D-level males reached the pinnacle of life by living off women.

Inside the sealed room, the Masked Insect sat upright in a chair, while Viv was reporting his recent work to the Masked Insect via communicator.

"Master, I recently discovered that there are insects around Chadak. I suspect they are insects from Rhine. Previously, Chadak tried to take advantage of the chaos to kill Lu Yuan, but he failed. It is very likely that Rhine noticed something was wrong instead."

"It's very likely. Rhine has always been a clever bug. Since Lu Yuan is alright, it's normal for him to realize something's wrong. It's just a pity to miss such a good opportunity. That Lu Yuan guy is really despicable; he always ruins our plans." The masked bug's calm voice revealed a hint of disgust.

Upon hearing the masked worm's words, a fierce glint flashed in Viv's eyes, and he tentatively asked.

"Should I send another insect to try? Perfect timing..."

A sharp gaze pierced through the mask and shot towards Viv, causing Viv to involuntarily stop speaking and lower his head.

"Don't do anything unnecessary. We failed to succeed with such a good opportunity before. Now that Rhine has become an S-class, it will be even more difficult to succeed. Don't try to steal a chicken and end up losing the rice instead, exposing us instead," the masked insect said sternly.

"Yes, it was my recklessness."

Seeing that Viv quickly admitted his mistake, the masked bug's voice softened.

"Have you cleaned up all of Dark's mess?" the masked worm asked.

"It's all cleaned up. No matter how Rhine investigates, they can only find out that it's one of Prince Dak's loyal subordinates."

"Has the Crown Prince not noticed anything amiss?" the masked insect continued to ask.

Viv lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking.

"I heard that the Crown Prince has been secretly investigating several of his subordinates recently, including Dak. He must have sensed something was wrong. However, I assure you, Dak won't find anything. All evidence pointing to us has been destroyed."

"Moreover, Dark's public image has always been that of a supporter of the First Prince. He has a bad temper and acts recklessly, so it's not surprising that he would do something like almost killing Lu Yuan."

"You'd better be careful and not let the other insects be exposed. We've been planning for years to get a few insects under the Crown Prince's command. We can't let all our hard work go to waste," said the masked insect.

"Understood, I have already instructed those informants to keep quiet."

The masked worm nodded, and then said...

"Also, you should send a few more insects to Golan Star to find out why Rhine became an S-class."

"Yes."

After agreeing, Viv hesitated for a moment, then asked again with a doubtful tone.

"Master, is it true that Rhine has become an S-rank? Or is it just fake news released for some purpose?"

In fact, it's not just Viv; many insectoids in the Empire are now questioning the veracity of Rhine's becoming an S-class.

Although the royal family confirmed the news, after the initial excitement subsided and people calmed down, they couldn't help but have some doubts.

After all these years, the prevailing view has been that one's rank cannot be improved, but Rhine just announced that she had become an S-rank without any prior warning.

Even with photos of two pairs of wings as evidence, people still cannot accept it without a doubt.

When asked this question by Viv, the masked bug answered with certainty: "It's true."

"Master, why are you so sure? None of us have personally witnessed what Rhine looks like after becoming an S-rank," Viv asked.

Actually, Dark had seen it, but Dark died too quickly, and there was no time to send out any news.

The masked insect chuckled softly.

"Just look at the resources they've invested. A duke's title, a fiefdom covering the entire Arach defense line, and Rhine serving as the commander of the 10th Army for an extended period—they've really gone all out."

"The Queen Insect is not an insect that can be easily fooled. If Rhine were not an S-rank female insect, how could the Queen Insect have agreed to give him so many things?"

Viv suddenly realized.

After the call between the masked worm and Viv ended, the masked worm stared blankly at a certain point in the void, lost in thought.

He thought Rhine was a really lucky guy, actually becoming an S-class female insect.

He was determined to find a way to advance. If he could become an S-rank, he wouldn't need to hide and scheme like this anymore.

......

Rhine was unaware that another insect was plotting against him, but even if he did, he probably wouldn't care, since there were plenty of insects eyeing him these days.

Ever since the news of his becoming an S-class female insect was announced, his communicator has been like a pot boiling over, with inexplicable insects constantly popping up to try and establish a relationship with him.

The most annoying of all is the Hatton family. His father, mother, and all sorts of other relatives take turns calling him, all with the same goal: to get him back into the Hatton family.

After learning that Rhine had become an S-class female insect and confirming the news, the insects in the Hatton family were almost driven mad with regret.

If Rhine were still an insect from the Hatton family, they wouldn't need to worry about choosing sides; a single S-class female insect would be enough to restore the Hatton family's glory.

Rhine was not under their control before, and now it is even less likely that they will be able to control her.

As a result, all those worms from the Hatton family ran into a brick wall with Rhine.

Rhine didn't have the leisure to waste time with these insects; he had more important things to do.

Lu Yuan's appointment as duke has also been issued, making him a nobleman with a fief for the first time. Lu Yuan still has a lot of things to deal with.

Lu Yuan has no experience at all and is definitely in a state of confusion. Rhine is eager to leave the base and return to Golan Star to help Lu Yuan.

But Rhine couldn't leave immediately.

It has been a long time since Rhine last led the insectoids to the Arach system. Given the Arach insectoids' reproduction rate, Rhine estimates that they have recovered some strength and may launch a small-scale attack at any time.

Within the Tenth Army, although military affairs could be handled by Fred, there was a lack of a strong, high-ranking female soldier who could deal with the Araqi insectoid attacks in his absence.

Without insects to deal with the attacks in his place, Rhine was unable to leave the base.

Rhine tapped his fingers on the desk, contemplating the insect he could entrust with important tasks.

At that moment, the image of his "old friend" Dorian immediately came to Rhine's mind.

Rhine paused in his finger movements. He thought, so much time has passed, Dorian's mental state should be almost fully recovered by now.

He saved Dorian's life and helped Dorian and Fez so much. It shouldn't be too much for Dorian to repay him now, right?

A relaxed smile, as if she had made up her mind, appeared on Rhine's face.