The Zerg Monarch’s Path to Godhood - Chapter 12

On the Star Network’s female-only section, Wen Qi’s account had been banned for less than ten minutes before countless posts began to spring up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

“Shocking! Is there a possibility of healing the female mental sea? [Video Collection]”

“To the streaming platform: I just want to ask, is banning the ‘Reading Bug’ a loss of morality, a distortion of humanity, or are you just brain-dead?”

“Voices really can save females. I am serious. Click my profile to see my short essay and the live video.”

“Whose cake did the streamer ‘Reading Bug’ touch?”

“Streaming platform, do not be too ridiculous. Banning a treasure of a streamer like this? Do you have a death wish? [Video] [Video] [Video]”

“A true story: I have been following his streams, and my mental power has calmed down significantly over the past few days. From now on, I will stay in this room. Whoever dares to touch my treasure streamer will have to answer to me. [Video] [Video]”

“How many people’s interests did this streamer cross? To the one who banned the room: Do you care more about Star Credits than female lives? Mainframe, are you going to do something?”

Various posts flooded the section. Attracted by the headlines, many females clicked out of curiosity. After hearing the streamer’s voice, they fell into a silent, attentive listen, then naturally joined the crusade.

Every female faced the life-and-death struggle of mental power stability. Now, simply by listening to a story, their agitated mental power could find some peace. Even if it only lasted for a few days, it was enough for many. It offered a glimmer of hope and a chance at a new life. No female could refuse such a temptation, especially when the effects of the stories seemed to stack.

Anyone who had heard the stories knew that, in the absence of a male, this streamer’s voice acted as a temporary reprieve for dying females. If they could find a male or trade Star Credits for male assistance during that time, their lives could be extended by years.

Such a miraculous voice was worth paying for, yet the streamer did not force them to pay. He simply read stories. However, this act threatened the interests of certain parties, leading to trouble for the streamer. Seeing such a good person bullied, the viewers and listeners alike were enraged, flooding the Star Network with their fury.

Shao Fei, an S-rank female, had come to the “Reading Bug” stream on a friend’s recommendation. He had seen the videos before, and while there was an effect, it had not been very obvious for someone of his rank. Today was his first time catching a live session. Just as he realized that the live reading was far more effective than the recorded videos, the platform had doused his excitement with cold water. This led to him rallying others to post videos.

After sending out the mass message in a fit of anger, his irritation softened. He opened the videos his friend had sent yesterday and listened closely, then compared them to his own recording from today. A moment later, a look of surprise crossed his eyes.

“Have you all noticed that the streamer’s voice is getting even more effective?” He posted, attaching the videos.

As the second-in-command of a team that traveled extensively, Shao Fei occasionally shared strange news and had a decent following. Once he posted this, his followers immediately clicked. The news about “Reading Bug” had already been fermenting, but Shao Fei’s post acted as a catalyst. The second wave of discussion far surpassed the first.

“Do you think this streamer’s voice could eventually solve the mental power problem for females?”

Comparisons were made between the first stream and the most recent one. After listening, many females already had their answer. Some even arranged the videos in a specific order, making the cumulative effect even more apparent. Now that their own interests were involved, even the females who had remained silent could no longer sit still.

Within three hours, three terms rose to the top of the female trending list:

1. 1. The possibility of healing the female mental sea.

1. 1. What rank is the person whose voice soothes females?

1. 1. A male subjected to such unfair treatment! [Anger]

The Star Network exploded, and Wen Qi became an overnight sensation.

As the person who set the network ablaze, Wen Qi himself was entirely unaware. During those three hours, he had waited for the ban to be lifted for about thirty minutes. Seeing no sign of a change, he gave up and turned his full attention to the medicine Gu Nan needed.

Females had strong recovery abilities. Gu Nan had no life-threatening or bone-deep injuries, except for his bone wings. According to the hospital, one of the beautiful wings would heal with rest. As for the one that had been slashed and had its tip broken, the hospital gave only a 10% chance of full recovery and listed a long string of expensive medicines.

