Sakedi had delivered heads as gifts more than once.
However, in the past, he had always brought the heads of Hive Mothers. Switching suddenly to the head of a Sub-Queen felt like a significant step down in quality.
"One half."
Facing the expressionless, silver-gray female, the Core Seed sat down calmly and placed the "surprise gift"—a sealed briefcase—onto the table. "The remaining balance will be settled soon."
It had to be said that after not seeing him for a few days, the Sub-Queen of the Grey-wing tribe looked more exhausted than ever. This fatigue wasn't necessarily physical; his pristine, dustless wings still draped elegantly behind him, and his decisive, fluid movements were no different than before.
Yet, a heavy sense of weariness seemed to seep from his very being.
"He’s gone," the blunt Sakedi remarked, hitting where it hurt. "You tried to chase after him, but you couldn't make him stay."
"Tell me why you called for me."
Clark merely leaned his head against his hand, offering no further response.
"You said there was an urgent matter to discuss, which is why you called me back from the front lines," Sakedi continued. "I didn't come here to listen to nonsense."
"There were originally two things I wanted to discuss. Now, there are three."
Sakedi spoke quickly, his golden-brown eyes calm. However, in stark contrast to his expression, his unfiltered mouth was as prone as ever to shattering the peace when others were least prepared.
"First, the Broad-wing tribe’s territory now belongs entirely to the Grey-wings. You can dispatch your members to handle the subsequent management. Second, the Broad-wing Sub-Queen claimed that the blood of the Hard-wing tribe flows through my body. I obtained a sample from its gene bank; I need your people to help perform an identification."
Clark: "..."
He slowly lifted his head, his lead-gray pupils turning sluggishly toward Sakedi. "What?" he asked.
"You heard me."
Sakedi had no intention of repeating himself. His posture, with arms propped on the table, remained unchanged, but his entire body was coiled in a state of quiet tension. It was one thing to try his best to avoid conflict; it was quite another to hand his head over to be twisted off.
"Do the identification first. I want to know the results as well."
The Grey-wing tribe were allies he had brought under his protection. For that piece of trash from the Broad-wings to drop such a bombshell right before dying pushed his relationship with his collaborator to a dangerous precipice.
"Until we have an accurate answer, we cannot continue this conversation."
The Sub-Queen’s face turned ashen. He sat in the shadows, falling into a long silence.
Sakedi could actually understand this feeling. From his personal perspective, Clark was quite unlucky at times. He once had a partner and cubs, only to lose everything because of the Hard-wing tribe and Krisha. The human he picked up grew up smoothly, only for that human to want to sleep with him. He won the death match, yet the Grey-wing tribe lost a third of its population, the old Royal Nest was blown to bits, and only one of the two Time River ports remained.
Just as things were finally settling down, he discovered that the deputy he intended to promote as his successor might be a Hard-wing.
If Sakedi were the protagonist of such a turbulent, tragic plot, he would have stood up and beaten Fate into submission. It was as if every step forward was met with a frantic stab in the back.
"Any insect that dares to deceive me will pay the corresponding price."
When Clark spoke again, both pairs of his gray eyes were open, resembling a storm-clouded sea concealing churning, violent waves.
"If I wanted to hide the truth, I could have buried all the Armed-species who followed me underground, ensuring not a single one returned alive."
Sakedi knew when to provoke and when to hold back. If he said one more snide remark now, the two of them would be at each other's throats instantly. Thus, he shed all flippancy and sarcasm, responding with a steadier tone.
"You know I could have done that. I also have many things I don't understand, so I need a result just as much as you do." He sighed, mentally arranging different solutions and weighing which would cause the least harm and risk. "But I have never deigned to play games of intentional deception."
Clark said nothing more. He simply summoned the technical insects of the Grey-wing tribe to the meeting nest.
The tribe members who arrived in a hurry cautiously accepted the genetic vial Sakedi had brought. They then collected identification samples from the Core Seed, including pheromones, blood, scales, and wing powder.
The Sub-Queen’s current state was truly terrifying, causing these Grey-wings to keep their mouths tightly shut. Once they had the samples, they bolted. The identification process would take half a day; no insect wanted to stay trapped between two powder kegs waiting for the storm to break.
The situation was ugly. From the perspective of a high-tier species, the entire affair was no different from fraud. But Sakedi couldn't fully lay his cards on the table and explain his original identity; he could only grit his teeth and find other ways to patch the story.
