Chapter 31: Idiot [Koeyle, 42%]
An icy gale blasted from the oval-shaped shadow resembling a nuclear hole, as if seeking out living creatures, blowing purposefully in their direction. Shop signs that hadn’t been taken down billowed and were ripped from their poles, carried away by the wind.
“Master!”
Koeyle quickly shielded He Yue, pressing his head protectively against his chest, using his back to block the small shards of ice. His tall frame acted like a wall, preventing any ice from hitting He Yue’s face.
He gripped a sturdy utility pole and connected to the base’s optical network.
“Calling headquarters, this is Colonel Koeyle of Area A. An unknown nuclear hole has appeared in Area A, requesting backup. Coordinates…”
(System…) He Yue, completely unfamiliar with this insect-world-specific crisis, could only helplessly call out.
[Right away, the system is searching, just a moment!]
The system’s mechanical voice was urgent, almost panicked. In the entire history of the insect race, there had never been a case of a second nuclear hole appearing while the first was still active.
The strong wind made their thoughts race, and the rapidly dropping temperature quickly formed ice crystals on their eyebrows and noses. He Yue held onto the pole with one hand, his other arm around the shivering young female insect.
The little boy was terrified, trembling uncontrollably. But he was quiet, neither crying nor making a fuss, his limbs cold and stiff as he instinctively huddled closer to He Yue, either from fear or from inherent obedience.
The swirling snow made it difficult to see, so it wasn’t until a snow-covered tentacle emerged from the snowstorm, only half a meter away, that Koeyle saw it clearly.
His excellent combat reflexes kicked in, and he drew the laser pistol from his waist, firing accurately at the tentacle.
A red laser beam shot out from the muzzle, burning a hole in the tentacle upon contact. Melted snow and red blood dripped onto the thick layer of snow, staining a large area red.
The unknown nuclear hole quieted down, leaving only the sound of wind and snow.
He Yue breathed a sigh of relief, but Koeyle, still holding him tightly, remained vigilant, staring ahead.
The wind seemed to have weakened slightly, and the snowfall lessened. The air was filled with the stench of blood, the spreading red stain before them steaming, still dirty even under the fresh snow.
“It’s alright, don’t be afraid. Backup will arrive soon, just hold on a little longer.” Koeyle’s voice trembled, but not from fear. The surge of adrenaline made his heart race, his skin tingling.
He Yue, held in his arms, was surprisingly calm, constantly urging the system to search for information and analyze the nuclear hole’s vulnerabilities, making the system’s CPU overheat.
He Yue wasn’t the frail male insect Koeyle imagined him to be. Even though his body, like most male insects, was somewhat slender, he wasn’t weak in spirit.
The seemingly glamorous and decadent Castle was always a place of hidden dangers, brewing with the greediest desires of human nature, and violence was no stranger there. As its founder and ruler, the chief animal trainer, he forced everyone who entered Castle, whether trainer or prey, to abide by the rules he and the other rulers had set.
How could his very being not flow with both gentle seduction and ruthless cruelty?
But Koeyle didn’t know this. He only focused on protecting He Yue, holding him tightly and comforting him gently.
[Host, I…]
A ringing in his ears interrupted the system.
A loud roar emanated from the nuclear hole, the sound waves so intense that they caused a painful ringing in his ears the moment they reached him.
Koeyle froze for only a second, then quickly turned and covered He Yue’s ears. As a female insect, he would be fine. Even if his eardrums were ruptured, he could recover with sufficient mental strength. But his Master couldn’t.
He was still holding the laser pistol, its body warm from firing. Pressed against He Yue’s ear, the warmth was palpable in the icy air.
His hand, covering He Yue’s ear, trembled slightly, but he still took deep breaths, maintaining his composure.
“Hiss…”
The sharp pain and ringing in his ear made Koeyle groan. He stood slightly sideways, his left ear closer to the nuclear hole, the high pressure rupturing his eardrum, blood flowing out.
But he didn’t care, only pressing He Yue’s ears tighter, blocking some of the sound waves. His left ear was deaf now, and the silence calmed him.
“Master, don’t worry, I will protect you.”
Driven by a strong sense of responsibility, his muffled voice reached He Yue.
(System, speak.)
Even through the dimensional barrier, the oppressive force made the system pause for a second.
[The strongest energy fluctuations from the nuclear hole are concentrated in the tentacles. They’re attached to the outer edge. Cut them off at the base. It will take some time for them to regenerate, giving you enough time to escape.]
