Chapter 99: Live Broadcast Across the Entire StarNet: [I’m Losing My Mind. That Shot Didn’t Even Last a Second, and I’ve Already Taken Dozens of Screenshots.

The Legion Festival lasted a total of seven days.

Naturally, An Ruo didn't have the energy to participate in seven consecutive days of high-intensity events.

He only chose to attend on two days.

The first day.

And the third day.

On the first day, he would appear as the Psychic Soother.

Then he'd come back, collapse in bed for an entire day, shut himself away, and recharge his social battery.

On the third day, he would appear again as the novelist "An."

The military accepted his entire schedule without objection and assured him they would arrange everything.

Looking at the reply on the light screen, An Ruo couldn't help sighing.

When he had first arrived at the prison...

He had been terrified of being forced into breeding.

He had feared the military, believing they controlled his life and death.

Now...

He actually thought the military was rather nice.

Easy to talk to.

Reliable.

They had even prepared custom-made outfits for him to wear at the Legion Festival.

He could freely choose whichever one he liked or make additional requests.

Originally, An Ruo had planned to wear one of the outfits the military female Zergs had given him.

His patients had truly given him far too many suits, formal clothes, accessories, and jewelry.

There was so much that an entire spatial button had been filled.

He had simply never had an opportunity to wear any of it.

After some thought...

He still selected two outfits provided by the military.

One was white.

Simple in color, yet stylishly tailored.

Suitable for important occasions.

Formal without being overly extravagant.

It also happened to be the same color as the prison uniform.

That suited the identity of a Psychic Soother quite well.

It was also the same color as a doctor's uniform.

That made it even more appropriate.

An Ruo changed into the outfit, selected several accessories for decoration, and finally looked at himself in the mirror.

The Male Zerg reflected there was so beautiful that he resembled the most perfect creation of a god.

Or perhaps...

A god himself.

His features were simply too exquisite.

Too flawless.

There was always something almost inhuman about such perfection.

As though no living creature like this could possibly exist in reality.

An Ruo deliberately looked away from that dazzling face.

His gaze fell upon his slender neck.

It...

Looked a little empty.

It seemed to be missing something.

Remembering something, An Ruo contacted Uriel.

"Bring me the psychic suppressor too."

After all, he was still a prisoner.

Appearing before the public without any restraints didn't seem appropriate.

Inside the prison...

The military trusted him.

Relaxing the restrictions there was perfectly acceptable.

But once he stepped outside...

He should pay more attention to how things appeared publicly.

Uriel: Your Lordship, you no longer need to wear a suppressor.

"Is that because of prison regulations?" An Ruo asked.

It was also the Marshal's order.

"Then it's even less appropriate."

Ulysses had been thinking about him.

He ought to think more about Ulysses as well.

In the public's eyes...

"He" had been imprisoned for domestic abuse.

Yet now he would appear in public without any restraints, right in front of the victim.

What would people think of him?

And what would they think of the Marshal?

That would be unfair to Ulysses.

[An Ruo]: Bring it anyway. I'd like to wear it.

In the end...

The suppressor presented to An Ruo was still more decorative than functional.

A blue gemstone was set into a silver collar.

It looked more like an exquisite work of art.

An Ruo fastened it around his neck.

The silver ring encircled his slender throat.

It immediately drew attention.

There was even an inexplicably sensual quality to it...

But all Uriel felt...

Was heartache.

Thinking of the Marshal only complicated his feelings further.

"You and the Marshal..."

The question he had suppressed for several months...

Finally escaped his lips.

"How did things end up like this?"

An Ruo paused briefly.

"I hurt him."

"Back then...

I was too shallow."

He had regarded Ulysses as nothing more than fictional words.

Writing his entire life however he pleased.

Giving him suffering.

Giving him glory.

Giving him ambition.

Giving him destruction.

Now...

When that person stood before him in flesh and blood...

An Ruo had no defense.

It was the answer Uriel had expected.

Yet for some reason...

He still felt it shouldn't have been like this.

Perhaps because this Lord didn't seem like someone capable of doing such things.

