Master of Masters 61

Chapter 61: Turning into a Fluffy Thing [Wien, 68%]…

“Are you tired from the research institute?” He Yue asked, patting Wien’s back. He could clearly feel that this once muscular bear had lost a lot of weight, almost becoming a skeleton.

Wien nuzzled He Yue’s shoulder, a silent nod. He closed his eyes, quietly enjoying the moment of being held by his Master, the warmth, the faint floral scent, the cherished bond of their genetic imprint.

“Are the people at the base rushing you to do research?”

Wien shook his head, his soft, dark brown hair brushing against He Yue’s ear.

“I knew it was you,” He Yue sighed inwardly, feeling helpless towards this dog who was silently competing for his affection. “Don’t do this anymore. Everything you have belongs to me. If you keep mistreating your body like this, I’ll have to punish you.” “Mmm…” Wien’s muffled reply came. “I understand, Master.” “Ah!!!”

A sharp scream came from the kitchen, shattering the cozy atmosphere in the living room. He Yue turned his head and saw the fox, his fur standing on end, covering his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He Yue’s attention was drawn by the scream, and he asked.

“Nothing, just got some oil in my eye, Master…” The fox wagged his tail, his voice full of feigned tears, his fox ears drooping pitifully, his azure eyes squeezing out tears, a pitiful, pleading look.

“It will be fine soon, the fox is alright.”

This guy…

He Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at him for a long time, his gaze sharp under the rimless glasses, seeing through everything.

Seeing that his act had no effect, the fox felt guilty and turned back, silently battling the pots and pans.

“I’ll go check on him.”

It was Wien who spoke. He looked at Knasch’s special skill of playing dumb with a detached expression, neither angry nor condescending, which surprised He Yue.

The calmer and colder his emotions, the more chilling and terrifying he was.

He Yue grabbed his arm. “Don’t be rash.”

“I’m not, I just want to say a few words to him.”

He Yue let go, knowing that even if Wien was angry, he wouldn’t do anything too out of line to Knasch, or even if he did, Knasch’s special ability would ensure that nothing serious happened.

Wien casually tossed the black backpack onto the sofa, its weight considerable, landing with a heavy thud.

“What do you want?”

Knasch took a wary step back, holding the spatula as a weapon. He had gotten used to living alone with He Yue, and the sudden appearance of Wien made him stressed.

Even though he knew this was He Yue and his accompanying female insect Wien’s home, and he, Knasch, was the outsider.

“Still think we can get along?” Wien said calmly, slicing the peeled potato on the cutting board with a kitchen knife, his movements smooth and his knife skills excellent.

Knasch watched the gleaming knife in his hand warily and took a few steps back. “You, you don’t do anything rash!” “Do you think you’re the first female insect I’ve faced?” Wien chuckled nonchalantly, his eyes lowered. “Before you, there was a female colonel, now a major general. And you probably won’t be the last, there will be more in the future.” “What are you trying to say? Because you’re an accompanying female insect, you’ll definitely be the one to stay in the end?” Wien chuckled softly and replied, “Of course I’ll be the one to stay in the end.”

“You!”

The accompanying female insect’s imprint was unbreakable, existing from birth until death. Knasch had no leverage against this advantage. Relying on He Yue’s temporary fondness for fluffy things was far from enough.

“Nothing, I just hope you make Master happy, and when you leave, don’t make him sad.” “What makes you so sure I’ll leave!”

Wien quietly sliced the potato, not replying for a long time.

“Do you think preferences are unchanging?” He said, stumbling slightly, the tip of the knife cutting his finger.

Wien didn’t make a sound, not shouting out like Knasch to attract He Yue’s attention, but simply turned on the faucet and washed the blood from his hand and the potato.

In a daze, his nose also started bleeding.

“Wi, Wien? Are you alright? You, you’re not trying to frame me, I didn’t touch you!” Knasch shouted, keeping his distance.

Wien leaned against the sink, the blood flowing more and more, and he began to sway, falling heavily to the floor.

“Hey!! Wake up, Wien!! Can you still hear me?” Knasch dropped the spatula in shock and rushed to support the semi-conscious Wien.

His voice called out to He Yue, who was browsing his optical device on the sofa.

“What happened?”

[The conquest target is experiencing severe physical trauma, and his mental power is fluctuating abnormally.]

Wien’s eyes were half-open, but they were unfocused, his consciousness hazy.

“Call an ambulance!” He Yue made a decisive decision. “What’s the emergency number for the insect race?”

Knasch grabbed He Yue’s pant leg and said urgently, “The insect race doesn’t have an emergency service for female insects, Master, use your pheromones, a bonded female insect needs soothing pheromones to avoid insectoidization.”

