“I will bestow grace upon Ling.”
The voice of the zerg queen spread to every zerg in the vicinity.
A distant hurricane approached, pushing forth surging leaden clouds that quickly obscured the warm sunlight, plunging the entire world into darkness.
A deafening boom echoed as lightning erupted from within the clouds, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
It was as if the vast expanse of clouds had suddenly collapsed, unleashing a torrential downpour that resembled a colossal waterfall crashing from the sky to the ground.
Raindrops splattered on the ground, creating a hazy mist that almost turned the world into a dim watercolor painting.
The arena was cleverly designed with shields above each spectator seat to shield them from the rain.
Lu Mo looked at the continuous rain curtain and said, “What a heavy rain.”
The zerg emperor replied meaningfully, “Summer is always like this—intense sun, fierce wind, and thunderous rain. Anything can happen during this season, and it’s not surprising.”
Whatever you can think of, and even what you can’t, will happen.
For example, you are destined to die in this summer—devoured by the zerg queen.
The zerg emperor silently released the threads of his psychic power. The anger on his face had disappeared, and he regained his usual dignified demeanor.
“You are right.”
Despite the shelter, the rain was too fierce. The mist from the splashing water quickly dampened Lu Mo’s pants, even wetting the hem of his trench coat. Lu Mo smiled and whispered, “Especially this summer, many things have happened…”
He had met Ling on the first day of summer.
Three months had passed in the blink of an eye.
Before this, he had spent three years in this world, but those memories seemed so meager and ordinary that Lu Mo could hardly recall how he had lived before.
Instead, this summer had been thrilling, exciting…
—Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that his exhaustion over the past three months had contributed to this feeling.
Anyone who repeatedly bounced between overnight wealth and total bankruptcy in three months would surely have deeply etched memories.
But from now on, he wouldn’t have such worries anymore.
Because he had given up being human!
Lu Mo looked at the heavy rain and sighed, “The last rain of summer is unexpectedly so fierce.”
“…”
Innocent words, sinister implications. To the zerg emperor, these words carried a different meaning.
He glanced at Lu Mo suspiciously, but he couldn’t discern anything from Lu Mo’s cold and stern profile.
Was it a probe?
Or had he already determined what would happen next?
No, it couldn’t be. No one could have anticipated this turn of events.
But at the same time, another voice echoed in the zerg emperor’s mind—
But is it really that simple for him to advance to an S-level male zerg?
Just the thought of it filled the zerg emperor’s heart with uncontrollable jealousy and anger. It burned like an eternal flame, determined to consume everything before it would stop.
Lu Mo must die!
If Lu Mo didn’t die, Ling would never break down. If Lu Mo died, Ling would also perish—no matter what, he would never be able to advance to an S-level male zerg in this lifetime.
Therefore, he would never allow another male zerg to surpass him!
With these thoughts in mind, the zerg emperor softened his expression and kindly said to Lu Mo, “It’s not suitable for conversation in such heavy rain. Since the esteemed zerg queen has chosen your mate, I suggest that both of you stay in the palace until the zerg queen meets Ling. Otherwise…”
The zerg emperor gestured with his eyes towards the spectator seats. Despite the heavy rain, not a single zerg in the audience left. All their attention was focused on Lu Mo. The zerg emperor continued, “Otherwise, you might be overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the people.”
Lu Mo: “…”
Don’t remind him of this miserable fact anymore, okay?
Thinking that he had previously vowed to the system that he would ascend to the SS-level, Lu Mo felt even more melancholic.
He looked at the zerg emperor with cold eyes and gritted his teeth, “Thank you for your kindness. I will comply.”
As their eyes met, both of them forced professional fake smiles.
Although their reasons were vastly different, their hearts harbored the same desire—to tear the other apart.
————
Lu Mo settled in the palace.
This news was not a secret. Every year, the chosen female zerg and her male partner would live in the palace under the tightest protection.
Morr was naturally aware of this.
He anxiously stood outside the door, sighing incessantly.
It happened too fast. Everything happened too fast. Before he could even react, Lu Mo became an S-level male zerg overnight, and his mate was chosen by the zerg queen.
If things continued like this, it was foreseeable that Lu Mo would soon be targeted by the zerg emperor. Just like before, Lu Mo would join the zerg emperor’s camp…
Morr pictured Su Lin’s face in his mind and let out a long sigh.
