Chapter 306: Wings and the Original Protagonist: Unable to Win Over a Male Zerg, Unable to Get Married, and Kicked Out of the Federation by the Marshal

The wedding was more exhausting than An Ruo had expected. There was a five-star-hour wedding ceremony, followed by all kinds of banquets, dances, and social events. By the end of the day, he was so exhausted that he collapsed into a flattened duck pancake.

In the latter half of the night, he lay sprawled over Ulysses and drew energy from him for a long while before finally recovering.

Ulysses felt sorry for him after he'd met so many Zergs today and exhausted so much of his vitality. He didn't want to torment him any further and only wanted to hold him and get a good night's sleep.

Instead, An Ruo felt that they ought to make the wedding a little more complete.

He asked Ulysses to teach him how to release his wings, while also wanting to see Ulysses' wings.

Ulysses was slightly hesitant at first, but An Ruo persuaded him by promising that he would spread his wings while entering him.

Female Zerg wings were usually fierce and murderous, their most powerful killing weapons, and were not accepted by Male Zergs.

Ulysses had never released his wings anywhere outside the battlefield.

This was the first time.

And it was in front of the Male Zerg he loved.

There was a trace of unease in Ulysses' heart, but even more than that, there was trust.

He trusted his God.

He believed An Ruo wouldn't despise him because of them.

Ulysses' wings were enormous. Even while restrained, they occupied almost half the room, descending like the curtain of night.

Their exterior was entirely black, as though they absorbed every trace of light. Yet when the inner surfaces of the wings unfolded toward An Ruo, they resembled a flowing galaxy. Countless stars gathered within them, as though the entire universe had been contained inside his wings.

An Ruo reached out and stroked them.

They felt slightly cool beneath his fingers, like some kind of creation forged from steel, possessing the ultimate fusion of technological and natural beauty.

Stimulated by this powerful and beautiful sight, An Ruo felt the area around his shoulder blades begin to itch, as though something were about to burst free from his body.

Pure white wings unfolded behind him, trembling slightly as they scattered radiance.

Ulysses' eyes widened in astonishment, a moonlight spirit reflected in his pupils.

The tips of An Ruo's forewings were the color of the night sky, gradually becoming lighter farther down. In the middle was an exquisitely beautiful pearl blue, shimmering with the iridescence of pearls. The lower half grew so pale that the color almost disappeared entirely, leaving only silvery white like moonlight flowing across them and spilling a lunar glow.

He was like a spirit formed from gathered moonlight.

No.

He was light itself.

Ulysses' breathing quickened.

Unlike the weapon-like wings of Female Zergs, a Male Zerg's wings represented love and courtship. They were considered even more private than a Male Zerg's body itself.

And right now, his Male Zerg was displaying wings that were at once the most erotic thing imaginable and overflowing with sincere love, all while wearing an innocently bewildered expression.

Ulysses felt as though his entire body were about to explode. His mind burned into a haze, all the blood in his body rushed downward, and pheromones flooded the room.

The battle came too violently.

Before An Ruo's startled cry could even escape, he was already trapped in Ulysses' deadly embrace.

It was as though Ulysses' most primitive bloodlust and desire had been awakened.

Female Zergs in ancient times had known nothing of restraint or etiquette. Their courtship was a battle of possessing and being possessed, marking and being marked.

This battle would last until dawn at the very least.

If Female Zergs in the interstellar age didn't have so much work to do, it probably ought to continue until the Female Zerg became pregnant.

Beneath the enclosure of the black wings, the immaculate moonlight wings trembled gently, carrying a hint of pleading, yet seeming at the same time like another form of soothing and seduction.

The powerful black Female Zerg pursued the moonlight, devoured the moonlight, and was cleansed by the moonlight.

...

Inside the preparation room of the Star Battle game, Helios let out a heavy sigh.

Ever since he'd caught the Marshal and An-shen's bouquet, he'd been worrying about it.

Logically speaking, catching the bouquet was supposed to be extremely lucky.

The flowers at a wedding represented happiness being passed onward. Supposedly, the Female Zerg who caught the flowers would be the next Female Zerg to enter into marriage.

The Female Zergs who hadn't caught the bouquet were both envious and jealous of him. The looks they gave him practically dripped with sourness.

But Helios didn't have a Male Zerg!

Forget a Male Zerg he was preparing to marry—he didn't even have a Male Zerg he was dating, or so much as a Male Zerg he secretly liked.

He'd caught those flowers for nothing.

Having the bouquet land on him was a complete waste.

If that were all, then fine.

A waste was a waste.

But whenever Helios remembered the meaningful look the Marshal had given him at the time, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Marshal had been hinting at something.

The meaning in his eyes had probably been...

——Hurry up, find yourself a Male Zerg, and get married.