He Yue knelt down, one hand on the back of his neck, and quickly released his soothing pheromones.

The floral scent gathered, quickly becoming intense. Wien’s chest heaved, and he spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, coughing violently.

“Are you better?” Seeing his pupils slowly focus, He Yue asked.

Wien, now conscious, nodded repeatedly, struggling to get up from the floor.

“Fox, help him to the living room to rest.”

The small incident eased the tension between the two female insects. Knasch silently helped Wien to the sofa, truly feeling that this big lieutenant colonel wasn’t as heavy as he looked.

He saw He Yue staring at the blood on the floor with a dark expression and didn’t dare to breathe, carefully wiping the floor clean with a cloth.

He Yue’s downcast eyes were full of pressure, the reflection in one lens of his glasses hiding part of his stern gaze, yet still so cold that Knasch shivered.

“Mas, Master…” Knasch tried to use the tip of his fluffy tail to scratch He Yue’s hand, hoping to cheer him up, but he was swatted away.

He Yue gestured towards the stove with his chin, the chain on his glasses swaying slightly.

“Go cook.”

“Yes…”

Even his tail didn’t work now.

Knasch braced himself and cleaned the blood from the stove, his ears perked up, listening to He Yue’s receding footsteps, silently mourning for Wien.

“Want to explain?” He Yue pushed up his rimless glasses and stood by the sofa, arms crossed. He didn’t feel any pity for Wien at this moment, only anger.

For whatever reason, deliberately harming his own body was a violation of his Master’s command.

“I know I was wrong, Master, I’m sorry…”

“The punishment is on hold, come find me when you’re better.”

“Yes, Master.”

The black backpack was bulging, clearly not just filled with documents, but also some tools that were deforming the bag. He Yue reached for the zipper, curious what kind of project could make Wien neglect his health so much.

“Don’t open it! Master!!”

Wien suddenly grabbed He Yue’s hand, his vision going black as he stood up, and he started coughing up blood again. His reaction was too strong, and he coughed for a long time, the blood not stopping.

The fact that his dog had a secret made He Yue very unhappy. But the project might be a base secret, so He Yue stopped pulling on the zipper, ultimately not forcing it open.

Wien coughed up blood, his face flushed a sickly red, tears streaming down his face. He clutched He Yue’s sleeve, his face filled with terror.

“A base secret?”

Wien paused, avoided He Yue’s gaze, and nodded silently.

“Alright, keep it safe.” He Yue retracted his hand, still displeased. “You said you would come back on weekends, but now you’ve been gone for so long, and you come back looking like this.”

“I’m sorry…”

The more He Yue heard the apology, the angrier he became. “Alright, you don’t have to come over tonight, rest in your room and reflect.” He scoffed. “After working at the base research institute for a while, you can completely forget about your Master.”

“I didn’t! I never stopped thinking about Master for a single moment!” Wien could endure any insults or slander from He Yue, but he couldn’t stand this misunderstanding.

His Master could call him a slut, a mad dog, a wanton dog, but he couldn’t question whether he belonged to him completely.

He Yue’s index finger lifted his chin, questioning, “What do you have to be wronged about? You’ve ruined your own body, and I have to use my soothing pheromones to bring you back to your senses. When did I ever give you the right to dispose of your body?”

His eyes behind the lenses were cold and sharp, filled with boundless disappointment. He Yue’s lips parted slightly, and he said each word deliberately:

“What, did I spoil you?”

Tears instantly welled up in his eyes, dripping onto He Yue’s hand. The few words were incredibly cutting, like bullets shattering countless beautiful memories, piercing straight through his heart. Wien held his breath, the hand that was only holding his chin now feeling like it was strangling him, making it impossible for him to breathe.

So painful…

The physical and mental trauma hit him all at once, the physical pain nothing compared to He Yue’s words. Blood trickled from the corner of Wien’s mouth, mixing with the tears on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry… Master, I’m sorry…”

He cried as he spoke, his voice trembling violently.

“Don’t… please, don’t say that… doggy was wrong, really, I know I was wrong…”

Lieutenant Colonel Wien, who had been indestructible in the face of any hardship, was now on the verge of a breakdown, just from a few words from He Yue. He turned to the side and spat out blood, his chin slipping from He Yue’s grasp.

He Yue tossed him a nutrient solution and pointed upstairs. “Go back to your room and reflect. Come find me when you’ve thought it through.”

Wien’s dejected figure, dragging the heavy backpack upstairs, looked incredibly pathetic, the short distance to his room feeling like a long, lonely journey.

Knasch, who had set the table, was terrified, and he tiptoed to He Yue’s side, trying to cheer him up with his fluffy tail.

“Eat.”

