Chapter 63

Cold.

This was Shen Yu’s first reaction upon waking from the darkness. A disgusting hand stroked his shoulder blade, as if appraising merchandise, nearly making him retch.

He suppressed the urge to sever that hand, lowered his eyelids, and stayed silent. He didn’t know how much time had passed and could only piece together the situation from scattered snippets of conversation.

“Damn it, we shouldn’t have let him go under pressure back then. What nonsense about no anomalies detected? Sidorey is ruthless, leaving such a backup plan.”

A slightly younger voice nearby hesitated. “There’s no specific test report showing any anomalies yet. Is it really okay to administer private punishment to a male insect like this?”

“What punishment is this for him? We’re just locking him up. If we don’t secure him now, who knows what kind of monster he’ll turn into? His body is mutating—no male insect’s bones should grow like this. By then, it’s questionable if he’ll even still be a male insect.”

As he spoke those last words, the hand on his shoulder blade squeezed hard, carrying the natural intimacy female insects held toward male insects.

A terrifying killing intent surged in Shen Yu’s heart, nearly bursting out of control.

At that moment, a violent explosion roared. It was so loud that even at the lowest level, it rang clear.

Urgent footsteps followed in the empty room. The person said anxiously, “Your Excellency Lucius, Andre is at the top floor right now, requesting to speak with you.”

Lucius withdrew his hand. Surprise laced his voice with icy chill. “So soon? And what’s with the explosion?”

“A fleet is currently attacking C11’s outer defenses. Suspected to be Andre’s allies.”

Lucius paused, frowning. “How long can we hold?”

“One day.”

“One day?”

Hearing this, Lucius relaxed inwardly, his face regaining composure.

“The detailed inspection report will be out by tonight at the latest. By then, even if they want him back, it won’t be up to them.”

He flicked his sleeve and left, his voice fading with the footsteps.

Silence and darkness once again flooded this eerie space, with only faint echoes of explosions lingering in his ears—the only sound at that moment.

In the C11 Top Floor Waiting Room, the door clacked open.

Demian entered.

Upon seeing the newcomer, blazing hatred erupted in Andre’s golden eyes, like countless stars flashing.

Smack—

Andre strode forward, lips pressed tight. He raised his arm and slapped Demian hard across the face, his palm going numb.

Demian’s head jerked to the side, curls falling over his face. A vivid red mark quickly bloomed on his pale cheek.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He hadn’t known Sadro would be captured. If he had, he never would have told his female father anything. Demian opened his mouth weakly to explain. “I…”

But the words caught in his dry throat, and he couldn’t speak.

Andre pulled back his hand and gripped Demian’s shoulders hard, forcing him to meet his gaze. The sudden force was almost beyond what a male insect should possess.

Demian felt pain. His shoulders trembled and shrank inward, his head forced to turn again, meeting those furious golden eyes.

Andre roared,

“You think the so-called privileges of male insects mean power? Huh! Slei, can you fucking wake up? We have no power at all—what power are we even talking about? It’s ridiculous. I was stupid enough to think you had no political stance, but you’re actually working for your father. I should have known—you’re just a damn pro-female faction—”

“Ha, you think male insects have ever truly held power? Everything we have now is nothing but a castle in the air.”

Andre spat each word, every one dripping blood.

“You think what you see—the so-called oppression of female insects by male insects—is the truth?”

“Demian, let me ask you: what do we have to compete with them? Can you give me an answer? That bullshit fertility, healing power? Huh! Tell me, Demian. You used to be blind to right and wrong, but you weren’t this stupid before. You’ve really gone full tilt to your father’s side—”

“If we male insects can’t even unite, what do we have to fight them with? Tell me, Demian—”

Andre had never felt such rage, such sorrow, such helplessness. It felt like a hole had torn open in his body, draining his bones, blood, and strength into a black void.

But he knew that at this moment, he couldn’t show even a hint of cowardice.

He wouldn’t be broken. He couldn’t be broken.

Sadro was still waiting for him. Victor was still waiting for him.

That resolve was like a rope, swiftly winding around him, pulling his strength back together, twisting it into an iron-hard cable that propped up his faltering body like a vise.

After the outburst, reason returned.

Andre calmed down and slowly straightened his spine. It was as if he’d regained endless power. He gradually released Demian’s shoulders.

He finally confirmed that on this path, not all male insects were fellow travelers. Whether female insects or male insects, they were all just stepping stones to his throne.

Andre smoothed his cuffs. His golden eyes quelled all turbulent emotions, turning into serene lakes. His male insect fingertips brushed the dazzling ruby, ironing out every wrinkle in the fabric inch by inch.

Andre gave one last glance at Demian, frozen in place, then turned and headed alone to the lower levels.

C11 Prison was named for its white theme. Layer by layer downward, past the eighteen levels holding countless criminals, one reached its deepest bottom.

C11’s Nineteenth Layer had been built fourteen years ago.

A massive female insect collective riot had given the empire’s top brass splitting headaches, sleepless for days. They urgently pressured C11, seeking a root solution to nip the unrest in the bud.

“The root issue is too few males and too many females. How do you solve that? Sub-females are even more useless—a bunch of evolutionary failures, wasted resources.”

