Chapter 147: An Ruo’s Dating Game: Every Great Villain Needs Something That Makes Him Happy

[So female Zergs really can't hold out for long in front of male Zergs... but Commander, you folded way too fast!]

[What else would you expect from #CommanderSoFast#?]

["I'll never spend money on a male Zerg, much less a virtual one." "Since I don't plan to marry a male Zerg anyway, I might as well spend my money on this virtual male Zerg."]

[That face-changing speed is incredible.]

[6 + 12 + 648. Commander, you've already spent 666 star coins.]

[666. Truly a legendary 666.]

[For a moment I couldn't tell which one was the fake bug and which one was the real Zerg.]

[There's no point keeping track anymore. Sooner or later he'll spend even the underwear off his back. He's already thinking about letting the male Zerg inherit all his property!]

[He scared His Lordship half to death. That affection meter was riding a roller coaster. Commander, was it exciting?]

[€€ At least it went up overall. If it'd been dropping the whole time, the Commander would've jumped off a building.]

[There's a reward at 20 affection? A Level-Up Gift Pack?!]

[Is it the kind of level-up I'm thinking of? I'm just as confused as the Commander.]

[You can increase the male Zerg's rank?! Oh my god, that's such an amazing reward!]

A male Zerg's rank and abilities directly affected the female player's experience.

So when female Zergs said it was "amazing," they meant it literally.

They wanted it so badly they were practically drooling.

[Lord Roy's rank is even lower than I imagined... Earlier, judging from his appearance, I thought there was no way such a good-looking male Zerg could have a low rank. Turns out it's all his temperament, plus the Commander's lovestruck filter making him look even cuter.]

[Low-tier planet, malnourished since childhood, insufficient energy intake... It's completely normal that he couldn't break through. His Lordship hasn't even gone through physiological awakening yet. At his age, that should've happened already. Maybe that's also because he never had enough nutrition. Thank goodness the Commander showed up. Hurry up and feed the poor kid something good.]

[Even if he can't break through naturally, it doesn't matter anymore. Now there's the miraculous Level-Up Gift Pack. Just keep leveling His Lordship up and up.]

[I love games with progression systems like this. Every level-up is incredibly satisfying. But whether in games or reality, it's usually female Zergs grinding endlessly to level themselves up. This is the first game I've ever seen where you can level up a male Zerg. I'm tempted.]

[A true workaholic levels up both himself and his male Zerg together!]

[I genuinely want that item. I want to play this game and give my Male Lord a Level-Up Gift Pack.]

[Male Zergs want to play too! It sounds so fun. I want to experience leveling up inside the game!]

[? Wait, what? Couldn't you male Zergs just work harder in real life? Improving for real is better than some virtual game level, isn't it?]

[I did work hard! I rolled over in bed just to reply to your message. What more do you want from me?!]

[...666.]

[Even so, a male Lord proudly saying he worked hard by rolling over in bed is unbelievably adorable. (Hug.)]

[(Dies from cuteness.)]

[...You're all hopeless! Male Zerg ranks have become this pathetic because every single one of you shares the blame. You've spoiled them rotten! Male Zergs can lie around comfortably their entire lives, so they have no reason to work hard. That's how you've raised a generation of useless males!]

[As if the Heavenly Garuda are any better. Huh? Wait, that's not a Heavenly Garuda... it's a hardworking, motivated male Lord. So cute. (Ultimate adorable creature.) (Wipes nosebleed.)]

[(€€皿€€#) Get lost!]

[Understood! (Rolls away.) (Fancy rolling.) (Backflip while rolling.)]

...

After publishing the latest chapter, An Ruo browsed through the comments when he suddenly received a private visitation request.

It was from the Marshal.

Rather than going through the official procedures, the Marshal had contacted him directly.

So An Ruo simply accepted the request as well.

Instead of meeting in the designated visitation area, he chose to receive the Marshal in his own room.

Sensing a familiar ripple in space outside, he soon heard the visitor's doorbell ring.

He had assumed Ulysses would appear directly inside the room like before.

Walking over, he opened the door.

Ulysses stood quietly outside.

His eyes were lowered slightly, then slowly lifted as the door opened, meeting An Ruo's gaze.