He Yue rejected the fox’s kindness, his face dark with anger. The more obedient and loyal the dog, the more he was angered by their disobedience.

Could overwork really cause one to cough up blood?

He Yue thought about it and felt it was wrong.

This thought lingered in He Yue’s mind, and he was lost in thought even as he sat on the sofa watching the projector, his hand, which had been stroking the fox’s ears, pausing.

Knasch knelt at He Yue’s feet, his hands resting on his chin, his head on his lap.

The fluffy fur made He Yue feel much better, and as his anger subsided, his doubts grew.

The fox, who had been on edge all night, breathed a sigh of relief, accompanying He Yue and trying to appease him, rubbing his ears against his hand, finally managing to coax him a little.

“If Master feels something is wrong, you should go check on the lieutenant colonel.” The fox said softly, his tail tucked between his legs.

“Now you’re speaking up for him.”

“Master is unhappy.” The fox, his fluffy ears being kneaded, whimpered softly. “Master isn’t happy even when playing with the fox, you’re preoccupied. Then Master can go deal with your worries, you don’t have to mind the fox…”

He obediently nuzzled He Yue’s hand, his words considerate, yet his expression pitiful, trying to win his Master’s affection.

A transparent green tea trick, yet so sincere.

The fox was cunning and mischievous, yet clever in just the right way. He knew He Yue was worried, and he also knew he would go investigate the matter and not stay with him.

The fox wanted to leave a deeper impression on his Master.

“I’ll go check on him.”

He Yue still had his doubts and went upstairs. He knocked on Wien’s bedroom door, but there was no response for a long time.

“Wien?”

Was he asleep so early?

(System, check the conquest target’s mental state.)

[The conquest target’s mental state is fluctuating abnormally, but within the normal range.]

Coughing up blood was an internal injury in human terms, and He Yue hesitated for a moment before gently opening the door.

The room was brightly lit, the floor a mess, bloody pillows and quilts scattered everywhere. The female insect was lying on his side on the bed, hugging another pillow, a translucent hard wing on his back.

(Isn’t this pseudo-insectoidization! How did you detect it?)

The system was running at high speed, not daring to speak. Its detection data was indeed within the normal range, but seeing was believing, and Wien’s condition looked terrible.

“Wien, wake up!”

Soothing pheromones continuously emanated from the back of He Yue’s neck, filling the room with a refreshing floral scent. Wien, on the bed, calmed down slightly, but he was still gasping for breath.

“What’s wrong with you?”

He Yue touched the translucent wing, the fine lines brushing against his fingertips.

Wien, slightly better, stared blankly at the ceiling, not yet fully conscious, not responding to He Yue’s voice.

His doubts deepened, and He Yue looked around the room for clues, his gaze landing on the open black backpack by the table and the strange-looking detector on the desk.

An open booklet lay on the table, the chart inside filled with dates, each box checked off, continuing until today. Each column contained some incomprehensible formulas and data, and words like “completed.”

What was this?

He Yue flipped to the cover.

The wrinkled cover bore a few large words—”Gene Fusion Technology Preliminary Experimental Project.” The first page stated, “Phase One Experimental Target, Golden Retriever Fusion Experiment.”

In the name section below, the applicant, the person in charge, and the experimental subject were all Wien’s name.

In the approval section of the project proposal, under the research institute’s official seal, were the words “Not Approved” and Major General Koeyle’s signature, but the daily data records were complete.

The research institute hadn’t approved the project, and Major General Koeyle, as the leader of the southwest region, hadn’t approved it either. But Wien, he had violated the research institute’s ban and secretly started the project.

If the research institute had approved the project, Wien could have explained it according to the research proposal’s objective, saying that the base wanted to create terrifying female insect weapons through genetic modification.

But now?

Besides, if the base wanted to research female insect weapons, why would they choose a golden retriever?

For a moment, He Yue didn’t know how to react, his mind blank.

He bent down and rummaged through the black backpack, pulling out a ten-year diary.

The latest entry was from yesterday, a full page compiling entries from the same date for the past ten years, each year only a few short sentences.

The first year’s entry read, “Today, the insect Master floated to the side of the nurturing membrane. I couldn’t see his face, but watching him curled up, floating, so small, was so cute.”

Yesterday’s entry read, “I hope that with tomorrow’s final experimental reagent, I can grow fluffy golden retriever ears and a tail.”

He Yue’s breath hitched, his grip on the diary tightening.

“Master…”

Wien, now fully awake, sat up on the bed, his heart sinking as he saw the open project proposal on the table and the diary in He Yue’s hand. He touched his head, only feeling a pair of insect antennae.

His vision was blurry, his physical condition terrible.

He hadn’t grown any fluff.

His project had failed.