At least Lu Mo couldn’t join the zerg emperor’s ranks. To ensure that, he had to take some risks…
Just then, the door in front of him opened, and Morr quickly stood up. “Excuse me—”
The female zerg who opened the door glanced at him and stepped aside. “Lu Mo has agreed to your request. You can go in and see him now.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Morr’s delight showed on his face. “Thank you!”
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“Mister Morr, I heard you were looking for me?”
Morr closed the door behind him, his heart pounding rapidly. He had never imagined he would take such a risk.
If he miscalculated, he would undoubtedly die.
But there were things that had to be done. Ever since he joined the alliance, he had cast life and death aside.
“Yes…” Morr took a deep breath and finally raised his head, looking into Lu Mo’s eyes.
“Mister Lu Mo, you probably know… about the Rebel Army, right?”
Lu Mo raised an eyebrow. “I know a little.”
He had glimpsed it in the information given by the system. However, according to the system, this world was just a book, with most of the content describing the events between Song Jian Shu and his mate. The Rebel Army was only briefly mentioned, and the information was not very comprehensive.
“You are too modest,” Morr said nervously, a tense smile appearing on his face. “You probably already knew when you returned the map to me, right?”
Lu Mo: “…”
He hesitated before sitting in the chair.
Map?
What map?
But in Morr’s eyes, Lu Mo’s behavior seemed as if he had already anticipated everything. This posture was like waiting for him to spill everything.
“In fact, it’s like this…”
It took Morr half an hour to explain everything.
In reality, the zerg race wasn’t always as it is now. While the number of male zergs had been decreasing, the duty of female zergs was to protect themselves, with no other obligations.
They could refuse unreasonable requests from male zergs and had basic rights—after marrying a male zerg, the male couldn’t demand that they give up their work and hand over all their possessions.
Although male zergs were privileged, they also had to work and would be punished for harming female zergs.
Although it sounded incredible now, it had indeed existed.
Everything changed with the ascension of the current zerg emperor. He issued one law after another, gradually transforming the zerg race into its current state, a process that had lasted for hundreds of years.
The zergs still alive today were mostly born after that time, and they were accustomed to the current situation, unaware of this history.
“So, your goal is to overthrow the zerg emperor?”
“Exactly!” Morr’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Lu Mo. “I believe you must agree with us!”
“…”
The black-haired, green-eyed male zerg frowned, leaning back in his chair.
He crossed his arms, lightly tapping his arm with his index finger, lost in thought.
Morr pressed his lips together, nervously clasping his hands together. He believed Lu Mo could sense his sincerity. If his words were reported, he would be captured and executed on the spot.
Negotiating skills, methods to win hearts, the art of persuasion — Morr didn’t employ any of them.
He sincerely hoped that Lu Mo would join the alliance, so he didn’t want to include any trace of manipulation in their conversation.
Knowing he was gambling with his life, Morr stubbornly persisted in his course of action.
He had already exerted all his effort and could only wait for Lu Mo’s decision.
Time became excruciatingly long, every second agonizing. Morr’s heart gradually sank as he mentally bid farewell to his dear male father.
Finally, Lu Mo spoke.
The black-haired, green-eyed male zerg looked calmly at Morr. “Please allow me to refuse.”
Morr almost burst into tears on the spot.
Stuttering, he said, “Of course, of course, I understand this is sudden for you, and I don’t have the confidence to persuade you…”
He couldn’t continue speaking halfway through, his head drooping in desolation, his face pale.
It was as if he were a death row inmate awaiting execution.
Lu Mo: “…Do you have something else to say?”
Morr raised his head in a daze. “Aren’t you going to arrest me?”
Lu Mo looked at Morr with a deep gaze. “If that’s what you want—”
Blinking his eyes uncertainly, Morr asked, “If you were to arrest me, would you receive reward from the zerg emperor?”
At that moment, Lu Mo’s face turned green.
He firmly waved his hand. “No, forget it. Please don’t do that.”
He would rather put on boots and kick the zerg emperor’s buttocks than receive reward from him.
Poor and lowly, unable to move!
“Of course, next time you should be more careful,” Lu Mo sighed. “I’ve never seen such a lousy diplomat like you. Your rebel group is really problematic.”