Remembering that look, Helios lowered his head and sighed. Sitting beside the foot of a mech with his legs spread apart, he grabbed his hair in distress.

He cared deeply about the Marshal's opinion and wanted even less for his own existence to become a source of concern for him.

To Helios, the Marshal was both his commanding officer and someone like a female parent.

Before this, Helios had never intended to fight over the flowers at the Marshal's wedding. Although he had wanted to bask a little in the wedding's good fortune, he truly hadn't planned to compete for the bouquet.

The blessing represented by those flowers was far too strong.

A Zerg without a Male Zerg he liked was better off remaining a spectator. There was no need for him to get involved.

But unexpectedly, the bouquet had flown straight into his face.

Helios was suddenly caught between a rock and a hard place.

The Marshal already disliked him interacting with his Male Zerg. If Helios caught the bouquet and still didn't hurry up and find a Male Zerg to marry, would the Marshal think he had his eye on the position of Female Attendant?

The thought made Helios pale in horror.

No, no, no!

He had to hurry up and find a Male Zerg so he wouldn't be single anymore!

But where was he supposed to find one?

A Zerg who had been single for ten thousand years didn't even know where Male Zergs usually went for entertainment, let alone how to proceed to dating and escaping singlehood.

Helios raised his head blankly, only to discover that at some point, another Zerg had appeared in front of him.

The "Female Zerg" wearing a red feathered-bird mask looked down at him with his arms folded. The jaw visible beneath the mask was refined and handsome.

Helios was momentarily dazed.

The masked "Female Zerg" looked at him and tilted his head.

"What are you spacing out for? You've been sighing all day. What happened? Tell me about it. Maybe I can give you some advice."

Only then did Helios snap back to his senses. He hurriedly stood up, his previous dejection disappearing.

That's right!

He might not know how to find a Male Zerg and ask him on a date, but his good brother definitely would!

The Zerg in front of him was a friend he'd met in the game several years ago.

They had first encountered each other in the arena and fought a match. One thought the other was incredibly strong, while the other found his fighting style and understanding of mechs interesting. Their friendship had begun with a fight, and they gradually became familiar with each other.

Back then, Helios had still been a military academy student and was obsessed with mechs. He was also at an age when he was bursting with youthful energy and had nowhere to expend it. Even during his breaks, he spent his time trying out all kinds of mechs in the Star Battle game.

His friend, meanwhile, had studied mechs and weapons from countries all across the universe. Unlike ordinary Zerg Female Zergs, who generally focused only on mechs developed by their own nation, he knew about everything. No matter how obscure a mech was, he had studied it and could explain its intricacies.

Helios had listened in stunned fascination and thought he was incredibly impressive.

That was how they became friends and good brothers. Whenever they had free time, they teamed up to play together, discussed mech modifications, talked tactics, and tested newly released mechs...

His good brother's game ID was "Phoenix."

Helios had no idea how the other Zerg had managed to use such a fake-name codename in a StarNet game with real-name registration. In any case, his identity seemed very mysterious.

"Phoenix" always wore an exquisite mask.

Even when they were alone together, he had never taken it off.

His identity was a mystery and his whereabouts unpredictable. He didn't log in very often, but whenever he did, he always brought Helios some kind of surprise.

"Phoenix" was normally very low-key, but anyone could tell he was a wealthy young noble. All of his equipment was top quality. Even some random accessory or mask he happened to wear would be an outrageously expensive item.

Not only had he completed the entire mech collection in the game, Helios suspected that his family owned a large collection of real mechs as well.

Otherwise, it was difficult to explain his extensive knowledge of so many obscure models.

His luck with Male Zergs was also exceptionally good.

Every time he entered the arena, plenty of Male Zergs would gather to watch him fight, which made other Zergs incredibly envious.

A Zerg like "Phoenix" definitely understood Male Zergs. He would know what Male Zergs liked, where they usually went, and where it was easiest to meet one for a date.

So Helios poured out all his needs and thoughts in one breath, then looked expectantly at the Zerg opposite him, hoping his good brother could give him some advice and guidance.

"Phoenix" silently stared at him for a long time.

Then he slowly spoke, practically enunciating every word.

"So, you want me... to help you... pursue a Male Zerg?"

Helios sensed that something about the atmosphere wasn't right.

He didn't understand why, but after thinking about it, he cautiously nodded anyway.

Perhaps asking his good brother to share information about Male Zergs really wasn't appropriate.

Such information was extremely valuable to every Female Zerg and wouldn't ordinarily be shared lightly. When Male Zergs were involved, even the closest brothers could become rivals. There was no such thing as being too cautious.

But Helios wasn't the kind of Female Zerg who would stab his brother in the back.

He would absolutely never pursue a Male Zerg his good brother liked.

