After Transmigrating, I Raised Cubs in the Insectoid Clan - Chapter 2

The coldness of the dungeon seeped into the marrow. In the dim corridor, the only light source was the emergency lamp on the wall that flickered on and off, and the old exhaust fan let out a piercing creak as it turned.

“Excellency Samuel, please watch your step.”

The prison guard’s voice echoed in the empty hallway. Samuel looked down to avoid a puddle of suspicious dark liquid, the rotting, sour stench making his stomach churn. He could not help but quicken his pace, his heart filled with worry. How long had Suter stayed in such an environment?

The guard finally stopped before a heavy iron door. He bent down and scanned his iris on the smart machine. The mechanical sound of the iron door unlocking rang out, and the heavy door swung outward, revealing a dark-golden inner door.

“What is this?” Samuel’s brow twitched violently.

“A special kind of metal, Excellency,” the inspector following behind Samuel spoke up respectfully. “Violent females will attack indiscriminately, so this special alloy must be used for confinement.” He then added, “You really should not have come to a place like this.”

Samuel’s gaze swept over the brand-new inhibitor bracelet on the inspector’s wrist. It was the most popular style in the male circles this year; it was said that the inlaid gems could enhance control over females. He suppressed the discomfort in his heart and replied, “Indeed, the conditions here are far too poor.”

The final door opened. Upon seeing the environment inside, Samuel’s pupils constricted suddenly.

In a cell measuring less than five square meters, the rusted iron bed did not even have a mattress. The broken leg of a small round table was barely held in place by dirty strips of cloth. In the patch of light cast by the exhaust fan, a silver-haired figure curled on the floor.

“Excellency, although the criminal insect has been fitted with an inhibitor, handcuffs, and chains, it is best if you do not get too close. Excellency Samuel!”

The moment he saw Suter, Samuel’s heart felt as if it were gripped by an invisible hand. The Admiral who achieved great military feats in the book was now so thin he was almost out of shape. His silver hair had lost its luster, draped messily like withered grass. Hearing the movement, he lifted his head, and his jade-green eyes were so empty it was startling.

There was none of the sharpness of a strategist on the battlefield, only the alertness and confusion of a young animal. Just moments ago, Samuel had been informed that after the explosion, Suter’s body had regressed due to a severe mental riot. His current physical state was likely stuck in childhood.

On his exposed wrists, the inhibitor bit deeply into the flesh, surrounded by dark red blood scabs. Samuel noticed that his fingertips were a bloody mess.

“Can I take him away now?” Samuel turned around, trying his best to keep his tone calm. However, his mental field fluctuated uncontrollably, causing the alarm on the wall to emit a faint buzz. He remained unaware of this, not realizing he was the cause.

The two inspectors exchanged a glance. “Theoretically, of course you can, Excellency Samuel. The approval order from the higher-ups has already been issued. We have no right to stop you from doing anything.”

“However, we must inform you that the Admiral’s mental sea is currently very unstable. His mental power level has regressed from S-class to A-class, and he is showing signs of infantilization. Having the comfort of your pheromones would be helpful for his recovery.”

The instinct for mutual aid among females existed because, as a disadvantaged group, their life or death was not theirs to decide; it depended entirely on the will of their male masters. No female had ever escaped such a fate; the submission carved into their genes forced them to rely on male pheromones to maintain the stability of their mental sea.

Samuel understood the helplessness hidden in those words all too well. He showed an irritable expression and waved the crowd away. At this moment, his carefully disguised persona fell away slightly. He knelt down and slowly reached out his hand, asking, “Come home with me, alright?”

The cell was so quiet they could hear each other’s breathing. Samuel’s hand hung in the air. He smelled the scent of blood mixed with a faint metallic rust coming from Suter. This was a scent unique to Suter after years of service; it had been described countless times in the book, and now it felt so real it made Samuel’s eyes burn.

“I remember you like strawberry cake.” Seeing that Suter did not attack him, Samuel moved a bit closer, his voice as light as a feather. “Time was short today, so I did not prepare any. Or if there is anything else you like, I can take you to do it in the future.”

Seeing that Suter did not dodge his hand, Samuel took a few more steps forward and knelt down again.