Morr’s face reddened slightly, but he still wasn’t entirely convinced, anxiously asking, “So, what are you planning…”
“I have no plans, thank you,” Lu Mo earnestly looked at Morr. “You came here today just to please an S-level male zerg, hoping to gain his favor, and perhaps even learn the method of advancement, right?”
Morr stared blankly at Lu Mo, his eyes, which had dimmed, now lighting up again.
The meaning of these words couldn’t be clearer—Lu Mo had no intention of joining the alliance or aligning with the zerg emperor!
Regardless, this was already quite good news! One could even say that Lu Mo, by withstanding the pressure from the zerg emperor and remaining neutral, was already helping them!
“Thank you!” Morr stood up and bowed repeatedly. “I understand what you mean!”
“Now that you understand, please go back,” Lu Mo said.
“Yes!”
—
After seeing off Morr, Lu Mo slumped in the chair, completely out of sorts.
Although he couldn’t understand the conversation, he was greatly shocked.
He weakly asked the system, [System, was our previous interaction really about such serious matters…?]
The system’s voice was even more confused than his: [It was originally supposed to be a vacation scenario…]
Lu Mo fell silent for a moment and then said, [ I thought you had everything under control, otherwise why would you always urge me to level up?]
The system innocently replied, [That’s just my professional habit.]
Lu Mo: “…”
System: “…”
Finally, the system reluctantly broke the awkward silence and suggested, [How about I change the task from assassinating the zerg queen to assassinating the zerg emperor?]
[Are you kidding me?!!]
[QAQ]
Lu Mo raised his arm and covered his eyes.
[System,]he said.
[Yes?]the system replied.
[I was almost scared to death just now.]
[Why?]
The corner of Lu Mo’s mouth twitched as if he wanted to smile, but in the end, he gave up. He let out a long sigh. [System, I was born in a very peaceful country.]
But that peace didn’t appear out of thin air.
To create that peace, countless predecessors sacrificed their lives so that an ordinary person like him wouldn’t have to worry about surviving tomorrow or whether he could wear the shoes he took off tonight.
However, when those predecessors made their sacrifices, they didn’t know what the final outcome would be.
Lu Mo softly said, [This isn’t some anime, and I’m not the protagonist. With love and courage, success is certain.]
People will die.
Lu Mo knew that he was just an ordinary, very ordinary person. He didn’t possess great talent or strategic skills to devise plans from afar.
He couldn’t—or perhaps it should be said, he didn’t dare—to shoulder the hopes of so many people and lead them forward.
What if he took the wrong path? What would happen then?
The system stammered, unable to find words to comfort Lu Mo.
All the protagonists it had guided before were decisive and resolute. The system only needed to assist from the sidelines.
Never before had it encountered someone like Lu Mo—soft and clingy. The system was scratching its metaphorical head in frustration.
In the end, it could only awkwardly say, [There will definitely be a solution.]
Lu Mo remained silent.
Now he realized that everything about him was fake, that he had deceived everyone.
And yet, he even wanted to stay here forever.
—
When Ling returned, this was the scene he encountered.
Lu Mo lay rigidly on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His left eye displayed “despair,” while his right eye displayed “misfortune.”
Ling walked over and knelt on the bed, looking down at Lu Mo. “Oh, what’s the matter, my dear male master?”
Lu Mo turned his head in annoyance. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Even that affected tone of voice had disappeared!
Ling was greatly shocked. He raised an eyebrow, pulled Lu Mo into his arms, and the two of them rolled together on the bed.
Ling pressed his chin against Lu Mo’s shoulder. Lu Mo tried to push him away weakly. “You’re so annoying.”
But his effort was feeble, more like a spoiled gesture.
Ling had no way to deal with this kind of Lu Mo. In fact, he had never been able to handle Lu Mo.
In the next moment, Ling grabbed the blanket and wrapped both himself and Lu Mo tightly inside, making it difficult for them to even breathe.
Ling lifted his head, his cheek pressed against Lu Mo’s face, and said, “Hmph, you find me annoying.”
Lu Mo angrily retorted, “I was thinking about important matters! You keep interrupting my thoughts!”
Ling calmly said, “Your most important matter is not…”
“To…do…me, huh?”
Lu Mo froze. “You… you… you—”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Ling continued, “I have no shame. I’m licentious, debauched, base, and promiscuous. I’m fickle.”
Lu Mo: “…”
He was so angry.
