Chapter 182: The Stranded Male Zerg × The Heavenly Garuda Emperor (4): A Wild Male Zerg Gets Fed by a Wild Female

【Carl quietly extended his psychic power to investigate.

The Heavenly Garuda seemed to be asleep.

At the very least, he wasn't doing anything to him.

The cave was rather chilly, but the temperature remained stable. Compared to last night's torrential rain and sudden drop in temperature inside the aircraft, it was much more bearable.

The hard ground, however, was something Carl simply couldn't get used to.

The military tarp kept the mud and gravel away, but it was still rock hard.

He wanted to take some clothes out of his space button to use as padding...

His bedding had been swept away together with the aircraft, but he still had plenty of clothes left.

Yet he was afraid of making too much noise and provoking the bad-tempered Heavenly Garuda.

It was an unpleasant feeling, having his life held in someone else's hands.

If it had been any other Heavenly Garuda, he wouldn't have had to swallow his pride like this.

But this one...

He really couldn't beat.

SS-rank Heavenly Garuda God of War Ares...

Even if his female parent came, he probably wouldn't be able to beat him.

The little Male Zerg fell into emo mode.

Lost in random thoughts, he eventually drifted off to sleep hugging his knees, curling up against the cold.

When he woke again...

Darkness filled his vision.

He couldn't tell what time it was.

It took Carl a moment to realize something was covering him.

He reached out and touched it.

A large outer coat.

Large enough to wrap around his entire body.

No wonder he hadn't felt so cold.

But where had these clothes come from?

The only possibility was...

That Heavenly Garuda.

Carl extended his psychic power to look.

The other party wasn't inside the cave.

He hurriedly got to his feet, put on his shoes, and went outside to look.

As soon as he reached the cave entrance and saw the lush green forest before him...

He spotted the Heavenly Garuda returning.

He had brought back the carcass of some unknown beast, along with wild fruit wrapped in broad leaves.

The tall Heavenly Garuda approached.

His deep violet eyes swept over Carl before stuffing the heavy bundle of fruit into his arms.

Carl hurriedly caught it.

The Heavenly Garuda walked past him and went off to deal with the prey nearby instead of entering the cave.

Holding the bundle of wild fruit, Carl had no idea what to do.

He looked around before picking up one of them.

...Could this even be eaten?

What if it was poisonous?

Females could probably eat it.

He wasn't so sure about Male Zergs.

After hesitating for quite some time...

He still didn't dare try.

Military females possessed extraordinary survival skills in the wild.

Very soon, the food had been cleaned and roasted.

Fat sizzled over the fire, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.

Carl obediently squatted nearby, waiting to be fed.

Whatever nonsense he'd thought before about refusing Heavenly Garuda food...

He'd already thrown it out of his mind.

Staying alive was more important.

When the Male Zerg stayed quiet...

He looked much more pleasing to the eye.

Ares had never intended to starve him anyway.

He tore off the tenderer meat from one of the front legs and handed it over.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

Carl danced his fingers from the heat before finally grabbing one of the broad leaves that had held the fruit to use as a makeshift plate, rescuing his poor hands.

Looking at his greasy fingers and the primitive roasted meat wrapped in leaves...

Carl entered emo mode again.

He felt like he'd become a wild bug.

Fortunately...

This wild Male Zerg still had a wild female feeding him.

Carl glanced at the Heavenly Garuda beside him.

His clothes and hair remained perfectly neat and immaculate, without the slightest trace of hardship.

Silently, Carl dragged him down to the same level in his own mind.

Wild bugs.

Both of them.

Carl took small bites of the meat.

Yesterday he'd been exhausted and starving.

Everything had tasted delicious.

Now, chewing this overly primitive, bland roast...

The Male Zerg, who had always lived a refined lifestyle, couldn't help feeling disgusted.

All his kitchen equipment and seasonings had been left aboard the aircraft.

Gone together with it.

Even if he wanted to improve the flavor, he couldn't.

Looking up at the Heavenly Garuda opposite him, calmly eating as though he had no sense of taste whatsoever, Carl couldn't help asking,

"Don't you have any seasoning?"

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor, who hadn't come out here for a picnic, shot him a cold glance.

Carl immediately shut up.

He had always thought military female Zergs were cold.

Compared to this giant iceberg of a Heavenly Garuda, military female Zergs suddenly seemed rather gentle.

At least...

They wouldn't treat Male Zergs like this.

Carl forced himself to eat some more.

In the end, the roasted front leg escaped with only superficial injuries.

After hesitating briefly...

He stored the leftovers inside his space button.

Ever since he'd gone hungry...

He'd developed something like a hoarding instinct.

He wanted to save every scrap of food.

A space button preserved objects exactly as they were when stored.

Including their freshness.

And temperature.

If he got desperately hungry again...

He could still eat it.

Carl claimed one roasted front leg.

The Heavenly Garuda finished every remaining piece.

Carl was stunned.

