My evil self is completely unable to exert its power in the Zerg.

Outside the manor's wrought-iron fence, the moonlight, fragmented by sparse clouds, spilled onto Adlaud.

He leaned against the shadows, the ends of his orange hair gleaming dimly in the faint light, his toes unconsciously grinding against the pebbles on the ground, making a soft, crunching sound.

He had been pacing around in the same spot for nearly two hours.

The terminal screen went dark and then brightened, then went dark again, but there were still no new messages.

The last message from the contact labeled "Little Ancestor" was a grinning cat emoji.

irritable.

anxiety.

There was also a hint of relief that even he himself was unwilling to delve into.

He should be anxious; the mission might not be completed on time, which could lead to unforeseen complications.

But the thought of that tiny figure actually appearing here, following him toward an unpredictable fate, made his chest feel like it was blocked by something, suffocating him.

He both longed to see that ever-energetic little face and hear him chatter on and on about those innocent "terrifying remarks," yet he also desperately hoped that everything would be peaceful tonight.

The agreed time passed second by second.

The manor remained quiet, with only the regular footsteps of the patrolling guards.

Adlaud took a deep breath of the cool night air, trying to suppress the unease surging in his heart.

Tonight should have been their chance to make their move.

Everything was planned out, and the receiving starship was waiting in outer space, just waiting for him to bring the bug out.

But now...

He raised his head and looked towards the main house. The female insect's excellent eyesight allowed him to see that most of the lights there were out, including the window of Su Tang's bedroom, which was completely dark.

Inside Su Tang's bedroom in the residence.

Having just finished the battle, Klein settled his lord down, paused for a moment, then picked up Lancelot, who was still slumped on the ground and hadn't recovered yet, and began diligently cleaning up the mess.

Once Klein was away from the bed, Su Tang, wrapped in a blanket and feeling weak and powerless, quietly lifted the blanket a crack and, like a chameleon catching a fly, secretly snatched the smart device from the bedside table.

When insects are doing bad things, they are often the least afraid of getting tired. Even though she was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, Su Tang was still thinking about her date tonight.

He promised Adlaud he would sneak out tonight. Adlaud said he would give him a big surprise tonight; they would be participating in the most evil and terrifying "operation" in history.

Su Tang's useless brain even imagined the contents of the so-called "major operation" and secretly planned the route, rehearsing it in her mind several times.

But Lancelot's arrival tonight disrupted his plans. And because the night watch was exceptionally strong, he had to abandon his original trip.

However, the excitement of participating in this "big operation" kept him going, and he managed to stay awake even after completing the high-intensity aerobic exercise.

The faint light from the bulge of the blanket illuminated his sleepy little face.

Su Tang clicked on that familiar profile picture, her fingers hovered over the virtual keyboard for a moment, and finally she quickly typed a few words, added a dejected emoji, and sent it.

[Ultimate Villain Demon King]: I can't get out tonight... There are bugs guarding me. [Meow Meow Beast looking dejected.jpg]

The indicator light shows that the message was successfully sent.

Su Tang looked at the screen, let out a soft sigh, and felt an indescribable sense of regret.

He lay back down, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep again, but the guilt of breaking his promise and the disappointment of not being able to experience tonight's big operation were intertwined.

Is Adlore still waiting outside? Is he angry?

With these chaotic thoughts in mind, he drifted off to sleep once more.

Almost simultaneously, the terminal in Adlord's hand vibrated.

He immediately turned on the screen.

[Little Ancestor]: Can't come out tonight... There are bugs guarding me. [Meow Meow Beast looking dejected.jpg]

Adlaud stared at the message and fell silent.

As expected... it still didn't work.

He should immediately report the change in situation to Isaac.

But his fingers remained motionless.

He just stared at that emoji, as if he could see Su Tang pouting at that moment.

He could imagine how the little male insect's puffed-up face would swell up, and then it would grumble and sullenly rub its tail against him.

Just thinking about it made Adlord feel a surge of anger.

However, Su Tang's absence did relieve Adlord, but also left him with an indescribable sense of loss.

He eventually opened the encrypted communication channel with Isaac.

"Brother," Adlaud's voice was hoarse and low, "things have changed. He's increased his guards, he won't be able to get out tonight."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the communication line, followed by Isaac's usual calm voice: "Understood. Proceed with the backup plan. You retreat to the safe point and remain silent."

"Hmm," Adlaud responded, but did not leave immediately.

