The Omega Becomes The Zerg Queen - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Arena

The Zerg home planet was not a particularly ornate world, but rather a planet intertwined with deep blues and blacks.

In truth, most Zerg did not pursue “beauty.” Their daily lives revolved around being simple, direct, and functional. Therefore, even the construction of the Central District of the home planet did not appear exceptionally luxurious; it consisted mostly of various dark, cuboid buildings.

However, there was one exception.

The Zerg Temple.

As the permanent residence of successive Queens, the Zerg had exhausted the efforts of the entire race, painstakingly scouring the universe for treasures to build it. The Temple, a blend of white and gold, was like a shining pearl in the deep sea, standing out beautifully amongst the surrounding dusty gray buildings.

Even during the three hundred years they had been without a Queen, the Zerg never ceased their efforts to repair and refine the Temple. Or rather, it was precisely because they had been without a Queen for so long that the Zerg, in their growing despair, used this method to give themselves hope. It was as if, as long as the Temple was built well—better than before—the Queen would eventually return to them.

Since the Temple officials released the announcement of the Queen’s public audience, the entire Central District had been specially adorned with brand-new, luxurious decorations. Centered around the Temple where the King resided, the entire city was carpeted in dual-colored flowers.

Pure white jasmine, gardenias, lilies, and roses bloomed alongside vibrant red roses, cypress vines, and hibiscus. The pure white and seductive red painted the streets with an intense celebratory atmosphere.

The Zerg living in the Central District went to great lengths to decorate the exteriors of their drab houses to make them look vivid and beautiful.

—All for the sake of just one glance.

Perhaps, if the King were bored and looked out from her bedroom window, her gaze might fall upon their corner. Just the thought of it filled these Zerg with energy. Consequently, the price of flowers on the home planet had skyrocketed dozens of times over the past few days.

The selection for the Royal Guard was about to begin. Zerg scattered across the galaxy scrambled to return to the embrace of the home planet, and the Central District was overcrowded.

Colorful ribbons decorated every corner; fine glitter and soft petals danced in the air. The scent of the King seemed to float in the atmosphere, and the festive, joyful mood infected every single Zerg.

—They had finally welcomed their new King.

The bustling crowds surged in the same direction. On a solid black base, a massive open-air coliseum had been built. However, today, the spectators who had come to watch the duels were clearly distracted.

Across the entire audience stands, wandering gazes were focused on the lower-left corner of the seating area.

—Is that…? —No, no, how could that one appear here!

Although they knew the hope was slim, the Zerg couldn’t help but look more closely in that direction.

There was a Zerg there who wasn’t very tall—one might even say she looked somewhat petite among the Zerg. This was not considered an advantage in a society that worshipped military might.

The person was completely wrapped in a black cloak. Beneath the wide hood, only the tip of a perfectly shaped chin was visible. Even when a gust of wind swept by, the hood of the high-quality cloak remained motionless.

“Damned cloak!” the Zerg cursed in unison in their hearts.

This Zerg seemed to possess a strange magic that captured their entire attention. Their hearts felt as if they were being scratched by a cat, and they were eager to get closer to her.

—If only that annoying Zerg wasn’t standing next to her.

The crowd looked with envy, jealousy, and hatred at the Zerg guarding her silently. He was tall with perfect musculature, looking as if he had been meticulously crafted to the Zerg standard of “strength.” Not to mention the faint, oppressive aura of a top-tier high-ranking Zerg emanating from him, which kept the wandering hearts nearby from daring to approach and strike up a conversation.

However, their gazes slid to the face of this eyesore. The man’s face was plain and unremarkable, the kind of face one forgets immediately after seeing it.

—Maybe he isn’t that perfect. Do we have a chance too?

Su Lili tugged at her hood, her pale fingertips strikingly visible against the black fabric. She whispered to the person beside her, “Zephyros, are they all looking at us?”

“Mhm.”

Zephyros gave a faint reply and leaned closer to her. His tall frame almost completely shielded the girl, blocking the prying eyes of the crowd. He lowered his head, his sharp golden eyes uncharacteristically gentle.

“Do you want to go back to the Temple, Your Majesty?”

“Let’s finish watching this match.” Su Lili shook her head.

Today was originally supposed to be the day Zephyros took her for physical training. However, the usually steady man suggested suspending training for a day.

“You were startled yesterday. Why don’t we go out of the Temple today to clear your head? Come to think of it, you haven’t had a proper look at this city yet.”

It was a very tempting proposal, and Su Lili agreed without much thought. Zephyros was powerful and reliable; she felt very safe with his company. Thus, after lunch, Zephyros carried her and quietly landed in a corner of the Central District.

They had disguised themselves. Zephyros used a mimicry device to hide his iconic bone wings and his well-known features, making him look inconspicuous. But when it came to Su Lili, it was difficult.

The Zerg’s adoration for the Queen had reached a fanatical level. The recording of that night’s broadcast had been saved and replayed countless times; the Zerg had memorized everything from her head to her toes, even her speech patterns and expressions. To avoid causing a riot, the man eventually put a cloak on her.