“I will not put handcuffs or shackles on you, nor an inhibitor. I will not make you wear these.” His fingertips traced the air over the torture implements, maintaining a proper distance so as not to make the other feel too pressured.

The silver-haired beauty suddenly looked up, his dark green eyes staring straight into Samuel’s. He spoke abruptly, asking a childish question, “Will you lie to me?”

His voice was incredibly hoarse, carrying the stubbornness of a child. Samuel’s breath hitched. He saw a fleeting vulnerability in Suter’s eyes, looking exactly like the young general abandoned on the battlefield in the book.

Without hesitation, he grasped that cold hand and replied, “I will not.”

Those cold hands trembled slightly in Samuel’s palm. He could feel the rough calluses and uneven scars beneath his fingers. He used the key to unlock the shackles. Once Suter received the answer, he remained very quiet, letting Samuel lead him. With a click, the last chain fell away.

Deep wounds that reached the bone were visible on Suter’s wrists, the edges tinged with a faint grayish-blue. The surveillance camera was flashing red; Samuel knew he could not remove the inhibitor for Suter just yet.

“Endure it for a bit.” Samuel took off his coat to wrap Suter’s thin frame. The body in his arms was tense, both hands hugging himself tightly, with only two fingers loosely holding onto Samuel.

A female’s healing ability should have allowed such superficial wounds to heal within hours, but the inhibitor not only delayed the healing but also magnified the pain tenfold. Samuel could feel how weak Suter was. In reality, females were powerful beings who were almost immortal unless the brain or heart sustained a fatal injury.

However, the rare and physically weak males did not consider this a good thing. In their twisted view, females should be weak and easily manipulated. How could a noble male be inferior to a female? The inhibitor was born from this philosophy; it was used specifically to suppress a female’s healing and amplify the pain index of wounds.

The corridor lights flickered. Samuel’s shadow fell on the mottled wall, completely enveloping the person in his arms. Suter’s silver hair fell down, the ends brushing against the skin of Samuel’s wrist like a tickle.

“We are almost there,” Samuel soothed in a low voice, his words drowned out by the roar of the exhaust fan. “Does it hurt a lot?” He looked down at the insect who was excessively thin and haggard. “I will take it off for you once we are on the flight vehicle, alright? There are cameras here; there will be trouble if we are seen.”

As they passed the surveillance camera at the corner, Samuel turned his body to shield the figure in his arms while quickening his pace.

A petite sub-female was already waiting by the flight vehicle. The hatch slid open silently, and the twilight light spilled across the seats through the glass. Samuel took the keys and settled Suter into the passenger seat. His fingers accidentally brushed against Suter’s nape, finding the skin alarmingly hot. A female’s body temperature was naturally high, but this abnormal fever was clearly not right. Samuel felt worried, wondering if he should take Suter to the hospital for a check-up.

While considering this, he turned to settle the payment for the sub-female who had helped with the errands. “Thank you, I appreciate your hard work,” Samuel said instinctively in the gentle tone he used with subordinates in his past life, only to see the female before him tremble all over.

“You, you are too kind.” The female’s voice cracked with excitement, fingers twisting together nervously. “Please sign here.”

In this world where males viewed females as mere grass, a simple word of thanks was a grand blessing. Samuel noticed the faint marks of an inhibitor on the sub-female’s neck, a sign of pigment deposition from long-term wear. He sighed and could not resist giving a bit more as a tip.

He truly had no strength to maintain the image of an extravagant and dissolute male; he might as well live as his original self. At worst, he would just disguise himself as a female as well.

Samuel signed the papers quickly, not noticing Suter’s eyes cracking open slightly behind him. Those jade eyes, which should have been ignorant, were now as clear and sharp as a blade, observing his every move through the gaps in his hair.

By the time Samuel turned back, Suter had returned to his weak state, his eyes listlessly following Samuel’s shadow.

In the whistling winter wind, no one heard the extremely low murmur in his throat: “Seren, is this the providence you entrusted to me? Heh.”

The neon lights outside the window cast eerie shadows in his eyes, perfectly hiding that fleeting sharpness. He was now nothing more than a fragile cub.

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