He leaned against the cold railing, looking up at the moon obscured by clouds, and remained motionless for a long time.

------------------

Meowzilla Planet, inside a long-abandoned old spaceport.

The air was filled with dust and the smell of old equipment.

The only light source came from the faint glow emitted by Isaac's terminal.

He had just received a message from Adlord.

Plans were disrupted.

But this was expected; they had prepared more than one plan, and he had anticipated that tonight would not go so smoothly.

Isaac's figure appeared exceptionally nimble in the dim light. His movements were precise and efficient, like performing surgery, quickly assembling the small transport ship.

His cold, focused eyes, like the most precise instruments, examined every detail.

This is one of the core nodes of the entire plan.

My index finger, gloved with tactical gloves, ran over the cold metal joint to check its sturdiness.

At the same time, he repeatedly went over each step in his mind to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Adlord was responsible for providing support, monitoring the deployment of security forces, and maintaining contact with Isaac via encrypted channels.

"Point A inspection complete, no obstructions."

"The monitoring line at point B has been confirmed and can be switched on as planned."

Isaac gave the numbers concisely, without a trace of emotion.

Suddenly, Adlaud's hesitant murmur came through the communication channel: "Brother, perhaps this is fate. We shouldn't..."

"Shouldn't what?" Isaac abruptly interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives. "Don't forget who we are, Ad. We have no choice!"

Adlord's agitated voice came through the headset: "I know! But Su Tang, he's just an innocent little male... no, I mean, even if it wasn't Su Tang, but any other male, they would all be innocent..."

"Enough." Isaac turned off the screen and stood up. "Since tonight's operation has failed, we'll make our move on the day of the finals. Chaos on site will be the best cover."

His tone was calm to the point of cruelty, but Adlaud wasn't there and missed the fleeting hesitation in his brother's eyes.

The following day, inside the final venue of "Insect Star Grand Stage," all the insect members were nervously conducting their final rehearsal.

Isaac was also present. Under the pretext of searching for lost personal items, he successfully evaded the staff's sight and sneaked into the venue's underground area.

Inside the access panel of a ventilation duct, he installed a miniature signal jammer. It was extremely small and, when activated, could effectively interfere with short-range communication and optical information transmission within a specific range, paralyzing the venue's monitoring and communication, thus creating an opening for the final operation.

"The east passage is clear and unobstructed," he whispered into the miniature communicator under his collar.

"Received." Adlord's voice came through the headset, sounding clearly distracted.

Isaac frowned, but said nothing.

He continued to inspect along the planned route, confirming the accessibility of each evacuation route.

He had rehearsed all of this countless times and could do it with his eyes closed.

But today, Su Tang's unguarded smile kept flashing through his mind.

"Damn it," Isaac cursed under his breath, forcing himself to concentrate.

Adlores, standing outside the stadium, was clearly not focused.

When Isaac was assigning tasks, he would repeatedly confirm, "Brother, do we really have to take Route 3? That road is too narrow, what if Su Tang trips and falls..."

"The route has been meticulously calculated, there's no problem," Isaac said, his voice tinged with impatience.

Adlaud kicked away the pebbles at his feet in frustration. He knew he wasn't in the right state of mind, but he couldn't control himself.

The silly little male insect's image always lingered in his mind—his eyes shining with joy when he won in the arcade; his sweet and delicate profile as he looked at the starry sky on the rooftop; his forced composure as a judge, yet unable to hide his innocent expression.

All of this was eroding Adlord's mind, causing his heart to be torn between the male insect and the domestic insect...

In the evening, the two brothers checked the progress at the designated rendezvous point—an abandoned warehouse.

Under the dim yellow light, the atmosphere was so heavy that it was suffocating.

"All jammers are installed, escape routes are confirmed to be clear, and the backup starship is assembled." Isaac's voice broke the silence, as calm as ever.

Adlaud stood behind him, the shadow obscuring most of his face, with only his earring occasionally reflecting a glimmer of light.

He didn't respond for a long time, just staring blankly at a stain on the ground.

"Ad?" Isaac frowned.

"The situation on the periphery is stable, with no signs of reinforcements," Adlaud replied mechanically.

"Brother," he suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with an unprecedented seriousness, "I still think... he shouldn't have gotten involved."

Inside the warehouse, only the emergency indicator lights cast a pale green glow, illuminating a face similar to Adlores's, leaving only a cold expression.

Isaac did not answer; his attention seemed entirely focused on the precision instruments in his hands. He was inspecting the last set of miniature explosive devices, his movements so precise that there wasn't a single tremor.

