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| The Beloved Little Mother Insect (LITTLE MOTHER) |
Yellow sand filled the sky, white bones littered the ground.
Restless winds and sand surged across the desert—the most common weather on this barren land. The wilderness, once ravaged by the two Narga in their primal forms, quickly returned to its original state, leaving no trace behind.
Dry air wavered with heat, carrying a hazy sweet fragrance on the wind.
A Beast, the Blood Lizard, which had been tearing at its prey, swiftly raised its head as its nostrils flaring, shreds of the defeated still hanging from its mouth.
The scent in the air was too sweet, too sweet—how could it be so fragrant?
The shredded meat in its mouth instantly lost its appeal...
The completely radiation-corrupted Blood Lizard disdainfully spat out the rotten flesh from its mouth before desperately sniffing the air for scents before quickly making a decision - it needed to find this irresistibly tempting dessert.
Even though the air also carried traces of higher-level predators, the Blood Lizard didn't care. It only cared about its prey.
There wasn't just one Beast like it - there were many.
Shifting wind currents carried information to different areas. Intelligent Beasts craving the Mother Insect's flesh gradually gathered, unexpectedly moving toward the northern district where the Narga's New King had been born, all sharing the same objective.
Rustling noises echoed through the silent wasteland, sending chills down spines.
—A leaderless Beast horde was beginning to form.
Outside the remaining Observation Sphere lenses, even the battle-hardened, iron-willed Narga People felt shivers run down their necks.
[How... how could there be so many Beasts?]
[They're all heading north. We still don't know what happened to the two destroyed Observation Spheres either.]
[Ega and Hui destroyed the Observation Spheres themselves. A small creature suddenly appeared on screen then - seemed like some new species of Beast that could transform into human form, probably quite high-level.]
[Everything about this Beast trial ground is wrong - the early Radiation Storm, the two chiefs who shouldn't have met, and now these gathering Beasts... I have a bad feeling about this.]
This dark cloud hung over all Narga People's hearts, but the Radiation Storm's effects made approaching the planet impossible, forcing them to focus on the few remaining undamaged Observation Spheres.
But they knew this third-person perspective was only temporary—
When the Radiation Storm reached its peak intensity, the planet would completely lose connection with them; such situations had occurred in previous trial grounds, but none had felt as chilling as this one.
A strange shadow spread through the Narga Empire's upper echelons, but on the distant Irradiated Wasteland, Pearl remained unaware he had become the coveted prey of the Beast horde.
He had already spent three days with two large creatures.
A wonderful sense of being needed gave Pearl the illusion of being liked. Combined with the two High-level Narga's disguises, even after three full days, Pearl still perceived them as just unusually large snakes and snails.
Now, at dawn of a new day.
High-UV sunlight was blocked by massive forms. The small Artificial Human sleeping against Hui's forelimbs slowly woke up. Before he could even rise, he felt something cold and smooth brushing against his exposed calf.
"Is... is that you, Hui?"
During their three days together, Pearl had exchanged names with the two large creatures amidst those strange murmurs.
He said his name was Pearl.
Of course, the auction house's Artificial Humans didn't actually have names - they only had numbers. Pearl was Number 14, a defective product labeled as inferior quality. This name was one he'd given himself before going blind, inspired by a heavy, ancient paper book from nobility.
As for the two large creatures—
The snail was Hui, solid like a rock.
The snake was Ega, fluid like dark pond water.
They claimed to hail from the Narga Empire—a prosperous and powerful interstellar dominion, the foremost faction in the Star Alliance's comprehensive rankings. They spoke of an empire upholding the principle of universal conscription and revering strength, where every citizen possessed inhuman primordial forms.
They explained that the Narga consisted solely of males, and all possessing handsome, robust humanoid appearances and exemplifying masculine virtue, and reproducing through Hive Substance while being the most devoted and affectionate beings in the entire cosmic Star Alliance...
Hui and Ega further promised that after this trial concluded, they would take Pearl to Narga's Imperial Star, where he would reside in the most luxurious and exquisite Sun Palace—a structure suspended high above that were close to the starry skies, blessed with sunrise and moonfall, and dazzling twilight hues.
They described countless things Pearl had never witnessed, making him resemble a little hamster peeking out from its burrow for the first time, beholding the sun, and imprinting the world depicted by Hui and Ega into his mind like stored provisions.
These were realities never found in black markets or auction houses.
Pearl yearned for such a place, yet he shrank back without nodding in agreement.
Because he knew—he was not the "Mother" they sought.
Flawed Artificial Humans might react sluggishly, but that didn't mean he was foolish.
When the two large beings habitually called him "Mother" on multiple occasions, Pearl suddenly realized—they must have mistaken him for someone else.
He wasn't the mother of the Narga People. He lacked their robust physique and non-human form. He was merely an artificial human that was repeatedly rejected and born in a liquid-based living organism culture tank.
He knew exactly what he was and how he came into this world.
