The Tough Guy Forced To Become The Broodmother - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Physical Changes

A scent that seemed to drift from ancient times, seductive and corrupting, filled the air.

Astra instantly lost his composed demeanor. His scorpion tail whipped out and coiled tightly around Luo Jia’s ankle.

The doctor frowned and switched on the air filter. “Calm down, Astra.”

Faint scales flickered on Astra’s face, and a silver light swirled within his pitch-black eyes. He gritted his teeth, suppressing his abnormal reaction, and turned to look at his colleague.

The vines beneath the doctor’s coat had already entwined around Luo Jia’s other leg and were attempting to creep upward. Flowers were even beginning to bloom on the vines…

Astra’s right hand transformed into a sharp blade. He warned, “Calm down, Doctor.”

The doctor: “…” He retracted his vines, looking at the Luo Jia on the bed with a clinical gaze. “Astra, go check his background. I suspect this is a trap targeting the Zerg.”

Astra also felt that such a coincidence was unlikely in this world. He nodded. “I know.”

The doctor said, “Leave. I need to treat him.”

Astra didn’t move. The doctor, realizing he might not have strong enough self-control, added, “Stand further back.”

Astra finally moved, his scorpion tail slowly sliding away from Luo Jia’s leg.

Luo Jia felt as though he were submerged in boiling water; his body was being deconstructed and then rebuilt. His consciousness began to rise—past colorful nebulae and the pitch-black void. Behind him was a familiar silver moon emitting a cold, clear light.

Luo Jia felt himself sitting upon a massive throne, encrusted with various gemstones and pearls. He took a particular liking to a navy-blue star-sand stone embedded in the armrest and couldn’t help but stare at it.

Then, numerous points of light of varying sizes appeared before his eyes, like silver stars. These stars were scattered haphazardly; some were brilliant, while others were dim. Luo Jia noticed a large star furthest away that seemed to have its radiance tarnished by black grime.

Luo Jia didn’t like seeing the light obscured. He reached out to wipe the star, cleaning away the gray filth surrounding it.

Hades Star D-01

The sky was torn open by a massive rift. Black mud poured out relentlessly, slowly coalescing into chaotic, indescribable monsters upon hitting the ground.

Qing, the Commander of the Zerg Sixth Legion, and his subordinates were trapped in this region. Qing felt his body throbbing unnaturally. He could feel his sanity teetering on the brink of collapse within this darkness.

But—Qing looked at the box in his hand. This was a gift for Mother. Mother’s health had always been poor, and he had heard that the Moonlight Flower, which could improve one’s constitution, grew here. So, he had brought his legion to this pitch-black land and found the swaying, elegant flower.

The light-blade in Qing’s hand cleaved through a monster, which dissolved back into black mud. The mud stained his boots, but Qing didn’t care. His Zerg soldiers were exhausted. Without Mother’s soothing, their combat capabilities were degrading, and the birth rate of new Zerg was declining. If this continued, the Zerg might truly be devoured by other races.

Qing couldn’t see his own once-handsome face becoming distorted. His consciousness was crumbling, and the black sludge accelerated his deterioration. He dropped his light-saber, his arms becoming covered in emerald-like carapace, and the transparent wings on his back vibrated at high speed as he began to tear through the monsters with brutal force.

Gradually, his reason vanished, leaving only the thrill of the slaughter.

Suddenly, an indescribable fragrance swirled around Qing’s nose. This scent awakened his sanity. He still held the box in his arms. The surrounding Zerg swarm had already fallen into a frenzy, emitting the stench of death.

Bad… am I hallucinating?

A gentle hand seemed to appear before him, stroking his forehead. In that instant, his sanity fully returned. His body felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted, and his soul became light.

Qing lunged into the monsters. His hands moved like lightning, and in moments, the monsters were gone. The ominous black rift closed behind them.

The carapace on Qing’s body receded, revealing a handsome face. He pursed his lips, his emerald eyes burning with fervor.

“Lord Qing!”

Qing waved his hand. “Let’s go. Return to the Sanctuary. We shall present this gift to our noble and supreme Mother!”