He Yue reached out and took the specially made laser pistol from Koeyle’s hand, skillfully loading it.
The advantage of having his ears covered was that it blocked out some of the noise, allowing him to concentrate better. He raised the gun under Koeyle’s surprised gaze and fired several shots at the tentacles attacking them.
This laser pistol was much lighter than those in human society, with less recoil, requiring little effort to control. Its power had already been demonstrated when Koeyle fired earlier, no weaker than a human pistol.
He Yue, having experienced countless dangerous situations at Castle, was no stranger to gunfire. Even when competing with the other founders at the shooting range, he rarely lost.
Several tentacles from the nuclear hole fell heavily to the ground, the loud noise lessening considerably.
Koeyle stared blankly at the fallen tentacles, oozing blood, then turned to look at He Yue, who had fired the shots.
Compared to the natural shooting talent of strong female insects, this “frail” male insect hitting every shot on his first try was far more impactful. His beautiful, delicate face was tense, his usually disdainful eyes now filled with killing intent. His slender fingers could wield a whip, hold a paintbrush, and also accurately fire a gun.
Could it be that his Master was truly a genius?
While he was lost in thought, He Yue fired again, taking down a few more approaching tentacles.
Perhaps deterred by He Yue’s gunfire, or weakened by his counterattack, the noise from the nuclear hole lessened, and even the snowstorm subsided slightly.
They could finally see the situation around the nuclear hole more clearly.
The snow-covered tentacles resembled the arms of an octopus, writhing and flailing around the edge of the nuclear hole. As they watched, the tentacles regenerated at a visible speed, their movements disrupting their vision.
He Yue pressed the laser pistol against Koeyle’s chin, leaving a dent in the soft flesh. As Koeyle winced, He Yue pulled him closer with the gun and whispered into his right ear, the one that could still hear.
“How is the colonel at close combat?”
Although puzzled, Koeyle immediately replied, “Top-ranked in the base.”
“Take my bone whip and strike at the base of those tentacles around the edge of the nuclear hole. I’ll cover you, go!”
Koeyle didn’t know where He Yue, who had just recently hatched, got this plan from. He opened his mouth to ask, but He Yue pressed the gun harder against his chin.
The still-hot muzzle burned his skin, the sensitive area clearly feeling the searing pain.
He Yue held a laser pistol that could fire at any moment, yet his gaze was calm and gentle.
“Be obedient, good doggy, trust me.”
Trusting a male insect who knew nothing about nuclear holes, instead of trusting his own extensive experience with nuclear hole crises, sounded absurd, but Koeyle’s body reacted before his mind could process it. He ripped open the bone whip’s elaborate packaging, gripped the handle, and charged into the blizzard.
Leaving Koeyle’s embrace, the strong wind made He Yue’s slender body stagger a few steps. He leaned against a pillar and raised his hand, aiming at the tentacles flailing in the snowstorm.
“Don’t look.” He covered the little boy’s eyes with his free hand and fired decisively with the other.
The laser beams accurately hit the tentacles, leaving a trail of blood and gore. Koeyle weaved through the snowstorm, clearly sensing the laser beams passing by him.
He Yue’s aim was impeccable, every shot hitting its target, never once injuring Koeyle. He fired in controlled bursts, not blindly spraying, his skill undeniable.
When the bone whip struck the tentacles, the spikes on each bone segment pierced deep. With a pull, it ripped off a layer of flesh, leaving a bloody mess.
Its power far surpassed that of a toy; it was a deadly weapon fit for the battlefield.
At this moment, Koeyle truly hoped it would never be used on him.
But in the next second, this hope was dashed.
The two-meter-long bone whip, connected by resilient soft tissue, was difficult to control. Coupled with the fact that whips weren’t commonly used weapons on the battlefield, Koeyle was still unfamiliar with it. As he swung it back, the end of the whip landed on his arm, the dense spikes tearing a deep, long gash.
He couldn’t help but curse under his breath, loosening his grip, his other hand covering the bleeding wound.
The blood-stained bone whip looked gruesome , landing on the frozen, bloody ground.
Whips were never easy to control. Koeyle hadn’t realized this when watching He Yue wield them, but now he truly understood. Those seemingly effortless movements and precise strikes actually required unimaginable control.
Several laser beams passed close by him, hitting a tentacle flying towards him.
The gunfire became more frequent, clearly because He Yue had seen him injure himself.