"I really can't do it!" Adlaud said angrily, kicking away the pebbles that were in his way.

The sound of the stones rolling down seemed particularly abrupt in the silence.

Isaac's fingers paused almost imperceptibly, then resumed their smooth movements.

"Listen to the nonsense you're spouting." His voice was flat, as if stating a given fact. "We've come this far."

"I know! But—" Adlaud suddenly raised his voice, then lowered it again as if afraid of being heard, his voice filled with a despair on the verge of collapse, "Look at him! He knows nothing! He even thinks I'm playing an adventure game with him!"

Adlaud suddenly rushed in front of Isaac, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, and forced him to look at him. "Su Tang had nothing to do with this at all."

He practically roared it out, each word seeming to be squeezed from his very lungs, tinged with the stench of blood, "How are we any different from those space pirates if we take him away from here? We're ruining him!"

Isaac finally stopped what he was doing. He didn't pull away from his brother's hand, but slowly shifted his gaze from the cold medical equipment, past Adlaud's face, and looked out the window.

Outside the window, the ever-shining, dazzling night view of Planet Meowzilla unfolds.

The dazzling flight paths resembled interwoven galaxies, while towering buildings in the distance were brightly lit, outlining a bustling, vibrant city that never sleeps.

"Adlord".

Isaac's voice revealed a deep weariness he had never shown in front of his brother, which made Adlaud pause slightly.

Do you think I wanted this?

"I didn't want to either." He repeated it as if those four words carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

Adlord's voice was pleading: "Then stop, brother. It's already difficult enough for male insects to survive..."

"Ad," Isaac interrupted him, "the arrow is on the string, it must be released."

"The children of the tribe..." He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his eyes filled with an unyielding darkness. "We had no choice."

Isaac repeated himself, as if trying to convince his brother, but more like trying to convince himself.

He raised his hand, and on the screen, a group of emaciated, ragged children with chains around their necks were crammed into a dilapidated shelter. Their eyes were large but lifeless, reflecting no hope.

"The energy reserves are only enough to last one standard month. The drug shortage already caused three cubs to not survive the last infection season."

"They don't have enough resources and shelter," Isaac's voice was hoarse, "they might..."

He didn't say anything more, but those unspoken words were more damaging than any accusation.

Adlaud loosened his grip as if burned, staggering back a step.

"A choice? What kind of shitty choice is this!" Adlord's voice trembled with agitation. "To exchange the fate of an innocent person for survival? If we really did that, how would we be any different from them?"

"We left in the first place so we wouldn't have to do this kind of thing again!" His voice cracked. "And now you want us to become the very thing we hate most?"

"Do you think I want to wear this hypocritical mask every day to please a...little fool?!"

"Then let's not go! Let's go back, okay? There are bound to be spaceships passing by junk planets, or we can just rob them..."

"Enough!" Isaac turned around abruptly, a crack appearing on his usually calm face, but it was quickly covered by an even deeper layer of ice.

"Ade, wake up! This isn't a fairy tale! There's no perfect solution!"

"Then let's find another way!" Adlaud roared, his eyes red-rimmed. "There's always another way! Instead of hurting... a naive and kind male insect..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Isaac took a step forward, closing in on Adlores. The two brothers were of similar height, and now, facing each other, their auras were evenly matched.

"Another way?" Isaac forced a bitter smile. "How long have we been searching? Don't be naive, Adloro! How long have we been searching since my father died in exile?"

"Those high-ranking nobles, those hypocritical officials... who among them cared about the lives of those barely surviving in the border regions?"

"Look outside!" Isaac pointed to the bustling cityscape outside the window. "This world is so rich in resources, but has even a single drop flowed to us?"

"He's our only bargaining chip!" Isaac's voice suppressed a storm. "He's the Empire's most watched male insect right now, Marshal Brown's master! Only he can possibly secure enough attention and resources!"

"And what about him!" Adlaud retorted, "Is he just going to suffer all this for no reason!"

The warehouse echoed with the brothers' fierce argument, and they even engaged in a desperate struggle for their lives due to their sense of responsibility and conscience.

"We swore to protect the remaining Zerg... not to become raiders ourselves!"

"I didn't say I wanted to hurt him!" Isaac's voice sharpened; this was the first time he had lost his composure in front of his brother. "We'll ensure his safety and send him away after the negotiations are complete..."