Under the cold white lighting of the metal corridor, An Ruo was once again struck by just how handsome he was.

The great villain really looked incredible with his Psychic Power fully restored.

And An Ruo himself deserved some of the credit for that.

"Come in."

He stepped aside to welcome the female Zerg inside.

Completely at ease, Ulysses entered the room.

His first instinct was to look toward the wall behind the desk.

Just like last time, nothing new had been added to steal his attention.

His photograph was still hanging there.

Its position still wasn't particularly good.

Without revealing anything on his face, Ulysses withdrew his gaze and looked gently at the male Zerg.

"My Lord, the first playable version of the game is ready. Would you like to try it?"

An Ruo's eyes lit up.

"Already? That fast? Of course! Let me see!"

As Ulysses loaded the game beside the simulation pod, he explained,

"This is the internal testing version. The map uses the planet you created. There isn't any fixed storyline or gameplay. Everything revolves entirely around the interactions between the player and the virtual male Zerg they create. Every aspect has been designed according to your ideas."

An Ruo looked forward to it.

"So when we test it... do we each create a virtual male Zerg?"

Then he remembered that he himself already counted as a "male Zerg."

"So... should we make a virtual female Zerg instead?"

With his back turned to An Ruo, Ulysses' silver eyes narrowed dangerously.

The expression disappeared almost instantly.

Turning back, he spoke gently,

"That would be rather troublesome. For more efficient testing, I suggest we simply use each other's appearances."

"Huh? We can do that?"

An Ruo blinked.

"Of course. If you're willing to authorize me to use your appearance... or..."

"We could simply play together online."

Ulysses proposed.

"That would also let us test many more gameplay possibilities."

An Ruo was persuaded.

"Then let's do it your way."

Only after his data had been entered and he logged into the game did An Ruo suddenly remember...

This was a romance raising game.

He appeared inside the house he had originally built.

It was his dream home.

He had poured countless hours of effort into it.

Beside the bed sat a chibi Ulysses sleeping plushie.

Its tiny pillow even had a little yellow duck on it.

An Ruo had personally sculpted both with his Psychic Power.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

Then came Ulysses' voice.

"My Lord, are you inside?"

An Ruo panicked instantly.

He looked at the chibi Ulysses lying on the bed...

Then toward the bedroom door, behind which stood the real Ulysses.

He immediately threw himself onto the bed, stuffed the doll under the blanket, and covered it tightly.

Even through the blanket, the shape was still visible.

Unsatisfied, An Ruo grabbed a pillow and pressed it on top as camouflage.

Only after completely overdoing the cover-up did he hurry to open the door.

Standing there was Ulysses in casual clothes.

Above his head floated an affection value.

『Affection: 35』

The starting affection should've been zero.

Morris had gone through endless trouble just to raise Roy's affection to twenty.

Yet the moment Ulysses appeared...

His affection toward An Ruo already stood at thirty-five.

Another thought suddenly occurred to An Ruo.

He reached up and touched the top of his own head.

"How much affection do I have?"

Ulysses stared into the empty space above An Ruo's head for a moment before answering,

"Thirty."

"Huh?"

An Ruo looked slightly surprised.

"Is something wrong with that value?"

Ulysses asked sincerely.

"No..."

An Ruo felt something was off, though he couldn't quite explain it.

"It's just... a little lower than I expected."

Joy blossomed inside those silver-gray eyes.

An Ruo had been telling himself that this was only a game.

Game values weren't necessarily real.

But when he looked up and happened to catch the smile in Ulysses' eyes, he suddenly froze.

He had never seen Ulysses smile like that before.

Although it vanished in an instant...

It made An Ruo want to preserve it.

The great villain rarely smiled.

He had lived under such constant pressure...

Such constant restraint.

He needed something that could make him happy.

For example...

A little yellow duck.

Right there on the spot, An Ruo shaped another tiny yellow duck with his Psychic Power and handed it to him.

"I already have one..."

"...but thank you, My Lord."

Ulysses accepted it, holding it carefully in his hand as though it were a treasure.

As his gaze drifted past the male Zerg's shoulder, it landed on the strangely rumpled bed...

And the oddly placed pillow.

...Hm?

A trace of confusion surfaced in Ulysses' heart.