Chapter 51

When Pei Rui found Jing Chi, he was reaching out to gently stroke the soft cheek of the baby insect, his eyes brimming with delight and a picture of pure happiness.

The tender smile on the young man’s face instantly soothed the unease Pei Rui had felt earlier from running into those male insects.

Jing Chi glanced up and caught a flicker of displeasure in the man’s expression, though it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

It was as if he’d imagined it, but something clicked in Jing Chi’s mind. He looked up at Pei Rui and asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Pei Rui had no intention of burdening Jing Chi with those repulsive encounters. He shook his head, his face a mask of neutrality.

It was then that Reis spoke up. “Jing Chi, I heard you’re heading to Koslo Planet with the General this time?”

Doubt lingered in his eyes. With Jing Chi’s slender build, he couldn’t help wondering if the insect even had the ability to protect himself.

Reis’s interruption derailed Jing Chi’s line of questioning.

Faced with that skeptical stare, Jing Chi felt a twinge of exasperation. Was he really so fragile that one insect after another felt the need to doubt him?

Pei Rui’s lips quirked at the youth’s faintly aggrieved look. He stepped in to explain. “Reis, Jing Chi’s strength is actually on par with yours.”

Hearing that stamp of official approval lit Jing Chi up. His eyes crinkled with joy, and the gaze he fixed on Pei Rui grew a touch more ardent.

Pei Rui shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, straightening his posture on instinct while his fingers tightened ever so slightly.

Now it was Reis’s turn to gape. He sized Jing Chi up and down before turning to Pei Rui. “General, you aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”

But Pei Rui’s earnest demeanor left no room for doubt. Reis had no choice but to accept it.

After all, their General wasn’t one for jokes.

Reis clapped Jing Chi on the shoulder, buzzing with excitement. “In that case, we have to spar sometime!”

Jing Chi’s smile faltered, tugging awkwardly at the corners of his mouth.

He knew his own limits all too well. Before Pei Rui underwent insect transformation, he might have only been a hair behind. But once transformed, that power and speed doubled—no way he could win. The same went for a transformed Reis. Against your average military female, though, Jing Chi figured he could hold his own in his insect-transformed state.

Fortunately, Reis’s male lord called him away just then. Jing Chi let out a quiet breath of relief.

They lingered a while longer, with no rush to leave at first. But the stares from all those male insects watching him and Pei Rui grew too intense, their odd gazes making Jing Chi’s skin crawl. He grabbed Pei Rui’s hand and beat a hasty retreat.

~~~

Time flew by, and departure day arrived before they knew it.

Though Jing Chi wasn’t an official member of the military ranks, he’d still been issued a full uniform.

He stood before the mirror, admiring his sharp reflection, tempted to whistle at himself.

Pei Rui, standing off to the side, felt much the same.

He’d never seen an insect who wore the uniform quite like this one.

The tailored fabric hugged the youth’s frame perfectly, the belt accentuating his lean waist. The army-green trousers avoided any hint of bulk, instead highlighting the lithe, endless lines of his legs.

Bathed in sunlight, golden rays washed over his face, making his skin gleam almost translucently pale.

He was the sort of insect who drew every eye—and for a fleeting moment, Pei Rui regretted having to share that sight with anyone else.

“Am I handsome or what?”

The next instant, as Pei Rui looked up, Jing Chi’s grinning face filled his vision, larger than life.

Pei Rui couldn’t help thinking Jing Chi had zero sense of personal space. For him, it was a delicious kind of torture.

He drew in a steadying breath and took a measured step back. “We’re about to depart,” he said coolly.

Jing Chi had grown accustomed to the insect’s lack of flair. With a helpless shrug, he replied, “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

As they headed out the door, though, he caught the female insect’s soft murmur: “Not bad.”

Jing Chi’s sharp ears picked it up just before the words dissolved into the air. His brows arched in a delighted grin, utterly pleased.

~~~

Koslo Planet lay far from the Main Star, a voyage that would take the warship about three days.

By modern standards, that was a considerable distance.

For comparison, the trip from the Main Star to the remote Desolate Star had only taken half a day.

When the warship finally docked, Jing Chi followed Pei Rui down the ramp.

A contingent of local military females greeted them promptly, escorting the pair to their camp for rest.

At the same time, the officers in charge began briefing Pei Rui on the current situation. Jing Chi tactfully stepped aside to give them room.

Jing Chi wandered casually outside, stretching his stiff body as he went.

That’s when he heard a female insect calling to another nearby.

“Yalman, come over here and rest.”

The moment Jing Chi heard that name, his ears perked up. After all, it matched the insect from the original plot who leaked intel and sabotaged things, leading to General Pei Rui’s defeat.

He immediately followed them over.

Up close, Jing Chi saw that this Yalman was rather refined-looking, not too old, with clear eyes. He didn’t seem like the type to betray General Pei Rui at all.

Maybe one couldn’t judge an insect by its appearance, or perhaps Lantis hadn’t gotten to know him yet this time around?

Either way, better to be safe than sorry. Jing Chi decided he’d keep a close eye on him from now on.

“Why are you here too? Shouldn’t you be with the General? This probably isn’t the place for you.”

The female insect who’d called Yalman over narrowed his eyes at Jing Chi, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Jing Chi was full of question marks. He didn’t even know this insect—why the hostility?

Yalman tugged at the insect beside him and murmured softly, “Aokasi.”

So, this somewhat provocative female insect was named Aokasi.

