Chapter 181: The Stranded Male Zerg × The Heavenly Garuda Emperor (3): For a Male to Bare Himself Like That in Front of a Female Is No Different from Offering Hims

[Carl? Is there really an A-rank Male Zerg with that name?]

[Of course not! This is science fiction. How could an actual A-rank Lord end up stranded on a deserted planet?]

[Phew, that's a relief. I'd actually been worried.]

[*Note: No Male Zerg Lords are harmed in this story.]

[And there's no way the Heavenly Garuda Emperor would really end up on some deserted planet.]

[An-shen's recent stories have all been pretty sci-fi. Parallel worlds, virtual romance between Zergs, and now this... a Male Zerg together with the Heavenly Garuda Emperor? The moment those names appeared, the sci-fi level shot through the roof.]

The Heavenly Garuda Empire.

The moment the Emperor disappeared, the Prince sealed off all news of it, sending only trusted Heavenly Garuda to search in secret.

Twins shared a special connection. He could tell that the Emperor was still alive and had not met with disaster.

A few days ago, he'd suddenly felt a sharp stab of unease before everything returned to normal.

The Emperor must have encountered some danger... and then escaped it.

Ares was SS-rank, the only Heavenly Garuda whose recorded combat capability could rival the Zerg Marshal Ulysses.

The Prince couldn't imagine what could possibly threaten him enough to place him in danger, even for a brief instant.

Excluding monsters like Ulysses, the only possibility he could think of was a cosmic storm.

He'd sent that guy to clean up nearby star pirates while letting him burn off some of his endless excess energy. He'd behaved himself for the first few days, then inevitably gotten bored, slipped away on his own to fool around, and created an enormous mess.

If the Prince hadn't suppressed the news in time, the Empire would already have descended into chaos again.

Hopefully that idiot would return soon.

Otherwise, another storm of blood and slaughter would inevitably follow.

Fortunately, he wasn't entirely without preparations this time...

The Prince glanced at the silent military female standing behind him like the night itself. Just as he was about to speak, his terminal suddenly lit up.

It was a message from one of his Male Zerg students.

A novel.

A forbidden book from the Zerg Federation.

Skipping work to read novels... and even sending one to your mentor?

Hm?

Author An?

The author he'd been following had started a new book?

He'd been too busy cleaning up after the Emperor's disappearance these past few days to check for updates.

A terrible mistake.

The Prince opened the novel.

Behind him, the mixed-blood military female quietly watched him.

Just as he had years ago in the late Emperor's palace, when he'd stood in the shadows beside the beautiful Male Zerg imprisoned inside a golden birdcage, secretly bringing him food during every changing of the guard.

That single act of compassion had saved his life.

When the new Emperor ascended the throne, every Heavenly Garuda within the former imperial palace had been slaughtered.

Only he had survived, protected by the Prince.

If His Majesty failed to return this time...

He would stake his life to keep the Prince safe.

The Prince sensed the emotional fluctuation from the military female behind him through his psychic perception.

But he had absolutely no attention to spare.

His eyes widened at the words on the screen.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor...

Ares?!

A deserted planet?

An A-rank Male Zerg?!!

The Prince sucked in a sharp breath.

The times had advanced too quickly.

He no longer understood Zerg novels these days.

...

【The Heavenly Garuda Emperor casually spread out a military waterproof tarp inside the cave before sitting down.

The Male Zerg...

Carl cautiously edged over and occupied one corner.

His pajamas had already been soaked through by the rain, clinging coldly to his skin.

His bare feet were covered with mud and fine sand, chilled to the bone.

He needed to change his clothes.

Otherwise, he'd end up suffering from hypothermia.

His hand rested on his collar.

After hesitating, he turned his head and looked toward where the Heavenly Garuda Emperor was sitting in the darkness.

Male Zergs had very poor night vision.

Females, on the other ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) hand, could see perfectly in darkness.

To them, the night was as bright as day.

Carl bit his lip lightly before blurting out,

"I'm changing my clothes!"

Ares had already noticed the Male Zerg's sneaky little movements.

Looking up, he asked,

"What? Do you need me to change them for you too?"

Most males were useless.

They lacked the ability to survive on their own and couldn't even take proper care of themselves.

Some couldn't even dress without the help of robotic butlers or their Female Lord.

The Male Zergs seemed even worse.

Carl was convinced this Heavenly Garuda was doing it on purpose!

Deliberately trying to take advantage of him!

Grinding his teeth in frustration, yet unable to lose his temper under the circumstances, he endured it and said,

"Turn around!"

Ares frowned slightly.

This Male Zerg clearly had no idea how to speak properly to a female.

He lacked discipline.

Still, seeing the other's pale face, Ares temporarily suppressed his irritation and turned his head away.

Carl couldn't see him.

He wasn't sure whether the Emperor had really turned around.