The star shone brightly once more.

Luo Jia was satisfied with his handiwork, but a wave of exhaustion hit him. He felt incredibly tired, as if he couldn’t catch his breath. He tumbled from the throne, plunging headfirst into the colorful star-belt.

The doctor injected a serum into Luo Jia’s neck. The gland, supplemented by pheromones, began to develop steadily.

Astra watched as Luo Jia’s body began to change. His black hair became soft and lustrous, his skeleton grew sturdier, and his muscles became more powerful. Most importantly, Luo Jia’s face became even more beautiful and alluring, like a flower in full bloom.

“He is Mother…”

“The Broodmother’s Essence is altering his constitution. But having grown up in the human world, can he truly soothe us? Will he find the Zerg disgusting?” The doctor offered a sharp critique. Astra’s excitement gradually cooled.

“Before the last Star Era, there were Mothers brought from the human world. In the end, they still…”

“Stop,” Astra said. “I understand. A probation period. Once he is of no use to us, we destroy him.”

The doctor nodded and wiped his hands. “I have reported to the Sanctuary. Cecil should be notified soon. He will handle the probation.”

Astra’s communicator pinged. He glanced down and said, “Qing is back from Hades Star D-01. I’m heading out.”

The doctor waved him off. “Go. I’ll stay here and watch him.”

Astra pushed the door open and left. The room fell silent, save for the rhythmic beeping of the monitors.

The doctor checked the time. “It’s time to wake up.” He pulled a chair to Luo Jia’s bedside, honoring his promise to Astra.

Luo Jia felt refreshed and full of energy. He opened his eyes to see white, high-tech walls.

“You’re awake.” The doctor stood up. “How do you feel?”

Luo Jia sat up. The man in the white coat had dark green hair and emerald eyes that were as cold and emotionless as a machine. Luo Jia felt a bit stiff. “Thank you. I’m fine. Where is this? And who are you?”

“This is the medical bay of the Rose Thorns. I am Doctor Sal.” He poured a cup of water and handed it to Luo Jia. “Here, have some water.”

Luo Jia took it quickly. “Thank you.” He gulped the water down until the cup was empty, then looked at it wistfully.

“Your body needs to replenish energy, but don’t over-consume fluids yet. Next, you need nutritional supplements. Can you get out of bed?”

Luo Jia nodded. “I can.”

He stepped onto the floor barefoot. His newly modified body was still slightly uncoordinated, and his legs inevitably gave way. He fell right into the doctor.

“Sorry.”

The doctor didn’t immediately pull him up. He surreptitiously felt Luo Jia’s shoulder blades, then slid his hand down his back to his waist. Luo Jia felt a bit strange and instinctively tried to pull away.

The doctor didn’t continue. He helped Luo Jia up and said, “Be careful.”

Luo Jia observed the doctor’s face. The expression was flat, and the emerald eyes held no emotion. He figured he was just overthinking things.

“Thank you, Sal.”

The doctor walked ahead. Unseen by Luo Jia, a trace of a smile touched those emerald eyes for a fleeting second before they returned to a calm, waveless state. “Let’s go.”

Luo Jia looked for his shoes but couldn’t find them anywhere. Since the floor looked clean enough, he followed barefoot. As he followed the doctor, he noticed many uniformed personnel staring at him. Their gazes made him uneasy, so he gave them an awkward, polite smile.

This was followed by a chorus of loud, collective gasps.

Luo Jia felt he must have done something even weirder and became so embarrassed he started walking with stiff, robotic movements.

“Ignore them. Those boys are just too excited. They just need more training.” The doctor slowed down, blocking the gazes of the Zerg soldiers.

Luo Jia remained silent. He felt this doctor might not be as easy to talk to as he looked. He caught his reflection in the glass and was stunned. Is that really me?

He couldn’t help but look closer. The reflection was stunningly beautiful. Moreover, his eyes had turned a brilliant gold—they were supposed to be black. He also felt his arms were much stronger; beating up the Sled Three Idiots would probably be easy now.

He wondered if they had made it back to their homeland.