Even if Gu Nan’s rank had not dropped, being unable to fly was a fatal weakness. If an wingless Gu Nan faced an aerial battle, he would be extremely vulnerable. Wen Qi could not let that happen.

Wen Qi searched for many medicines on the Star Network, but he soon discovered that none of them could be delivered to Planet Blue-6.

We have to move, he thought.

Blue-6 was too remote and too hot. Because of the extreme heat, air conditioning was required everywhere. The small forty-square-meter apartment he was renting cost 30,000 Star Credits a month. Even though he rented by the day, it was 1,200 credits plus cooling fees, bringing the daily total close to 2,000.

Planet Blue-1 might be better; the temperature was lower, and there were more people. As for Planet Blue-2, which had been suggested earlier, Wen Qi dismissed the idea after seeing the distribution of power there. It was too chaotic. While it had its merits, it was not suitable for them right now.

Wen Qi carefully wiped off the disguise solution from his body. After observing himself to ensure nothing would expose his identity, he put on his jacket, walked to Gu Nan’s room, and knocked.

The door opened quickly, and Gu Nan appeared. Water droplets clung to the female’s hair, and his handsome face was pale. The white short-sleeved shirt made his posture look even more upright. However, to Wen Qi, the most prominent feature was still that glaring shock collar, the ugly device that suppressed Gu Nan’s every move.

Gu Nan placed his towel on a nearby rack, walked out, and stopped three steps away from Wen Qi, lowering his head cautiously. “Master.”

Even though he knew some of these small movements were an act, seeing Gu Nan like this still made Wen Qi uncomfortable.

“Can you leave this planet?” Wen Qi asked.

“Leave this planet?” Gu Nan repeated, slightly stunned. “Master, are we leaving?”

Wen Qi nodded. “Yes. The resources here are too poor.”

Gu Nan thought for a moment. “I might not be able to leave.” He lowered his head, his voice tinged with a slight gloom. “I was exiled here. Perhaps no one is watching me here, but once I leave, they will come looking for me. I am sorry, Master.”

“You cannot leave?” Wen Qi frowned, gesturing toward the drooping bone wings behind Gu Nan. “The injury to your wings cannot wait. You saw the hospital report; your left wing is seriously damaged. I checked, and some of the necessary medicines are not available on this planet. To get them, we have to leave.”

Wen Qi’s frown deepened. “If we cannot leave, it will be very difficult to get those medicines in.”

Gu Nan kept his eyes down, his tone unchanging. “Master, I know my own body. You do not need to spend so much.”

Wen Qi ignored him, his frown tightening as he thought. After a long silence, he suddenly had an idea.

“Do you have a terminal? I will transfer some Star Credits to you so it is easier for you to buy what you need.”

“Master?” Gu Nan was stunned, his brows furrowing.

What is going on? Not only was this male caring for him, but he also wanted to give him money and a terminal? Was he not afraid of losing control? After all, he used to be…

The physical constitution of females and males was different; males were usually terrified that females would harm them. Why was this one different? And the credits! In the Zerg world, a male giving credits to a female was practically unheard of. Usually, it was the other way around. Such a thing only happened if the credits originally belonged to the female, if the male had a hidden motive, or if the male was mentally unstable.

But the male in front of him seemed perfectly fine. He was rational and lean, and although his face was still disguised as dark, his eyes were clear. Gu Nan did not understand why the male valued him so much at his current rank. He was projecting a C-rank, which to most high-level males was nothing but trash. His assets had been gone for a year. What did the male want from him? True admiration? Was that even possible? Did such a male exist?

While Gu Nan was lost in thought, Wen Qi scanned him. “Sorry, I forgot.” Gu Nan likely had a terminal, but given his current persona, he would not take it out. Wen Qi had forgotten to prepare one, and his temporary terminals were all used up.

“I will buy you a temporary one for now,” Wen Qi planned aloud. “I have about 3 million credits left. After buying the terminal, I will transfer 3 million to you. You can spend 2.5 million on whatever you want. The medicine from the hospital report costs 500,000. Once you have the terminal, buy the medicine online, see which planet is best for pick-up, and then we will decide where to go.”