He knew his life would never be smooth sailing. Receiving a new body with such high attack and defense must have meant there was a massive pit dug ahead, waiting for him to jump in.
The air in the nest was as heavy as a funeral service, yet as volatile as a pot of oil on the verge of exploding.
It was in this atmosphere that a bold insect knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response from the two confronting parties, he pushed the door wide open.
"Clark?"
A white head poked in. The male, holding a light screen, greeted them with a composed expression, as if he couldn't sense the gunpowder in the air at all. "There are some things I’d like to discuss with you. Is now a convenient time?"
The silver-gray female who had been addressed managed a polite, strained smile. He couldn't bring himself to lose his temper at a male—especially one who had just reached adulthood. "I'm afraid now isn't quite appropriate, Roxanne. I—"
"Why are you here? Weren't you at the Great Information Nest?"
"Arthur sent a communication. I wanted to confirm something with you—after all, the energy planet is your private property."
Sakedi and his partner spoke simultaneously. Gela shot him a look, the meaning of which was complex, prompting the Core Seed to shut his mouth obediently.
"Kliman is at the Great Information Nest helping distribute honeydew," the male said calmly. "I had some matters for Clark, so I came early."
Sakedi raised an eyebrow at him, his gaze asking, *What are you trying to do?* Based on his understanding of Gela, the male wouldn't interrupt a private meeting for trivial matters; he only struck with a clear objective once his mind was made up.
"Arthur has arrived safely at the energy planet, but he has decided to stay at Ja and Ja’s satellite base for a while."
Like attracts like; Gela had clearly mastered the essence of rhetorical maneuvering. He threw out a hook to catch the Sub-Queen’s attention before revealing his true purpose.
Clark was indeed distracted as intended. He was forced to suppress his aggressive pheromones, his expression shifting into a frown. "I ordered the Armed-species to set aside a transport ship to take him back to Kamlan. Did something go wrong?"
"He’s fine. Arthur just wants to set up a Small Information Nest at Ja to serve as a relay point. Together with Selin and the others."
The latter half of the sentence was directed at Sakedi. As a private "black coal mine," the entire planet of Ja had once been shrouded within an information barrier, unable to access the internal network of the Zerg's own Information Nests.
Now, with the Grey-wing tribe's internal strife concluded, the current Sub-Queen no longer needed to operate in the shadows. The human intended to place a Small Information Nest on the energy planet to facilitate constant contact between the two sides and avoid information delays.
"The distance between Kamlan and the Grey-wing core star zone is too great. He wants a faster way to find you. This matter requires your permission, so I came to confirm it with you."
The silver-gray female’s brow gradually unfurrowed. "He doesn't need to do it himself. I can arrange for the stationed Armed-species to handle it." His wings flicked behind him from slight irritation as he forced himself to withdraw from his aggressive state. "The environment of the energy planet is not suitable for human survival. He should return to Kamlan as soon as possible to receive further treatment."
The white insect smiled, his scaled tail swaying almost imperceptibly. "He *wants* to do it."
Of the three insects present, two were failing at the subject of romance. The only honor student told the other seriously, "You should ask him. Humans sometimes care more about the process than the result. If you ask him, he will be very happy to tell you his thoughts."
Holding an entire Great Information Nest and controlling all deep-space communication channels, Gela’s contact with Arthur was quite frequent. Compared to before, it was like the difference between being classmates and being pen pals. The human would occasionally ask about Clark’s situation, and the male could only helplessly tell him that the Sub-Queen was still at the front lines.
"In fact, he wanted to reach out to you before, but he was afraid you were fighting other tribes. He was worried that an ill-timed communication request would distract you."
The male signaled for his partner to move aside, then sat down opposite Clark. "You two have a fixed way of interacting. I shouldn't get involved, but some things might be more effective coming from an outsider's perspective. You have always treated him like a cub, sheltering Arthur under your wings. You are both the leader of the Grey-wing tribe and his nurturer, so you are used to pushing everything forward according to your own arrangements."
In terms of emotions, males and humans had always been more sensitive than the combat-oriented females. This was the first time Gela had engaged the Grey-wing Sub-Queen from a calm, conversational standpoint.