Or perhaps...

Because of the Marshal's behavior.

"But the Marshal cares about you.

Even now."

Uriel said quietly.

He wasn't sure which of them he was trying to salvage.

An Ruo blinked.

Then he smiled.

"Of course."

"I'm the most expensive one."

The most expensive instrument.

Responsible for performing Psychic Soothing on countless military female Zergs.

Even capable of treating an SSS-rank Marshal.

He was Ulysses' only medicine.

Naturally...

Ulysses cared about him.

Thinking about it now...

That was probably also why Ulysses hadn't taken revenge after discovering his identity.

His psychic power had saved him once again.

"No...

That's not why."

Uriel opened his mouth to argue.

But...

He had no idea what to say.

The Marshal's feelings were simply too complicated for a former adjutant to untangle.

They should resolve it themselves.

Perhaps...

This Legion Festival would become an opportunity.

Events like this were perfect places for young Zergs to go on dates.

Surrounded by such a lively atmosphere...

Young female Zergs and Male Zergs often found themselves unexpectedly falling in love.

...

The Legion Festival.

Broadcast live across the entire StarNet.

The camera soared into the sky, overlooking the entire military district on Capital Star.

Flags fluttered in the wind.

Military female Zergs stood in perfectly ordered formations.

Various mechs prepared for performances were undergoing final inspections.

But...

That wasn't what the viewers wanted to see.

[An-shen! An-shen! I heard An-shen is attending this year's Legion Festival!]

[Didn't read the schedule, huh? An-shen won't appear until the day after tomorrow. Today it's That Lord.]

[The same Lord I'm thinking of? The protagonist of that divorce case that shocked the entire Federation? Those military female Zergs suddenly changed their tune completely. They praise him like he's descended from heaven—even calling him the most beautiful being in millions of years. I searched for old videos. He looked alright. Handsome, sure, but nothing unforgettable. Everything was blurry anyway. You'd forget him immediately... This time he's appearing in person. Let's see how they keep exaggerating.]

[I'm busy watching That Lord in person. I don't have time to argue with you. I've memorized your ID. After the festival, I'm coming back to dig up your grave.]

[Good! Good! I'm recording everything. I'll be waiting.]

[How did watching a livestream turn into an argument? Just be grateful we get to see a Male Zerg Lord at all. Why are you all being so picky?]

[Definitely a Heavenly Garuda. Can't even pretend convincingly. Reported.]

[I almost forgot about the Heavenly Garuda. Before, I only saw them in the novel comment sections. Now that An-shen finished his novel, they're running around everywhere.]

[@All you Heavenly Garuda, watch carefully. This Legion Festival is literally celebrating the fact that we defeated you so thoroughly.]

[Enjoy it while you can.]

At this moment...

The only ones discussing the livestream on StarNet were ordinary civilians, retired military female Zergs...

And Heavenly Garuda who had bypassed the firewall.

The active-duty military female Zergs were all busy preparing the ceremony.

None of them had time to watch the livestream.

Major Warren stole a brief moment to glance at his terminal before quickly putting it away again.

He adjusted his military cap...

For the nineteenth time today.

The last time he'd met Lord Annor...

He had looked utterly exhausted.

He hadn't made a good impression.

This time...

He had to be perfect.

He had traveled all the way to Capital Star with the Ninth Legion's elite unit...

Just to see His Lordship one more time.

Tucked safely inside the pocket over his chest...

Was the handwritten reply His Lordship had sent him.

His Lordship had rejected his proposal.

Yet...

He had still written him a personal letter.

Just imagining His Lordship lowering his eyes while writing those words...

Made even that cold rejection seem impossibly gentle.

The Legion Festival officially began with the customary military parade.

Major Warren spotted the Marshal standing atop the reviewing platform.

After only a quick glance...

He immediately straightened his gaze again.

The letter against his chest suddenly felt warm.

That powerful female Zerg...

No matter where he stood...

Would always become the center of everyone's attention.

The black, crimson, and gold ceremonial uniform made him appear calm...

