Sacre-D: Reborn as the Swarm's Apex | Chapter 45 | The Butcher's Past | Novela.app

The dispute concluded with the total retreat of the armed species. Consequently, Sakti found himself isolated. This isolation manifested as the Grey-wing clan treating him like thin air; if he asked a question, they would only offer a perfunctory word or two in response. The Core species found this amusing. It was a childish tactic that caused him no actual harm, much like a toddler throwing a tantrum and refusing to speak to anyone. The black female Zerg leisurely re-checked the flight path while taking a full inventory of the Alpha battleship’s armory. Along the way, he modified several coordinates. To complete their mission as quickly as possible, the armed species had adhered to the typical Zerg philosophy of reckless bravado, selecting several dangerous zones for their route. Sakti deleted everything that even hinted at danger. His sense of adventure didn't manifest at every waking moment. Charging headlong into a high-risk area when one knew better wasn't bravery; it was just being thick-headed. He only stood his ground when there was profit to be made or when retreat was not an option. The hangar was filled with small aircraft, and the hull was bristling with defensive installations. Not to mention, the Core Gene species had sponsored a hoard of high-performance weapons that exceeded standard requirements. He truly couldn't put them down. For the remainder of the journey, he planned to devote his energy to studying all these treasures. The technology Ja could access was far from core-level, and its productivity was too backward. He didn't know when he would get another opportunity like this. The automated cruise provided a sense of security and reliability. As long as they didn't encounter Xenomorphs, mutated beasts, or humans drifting in the cosmos, he would have plenty of free time. Lying comfortably in the nest of his resting quarters, Sakti began reading the data Gela had sent him through the information linker. Initially, he had asked the male Zerg to try finding information on the core clans and human starships just to cultivate the other's curiosity. As it turned out, the male had not only taken it seriously but had done an excellent job. In the few years since he had last closed his eyes, too many unexpected things had happened. Before his death in his previous life, humanity had just constructed the preliminary prototype of the Time River, and the ceasefire and cooperation with the Zerg were still in the exploratory phase. In just a few short years, the ports of the Time River had expanded to over thirty locations, and the Data Firmament, acting as the foundation, had begun recording consciousness fragments in massive quantities. There were two starships currently in service: the *Trident* and the *Gungnir*. Unfortunately, there was no news regarding the "Red Tai Sui." The changes within the Zerg were also significant. Of the fifteen Core Gene clans that had survived the Star Sector Wars, only ten remained. These ten major lineages had taken root in every corner of the habitable systems, seizing control of all technology and means of production, maintaining an attitude of "all beneath me are ants." They left the low and mid-tier species to fend for themselves, cutting off any chance for ordinary Zerg to evolve or rise in status. Given that the entirety of Ja was not connected to the Human Inner Net or the Zerg Great Information Nest, Sakti was truly impressed that Gela had managed to gather such detailed information. Though it had taken a long time, the other had done his best to make it perfect, carefully organizing and categorizing it before handing this "graduation thesis" to him before departure. Gela was very talented. In terms of mental strength manipulation and information sensitivity, the white male was definitely among the best Sakti had ever seen. As he quickly scanned the data in his mind, he focused on the section concerning the Grey-wing clan. Life on the energy planet was too isolated; he felt like he was "crossing the river by feeling the stones," unable to break through the information barrier that sealed the entire planet. A literal "wall" existed between the low-tier Zerg and the Core Gene clans. Any upward exploration was exceptionally difficult, as the high-ranking species did not want their affairs exposed clearly to others. Then, he noticed that the current Sub-King of the Grey-wing clan was not Clark. It was a female Zerg in her prime named Krisha. Sakti: ??? He had always assumed his boss was the head of the Grey-wing clan, but it turned out there was a boss above the boss. No wonder Clark was being so secretive about delivering the goods; he might actually be embezzling from his own house. Clearly, Gela was also very interested in this topic, having collected everything possible, including rumors. Next to some questionable items, the male had even noted his own opinions, which was rather cute. For instance, next to the formal script describing the relationship between Krisha and Clark, the male had written: "Brothers, but the relationship is very bad!" However, as he browsed through earlier timelines, he found two lines of grey text beneath Clark’s personal profile: "Mate (Deceased)." "Larvae (Deceased)." When he had first spoken with Gela about the silver-grey female, Gela had mentioned his title—the "Butcher of the Northern Battlefield." He also mentioned that the Hard-wing clan had initially driven out all other species living within the Third Quadrant, starting from the King's Nest, forcing the Grey-wing clan to recall all their direct high-ranking combatants from the front lines. But before this, Sakti hadn't known that Clark's mate and larvae had all died in that war of expulsion. This perfectly explained the brutal methods used by that high-ranking combatant upon his return, driving the Hard-wing clan out of the habitable sector and slaughtering every last remnant of the enemy. It also explained why he held a subtle sense of pity and tolerance toward Roxanne, and why he avoided the topics of larvae and mates entirely. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sakti felt his head ache from the information overload. The inverted gender roles of the Zerg made him unsure whether to consider his boss a widow or a widower. But he subconsciously reminded himself to be less flippant about such topics the next time they met. Most of the other records concerned the internal power struggles of the Grey-wings. The current Sub-King, Krisha, did not sit securely on her throne. This clan was famous for being bellicose and warlike. Among her younger brothers were powerful, silent competitors like Clark, and among the direct descendants were restless adult females. Within the span of ten Great Cosmic Cycles, several rounds of rebellion against Krisha had been launched. Based on Sakti’s understanding of his boss, that silver-grey high-ranking Zerg would never personally participate without absolute certainty; at most, he would sit calmly on the sidelines, fanning the flames. While the others fought to the death, Clark was busy making a fortune across the star sectors, even managing to unearth an energy planet hiding an Akashic Rift. But this was enough to show that the interior of the Grey-wing clan was full of strife and in a highly unstable state. After hastily scanning through everything, the black Core species went out to have a meal, as per his unshakable routine. He was always disciplined when it came to maintaining his physical condition. Except for the period when he was busy making the gift, nothing could stop him from eating on time. When he returned to the resting nest, he began to wonder if it was too late to call Gela. It had been an extremely busy day; he hadn't been idle since early morning, and drifting in space made it easy to lose track of time. He finally realized he needed to check on the male's condition. The communication was connected almost instantly. The white male was curled up in the nest, buried in that familiar pile of blankets, with only his head peeking out. Sakti reflexively reached out to stroke him, only to feel a hand full of light particles. Gela let out a soft laugh, the sleepiness gradually fading from his eyes. Now, he no longer hid his actions, openly hugging the pile of small blankets. This made it clear that he wasn't ashamed of loving the female's pheromones, but rather had been embarrassed because he was caught stealing the blankets. "Are you alright?" the Core species asked gently, choosing a comfortable sitting position. "How was your day?" "I missed you," the pure white Zerg answered in a small voice. His second pair of eyes remained closed, looking like two pale red tear streaks. His small tail wagged frantically under the fluffy blankets, making the fabric rustle. "I missed you so, so much." Who could resist that? Sakti rubbed the light particles again—he touched them, but didn't feel them; it was Schrödinger's comfort. "I told a lie this morning. Actually, I only just started looking at the information you gave me," he said. "I know." Gela let out a faint laugh, listening to the other speak while sniffing the residual pheromones. "You've been very busy and tired lately; you didn't have time. Was that stuff useful to you?" "It was a huge help," the Core species answered honestly. "I just saw Clark's data. I didn't realize he had larvae before." "He didn't tell you?" Pale eyes looked at him, and the male also reached out to touch the other's light particles. "I thought you would have talked about it when you chatted." "..." They had talked, but Sakti had acted like a total rogue back then. Fortunately, the silver-grey female was quite stable and unemotional when not provoked. "We usually only talk about business and production capacity." "I was shocked when I first found out, too," Gela said softly, the topic making him a bit melancholy. "Clark looks very young. I heard he had five little larvae, and they all died when the Hard-wing clan started the expulsion war. If my larvae were gone, I would be very, very sad." The topic was turning grim. Since he wasn't there in person to entwine tails with the other, Sakti quickly changed the subject with a joke: "When did you find out? You didn't tell me right away." The male shot him a look. "The day after you rushed out of the nest." Sakti: "..." Great, another trap question. Tonight was truly not a good night for conversation. While he was thinking of a reply, Gela laughed again. "Can we stay like this for a while?" the male asked, blinking in embarrassment. "I want to hear you talk to me more. If you're tired, it's okay if you don't speak. Just leave the linker on, okay?" It was like someone saying, "I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes." Without a second thought, Sakti chose the standard answer of "Eat, eat the big ones," replying quickly, "Okay, I'll keep the comms open until you fall asleep." At the end, he added a concerned question: "I told Selin and the others to arrange for responsible personnel to patrol near our nest and the male living quarters. Did he do it?" "He did." Gela’s small tail flicked, emerging from beneath the blankets. "The Grey-wings have everything arranged." Now, the male was truly sleepy. It was already far past his usual resting time. He spoke slowly to the Core species, his voice growing smaller and smaller. Finally, with one hand clutching the small blanket and the other grasping those cool light particles, he curled up beside the other's silhouette and fell asleep, just like every other day.