When had a seasoned military colonel ever needed protection from a frail male insect?
He didn’t have time to dwell on this thought. Koeyle chuckled self-deprecatingly, picked up the bone whip, tested its feel with his other hand, learned from his previous mistake, and adjusted his trajectory.
His movements looked clumsy and awkward, but his tense muscles, with their absolute strength, smashed the incoming tentacles.
The wind and snow lessened further, the energy from the nuclear hole dissipating, like a dying beast. Koeyle’s bone whip struck the edge of the nuclear hole’s entrance, severing all the tentacles wrapped around it.
The wind and snow subsided considerably, now a gentle breeze, snowflakes falling softly.
Red fluid spurted from the severed tentacles, writhing continuously. The nuclear hole emitted a monstrous roar, but it was much softer than the previous blast.
Koeyle’s left ear was deaf, and his right ear could only hear faintly, so he didn’t find it loud.
He turned around worriedly and saw He Yue still holding the black pistol.
The wind wasn’t strong, but it was enough to ruffle He Yue’s long hair. The snowfall wasn’t heavy either, acting like a filter between them.
Koeyle couldn’t describe the strange feeling he felt seeing He Yue holding the pistol, leaning casually against the utility pole, displaying marksmanship that even naturally talented female insects couldn’t achieve.
He realized how absurd his previous misconceptions had been.
How absurd it was to judge his Master by the common standards of male insect frailty.
Whether it was marksmanship or whip-wielding skills, his Master was far superior to him, a female colonel.
Koeyle gripped the bone whip tightly, dragging the two-meter-long, blood-stained weapon, his boots stepping on the blood that had melted into the snow, walking towards He Yue step by step.
His thoughts were in turmoil, his previous understanding of things crumbling.
He saw He Yue lower the gun, casually spinning the trigger, as if holding a toy, not a deadly weapon.
He had been completely wrong…
“Here you go.” He Yue hooked his finger around the trigger of the laser pistol and placed it in Koeyle’s hand.
Koeyle took the gun and asked, “Is Master injured?”
“No, but you…”
Koeyle’s clothes were torn and tattered, his body covered in blood, impossible to tell whether it was his own or the nuclear hole monster’s. He shook his head nonchalantly, long accustomed to such injuries.
“It will heal after some rest.”
Finally, a support helicopter hovered above them, and fully equipped military females arrived at the scene.
…After they had mostly dealt with the emergency.
Thankfully, there had been the system’s warning, otherwise the three of them would be inside the nuclear hole now.
“Sir, the blizzard created a thick barrier, we couldn’t get in earlier, you…” The officer saw the injuries on Koeyle. “I’ll call a medic.”
“No need to trouble yourself, this level of injury will heal in a couple of days, no need for a medic.”
The officer opened his mouth to speak, but Koeyle stopped him with a raised hand.
“Go deal with the nuclear hole. Clean up the scene, seal the entrance, evacuate the others, there’s still a lot to do, don’t mind me.” Koeyle instructed.
“Yes, sir.” The military female received the expected answer and sighed softly.
This unusual female colonel was always like this. Even with serious injuries, even broken bones, he had never asked for a medic. Most people at the base speculated that he must have a reliable and supportive Master behind him, always able to heal him completely with male insect pheromones.
The military female noticed He Yue standing at the side and couldn’t help but stare at the mysterious male insect behind the colonel for a few seconds.
Koeyle shifted to the side, blocking his view, his voice turning colder. “Get to work.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant, sir.” The military female immediately saluted and explained, catching Koeyle’s darkened gaze. “I was just thinking, since your Master is here, the medics don’t need to worry about your injuries.”
He didn’t notice Koeyle unconsciously taking a step back, still looking down as he said, “I’ll get to work, sir. I wish you a speedy recovery.”
Koeyle and He Yue tacitly remained silent upon hearing the military female’s words.
They both knew what he meant. Male insects could provide soothing pheromones for female insects, more effective than any medic.
But Koeyle was different. He was one of the few female insects who had overcome the backlash of the imprint and developed both a physical and mental aversion to male insect pheromones.
He Yue didn’t mention this, leaning down and patting the young female insect’s head. “It’s alright now, go back quickly, it’s not safe here.”
The female insect blinked his large, watery eyes, one hand still clutching He Yue’s sleeve. “Brother, can you tell me your name?”
“If fate allows us to meet again, I’ll tell you then.”