The result of torturing his body was nothing but a pseudo-insectoidization state.

Wien lowered his head, pinched the insect-like skin on his hand, and as he opened his palm, he caught his own tears.

The result of so much hard work had come to nothing.

“Is this the reason you haven’t been back for so long?” He Yue stood up, holding the diary.

Wien nodded, his antennae twitching slightly.

“I want to become what Master likes…”

Compared to rashly competing or directly killing his rival, Wien’s method was always to change himself from within, not to trouble He Yue.

Whether it was the lieutenant colonel’s epaulette or this project that had almost killed him.

He Yue placed the diary on the table.

“Wien, I don’t like this.”

“I’m sorry, Master, I messed up…”

Before he could finish, He Yue lunged forward and pushed him down on the bed, his body pressing against his, his arms wrapping around his neck. He tightened his grip, his entire body collapsing into Wien’s embrace.

“Master…?” Wien was so nervous he held his breath, awkwardly hugging him back. “Are you not angry?” “Of course I’m angry…” His voice wasn’t stern, but laced with a soft, tearful lilt.

He Yue was angry. He wanted to drag this incredibly foolish dog to the studio and punish him severely, whip him until he was bloody.

But holding this sincere and deep love, he only felt an overwhelming sadness.

Wien gently patted He Yue’s back and said softly, “I’m sorry… I was wrong.” “Of course it’s your fault, bad dog.”

“I… I’m sorry…” Wien didn’t know what to explain, only repeatedly apologizing, gently patting He Yue’s head, trying to soothe his Master’s emotions.

He Yue buried his head in his arms, his voice muffled. “I’m going to punish you severely, you bad dog.” “Yes, please punish me, Master.”

He Yue pinched his antenna with his free hand, not saying a word, but silently pulling down his collar, releasing his soothing pheromones. There was still a small needle mark on his gland from the recent incident, and now it was slightly red from the release of pheromones.

The room was filled with a rich floral scent.

“Master…” The words of confession swirled in his mind, finally dissolving into his tears. “I’m sorry.” “I don’t like you.”

The chest in his embrace shuddered. Compared to the pain of the medicine and the equipment, these words were even more brutal, striking his most vulnerable spot. He held He Yue tightly, biting the back of his hand to suppress his sobs.

“I’m sorry… please, please punish me…”

Wien’s hand was bleeding from his bite, but it couldn’t compare to the pain in his heart. He would rather be whipped, beaten until he passed out, than hear He Yue say he didn’t like him.

This was a more painful punishment, so painful he couldn’t breathe.

“Master, don’t hate me… please, punish me, you can’t, don’t hate me…” Wien couldn’t hold back his sobs, his voice a soft, pleading whisper.

“Your embrace is uncomfortable.” He Yue said, yet he snuggled deeper into the embrace of the emaciated insect, a result of the genetic tampering.

Wien released his hold, truly thinking He Yue was uncomfortable, and gently pushed him away.

He was met with an even tighter embrace.

“Give me back my Wien. My Wien isn’t like this. My doggy is comfortable to hug, soft like a pillow.” Wien froze, then understood He Yue’s meaning. The pain was shattered, disappearing without a trace.

“I will, Master, I will get myself back.”

He Yue’s eyes were half-closed, his body weak after releasing so much soothing pheromones, his voice soft.

“You don’t understand…”

His weak tone was unguarded, as soft as a cloud.

“Master?”

“Wien is Wien, what I want is Wien, my unique, accompanying female insect…” He Yue’s hands, which had been wrapped around Wien’s neck, fell, and he lay limply in his arms, his pheromones swirling around him. He closed his eyes without a care, his breathing becoming steady.

This sense of security was unparalleled. He Yue felt tired and simply let himself sink into Wien’s embrace, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

“I understand, Master.”

[Wien, 68%.]

He Yue was already fast asleep, not even stirred by the system’s voice.

Wien gently moved him slightly away from his chest and tucked a soft, thin blanket under him.

He couldn’t let himself be uncomfortable for his Master.

He thought.

The precision instruments on the desk gleamed under the room’s light, and Wien stared at them blankly. According to the plan, he should have completed the gene modification adaptation tonight, growing fluffy ears and a tail because of the golden retriever genes.

The result was a pathetic drama.

Thanks to the soothing pheromones, Wien’s body gradually stabilized, slowly exiting the pseudo-insectoidization state, all the antennae and insect-like skin on his body disappearing, returning to normal.

Wien was always trying to change himself to replace other female insects.

He wanted to become Colonel Koeyle, he wanted to become the fluffy Knasch, and perhaps he wanted to become other female insects in the future…

He had only lost himself.

He Yue wanted Wien.

Wien was just Wien.