He hoped "Phoenix" would trust his character.

"Phoenix" trusted his character perfectly well.

What he doubted was his own attractiveness.

Otherwise, why would this Zerg stand right in front of him and announce that he wanted to pursue some other Male Zerg?

Looking into Helios' clear, guileless eyes, which practically screamed "Brother, save me," "Phoenix" fell silent for a long while.

Finally, he helplessly beckoned him closer.

Helios curiously leaned in and turned his ear toward him.

"Phoenix" seemed to give a cold snort before saying, "I do know plenty of places where Male Zergs gather, and I know where Male Zergs usually go to meet Female Zergs, but I'm not going to tell you."

Helios' eyes immediately widened in shock.

He felt wounded.

It wasn't that he was angry his good brother wouldn't share information about Male Zergs with him.

It was that his good brother's words had excluded him.

That meant that, in his friend's heart, Helios wasn't as important as Male Zergs.

That was normal.

Female Zergs always valued Male Zergs above everything else.

Take two knives for your brother; stick two knives into your brother for a Male Zerg.

Things like that happened all the time.

But Helios had thought...

He had thought his relationship with "Phoenix" was different.

Exactly how it was different, even Helios himself couldn't say.

But at the very least, he had believed they would never turn against each other because of a Male Zerg or damage their brotherly bond over one.

Even if one day they fell for the same Male Zerg, Helios would voluntarily withdraw...

Helios wore every thought on his face. He was far too straightforward and easy to read, so "Phoenix" immediately knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Phoenix" sighed inwardly. Helplessly, he straightened his attitude and explained.

"What I mean is that none of the Male Zerg gathering places I know are suitable for you."

"If you're looking for a Male Zerg you actually intend to marry, then you can't be careless about it. You and the Male Zerg need to be compatible in every respect. You need to have things in common, or your married life is destined to be miserable."

"Instead of starting with my connections, you should start with your own surroundings and your own interests and hobbies. That's how you should look for a Male Zerg who's genuinely suitable for you."

"Phoenix" delivered the entire speech in one breath and waited for Helios' reaction.

And Helios...

Helios thought he made perfect sense!

Realizing that his good brother wasn't excluding him for the sake of some Male Zerg but was genuinely thinking about what was best for him, Helios was deeply moved.

At the same time, he felt ashamed of his own narrow-minded assumptions just now.

Helios looked at "Phoenix" with eyes full of gratitude and guilt and apologized for misunderstanding him.

"..."

"Phoenix" silently turned his head away.

Sometimes this Female Zerg was so pure-hearted that "Phoenix" actually felt guilty deceiving him.

In truth, aside from concealing his identity, he hadn't really lied to Helios about anything.

He hadn't even deliberately concealed his sex.

But the other Zerg just...

Just couldn't figure it out!

What was he supposed to do about that?

For a Male Zerg displaying his feathers right in front of a Female Zerg, this was already an enormous blow to his pride.

Meanwhile, Helios seriously considered what his good brother had said. After applying it to himself, he immediately felt hopeless again.

"I like mechs, fighting, aircraft... What Male Zerg would ever like any of that?!"

"Phoenix" silently stared at him.

"Sure, there are some Male Zergs who come to watch mech competitions, but they're all..."

Helios muttered under his breath, becoming increasingly convinced that he had no chance whatsoever.

He had already started imagining his miserable future: failing to win over a Male Zerg, being unable to get married, and eventually getting kicked straight out of the Federation by the Marshal and thrown into a deep-space exploration unit, where he wouldn't return for decades.

Just as he was sinking into despair, Helios vaguely felt the surrounding temperature drop several degrees.

He wondered whether something had gone wrong with the holographic pod.

Then he raised his eyes and saw "Phoenix" beside him, still handsome even with his mask on, staring at him while radiating an unmistakably hostile aura.

"Hm?"

Helios had no idea how he'd managed to offend him again.

"Look at me."

"Phoenix" spoke coldly.

Helios obediently looked at him.

He was covered from head to toe in excellent equipment. His figure looked fantastic in his mech suit, and the way he stood there with his arms crossed, looking at Helios, was both handsome and arrogant enough to make a Zerg's heart itch.

No wonder he attracted so many Male Zerg admirers.

Helios had to admit he was incredibly envious.

"Phoenix" continued.

"What do you think of me?"

Helios didn't understand what he meant. Assuming his good brother simply wanted to be praised, he smiled and was just about to speak when something suddenly occurred to him.

If you put those two things "Phoenix" had just said together...

——Look at me. What do you think of me?

And considering that the topic they'd been discussing immediately beforehand was Male Zergs and marriage...

Helios' Adam's apple bobbed.

He stiffly looked at his good brother.

No.

Way...?