He knew females ate a lot.

He hadn't expected this much.

His gaze unconsciously drifted toward the female's flat abdomen, where faint outlines of muscle could be seen.

There really was another dimension inside a female's stomach.

No wonder they were called incinerators.

After finishing the meal, the Heavenly Garuda buried the ashes beneath sand before standing up.

Carl hurriedly wiped his hands clean with a handkerchief, got to his feet as well, and asked,

"What are we doing now?"

They should start figuring out how to leave, right?

Ares answered,

"Sleeping."

Carl immediately became vigilant.

Looking at the still-bright sky, he clutched his collar protectively.

"I'm not sleeping with you!"

Ares couldn't be bothered responding.

He walked right past Carl into the cave and casually lay down on the military tarp.

His energy reserves had been depleted too severely.

He needed enormous amounts of food and sleep to recover.

Carl: "?"

He really did mean sleeping.

Carl glanced toward the depths of the cave in confusion.

Maybe the Heavenly Garuda suffered from hypersomnia.

Then he looked back toward the forest outside.

Perhaps...

This was the perfect chance to escape.

But if he left this Heavenly Garuda...

He might die.

He simply lacked the ability to survive alone.

After hesitating for a long time...

Carl still didn't dare leave.

He didn't even have an aircraft anymore.

There was nowhere for him to sleep.

If wild beasts appeared during the night, he might not react quickly enough to use his psychic power.

Even without beasts...

The nighttime temperature alone would be enough to make him miserable.

Carl wandered around nearby and found a stream.

He washed his hands and face before wiping down the rest of his body.

After being soaked by the rain, he'd felt uncomfortable all over.

Now he finally felt refreshed.

He even wanted to take a bath.

In the end...

The icy water temperature convinced him otherwise.

Before nightfall...

He returned to the cave.

Feeling his way through the darkness toward his usual spot...

He touched the Heavenly Garuda instead.

The breathing stopped.

In the darkness...

One bug and one Heavenly Garuda remained silent, facing each other.

Neither spoke.

"...Um... sorry."

Carl apologized awkwardly before continuing to feel around.

He touched the Heavenly Garuda again.

Such a long Heavenly Garuda.

Judging from the feel...

This time it was his waist.

"Sorry..."

Apologizing again, Carl stubbornly continued searching.

The third time...

His hand landed squarely on the Heavenly Garuda's chest.

The light suddenly came on.

The Heavenly Garuda looked at him coldly.

"Get lost."

"Oh..."

What kind of attitude was that?

Carl returned to where he'd been sitting before.

The Heavenly Garuda's coat was still lying there.

With the light on, he finally got a clear look at it.

Military uniform.

Ugh.

A Heavenly Garuda military uniform.

Disgusting.

Carl pushed the greatcoat aside and took out some of his own clothes from the space button to use as padding.

As a fashionable Male Zerg who valued style over warmth...

Most of his clothes were thin.

And decorated with far too many ornamental buttons.

They dug painfully into him.

Carl rearranged them over and over, never satisfied.

The Heavenly Garuda Emperor, who had been patiently waiting for him to finally settle down: "..."

Male Zergs were truly troublesome.

Staring blankly at the cave ceiling, Ares thought.

He tapped his terminal.

The light went out.

The cave plunged into darkness.

Carl froze.

He wanted to switch on his own terminal light.

But remembering the bad-tempered Heavenly Garuda who always wanted to sleep...

He ultimately didn't dare.

He lay down on the uncomfortable pile of clothes.

It felt a little cold.

Eventually, he reached over and pulled back the military coat he'd pushed aside earlier, covering himself with it.

The Heavenly Garuda military uniform was irritating...

But staying warm was more important.

Carl lay quietly, trying not to move or make any sound.

He'd thought there was no way he'd fall asleep under these conditions.

Instead...

He drifted off surprisingly quickly.

The scent lingering on the military uniform, like gunpowder after battle, enveloped him.

It felt dangerous.

Yet strangely...

Protective.

...

This routine of eating, sleeping, waking, and eating again continued for three days.

Carl was on the verge of going insane.

He even wanted to pick a fight with the Heavenly Garuda.

Finally...

The Heavenly Garuda stopped spending all his time sleeping and was willing to walk outside.

Carl immediately followed him.

The Heavenly Garuda walked to a forest stream.

He looked back at Carl...

Then began taking off his clothes.

Huh?!

Had this Heavenly Garuda finally lost control of his lust and decided to assault him?!

Horrified, Carl retreated several meters.

Then he watched as the Heavenly Garuda calmly removed his clothes, stretching his solid, powerful muscles.

His joints cracked loudly.

Then he strode into the stream.

The water was crystal clear and pleasantly cool.

Even at its deepest point...

It only reached his hips.

The Heavenly Garuda sat on a rock beneath the water, stretching comfortably as he closed his eyes, enjoying a natural bath.

Carl: "..."

Seriously?

I'm still standing right here.