He struggled in Ling’s embrace, trying to distance himself from this improper female zerg. But unfortunately, even as an S-level male zerg now, his strength was no match for Ling’s.
Ling chuckled triumphantly.
Lu Mo angrily bit Ling’s ear and heard Ling let out a muffled groan.
“Wait… wait!”
His voice trembled, carrying a hint of misty moisture.
Lu Mo paused, only now realizing that Ling had never let him touch his ears.
On instinct, he nibbled on it with his canine teeth. Ling shuddered all over, and his hands went limp. Lu Mo took advantage of the opportunity and forcefully lifted the blanket.
The sky outside was dim, and the rain continued relentlessly. The room was dimly lit, but Lu Mo could still see Ling’s face.
Ling’s pupils were dilated, and his ears were red to the point of almost dripping blood. He curled up, tightly covering his mouth with his hands.
Lu Mo stared at Ling in a daze, while Ling gasped for breath, trembling as he spoke, “Wha… what’s wrong with you?”
Those beautiful red eyes shimmered with a familiar light.
In the past, Lu Mo had no awareness of what it meant, but recently he gradually understood.
When Ling pulled him back from the passage, Lu Mo finally understood completely.
Ling deeply loved him.
“I…”
If Lu Mo had followed his usual habits, he would have chosen to make jokes, pretend to be arrogant, and make countless unreasonable demands of Ling.
To have Ling do this and that, to act in various ways.
But at this moment, he suddenly didn’t want to do that anymore.
For the first time, someone looked at him with such eyes, as if… they could embrace all his negative emotions.
Could he say it out loud?
“I…”
Lu Mo lowered his head and whispered, “I lied to you, but I can’t tell you the truth.”
“I lied to everyone, but I can’t do anything.”
He spoke incoherently, and no one could understand him, but he didn’t expect Ling to understand. He was simply muttering to himself.
“Ling, am I a scumbag?”
Ah, that was definitely true. He had become a scumbag even as an S-level male zerg!
Ling sighed.
“It’s okay, Lu Mo.” He grabbed Lu Mo’s hand and held it tightly in his palm, repeating, “It’s okay.”
Lu Mo kept his head down, feeling extremely disheartened. He looked as if he had reverted back to the soft and floppy male zerg he was before his transformation.
Ling used his other hand to support Lu Mo’s cheek, turning his face towards himself. He said, “I don’t mind.”
“It’s okay if it’s fake, it’s okay if you lied to me. I don’t mind any of it.”
Lu Mo stared at him blankly. “But-”
Ling looked at Lu Mo with a tender gaze.
“If you lied to me, then keep deceiving me. Keep deceiving me until we return to the embrace of the zerg god.”
“No matter what kind of person you are, I love you.”
Lu Mo pressed his hand against his heart, his voice hoarse. “But I can’t do anything…”
Ling chuckled softly, his laughter like the rich sound of a violin. He took Lu Mo’s other hand and pressed it against his own chest.
“Who said that? Haven’t you already done it?”
“You saved me.”
“As for everything else,” Ling leaned close to Lu Mo and whispered, “Lu Mo, I’m really capable.”
“As long as it’s something you want to do, I can do it for you.”
Lu Mo lowered his head, a drop of water falling onto his collar. The hand pressed against Ling’s chest trembled slightly.
It was such a good decision to stay.
—
The fierce wind and rain outside continued without respite, as if the entire world was experiencing the same rainstorm.
Inside the room, the lights flickered, and a pleasant fragrance filled the air.
It wasn’t until the next night that the storm gradually subsided.
Lu Mo heard a bird chirping and drowsily opened his eyes, only to see a little bird peering at him from the window before flying away.
The final rain of summer had come to an end.
And with it, summer itself finally came to a close.
Author’s Note: Who else!!! Who else says Lu Mo doesn’t love Ling!!!!!
Who else!!! Who else says Ling isn’t proactive enough!!!!!
Zerg queen has no idea what’s coming for her😭
Thank You for the new chapter (´,,•ω•,,)♡
Awwwhh 🙁 Lu Mo breaking down is so sad
hhhh Lu Mo is so cute with Ling 🥺❤️
Ahhh translator-nim…. I say so just cause I can 😂😂. Hmm Lu mo run
whistles guess it’s time to pick a new reigning couple 😇
Is it just me or I felt that ling and lu mo talk about two different thing?😭😂
🥺🥺🥺🥺