"He understands your identity, so he accepted all of it—first accepting that you hid him in a safe nest while you went to war alone, and later accepting that you placed him in distant Kamlan to face Krisha alone. But cubs—children—grow up."
This was where humans and Zerg were fundamentally different, and it was something neither Sakedi nor Clark had ever experienced. They had no reference model and could only grope their way through.
For the Zerg, reaching adulthood wasn't necessarily something to be happy about. The first thing an Armed-species leader wanted to do after reaching adulthood was to topple their kin, Krisha, from the throne. The restless ambition of the direct lineages only grew stronger after adulthood, as they waited for any opportunity to devour the Hive Mother. Their obedience was real—it was nature, instinct; but their desire to trigger a new round of bloody slaughter was also real—likewise nature and instinct.
"Arthur is different. He doesn't need you to hide him in your embrace, creating an illusion that he is still young and detached from the world. Clark, are you afraid of him growing up?" Gela asked earnestly.
He could feel that the other’s emotions and spirit were extremely chaotic, but the sword-drawn aggression toward Sakedi from moments ago had mostly dissipated. "Just as you are afraid of him leaving you, of him becoming distant."
When no answer came, the male simply continued. "I think Arthur’s initial thoughts were similar to yours. So when you told him to stay in Kamlan, he lived there obediently—even though he desperately wanted to be by your side and found it difficult to integrate into human society at first. He prioritized your wishes above all else, willing to unconditionally prove that he loves you by remaining under the protective wings you envisioned for him."
Sakedi, listening in, was dumbfounded. As a "failing student," he felt as though he had encountered a "straight-A student" who aced every subject. So, on the bloodless battlefield of love, he had retreated and surrendered before this person, finally plunging headfirst into the river of love. His loss hadn't been in vain.
The marveling Core Seed couldn't help but pinch that little white tail-hook, earning himself a sharp lash.
Gela continued speaking while shooting a warning glance at his troublesome partner. He had heard from Kliman about everything that happened at the Broad-wing Sub-Queen’s nest, especially the part about Sakedi’s identity. Sensing disaster, he had immediately abandoned the Armed-species leader to a pile of anxious males and ran to the meeting nest.
Kliman, left holding a bucket in the middle of a dozen buzzing males, had seen his composure crack twice in one morning.
On the way, Gela had even quickly placed a call to the human on the energy planet to request urgent external aid—whether it was Sakedi or Clark, he didn't want to see either of them hurt. Then, upon entering, the white insect had been hit in the face by the low pressure between the two parties, which was as oppressive as molten lava.
Right now, he was overclocking his CPU to save Sakedi’s head, while Sakedi was playing with his tail.
"But Arthur has realized he cannot continue like this. Weaving a gentle dream is easy, but waking from the dream is equally important." Taking a deep breath, Gela once again slapped away the hand that was tirelessly pestering him and pulled it into his arms, preventing the other from moving. "Even if he is no longer a cub in need of shelter, it doesn't mean he will stop loving you. Actually, he really wants to talk to you as an adult, but he doesn't know how to say it. You can refuse his courtship."
The male spoke each word with great seriousness. Beside him, the Core Seed saw the Sub-Queen’s expression twitch. Sakedi wanted to laugh but forced it back because Gela was glaring at him while quickly shielding him with his own body.
"Every insect should have the right to refuse courtship from someone they don't like. I understand that the feelings you and he harbor are not the same. However, before that, I think you need to talk to him. Ask him what he thinks, what he wants, and what kind of life he hopes to lead."
The silver-gray insect looked distraught, running his hand through his hair several times. "I am not..."
Gela sensed the turbulent emotional fluctuations; he guessed the other wanted to say, "I am not that dictatorial." Thus, the male softened his voice.
"You are very good, Clark. You are the best female I have ever met, besides Sa... Sometimes I wonder, if my own kin could have cared for their eggs as you did, if I would have experienced a different fate."
He had once been very afraid of the high-tier species before him, just as he had once been afraid of Kliman. But now, he no longer feared.
"If you weren't so good, Arthur wouldn't love you so much," Gela said softly. "He actually wanted to call you just now."
The one skilled at managing emotions had intuitively learned how to use both the muzzle and the scabbard. Those pale eyes gazed at the person before him, attempting to gently suppress a conflict that would have otherwise drawn blood.
"Are you willing to talk to him?"
***
