Free Web NovelChapter 45: Chapter 45: Why Not Exterminate the Insect Clan
Levito led Shi Lan to a corner of the cafeteria. He sat facing outward from her, perfectly positioned to block the stares of most of the Beastmen in the room.
After Levito’s warning, the male Beastmen in the cafeteria didn’t dare to be so brazen, but they couldn’t help but sneak glances at Shi Lan.
On the military base, the Beastmen ate the slowest meal of their lives. Not only that, but even though the dinner rush was over, the number of Beastmen in the cafeteria just kept growing.
Only after Shi Lan finished her meal and left with Levito did the others begin to disperse, still not having gotten their fill.
"Hey guys, you think I have a shot at pursuing this female? I have A-level spiritual power and a Fertility Value of 35."
One Beastman voiced this question, his eyes filled with longing, but he was quickly shot down by the others.
"You? Your spiritual power is decent, but your beast form is a snake. Females these days love fluffy guys. I’m perfect for that—I’m a canine beast."
"Then what about me, a bear beast? Females definitely prefer tall, strong males like me. I can protect them. Just one look at me and they’d feel safe."
"Why don’t you shave that finger-length patch of curly hair on your chest first? Looking as grubby as you do, you’d be lucky if a female didn’t puke at the sight of you."
"What the hell do you know? This is what I call masculine charm—raw manliness! It’s way better than what a wimpy rabbit beast like you has."
"Oh yeah? That’s a personal attack! Fine, let’s go! I’ll see you in the arena. Don’t come crying to me when I beat you senseless!"
"Who’s afraid of who? Bring it on, you little wimp-rabbit!"
Arguing over what kind of Beastman females truly preferred, the two males’ squabble escalated into a full-blown fight. They ended up taking it to the competition grounds, determined to settle the score.
Seeing a good show was about to start, the other Beastmen quickly wolfed down the rest of their food and happily ran over to watch the commotion.
Shi Lan and Levito left, oblivious to the new drama unfolding in the cafeteria. Since it was just after dinner, Levito had taken her for a walk to aid digestion and, while they were at it, give her a proper tour of the military base on Border Defense Star. It wasn’t every day she got to visit.
The two walked side by side, and before they knew it, they had wandered outside the base.
By all rights, it should have been nighttime, but on Border Defense Star, the world outside was still as bright as day. The temperature also seemed much higher than on Capital Star. The moment she stepped out of the air-conditioned base, it felt like being wrapped in a cloak of fire, the heat so tangible it seemed to warp the air itself.
Shi Lan wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, squinting slightly as she looked up at the sky.
As if he knew what she was thinking, Levito explained, "Border Defense Star has long days and short nights, unlike Capital Star. The daytime can last up to twenty hours. We only have two seasons here, summer and winter. When it’s hot, it’s really hot, and when it’s cold, it’s really cold."
"In another two months, when it’s still summer on Capital Star, Border Defense Star will be entering winter."
Day-night cycles and seasons vary across every star system in the universe. The reason Capital Star was known as the most habitable planet was because it mostly had only spring and summer. The highest summer temperature never exceeded body temperature, and the lowest spring temperature never dropped below 16 degrees, making it comfortable overall.
Furthermore, Capital Star had the fastest development, making it the most prosperous planet, as well as the one with the highest cost of living.
Levito took a blue Energy Stone from the Space Twist in his pocket and handed it to her. "This is a Blue Crystal. It works similarly to the Red Energy Stones from Red Flame Star. Those provide warmth; this one cools you down."
Shi Lan took it. A cool sensation shot from her palm through her limbs, instantly making her feel refreshed and clearing away the oppressive heat.
"This is amazing!"
Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly as she stared in disbelief at the fist-sized stone in her hand.
Levito thought Shi Lan was adorable. The corners of his mouth lifted, his canine teeth pressing a small indent into his lip. "Mhm. One Blue Crystal lasts for about a week. It automatically dissipates heat when it touches human skin, and it won’t be consumed if you just leave it outside a Space Twist."
Most Energy Stones have this property, which is why in mechanical engineering, the casings for many Energy Stones are designed to simulate human skin.
’This was Shi Lan’s first time using something like this; even the original owner had no memory of it. Energy Stones were probably just too expensive.’
’She hadn’t thought much of it when she didn’t have one, but now she realized just how comfortable a personal air conditioner could be. It was different from the cooling fans she’d bought in the past; the chill from the Energy Stone spread up through her skin instead of just blowing on one spot.’
Her brow smoothed in comfort, and she followed contentedly behind Levito.
They didn’t walk for too long. After about ten minutes, Shi Lan mentioned that she wanted to head back to Black Star.
He Hanshi had messaged her to say that Levito would take her back. Besides, it was too late to buy a spaceship ticket for a convenient time, and she had only taken five days off—she had to work tomorrow. So, she didn’t refuse He Hanshi’s arrangement.
Most importantly, Shi Lan was a little worried about He Hanshi.
’The book had clearly stated that He Hanshi would die from a spiritual power collapse. Now that she finally had a spirit body like Xiao Du, it was better to keep an eye on things at Prison Star and prevent that part of the plot from actually happening.’
Hearing this, Levito felt a faint sense of disappointment, but then he thought, ’At least I get to spend the journey with her.’
Before leaving, Shi Lan said goodbye to Bai Feng and the others again, expressing her gratitude one more time before boarding the Teleportation Spaceship with Levito.
Watching the Teleportation Spaceship rapidly shrink into the distance, the crowd of males clutched their chests, waving goodbye to another short-lived, secret crush.
Bai Feng couldn’t stand to look at them. "Instead of pining over a female, you’d be better off earning more military merits. Once you have enough, you’ll get a higher priority in the female matching system. If you keep dawdling, you really won’t get a chance with any of them."
At his words, the crowd of males was suddenly electrified. "The Insect Clan! Where is the Insect Clan?"
Bai Feng was about to say that they had just fought a battle on Garbage Star today, so where would they find more of the Insect Clan?
But just then, a report came in from a soldier in the watchtower. "Captain, we’ve detected new wormhole fluctuations on Garbage Star. Based on the fluctuation data, we project their target vector is our position."
"Good. Move out!"
Bai Feng hadn’t expected the Insect Clan from Garbage Star to come looking for a fight again so soon. He raised an eyebrow, immediately assembled his unit, and set out. freewēbnoveℓ.com
「—」
"Why not just wipe out the Insect Clan on Garbage Star?"
Aboard the Teleportation Spaceship, Shi Lan asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.
’She’d actually been thinking about this back when she was trapped on Garbage Star. After all, if the Insect Clan was contained on a single planet, eradicating them should be easier than one might think.’
Levito kept his eyes fixed ahead, his gentle voice taking on a more somber tone. "Yeah. I asked the Major General that same question once."
"I later learned that there are a lot of interests tied up with the Insect Clan."
"Interests?"
Shi Lan blinked.
Levito said, "The Major General told me that the Insect Clan isn’t just a threat; it’s also a driving force. And that driving force doesn’t just apply to technology, but to humanity as well."
Shi Lan understood the technology part. She knew that some materials for manufacturing weapons came from the Insect Clan, like their incredibly hard limbs or the wings of certain insectoid species.
The use of their wings was the most well-known. They were commonly used as a protective film on Teleportation Spaceships, capable of minimizing the negative effects of space-jumps on people and improving the stability of the ship’s flight.
"But why is it also a driving force for humanity?"
She looked at him, confused. In the public’s mind, the Insect Clan represented only danger.