"Safety?!" Adlaud interrupted him, his laughter chilling. "How can you guarantee his safety after you kidnap him and hand him over to those beasts!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" Isaac finally growled. "Watch those children, like our little brothers... slowly lose their lives? Or let them be treated like livestock, trapped on this desolate planet for their entire lives, dying in torture?"

"I don't know!!" Adlaud collapsed, clutching his head. "All I know is... if we really did that, we'd live the rest of our lives in the shadow of that deal! Brother!!"

"Shut up, Adlord!" Isaac's eyes were sharp as knives. "Stop your unnecessary sympathy! We're not in a position to talk about this now!"

"Unnecessary sympathy?!" Adlaud looked at Isaac in disbelief, as if he were seeing his brother for the first time.

"So... for the sake of the majority, we can sacrifice one... one who is completely unsuspecting of us..."

He choked up, turned his head away, not wanting Isaac to see his pathetic tears.

"There's no turning back, Adlord."

"Why the hell are you so calm! I don't believe you didn't have feelings for him..."

"Beep beep," Isaac's AI suddenly rang, a message popped up on the screen and appeared in front of the two brothers.

[Those bug droppings that should have died long ago]: [Image]

[That Worm Shit Who Should Have Died Long Ago]: My dear Isaac, I'm so sorry, one of my men accidentally damaged the goods you requested. However, the other goods are still fresh. You'd better come back to trade soon, otherwise my men are too bored and will probably damage a few more items.

"This time it's... little Ed." Isaac's dry voice trembled slightly.

This little female insect said that when she grew up she would become a "great heroine" as powerful as herself and her brother, so she named herself "Ed," using one word each from Isaac and Adlord.

But now, he has no chance to grow up.

The female insect larva in the picture has its limbs cruelly broken and stuffed into a transparent vase. Its thin, twisted body and empty eyes are like a poisoned dagger, piercing Adlord's last line of defense.

Adlord slammed his fist on the metal frame beside him, making a dull thud. "Beasts!! These beasts!!"

"You saw it too."

After a long silence, Isaac turned away from Adlores, his voice cold and hard: "The plan remains unchanged. Tomorrow at the final, proceed as planned."

"I can't do it! Is there really no other way?!" Adlaud suddenly raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed. "I won't help you! You either kill me now, or..."

After he finished speaking, there was a deathly silence.

Only the emergency indicator light emitted a slight buzzing sound.

Adlaud stared intently at Isaac's back, as if he wanted to burn it through with his gaze.

Isaac stood there, his back straight, yet he exuded an inexplicable sense of loneliness.

"Whatever." Isaac's voice returned to its flat tone, devoid of any emotion. "I can complete the mission without you."

"Bang--!!!"

Isaac slammed the heavy metal door shut, the loud noise echoing through the empty storage room and sending dust flying.

"Adlaud, as long as you don't get in my way."

Isaac's last words, along with the sound of his departing footsteps, faded into the air.

In the abandoned warehouse, only Adlord remained, leaning against the cold wall and slowly sliding down to the ground.

He remained in that position, motionless.

The moonlight struggled to penetrate the filthy window, sparingly casting a few pale beams that barely illuminated the mess.

Isaac, silently sliding down to sit on the floor in the shadows outside the door, ultimately did not leave.

He buried his face in his palms, his shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly.

After a long time, he finally lowered his hand, revealing a face that was a mixture of pain and confusion.

Isaac took out his communicator, its screen glowing softly.

The screen displays several messages from "Little Troublemaker".

March 12 11:9

[Little troublemaker]: When are you going to bring me milkshakes again?

[Isaac]: Okay, what flavor does my brother like?

[Little Troublemaker]: Can I have a new flavor?

[Little Troublemaker]: I want it to be sweet and sour!

【Isaac】: Received ٩( 'ω' )و Got it!

This is a chat log from a week ago, the day after the semi-finals.

Just now, before meeting with Adlord, he received several more messages.

It contained only a bunch of gibberish and a meaningless image of a cat's paw print.

Judging from the time the message was sent, it was probably sent by the male insect when he was half asleep and accidentally pressed the send button.

Meaningless.

Isaac stared at the garbled messages, his finger hovering over the screen, but he didn't press delete.

He just watched, remaining silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the city's hustle and bustle seemed distant and unreal, as if separated by a thick layer of glass.

Beneath this suffocating shadow, a fateful choice has inevitably been placed before them.

No matter which path you choose, it seems like there is only endless darkness ahead.