Chapter 156: Virtual Love Interest × Legion Commander (13): If You Want to Get Married, Go Get Married Inside the Game

Of course, Ulysses would never recklessly make an improper request of the Male Zerg.

"I wish to ask for your mercy just once."

Looking into the Male Zerg's eyes, Ulysses slowly said,

"If, one day in the future, I do something that offends you... if I make you angry... please don't leave because of it. Please give me one more chance to make amends."

What Ulysses was thinking was this:

If he ever blasphemed against the god...

Would the god become angry?

Would he leave this higher world forever?

Disappear without a trace, never to be found again?

The difference between their dimensions and timelines restrained virtual Male Zerg Roy...

And it restrained Ulysses as well.

He didn't dare advance recklessly.

What An Ruo was thinking was something entirely different.

If Ulysses still ended up walking the same extreme path as he had in the original novel...

He would stay by his side all the same.

And at the very end...

He would pull him back one last time.

At the very least...

He would save his life.

"All right."

An Ruo answered seriously.

"You'll always have another chance with me."

"I won't leave you."

The icy sharpness within Ulysses' eyes melted beneath the warmth of the spring sun.

To Ulysses...

Those words were sweeter than a lifelong vow.

Virtual Male Zerg Roy had never received a promise from Morris.

He hadn't even dared ask for one.

But Ulysses had.

You'll always have another chance.

I won't leave you.

Ulysses didn't dare hope for forever.

Nor would he ever casually squander the opportunities the god had granted him.

Any person's patience and forgiveness would eventually be exhausted.

Even more so...

A god's.

He would treasure every opportunity.

...

After Ulysses left, the direction of the story became much clearer in An Ruo's mind.

The scenes unfolded vividly before his eyes.

Urging him to write them down.

He sat at his desk...

And immediately began writing.

...

【Morris logged out of the game and returned to reality.

The flow of time inside the game differed from reality.

Not much time had actually passed outside.

The isolation training period had not yet ended.

Morris submitted a request for temporary leave.

Originally...

It was merely a formality.

No one would actually restrict a Legion Commander and force him to remain training alongside ordinary soldiers.

Yet...

His request was rejected.

Naturally...

There was only one Zerg capable of rejecting it.

Morris opened the message.

The Marshal ordered him to stay where he was.

During special training, leaving without authorization was prohibited.

Morris had a reason.

The closed beta was still ongoing.

He wanted to buy the game...

And stop it from ever being released.

Naturally...

That wasn't something he could tell the Marshal.

Grinding his teeth, Morris typed out a single sentence.

"I want to get married! I'm requesting marriage leave!"

For a Female Zerg...

The best excuse for taking leave was always a Male Zerg.

Seeing those words come from the lifelong bachelor Legion Commander...

Would shock anyone.

Apparently...

Even the Marshal was stunned.

There was no reply for quite some time.

Eventually, another message arrived.

This time...

A private message.

[Marshal]: Request denied. The Federation has no law permitting marriage with a virtual Male Zerg. If you want to marry him, go do it inside the game.

Morris: "...?"

He...

He hadn't said he wanted to marry a virtual Male Zerg!

Who would marry a virtual Male Zerg?

For a moment...

He couldn't sit still.

His entire face grew hot.

He wanted to argue...

Yet for some reason...

He couldn't find the words.

The training base was completely isolated from the outside world.

Even its network belonged exclusively to the military and had numerous restrictions.

There was no direct contact with the outside.

Morris even considered sending one of his subordinates out on official business while personally approving the permit.

That reckless idea came to an abrupt halt after another document from the Marshal arrived.

This wasn't merely °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° an ordinary game.

It was a national project jointly developed by the Federal Government, the military, the Ministry of Culture, and numerous other departments.

Furthermore...

The original creator had explicitly refused to sell the game's ownership.

Buying it was simply unrealistic.

However...

The document also stated that, as a closed beta player, Morris would permanently retain all of his beta data.

It would never be deleted.

Moreover...

The version of the map used during the closed beta would never be opened to the public.

Only the map's creator and the closed beta players would retain access.

Since purchasing the game was impossible...

This was perhaps the best outcome he could hope for.

...

Morris returned to the game.

Roy was loosening the soil in the vegetable garden.

Seeing Morris appear, he froze for a moment.

"I thought you..."

Roy pressed his lips together.

He didn't finish the sentence.

Instead, he brushed the dirt from his clothes, stood up, picked several bright red fruits fresh from the tree, washed them, and handed them over.