Yet overwhelmingly imposing.

He resembled the very embodiment of the military's soul.

One Zerg.

Equal to countless armies.

Every military female Zerg admired the Marshal with absolute loyalty.

Warren was no exception.

But after meeting Lord Annor...

His feelings whenever he looked at the Marshal had become much more complicated.

The Marshal was an insurmountable mountain.

He stood there like the standard by which everything else was measured.

Making every female Zerg who admired Lord Annor question themselves.

Reflect upon themselves.

Then quietly give up.

Someone as powerful as the Marshal...

Had still lost completely in his marriage with Lord Annor.

Reduced to strangers.

If even the Marshal had failed...

Then what chance did they have?

In every possible respect...

They were inferior to him.

It had always been...

Nothing more than an unreachable dream.

[The Marshal looks incredible! Screenshot! Screenshot! I'm making [N O V E L I G H T] a holographic poster for the training room! It'll motivate me every day!]

[By the way, the Marshal's mental condition really looks amazing. He's practically comparable to General Cyril, who has the universally acknowledged model Male Lord.]

[You only noticed now? Ever since the war against the Heavenly Garuda ended and the army returned home, the Marshal's condition has visibly improved. It's practically like he'd "eaten" a Male Zerg.]

[He probably does have a new Male Zerg now. The Marshal is SS-rank. Anyone capable of performing Psychic Soothing for him must be at least an A-rank Male Zerg Lord. There are only a handful of A-rank Male Zergs on Capital Star, and every one of them is publicly known. We just don't know which Lord it is.]

[Whoever it is, at least don't let it be another B-rank like before... Wait. That Lord became A-rank too. He was promoted the moment he entered prison!]

[The Marshal really suffered. He endured all those years beside a Male Zerg who couldn't be used, silently bearing everything. Then, just when he couldn't hold on anymore, that Male Zerg went to prison and became public property... only to suddenly become usable?]

[Seriously? That's an awfully crude way of putting it.]

[The rank difference was too large. Isn't that basically the same thing? Personally, I think separating was for the best. The Marshal divorced and immediately received a promotion. His mental condition obviously improved. That Lord's rank also increased. When they were together, they only tormented each other and grew to resent one another. After separating, both found peace and promising futures.]

The military parade continued.

The Zerg Federation displayed numerous new weapons and mechs.

Elite units from every military commander marched with boundless spirit and overwhelming momentum.

The camera followed the Marshal's line of sight as it swept across the area outside the parade grounds.

A silver-white figure...

Like moonlight...

Flashed across the screen.

The shot lasted less than a second.

Yet...

The barrage of comments froze simultaneously.

Silence filled the livestream for several long moments.

[Wait... What did I just see? Was that a Male Zerg? A Male Zerg Lord???]

[That had to be fake, right? I must've imagined it. How could a Male Zerg like that possibly exist?]

[There's no way that many of us imagined the same thing.]

[Who's desperately dragging the playback bar backward?]

[Timestamp: 45:33.]

[You're a lifesaver, brother.]

[My god... Is that actually a real Zerg? Even from that aerial shot... from that distance... he was already that beautiful? What would it be like to see him up close?]

[I'm losing my mind. That shot didn't even last a second, and I've already taken dozens of screenshots. How can someone's features be this perfect? Even every strand of his hair is beautiful. Shining beneath the sun... like the sun and the moon themselves...]

[It was way too short! I didn't get enough! Which Lord is that?! I'll pay anything for his contact information!]

[I thought every A-rank and above Male Zerg Lord had a public StarNet account? Why have I never seen this Lord before? I thought at least seeing Male Zergs on StarNet was fair for everyone. Turns out you Capital Star Zergs have been secretly living this well?! I'm fighting all of you!]

[Huh?! We don't know either!]

[Please! Just tell me his name! Otherwise I won't sleep tonight! I won't sleep for the rest of my life!]

[We don't even know his name, so we can't search for information! I'm dying here!]

[You don't necessarily need a name. You can identify someone through other details.

Everything on StarNet leaves traces.

