Ulysses' former spouse. After Ulysses became Marshal, he placed him under protection inside a prison on the Zerg Capital Star. Do you really think you can beat Ulysses?"

"It wouldn't necessarily be impossible!"

The mere mention of Ulysses—the strongest warrior among the Zerg—caused the Heavenly Garuda Emperor's fighting spirit to surge even higher, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"To battle the strongest warrior of the Zerg in a glorious, all-out fight would make my life worthwhile! Even if I ultimately failed and fell by his hand... it would still be worth it."

The Prince: "..."

Hopeless.

If only there really were chains capable of restraining the Heavenly Garuda Emperor.

"No. Until you've produced a royal egg, you're not allowed to go get yourself killed."

The Prince spoke sternly.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor's mind went blank for an entire second.

He didn't even have time to object to the phrase "go get yourself killed."

"Can't you lay one instead? It's the same either way. They're both members of the royal bloodline."

For once, the Emperor sounded distinctly lacking in confidence.

"Oh? And who exactly do you intend to marry me off to?"

The Prince raised an eyebrow.

The Emperor immediately fell silent.

The situations were completely different.

If he, as a female, found a male to sleep with and lay an egg...

That was entirely unlike marrying off the Prince, who was male, to another female and having him lay an egg there.

Female Heavenly Garuda enjoyed tremendous freedom in choosing a husband, sleeping with males, and even laying eggs.

Males were different.

The moment a male married out, he lost his authority.

Everything became subject to the control of his Female Lord.

Even if the Emperor personally selected an excellent subordinate and kept a close eye on him to ensure the Prince wasn't mistreated...

Things would never be the same.

Behind closed bedroom doors...

There were many things that simply couldn't be guaranteed.

Not to mention allowing the Prince to continue entering the palace to handle government affairs.

Who knew what kind of rumors would spread by then?

Seeing that the Emperor had calmed down, the Prince skipped over the subject.

Opening another light screen filled entirely with text, he said,

"The Zerg believe Group Psychic Soothing can only be awakened under intense pressure. I don't think that's necessarily true...

"Our male Heavenly Garuda already live under enough pressure, yet none of them have developed Group Psychic Soothing."

"But this other part is rather interesting."

He opened the hatchling tutorial on Group Psychic Soothing and displayed it before the Emperor.

"I'm planning to organize classes for our males..."

"...to learn Group Psychic Soothing."

"And establish schools for male hatchlings so they can start learning from childhood."

Wasn't it supposedly something "even hatchlings can learn"?

Then everyone could learn it.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor shifted his gaze from the light screen and looked at the male sitting across from him, whose appearance closely resembled his own—his elder brother.

"Very well. Do as you see fit."

His immediate agreement actually surprised the Prince.

"You're not going to ask any more questions?"

Even though he'd prepared a perfectly reasonable explanation, His Majesty looked as though he didn't even care what that explanation was.

It was strangely frustrating.

"I may not know exactly what you're trying to accomplish."

"But I know it's something you've decided must be done."

"So go do it."

As an emperor who had absolutely no interest in handling endless government affairs, the only thing he could do was delegate authority to those who actually got things done.

Even if one day his elder brother drove the Empire into ruin...

Or overthrew him...

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor wouldn't consider it a particularly serious matter.

If it were the former, he could reunify everything through force.

If even that failed, he'd simply leave together with his elder brother.

If it were the latter...

Even better.

He could go wage war himself.

No need to lay any royal eggs either.

The absolute worst possible ending...

Would be the day they eventually crossed blades and died by each other's hands.

That, after all...

Was the tradition of the Heavenly Garuda Imperial Family.

No member of the royal family had ever truly met a peaceful end.

Rivers of blood—

That was the norm.

But if possible...

He still hoped that day would never come.

The Prince suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Looking up at the Emperor across from him, he said,

"It feels like you're thinking about how to kill me."

The Emperor answered honestly,

"I haven't gotten that far yet."

Female Heavenly Garuda had never possessed particularly vivid imaginations.

They excelled only at taking direct action.

"Talking to Your Majesty really is an unpleasant experience..."

The Prince sighed.

"If you've got that much energy, save it for the battlefield. In another two months you'll finally be allowed to leave the imperial capital. As long as you don't challenge Ulysses head-on, you can do whatever you like."

"For example..."

"...why not clear out some nearby star pirates?"

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor: "..."

Using a battleship to swat a mosquito.