Noticing Roy's low spirits, Morris asked,

"Are you worried about the game's release?"

Roy remained silent.

So Morris continued.

"I confirmed it."

"This map won't be part of the open beta."

"Only a handful of closed beta players will ever be able to enter."

The answer completely exceeded Roy's expectations.

He stood there blankly before asking,

"Then..."

"Will you leave after the closed beta ends?"

"No."

Morris answered without the slightest hesitation.

"You're here."

"Of course I won't leave."

To Morris...

There was nothing strange about that answer.

It required no thought whatsoever.

Perhaps...

From the moment he'd met Roy...

Leaving had already become impossible.

This game had become part of his life.

Just as Roy...

Had become part of his life.

To Roy...

Those words felt almost unbelievable.

Because of him...

Morris wouldn't leave.

He quietly savored those words in his heart before asking,

"What if one day you grow tired of it?"

"How could I?"

"That's impossible."

Wanting desperately to prove himself, yet too clumsy to express his feelings properly, Morris could only declare firmly,

"You're my responsibility."

To military Female Zergs...

The word responsibility carried greater weight than anything else.

It was the strongest expression of commitment and importance they knew.

But...

It wasn't what Roy wanted to hear.

"You don't owe me any responsibility."

Roy replied,

"Only married Female Zergs are responsible for their Male Lords."

"Or fathers are responsible for their hatchlings."

"You're obviously neither."

Roy suddenly remembered Morris once teasing him by claiming he was the Legion Commander's illegitimate hatchling.

The memory immediately put him in a bad mood.

He definitely didn't need that kind of responsibility.

Morris believed he was responsible for Roy.

Roy had been randomly assigned to him.

From that moment onward...

A connection—and responsibility—had existed between them.

But he also understood...

From Roy's perspective...

Things weren't like that at all.

Roy was so vividly alive.

Everything in this world...

Every experience he'd ever had...

Was real to him.

By comparison...

Morris was merely an outsider who had suddenly intruded into his life.

An unrelated outsider claiming responsibility...

No Zerg would accept that.

Morris had no solution.

All he could do...

Was slowly weave himself into Roy's everyday life.

Hoping that time...

And living together...

Would eventually make Roy accept him.

Their relationship seemed to have returned to the way it had once been.

Only...

The atmosphere between them had become far more awkward.

Roy began researching information about Male Zerg rank advancement.

Things that had once been completely beyond his reach...

Now seemed possible.

"I want to become stronger."

"You'll personally train me."

Roy approached Morris.

Morris paused.

He almost suggested simply using an Upgrade Gift Pack.

But then he remembered Roy's dislike of Affinity-based rewards...

And...

Perhaps...

His Affinity had already fallen to zero.

Quietly swallowing those words, he personally began Roy's special training.

He had trained countless Female Zergs.

But never a Male Zerg.

Especially not...

His own Male Zerg...

The First Military Region also had military Male Zergs.

But they were all trained by specialized officers.

They never reached Morris.

He'd never had to worry about them.

Now...

There was nowhere to hide.

Nor could he possibly hand Roy over to someone else.

Only by personally watching over him could he feel at ease.

And so...

This happened—

Roy merely stood beneath the sun for a short while...

And Morris already wanted to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

When Roy ran...

Morris anxiously jogged beside him the entire way.

When Roy practiced strength training...

Morris practically wished he could do the exercises in Roy's place.

Then came sparring practice.

At that point...

He simply couldn't bring himself to hit him.

"Physical training also strengthens psychic resilience."

"Don't go easy on me."

"Don't treat me like a Male Zerg."

"Train me exactly the way you should."

Roy declared firmly.

Morris thought to himself:

Can the training standards for Female Zergs and Male Zergs possibly be the same?

For the first time...

He developed genuine admiration for Major General Claire.

He'd heard Claire was an absolutely ruthless monster who dared to train Male Zergs until they collapsed.

The kind who truly trained them exactly as if they were Female Zergs.

Yet somehow...

The Male Zerg hadn't ended up hating him.

Instead...

He'd married him.

A true role model among military Female Zergs.

Morris sparred with Roy, patiently correcting every movement.

His control over his own strength was so perfect that every strike landed with flawless precision.

Each touch reached Roy...

Without harming him in the slightest.

Morris wasn't even sure anymore.

Was he training a Male Zerg...

Or training his own concentration and control?

Eventually...

Roy became completely exhausted.