He Yue took out a handmade red rose candle from the plastic bag and placed it in the young female insect’s hand. “If you’re cold on the way, light the candle to warm yourself.”
He Yue felt pity for this thinly clad young female insect, mainly because he looked almost exactly like an ordinary human child.
[Host, insect growth is different, especially during the larval stage of female insects, which only lasts one to two years. They quickly develop into young adults. Their appearance doesn’t age, but they gradually lose control of their mental power over time, until they eventually insectoidize and die.]
(So, this child might only be one year old?) He Yue looked at the receding figure of the young female insect, slightly surprised.
[Or half a year old. Female insects don’t have much time to grow; they need to become strong quickly to protect their accompanying male insect’s egg.]
“His accompanying male insect is still alive,” Koeyle’s voice suddenly appeared. “I can sense his pheromone state.”
He Yue nodded, not really paying much attention to the young female insect.
“Let’s go back. You should also go and treat your wounds quickly.”
Both of them, having gone through so much, were exhausted and eager to rest.
A cordon had been set up around the nuclear hole, and the nearby insects were being evacuated in an orderly manner. The sudden appearance of the nuclear hole in Area A must have caused widespread panic, but neither of them had the energy to think about the truth of the matter now.
He Yue took a quick shower, changed into comfortable pajamas, and lay down on the bed, relieved.
The military female’s words had reminded him of something.
(System, check Koeyle’s mental fluctuations.)
The system quickly responded: [Mental fluctuations detected, but within normal levels.]
He Yue thought for a moment, got out of bed, and went to the studio next door, retrieving the first-aid kit he had stuffed away among a pile of miscellaneous items, something he rarely used himself.
No matter how long and flexible the whip in his hand was, he always maintained perfect control, never causing any serious injuries, whether to Koeyle or himself.
He sent a message to Koeyle on his optical device.
Opportunities to tame the body were common, but opportunities to conquer the heart were rare. Otherwise, Koeyle’s value wouldn’t still be at 40%.
“Master, you called for me.”
Koeyle, upon receiving the message, immediately arrived, wearing light home clothes, poking his head in through the bedroom door.
He Yue beckoned him. “Come here, kneel, and take off your clothes.”
Koeyle didn’t hesitate, obeying instinctively. A flicker of worry crossed his mind, both about the usual games and about He Yue using male insect pheromones to suppress and tame him while he was injured.
He had only applied some hemostatic powder to the wound on his arm, leaving it to heal naturally.
As long as no bones were broken, this level of injury was completely bearable for him.
He was still worried, so when the cool ointment was applied to his burning arm, he froze in surprise. On his way to He Yue’s bedroom, he had imagined countless scenarios of He Yue toying with him, but he hadn’t expected He Yue to personally apply medicine to him, something only frail male insects would use.
“Master, I don’t need…” He tried to pull his hand back.
He Yue gave him a look.
“I was wrong…” Koeyle tensed up, kneeling obediently, not moving a muscle. Admitting his mistakes immediately was a lesson he had learned from being with He Yue, saving him from a lot of physical pain.
Of course, if He Yue was determined to punish him, no amount of “I’m sorry” would be useful.
Fortunately, He Yue wasn’t in that mood now. He evenly applied the ointment to Koeyle’s arm, then wrapped it with a bandage, his movements gentle and slow.
He knew what an injured person needed, especially for Koeyle. Perhaps male insect pheromones were effective, but what truly captured the heart was just a simple ointment.
With Koeyle’s personality, he had probably never had anyone treat his injuries like this before.
“I’ve never whipped myself, have I?” He Yue said casually, joking as he wrapped the bandage.
Koeyle hurriedly explained, “It’s because that bone whip…” He wanted to offer some objective reason, then realized He Yue was just teasing him, and changed his words. “I’m not a whip user.”
This seemed to have a double meaning.
He Yue chuckled and scolded, “Idiot, you’re really not.”
Koeyle wasn’t annoyed at being scolded, instead feeling a surge of excitement. “I’m not as skilled as Master.”
At least when it came to wielding whips, Koeyle had to admit he was no match for He Yue. Even if these words were meant to flatter, they were also completely sincere.
Koeyle’s feelings towards He Yue were complex.
The filter of a weak, small animal seemed to crack slightly. He shouldn’t, and didn’t have the right, to place himself solely in the position of a protector.
After a long while, the number above Koeyle’s head flickered.
[Koeyle, 42%.]