Could this female have a little shame?

What an offense against public decency.

Carl squatted on a rock at the bank, drawing circles absentmindedly while occasionally stealing glances toward the Heavenly Garuda.

His physique was actually pretty impressive.

Dark violet energy markings appeared and disappeared across the muscles of his arms.

They looked explosively powerful.

After half a star-hour...

Or perhaps even longer...

The Heavenly Garuda stood up from the pool and walked toward the shore.

Carl suddenly snapped back to reality and hurriedly looked away.

After coming ashore, the Heavenly Garuda took out a fresh set of training clothes from his space button and changed.

The old clothes disappeared back into storage.

He walked past the Male Zerg, who was still decorating rocks with pebbles, intending to leave.

After taking several steps...

He noticed the Male Zerg hadn't followed.

He was still squatting there.

"What now?"

Having thoroughly learned how troublesome Male Zergs were, Ares asked with weary resignation.

"I want to take a bath too."

Carl tapped the rock with a small pebble, muttering quietly.

"Then go."

"But the water's cold..."

Carl spoke in a tiny voice.

Ares: "..."

Male Zergs really were troublesome creatures.

Standing on the rocky bank, he °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° repeated,

"Go.

Now."

Carl: "?!"

What an incredibly fierce military female!

The commanding tone irritated Carl.

He wanted to snap back—

Then he realized the rock beneath his feet was warm.

At first he thought he was imagining it.

He pressed a hand against it.

It was scorching hot.

Startled, he looked toward the cold-faced Heavenly Garuda beside him.

The dark violet energy markings around his neck had become much more pronounced.

A faint white mist rose from the water.

Barely visible.

Carl reached into the stream.

Warm!

His eyes lit up instantly.

He hurriedly started taking off his clothes.

Halfway through...

He remembered something.

Looking toward the military female beside him, he said,

"Y-you...

Turn around!"

Ares glanced at him calmly.

When the Male Zerg had watched him bathe...

He hadn't even tried to hide it.

Now that it was his own turn...

He demanded that Ares turn away.

Typical Male Zerg double standards.

Still...

It really wasn't appropriate for an unrelated female to watch a male bathe.

It would damage the male's reputation.

Ares turned around to face the forest.

Only then did Carl smoothly finish undressing and step into the water.

Throughout the entire process, he kept staring at the Heavenly Garuda's back to make sure he wasn't peeking.

Fortunately...

The Heavenly Garuda seemed very well behaved.

Being able to soak comfortably in a proper bath...

Felt absolutely wonderful.

Carl couldn't help sighing in satisfaction.

The stream flowed swiftly.

The water constantly refreshed itself.

Yet by the lower pool...

It had all become warm.

Carl walked over through the water and reached into the stream upstream.

The upstream water was freezing cold.

Separated by nothing more than a single rock...

The difference was astonishing.

Heavenly Garuda females weren't just incinerators...

They were water heaters too!

How convenient.

"..."

Although Ares had his back to the Male Zerg...

He could clearly sense every single movement.

So much trouble...

Just to take a bath.

Bathing in the wilderness was such a rare opportunity.

Carl had endured days of discomfort from the dirt covering his body.

A simple wipe-down had never made him feel properly clean.

Every day he'd felt like a filthy little wild bug.

Now that he finally had the chance to enjoy a proper bath...

He treasured every moment.

He practically scrubbed himself raw before finally climbing out.

Beside him...

The Heavenly Garuda, who had spent an entire star-hour serving as a living water heater using his own energy...

Wore a face darker than thunderclouds.

If he'd known the Male Zerg would bathe this long...

He could have washed and dried all his own clothes in the meantime.

Feeling guilty, Carl hurriedly dressed.

But...

It had been so comfortable.

Wow...

That felt incredible.

Carl couldn't stop sighing inwardly.

He even sighed aloud.

His cheeks glowed pink.

Ares glanced at him.

His mood remained just as terrible.

"So what are we doing now?"

Carl asked after fastening his last button.

His voice sounded much brighter than before.

"Go back to the cave."

Ares had no intention of taking this troublesome Male Zerg with him.

Otherwise...

He wouldn't get anything done.

Carl was already sick of the cave.

"Back to the cave again? I'm going to turn into a cave bug!"

Clearly...

This Male Zerg couldn't tell the difference between an order and a suggestion.

Ares wasn't asking for his opinion.

He simply picked the Male Zerg up, spread his wings, flew over the forest...

And dropped him back into the cave.

Without stopping...

He immediately turned around and flew away.

Carl watched him disappear into the distance.

Accompanied by a thunderous sonic boom...

The Heavenly Garuda rapidly became nothing more than a tiny black dot before vanishing beyond the horizon.

At that speed...

Even if Carl wanted to chase him, he couldn't possibly catch up.

He stared blankly at the empty sky.

He had no idea where the Heavenly Garuda had gone.

He'd even flown beyond the range of his psychic perception.

...Would he come back?】