He paused. “I will find a way to handle the shock collar. As for the credits, do not worry. Just spend what I give you. I always have other ways to earn more.”

Wen Qi was a man of action. Now that he thought of the terminal, he wanted to settle it immediately. “I am going out to buy the terminal now. Do you want to stay here or come with me? If you stay, take care of yourself; someone might come by. If you come with me, the stares from others might be uncomfortable, but you can if you do not mind. It is up to you.”

Wen Qi looked at Gu Nan, waiting for an answer. “What is your choice?”

Gu Nan remained silent. Wen Qi did not rush him. After a minute or two, he saw Gu Nan straighten his back. Those emerald eyes looked directly at him, and the cautious facade vanished. Wen Qi realized something and waited for Gu Nan to speak.

“You knew?” Gu Nan’s voice was deep. He watched Wen Qi closely, not missing a single expression.

Wen Qi did not make excuses and simply nodded. “I knew.”

Meeting those piercing emerald eyes, Wen Qi said, “I came here because of you, so naturally, I could see through some things. You are my idol. I only need to know that you are Gu Nan. No matter what you look like or what your rank is, to me, you being yourself is enough. If you are afraid I will expose you, you can follow me.”

He hesitated. “Actually, I noticed as soon as your strength began to recover, but you were acting, so I…” Wen Qi coughed awkwardly. “I just played along for a bit.”

Gu Nan fell silent again for a long time before uttering two words: “Thank you.”

He was no longer pretending to be cautious or fearful. He was blunt, almost to a fault. Wen Qi’s eyes flickered. He seemed to understand what stage Gu Nan was in, yet he was puzzled by how the female’s spirit seemed largely unaffected despite wearing a criminal’s shock collar and being in a desperate situation. It was as if this was merely a minor setback.

He felt that the current Gu Nan was the real one. He suddenly realized that at this moment, Gu Nan seemed to have found his soul, resembling the character he had written. Facing this version of Gu Nan, Wen Qi’s gaze became a bit dazed as he recalled his thoughts when creating this character.

In the beginning, this character and the direction of the story were under his control. But later, he could no longer control it, not because he could not, but because he was unwilling to. He had created Gu Nan to experience adventures he never had, but eventually, Gu Nan became more like a friend, and he became a chronicler of that friend’s life.

He had designed Gu Nan to be a righteous leader, generous, optimistic, kind, and steady, traits he admired but lacked himself. Since coming to this world, he had felt that the real Gu Nan was quite different from his fantasy, but hearing that whispered thanks, the gap seemed to vanish instantly.

Gu Nan had not changed. He was not perfectly saintly, nor was he evil. He was still the protagonist with a righteous moral compass.

Before Wen Qi could think more, Gu Nan’s deep voice reached his ears: “I will stay here.”

Receiving such a trusting answer, Wen Qi suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. He studied the female for a long time, not missing a single detail, until a look of confusion appeared on Gu Nan’s face.

“Are you okay being home alone?” Wen Qi was surprised by how soft his own voice was, yet he could not bear to look away. He felt like he was in a dream, directly conversing with the character he had written. Not the facade from before, but the real Gu Nan without the disguise.

How would such a Gu Nan see him? Would he investigate the secrets Wen Qi knew? Did he stay behind out of trust or something else? Would Gu Nan despise him? He did not know, and he did not really want to know. He just wanted to escape the intensity of the moment.

“I can do it,” Gu Nan said. “I can take care of myself.”

Wen Qi was still a bit worried, but he also wanted to leave quickly. “Then I will go buy the things. Stay safe. If someone comes looking for you, try not to open the door. I feel that some people might come today, like the person who tried to take you from me, or other Zerg. Protect yourself. You are mine now. If someone attacks you, you can fight back. Since you are nominally my private property, there is no problem with you defending yourself. At worst, we will just leave this planet.”