His body swayed.

Then he stumbled forward.

Having watched him the entire time, Morris immediately caught him.

The Male Zerg fell into his arms.

Roy forced himself to lift a hand and gently pushed against Morris's chest.

"I'm sweaty."

"I'm dirty."

Morris instinctively checked himself.

He wasn't sweating.

Nor was he dirty.

As for Roy...

He smelled wonderful.

Like roasted milk.

Morris desperately wanted another breath of that scent.

But he was afraid Roy would think he was a pervert.

So he secretly inhaled...

Pretending nothing had happened.

"Today's training already exceeded your limits."

"I'll take you back so you can rest."

Roy still tried to resist.

But he no longer had any strength.

In the end...

He simply allowed Morris to carry him home.

Back inside the villa, Morris purchased a medical recovery pod from the game shop.

Just as he was about to place Roy inside...

Roy refused.

He insisted on taking a bath first.

So Morris carried him into the bathroom instead.

The villa's bathroom on the Floating Island was enormous.

Morris adjusted the water temperature.

Filled the bath.

Roy sat quietly on a nearby stool.

He wanted to take off his clothes.

Then remembered Morris was still there.

So he forced himself to stop.

After preparing everything...

Checking the water...

Setting out fresh clothes...

Morris still kept glancing back every few steps as he walked toward the door.

He was genuinely worried Roy might slip inside the bath.

Roy was far too exhausted to entertain any romantic thoughts.

He only wanted to bathe quickly...

Then collapse into bed.

Seeing Morris still standing there after so long, he looked up in confusion.

Only then did he notice Morris repeatedly looking between him...

And the bath.

At first Roy didn't understand.

Then he suddenly remembered...

Morris had trained alongside him all day too.

"So..."

"You want a bath too?"

Morris paused.

Then quietly nodded.

And just like that...

He naturally stayed.

The two of them entered the bath together.

Afraid Roy might slip...

Morris supported him from behind.

A Male Zerg and a Female Zerg bathing together...

Their skin touching...

It should have been an incredibly intimate scene.

But Roy was simply too tired.

Too exhausted to lift his arms.

Gradually...

Even his eyelids became too heavy.

He fell asleep in Morris's embrace.

Roy's pheromones stirred Morris's heart into complete turmoil.

Yet the moment he saw how exhausted Roy truly was...

Concern overwhelmed every other thought.

Suppressing himself completely...

He carefully washed Roy's body.

Wrapped him in a towel.

Carried him out of the bathroom.

Placed him inside the recovery pod.

And remained beside him...

Keeping watch the entire night.

Watching a Male Zerg work so desperately to become stronger...

Filled his heart with pain.

Yet there was nothing he could do.

He could only remain by Roy's side.

Protect him.

Support him.

When Roy finally woke...

He was already back in bed.

His body felt wonderfully clean.

Not a single ache remained.

He felt refreshed.

So this is what proper physical training feels like afterward...

It's amazing!

Roy immediately opened his terminal.

He measured his psychic power.

Compared to yesterday...

His psychic threshold had increased by a full one hundred points.

Although...

There was still a gap of nine hundred thousand points between C-rank and B-rank.

Even so...

He could finally see hope.

Roy got up.

Washed up.

Then immediately went looking for Morris to continue training.

Morris: "..."

He almost wanted to persuade the Male Zerg.

Why not just use an Affinity Upgrade Gift Pack?

Just give me a little Affinity.

You can deduct it again afterward if you want.

"You don't believe I can reach B-rank..."

"A-rank..."

"Even Super A-rank through my own efforts?"

Roy asked.

"I do."

"I absolutely do."

Morris naturally couldn't admit otherwise.

He still possessed enough survival instinct to avoid saying that.

"But..."

"If there's a shortcut..."

"Why not use it?"

Roy fell silent.

He didn't want Morris to see his Affinity value.

If Morris knew the exact number...

He would know precisely when to leave.

At that moment...

The terminal on Roy's wrist suddenly lit up.

He opened it.

A message from one of his old classmates.

A wedding invitation.

Roy froze.

Wait...

If he remembered correctly...

That Male Zerg classmate was the same age as him.

He had only recently come of age.

Male Zergs marrying immediately after adulthood...

Was extremely common.

"What is it?"

Morris asked.

Roy glanced at him.

His emotions were unexpectedly complicated.

"My classmate is getting married."

"I'm going to attend the wedding."

"It's this weekend."

"...Would you come with me?"】