Carefully, he rolled up one sleeve to expose part of his arm.

Receiving no response and hearing no movement, he finally continued.

He stripped completely naked, took a towel from his space button, carefully dried himself off, then pulled out a clean shirt and put it on first.

His dirty feet still needed cleaning.

In the darkness, Carl carefully wiped them with the towel.

He couldn't see.

Nor did he dare turn on a light.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through one of his toes.

"Hiss..."

He seemed to have cut himself.

Hearing the sound, Ares turned around.

What he saw was the Male Zerg sitting with his back toward him at the edge of the tarp.

He wore nothing but a pure white shirt.

None of the buttons had been fastened.

The front hung open.

His long, slender legs were drawn up.

One hand rested on his knee while the other carefully wiped his injured toe with the towel.

Darkness was no obstacle to Ares.

To him, it was as bright as daylight.

The Male Zerg's skin was whiter than white.

Within the dark cave, it almost seemed to glow.

His smooth, bare legs were especially eye-catching.

Ares' mind went blank for a moment.

His breathing grew noticeably heavier.

Carl sensed something.

He spun around and glared in his direction.

Although he couldn't see the Emperor...

He had heard the change in his breathing.

And he could clearly feel the fluctuation in his psychic aura.

"You were peeking at me!"

Carl demanded angrily.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor: "..."

The Male Zerg's furious eyes burned like wildfire born upon the open plains.

Bright.

Blazing.

Capable of consuming everything.

Ares shifted his gaze away.

"I wasn't."

He genuinely didn't consider what he'd just done to be peeking.

He had never intended to watch.

If he truly wanted to...

There was nothing the Male Zerg could have done to stop him.

"And you're still denying it?! I heard you!"

The enraged Male Zerg jumped to his feet—

Only to step on the injured spot again.

He immediately bared his teeth in pain, sucking in cold breaths while hissing repeatedly.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor: "..."

His head was beginning to ache from all the noise.

"Can't you stay still for once?"

Supporting his head with one hand, Ares let his gaze drift toward the Male Zerg's pale bare feet standing on the tarp.

He knew that going over to help now would be an absolutely terrible idea.

Besides...

The Male Zerg still wasn't properly dressed.

His gaze had only swept across Carl's calf before immediately moving away again.

For a male to expose himself like this before a female...

Was no different from offering himself.

Yet the Male Zerg continued stamping around in righteous fury.

If he'd happened to meet a female overcome by desire...

He wouldn't even know how he'd ended up pinned beneath her.

Suddenly, Ares remembered the task his elder brother had entrusted to him.

Find a male.

Have an egg.

A Male Zerg...

Should count as a male too... right?

Ares lost himself in thought.

Behind him, the Male Zerg finally seemed to realize just how dangerous it was to jump around half-dressed in front of a female.

Silently, he pulled his shirt closed before sitting back down to finish getting dressed.

Once the Male Zerg had put on all his clothes, Ares switched on his terminal light and tossed a bottle of repair solution toward him.

A shallow cut streaked Carl's toe, with traces of blood left by the sharp sand and gravel.

Such a tiny wound.

If he didn't hurry and treat it...

It would heal on its own.

Fragile male.

The sudden light made Carl squint.

He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the beam shining from Ares' direction before finally seeing what had been thrown over.

A Heavenly Garuda repair solution.

He had no intention of using a Heavenly Garuda's repair solution.

He had brought his own.

Carl stored Ares' bottle inside his space button before taking out the repair solution he'd prepared in advance.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor, who would never understand what went on inside a Male Zerg's head: "..."

Fortunately, the Male Zerg had finally quieted down.

Now he could catch up on some sleep.

His condition wasn't nearly as good as it appeared.

Resisting the cosmic storm had consumed an enormous amount of energy.

Even his mech had suffered severe damage.

Its energy reserves were exhausted, leaving it dormant while waiting to recharge.

Last night, in order to teach the Male Zerg a lesson and make him behave, he hadn't managed to sleep much either.

He'd spent the entire time watching the rainstorm and monitoring the rising water level.

In the end, he'd timed it perfectly and pulled the Male Zerg out.

The Male Zerg had certainly been frightened.

But he'd recovered astonishingly quickly.

Before long, he was back to ordering people around, full of energy, incapable of behaving himself for even a moment.

After Carl finished treating his injury, Ares turned off the terminal light.

Lying down on the military tarp, he raised an arm to cover his eyes.

In the darkness that suddenly enveloped the cave, Carl looked toward him.

He could hear steady, even breathing.

It was broad daylight...

Why was he sleeping?

Carl shifted his foot across the tarp, producing a faint scraping sound.

Ares spoke in a low, muffled voice.

"Make another sound and I'll kill you."

Carl immediately held his breath.

Not another sound escaped him.

...】