The two followed the flow of Zerg toward the arena. Along the way, the Zerg were talking excitedly.

“I heard that the arena has been packed these past two days just for the Royal Guard registration slots.” “Fighting for the Queen—everyone is giving it their all!”

“Registration slots?” Su Lili muttered quietly. “Didn’t the Queen say that any Zerg who wants to participate can register?”

“That is true in principle.”

The wings of a brown-haired Moth-type Zerg nearby fluttered. He turned around, his slightly unfriendly gaze softening the moment he saw the girl. Even through the thick cloak, this person made him inexplicably want to be close to her. He cleared his throat and explained in a thin, polite voice.

“Although the Queen is merciful and expanded the slots, there are so many Zerg who want to join. It’s impossible for just anyone to be qualified to appear before the King, right?”

His sudden change in tone drew laughter from his companions. A group of Moth-types giggled, asking why he had suddenly changed his personality today. The Moth-type turned bright red, shooing his companions away with his fists. Once they were gone, he jogged back to Su Lili’s side.

“Don’t listen to their nonsense.” Meeting the girl’s questioning gaze, he continued in a low voice. “To avoid wasting the King’s time, we spontaneously organized a preliminary selection for the Royal Guard slots. Only Zerg who perform exceptionally in these trials are allowed to register for the official selection.”

“But in a competition like this, if they lose, don’t they lose the chance to see the King?” Su Lili found it difficult to understand. To the Zerg, shouldn’t seeing the King be the most important thing?

“It’s not like that.” The Moth-type’s expression turned serious, and his tone became solemn. “At any time and in any place, fighting for the King is our lifelong glory and dream. Although every one of us desperately desires to see the King, no Zerg would allow such a selfish thought to waste the King’s time.”

Placing my feelings above their own? Su Lili’s eyes flickered, somewhat moved.

“In short, we are all participating in this duel willingly,” the Moth-type concluded, striking his palm with his fist. “A cowardly warrior has no right to fight for the King, and we won’t allow such a bug to appear before Her Majesty.”

“We?” Su Lili looked at him with surprise.

As expected, the face under the hood was plain. The Moth-type laughed at the groundless delusion in his heart. How could Her Majesty possibly be here?

Turning away, he ran a few steps to catch up with his companions, then turned back to wave goodbye to her.

“Goodbye, it was a pleasure meeting you. My friends and I are going to participate in the duel.” He raised a fist and made a gesture of determination. “If you’re going to watch the matches, please cheer for me.”

In the octagonal arena, two Zerg were locked in a fierce battle. Someone nearby was responsible for recording the results. The surrounding crowd was waving flags and shouting; the cheers were deafening, and the atmosphere was electric.

Player Number 3, with a virtual number floating above his head, was an Ant-type. He had a large abdominal sac on his back and was trembling as he struck toward Number 83.

“Go, Number 3! If you win, you’ll enter the finals to fight for today’s last Royal Guard registration slot!”

Number 83 was a Scorpion-type, covered in wounds and panting heavily, with half of his slender stinger broken.

“Number 83, don’t give up! Number 3 has been fighting for a long time and is clearly exhausted. Just hold on a little longer and take him down!”

In a flash, Number 83 found an opening. His stinger, glowing with an eerie blue light, stung Number 3’s foot. Almost instantly, starting from the foot, Number 3 began to turn black. He quickly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Staff members helped him off the arena, and the referee held up a sign to announce: “Number 83 wins.”

“Player Number 84, please enter the arena.”

A brown-haired Moth-type stepped onto the field. His wings had special triangular patterns. Su Lili recognized him immediately; he was the one who had spoken to her.

“Wait.” She tugged at Zephyros’s sleeve. “Let’s watch one more match.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Zephyros responded gently as always, his arms slightly open to keep her within his protective circle.

—Doesn’t this feel like a date? He couldn’t help but fantasize.

After marriage, the husband and wife would go out together to watch a duel, leaning against each other in a corner of the arena where no one noticed. However, his gentle golden eyes turned icy when they moved to the face of the Moth-type in the arena.

Her Majesty stayed just to watch this Moth? The top-tier combatant’s gaze swept over the Moth-type’s entire body. Height: mediocre. Build: mediocre. Looks: mediocre. Physique and mental power were both unremarkable. He didn’t even have the qualifications to enter the Holy Knights.

What about such a bug was worth the King’s gaze lingering on him?

The overly harsh, chilling gaze made Number 84 shiver. He looked over and immediately saw Su Lili in the crowd. His nervous mood instantly became happy and full the moment his eyes met the girl’s. He felt as if he were suddenly filled with energy. He waved his limbs exaggeratedly toward her in greeting, his face showing visible joy.

Perhaps due to the excitement, he won the match quickly. He waved to her again with excitement. Su Lili nodded back across the distance and tugged Zephyros, preparing to leave.

The referee announced Number 84’s victory and called for Number 85 to take the stage.

The moment Number 85 appeared, the bustling arena suddenly fell silent. After a brief silence, it erupted into an even more intense frenzy.

“It’s him?!!!”