Jing Chi strode right up, looking down at him with a slight curl of his lips and a hint of disdain in his eyes. “Do I know you?”

The implication was clear: a mere female insect wasn’t worth his acquaintance.

And yes, he was doing it on purpose. After all, the insect’s tone had rubbed him the wrong way.

Aokasi shot to his feet at Jing Chi’s words, meeting his gaze head-on with utter contempt. “You’re nothing but the General’s little tag-along, fawning over him day in and day out. Otherwise, why would the General make an exception to bring you in and let you stick by his side every day?”

Jing Chi remained utterly calm in the face of Aokasi’s indignation. He arched a brow and watched the other insect’s face twist, then feigned sudden realization. “Oh, so you’re jealous. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

His words drew the eyes of many female insects toward Aokasi. Those gawking, spectacle-loving stares made the insect’s cheeks flush red, a raw wave of shame washing over him.

Aokasi glared daggers at Jing Chi, then seemed to think of something and smirked with smug satisfaction. “Jealous of you? Jealous of a powerless bootlicker like you? What a joke.”

There was a reason this insect was so fixated on Jing Chi. He’d assumed that with Deputy General Reis absent, he—as the strongest among this batch of military females—would surely earn General Pei Rui’s favor. But then Jing Chi had shown up out of nowhere and ruined it all.

He hadn’t even gotten a chance to speak with General Pei Rui during that time.

So naturally, he couldn’t stand Jing Chi.

As expected, his words shifted all eyes to Jing Chi, filled with suspicion, disdain, and that gleeful anticipation of drama.

After all, ever since Jing Chi arrived, he’d taken over the spot once held by Deputy General Reis. He held no real authority, but he was impossible to ignore, and he hadn’t shown any standout abilities.

Jing Chi found the military female’s confident expression before him utterly amusing.

To think there were still such childish insects here. He rolled his wrists and lazily lifted his gaze to Aokasi. “Since you say I have no strength, let’s settle it simply: we fight. The loser stays out of the winner’s sight from now on. How about it?”

His tone was light and breezy, as if defeat was impossible for him.

Aokasi, though, figured Jing Chi was just bluffing to save face, worried he’d refuse out of deference to General Pei Rui. But he was wrong.

Aokasi was dead set on humiliating the insect in front of everyone.

“Deal,” the female insect agreed readily.

The other insects quickly cleared a space for the two.

No one suggested using the Virtual Training Field, and only they knew why.

Jing Chi’s goal was straightforward: ensure no more pests like Aokasi would bother him in the future.

Aokasi just wanted Jing Chi to crash and burn publicly.

At first, neither underwent insect transformation. They started with bare fists, trading blows.

Aokasi had underestimated him at the outset, thinking Jing Chi was all bark. But after a few exchanges, it became clear.

The power and speed Jing Chi displayed far surpassed that of an ordinary military female.

Aokasi took two punches to the gut, two kicks to the legs, and even a mark on his face—while his opponent emerged unscathed.

Aokasi knew he was at a disadvantage and immediately came to a halt.

Jing Chi watched as the insect’s eyes instantly narrowed into vertical slits. A layer of chitinous armor swiftly covered his hands, his fingertips sharpening into gleaming blades that flashed with cold light.

Satisfied with his transformed arm, Aokasi taunted Jing Chi. “Come on, transform too—or I won’t hold back.”

Jing Chi thought to himself, I wish I could, but I don’t have that ability.

His mouth, however, wasted no time in offending the insect. With utmost arrogance, he shot back, “Even without transforming, beating you would be a piece of cake.”

His words landed perfectly. The surrounding insects all drew in sharp breaths, unable to believe that Jing Chi could defeat a fully transformed Military Female without undergoing Insect Transformation himself.

Aokasi flew into a rage and lunged straight at Jing Chi.

Jing Chi twisted away with a quick turn, but the speed of a transformed Female Insect was far too great. He wasn’t careful enough, and a shallow gash appeared on his arm.

He drew in a light breath and immediately called out without a hint of politeness, “System, give me a cheat quick, or your Host is gonna get embarrassed today.”

Over on the other side, Aokasi saw that Jing Chi was finally injured and laughed smugly. “Heh, all talk and no strength.”

The System sighed helplessly but relented. It couldn’t stand to see its Host humiliated by an insect like this.

“Host, I’ve added a ten-minute Insect Transformation buff. You won’t actually transform, but you’ll get the enhanced strength—though only for ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes is plenty,” Jing Chi murmured.

Suddenly, Aokasi realized something was off. Jing Chi hadn’t transformed at all, yet his speed and power had skyrocketed. He wasn’t even close to being a match for him anymore.

In less than five minutes, Jing Chi had him pinned firmly beneath his foot.

“Satisfied now?” Jing Chi crouched down, gazing at the disheveled Female Insect with great satisfaction. With a grin, he added a reminder. “Next time you see me, make sure to steer clear.”

The Female Insect wished he could bury his face in the ground. It was utterly humiliating—an elite Military Female in full Insect Transformation, defeated by a non-transformed insect like Jing Chi. If word got out, he’d be the butt of jokes for years.

At the same time, this fight made every insect there truly grasp Jing Chi’s strength. Admiration now filled their eyes.

“What are you doing?” Pei Rui’s icy voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

Jing Chi froze. He quickly tucked his injured arm behind his back before turning around, forcing an awkward smile onto his lips.

After all, getting caught red-handed right in the middle of showing off was embarrassing, even for someone as thick-skinned as Jing Chi.