“Female insect power must be restrained. They’re too prone to losing control. If fertility issues can’t be solved, then the widespread manic-depressive problems won’t be either. Should we force high-grade male insects and high-grade female insects to mate and breed superior, more self-controlled female insects—and more male insects?”

“Forget it. Better to think about that earlier proposal: develop something that makes female insects’ spirit seas self-attack to curb their riots.”

“Inducing female insect spirit seas to self-attack? Sounds simple, but doesn’t it still need male insect pheromones? We have plenty of female insects, but male insects?”

“…”

“Heh, from the sound of you all, it seems one powerful male insect could solve everything. What a bargain.”

The air fell abruptly silent.

After a long pause, someone suggested, “‘Do female insects steal male insects’ lives and power? Are male insects the price of female insect evolution?’ Isn’t there that group of lunatics from the Sadro Family? Sadro Family males have always been top-quality, and they’ve been applying to use White Prison’s labs—”

“If I recall, that Sadro Family cub is SSS-grade, right? Could we cooperate with them?”

“You’re fucking insane!”

Another silence. Sacrificing just one for supposed mutual benefit—what better outcome?

“But… their ideology is too crazy, too extreme. Isn’t it too risky? What if they create a monster that upends the empire?”

…

Thus, to this day, C11’s Nineteenth Layer had no recording devices or surveillance. It was a silent organ, all dark truths buried forever.

Here, in this rotting swamp, the empire was born.

And now, in this deathly silent space, two deep silver chains extended from the darkness, clamping onto pale white wrists.

The hands suspended in midair swayed slightly.

The chain clinked in the empty room.

Shen Yu’s knees buckled. He nearly collapsed into a kneel on the icy floor. Once silence returned, he lifted his heavy eyelids and saw his forcibly bent knees.

He knelt on the ground in a humiliating posture.

Shen Yu pressed his lips tight, fingers clenching until his knuckles whitened.

Sadro’s knees had never touched the ground—not even in flames. They had once forced his male father to kneel, to submit. So Sidorey had resolutely walked into the fire, destroying everything. But his will endured like an unkillable seed.

Rage and humiliation surged. Shen Yu gripped his fingers tighter, trying to stand. His hands were shackled, no support, so he focused his strength on his legs.

His soles pushed, nearly rising—then the chains rang violently. The shackles on his ankles yanked his legs mercilessly back to the ground.

A dull thud. His knees smashed back down.

The stabbing pain shot straight to his brain. In the agony, the world blurred.

Shen Yu furrowed his brows tight, gritted his teeth to stay conscious. He tried to stand again—only to be yanked down once more, knees slamming anew.

Sweat from his efforts soaked the silver hair on his forehead, fine beads landing on his curled silver lashes.

Shen Yu hung his head, waterfall-like silver hair cascading over his shoulders. Even if he died, he wouldn’t bow, wouldn’t submit. So he gritted his teeth and rose again and again, only to crash down repeatedly.

Until exhaustion claimed him, forcing him to his knees one final time.

The pain pierced like a needle from his knees into his nerves. The male insect’s pale silver lashes were wet, veiled in a mist of sorrow.

The shackles on his ankles burrowed into the ground like cold hands. Any intent to break free, any transgression, and they would drag him back down with pain.

That deep silver chain gleamed with cold, arrogant light, splitting into a mocking grin at his futile struggles.

A long while later, a curve appeared at Shen Yu’s lips. He let out an icy laugh.

“Ha.”

Hahaha.

“Hahaha—”

The laughter grew louder, almost eerie, echoing through the dim space.

Shen Yu knelt on the ground and suddenly threw his head back, gazing upward through the eighteen layers of hell. It was as if he could see long-lost sunlight.

He tilted his face up, a trace of bleak tears at his eye corners.

Andre, without the power to break free, what dignity in standing do you speak of?

Had his male father foreseen all this, planting this seed in his body long ago?

This seed, bearing the hopes of an entire race, once unlocked, would unleash devastating power.

The immense power hidden in this small body—accumulated from ancient times, from his youth—had grown into a vast ocean, day after day.

Waiting for this instant, this moment.

This era would be rewritten. This seed would bring them unprecedented power.

It would grant the key to selfhood, the weapon to shatter shackles. From then on, your mental tentacles would no longer be mere tools for breeding and healing—they could become cruel, ferocious whips lashing into female insects’ spirit seas. Your bones would grow anew, birthing beautiful wings.

This sword, handed to you personally.

But the sword was blameless. It merely offered more choices, so you were no longer hollow, flashy soft things.

Shen Yu lowered his head again.

The silver-haired male insect knelt on the ground, blood flowing from his bent knees, silver hair spilling down his back.

Clack—

Fabric tore.

Then, two enormous butterfly wings unfurled from the male insect’s back bones. They grew larger and larger as his suppressed SSS-level talent erupted, bursting forth in dazzling, radiant light that pierced the deep gloom.

Blue mental tentacles sprang from his forehead, mental power pulsing slowly through the air.

“I, Vidonien Sadro.”

He knelt on the ground as endless darkness and light surged from all directions, enveloping him.

Shen Yu lowered his eyelids, lashes like frost-covered snow, his sidelong gaze quiet and cold.

In a low voice, he conveyed the will of countless predecessors who had forged ahead unyieldingly.

“I am willing to pay with my life to bring a spark to this world.”