This outfit is from Lightyear's newest luxury collection. Purchase records shouldn't be difficult to trace. Every piece of jewelry he's wearing can also be tracked.

And stop spamming Annor's name everywhere and ruining this Lord's reputation with newcomers. Do you really think nobody remembers what Annor looks like?

Back to the analysis.

One more thing.

That collar around his neck looks like an expensive accessory...

But in reality...

It's a suppressor.]

Everyone waited for the expert's conclusion.

The moment the word "suppressor" appeared...

The entire livestream fell silent.

Then exploded.

[WHAT?! WHO DID THIS?! WHO DARES PUT A SUPPRESSOR ON A MALE ZERG LORD?!]

[It really is a suppressor?! A Male Zerg Lord has been kidnapped! His personal safety is under severe threat!]

[I was wondering why I'd never seen this Lord anywhere on StarNet. I searched everything and found nothing. So the powerful elites on Capital Star have secretly imprisoned a high-ranking Male Zerg and kept him as their personal possession!]

[I thought the nobility had gone extinct after the Federation was founded! Turns out they just evolved into another form! Imprisoning a high-ranking Male Zerg for private ownership? Even the great aristocrats of the Empire wouldn't have dared go this far!]

[Investigate this thoroughly!]

[Rescue the Male Zerg Lord!!!]

[The Male Zerg Lord needs us!!!]

The livestream operations staff immediately broke into a cold sweat.

They hurriedly called their supervisor.

The supervisor had never encountered anything like this either.

The matter was escalated level after level.

Eventually...

It even reached one of the Generals of the First Military Region.

Moments later...

The Marshal was informed as well.

"..."

Ulysses looked toward the radiant figure gleaming in the distance.

Although he had expected some reaction...

The disturbance caused by that person still exceeded every prediction.

"Marshal, how should we handle this?"

the General asked.

StarNet had already begun descending into conspiracy theories.

Whenever Male Zergs were involved...

Female Zerg emotions became far too easy to provoke.

Something had to be done immediately.

However...

Since the matter involved the Marshal's former Male Lord...

The General came to request instructions first.

The parade was already nearing its conclusion.

Glancing at the time...

Ulysses calmly said,

"Do nothing.

Continue the livestream.

Delete only excessively inflammatory comments involving Male Zergs."

The General silently thought...

That wouldn't really be necessary.

Nobody was insulting the Male Zerg.

They were all insulting the Federation.

Everything proceeded as normal.

Ulysses took his seat at the center.

The nine Military Region Generals sat one after another on either side of him, forming a broad arc.

Behind them...

Were the Lieutenant Generals...

Entering such an unfamiliar place for the first time...

An Ruo kept his head lowered as he quietly followed behind Uriel.

Wherever Uriel walked...

He followed.

After walking for a while...

An Ruo realized something felt wrong.

The atmosphere around him seemed strangely oppressive.

Countless Zergs were watching him.

And...

Why were the military ranks of the female Zergs around him getting higher and higher?

The medals decorating their uniforms nearly covered their entire chests.

The pressure they exuded was overwhelming.

Finally...

Someone entered his field of vision whose chest was completely empty.

An Ruo secretly sighed in relief.

At last.

A lower-ranking officer who didn't seem quite so intimidating...

Although...

That ceremonial uniform looked remarkably imposing.

Different from everyone else's.

An Ruo slowly lifted his head.

Then saw...

Ulysses' perfectly sculpted face.

"..."

Wait.

Why had they come here?

Did they take the wrong route?

An Ruo nearly turned around and fled.

But Uriel was still walking ahead.

"Your Lordship.

This is your seat.

Please."

Uriel stopped, stepped aside respectfully, and invited the Male Zerg to sit.

An Ruo stared blankly at the seat.

Then glanced at Ulysses, who was only a few steps away.

Then at the silent Generals of the various Military Regions watching him.

His seat...

Was diagonally in front of...

The Marshal?

Was this...

Really correct?

The military had told him they would arrange the best viewing seat.

They never said...

It would be on the military's main reviewing platform.