Pearl felt he was truly wicked.
Because he craved this sense of being needed, he had become a thief stealing someone else's life.
The little artificial human's dazed and guilty thoughts were interrupted by the low hum emitted by Hui. He flinched slightly before speaking slowly and hesitantly, "Then... then where did Ega go?"
Pearl's voice was very soft and faint, requiring careful attention to hear.
But the Narga people possessed exceptionally sharp senses. Not only could they detect Pearl's subtle voice, but Hui, who currently held the Little Mother Insect in his palm, could even count how many times he blinked, the number of eyelashes on his lids, and hear the beats of that soft heart clearly.
【Hunting...】
【Finding food for Mom.】
A hoarse, magnetic murmur sounded, slightly clearer than a few days ago, as if there were signs of regaining clarity.
Pearl felt even more guilty, scratching at the strands of hair falling over his forehead.
He thought for a moment, then said slowly, "But... but there are still... fruits."
The fruits had been picked by Hui earlier. His massive pincer holding the miniature-sized fruit seemed somewhat comical, but Pearl only needed two to feel full.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting, Pearl felt he should finish all those fruits.
But how could fruits be enough?
If not for environmental constraints, the Narga descendants would only want to offer the best things in the world before their King.
【Just fruits aren't enough.】
【We must give Mother something better.】
Being cared for was an incredibly good feeling. Pearl's ears grew somewhat warm, prompting the little artificial human to rub them, as if even the force of his heartbeat had grown stronger.
But before Pearl could continue to indulge, that word "Mother" pulled him back to reality.
He wasn't.
He would only be a thief for a few days.
He would return it...
Pearl asked quietly, "How... how long does your trial last?"
Hui's gradually clearing mind slowly turned, searching for the answer in his memories.
It could be two or three weeks, or perhaps a month, at most not exceeding two months. Generally within this period, high-level Narga could vent enough ferocity through the Beast trial, then regain human form and don that guise called "gentleman."
Hui chose a relatively moderate answer.
【One month.】
"One month..." Pearl repeated.
He would only be a thief for one month. When the time came, he would tell them he was just an artificial human.
To compensate for the guilt of this deception, Pearl gently patted Hui's pincer, his voice carrying a note of uncertain unease, "Do... do you need soothing?"
Hui was slightly taken aback, and then dark glints flickering deep within his cold, compound eyes. After a brief silence, the blurred murmurs emitted from his twitching mouthparts grew increasingly viscous and chaotic.
【Yes, need Mom...】
【I need your soothing every moment.】
Pearl pursed his lips, revealing a very soft smile.
This was another manifestation of being needed. He could use this soothing to make up for his deception toward the large beings.
As for the matter of "soothing," it traces back to one day ago—
At that time, the radiation storm that had raged for several days intensified once again. While Hui and Ega were searching for a new habitat with the Little Mother Insect, a terrifying-looking Beast, a Sandworm, emerged from the desert.
It measured a full twenty meters in length and three meters in width, its grayish-white body hardened and covered in fine scales. When it abruptly appeared, its semi-erect form nearly blotted out the sky more than the original form of the Narga People.
This was a Beast with a biological level close to SS, nearly reaching King-level.
It had followed the sweet scent emanating from Pearl, its radiation-eroded brain rigid and knowing only to drool covetously over its prey like a puppet.
It attempted to snatch their treasured king from the hands of the two Narga descendants.
A battle was inevitable.
Hui temporarily withdrew from the battlefield to protect the little Artificial Human within his pincers, while the stalker Ega served as the main combatant this time.
The little blind Pearl did not know the extent of the chaos outside, but he knew Ega had endured a fierce battle.
Just as the giant Sandworm’s body was split in two by a sharp tail hook, Ega, who had been radiating murderous intent, suddenly staggered and collapsed. His massive frame trembled violently and his fierce mandibles grinding incessantly as he gasped in pain.
Frenzy Syndrome could be alleviated through violent release, but it could also plunge one into irreversible danger. When the latter occurred, it meant he was not far from psionic power collapse.
The Mother Insect had vanished over four hundred years ago, and these Narga People were nearing their limit.
The sudden worsening of Frenzy Syndrome caused Ega to lose his sanity, fighting Hui like a madman with every move aimed to kill. Meanwhile, Hui, protecting the Little Mother Insect within his pincers, was restricted in his movements, and soon the scent of blood filled the air.
Just as Ega’s sharp tail hook was about to pierce Hui’s chest, the little Artificial Human, sensing something inexplicably, reached out blankly toward the direction of the incoming tail hook.
He murmured, "Don’t."
The tail hook, laden with killing intent, halted mid-air as its hard tip was merely 0.1 centimeters away from Pearl’s palm.
Just a little more, and this weaponized tail hook would have pierced through Pearl’s hand.
In that same instant, a mysterious link formed between the Artificial Human and the Narga People.
Pearl "saw" vast, dense filth, like thick fog or illusory shadows.
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