Wen Qi knew that in lawless places, the law was not absolute; might makes right. He also knew that if Gu Nan had allowed himself to fall this far, he must have a back-up plan, yet he still could not help but worry.

“Yes, Master,” Gu Nan said, returning to the previous title despite their talk.

Wen Qi found it difficult to accept that title. He sighed and reached out his hand. His dark hand stood out sharply between them. “Admiral Gu Nan, let us get to know each other again. My name is Wen Qi, a B-rank male. I am an admirer of yours.” He smiled slightly. “I believe you have met me before, Commander.”

Wen Qi emphasized the word “Commander.”

A look of surprise flashed across Gu Nan’s face. He looked at the male’s smiling face and the dark hand held out before him. Too stunned to move at first, Gu Nan took two seconds before reaching out. One dark hand and one bronze hand clasped together. As they gripped firmly, Gu Nan’s deep voice sounded, “Gu Nan of the Wantian Domain. Please give me your guidance.”

Their hands parted immediately. Wen Qi smiled. “Do not overthink things. Wait for me to come back, and I will tell you whatever you want to know. Admiral Gu Nan, I am leaving now.” He waved and walked out the door with a flourish.

“Wen Qi.”

After the door closed, Gu Nan whispered the name. A moment later, an unusual expression appeared on his face. “He is actually Wen Qi.”

He leaned against the door, his mind drifting back to the first time he met this male a few days ago. The male with gray-white hair and eyes had been fair-skinned back then. He was tall, sharp-featured, and carried the typical arrogance of a male. At the time, Gu Nan had sensed an explosive energy from him that felt like a threat, so he had intentionally approached him. Contrary to his expectations, the male had not lost his temper but had stepped aside to let him pass. He had thought then that the male might not be as the rumors described, but reality had dealt him a blow.

The male was beautiful, more so than any other male Gu Nan had seen. The white hair added a touch of coldness to his beauty. For some reason, Gu Nan had felt a natural affinity for him. Even after boarding the starship and seeing the male swearing while looking at his terminal, Gu Nan, who usually despised males, had felt an urge to help him.

The male was supposed to go to the Emerald Star but had ended up in the Blue Sequence due to an error. Gu Nan knew the nature of the Zerg on those planets all too well. A beautiful male like him would die there. But the male’s mouth was too sharp, and Gu Nan had ultimately decided to let fate take its course.

The news he received said the male had died days ago, yet here he was, buying Gu Nan under a different appearance. Not only that, his earlier personality had been an act. Though their time together today was short, it was enough for Gu Nan to realize that the male was not as irritable as he had seemed on the ship. Furthermore, his rank had not dropped.

He must have planned all of this, Gu Nan thought. The male was bold enough to play the entire Main Star for fools. He was truly a unique male. As for his motive…

Gu Nan looked down and pulled out a miniature, top-tech terminal from his wrist. Before he could open a chat, a news alert popped in. He frowned as he read the headline aloud: “The possibility of solving the female mental power riot.”

How is that possible?

Gu Nan found it laughable. A female’s mental riot could only be solved by a male. If there were another way, he would not have been forced into this position. At his rank, ordinary males could not soothe his mental sea. He had planned to go to the Main Star, but several males had conspired against him. Though nothing had happened, his reputation was ruined. He had stepped down to find the mastermind, only to be framed for treason.

Now, he could not go back, and he only wanted to solve his mental sea problem. If that time bomb remained, he would be at a disadvantage even if his case were overturned. He did not believe anything could truly cure a female’s mental sea, but he clicked the link anyway.

The next second, his expression froze. He had only three friends on this temporary terminal, all trusted subordinates. Now, all three had messaged him at once. He opened them, his heart unable to remain calm.

“A way to heal the female mental sea actually exists.”

He clicked a random video. A red book cover flickered on the screen, and a cold voice began to read: “Once upon a time, there was a…”

Gu Nan’s gaze turned dazed. He felt as if a small brush were sweeping over his restless mental power, so comfortable that he wanted to close his eyes and drift off to sleep.

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