Chapter 21: Pollution
Inspecting a planet wasn’t something that could be finished in a day or two.
Planet 1347 was a relatively small planet with only one continent, and the main residential areas were clustered together.
Once Saiensi and his team finished their primary investigation of Blackwater Street, they found—as Lan Ze had predicted—nothing at all.
Over the next few days, they piloted their mechas, using Blackwater Street as a starting point to scan other regions with their equipment.
Lan Ze took Yan Mo along once.
Zerg mechas were custom-made to match a pilot’s mental power and were driven by it. Yan Mo watched the cool mechas with excitement, but unfortunately, he lacked the mental power of a Female and couldn’t pilot them.
Planet 1347 was a lifeless world. The sky was perpetually hazy.
Violence, robbery, and killing were everywhere.
Lan Ze accompanied Yan Mo to many places.
Lan Ze’s mental power was immense. Most of the Females on Planet 1347 were low-level; sensing the danger radiating from Lan Ze, they didn’t dare provoke him, even if they hadn’t seen a Male in years.
After a few outings, Yan Mo lost interest in exploring and decided to stay at the camp and wait for Saiensi to finish the inspection.
The chaos of this place was distressing.
Yan Mo couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, “Isn’t a planet like this within Zerg territory? Does the Zerg Federation just let it remain in this state of ruin and disorder?”
From what Yan Mo had gathered, Zerg technology was highly advanced. Transforming an abandoned planet shouldn’t be that difficult, right?
Lan Ze thought for a moment before answering, “Thousands of years ago, the universe experienced a Great Radiation event. It was from that point on that the energy of some planets within the Zerg’s conquered territory began to dissipate.”
Lan Ze led Yan Mo to the edge of the camp and pointed at a withered old tree.
“Planet 1347 was once a habitable residential planet. It didn’t have high-value mineral resources, but it was self-sufficient through farming and could provide food to mineral or military planets. But after the Great Radiation, its energy dissipated, and farming became increasingly difficult. The planet could no longer produce resources, and so it gradually became a garbage planet.”
“The Zerg have many such garbage planets. Furthermore, the pollution from the Great Radiation hasn’t stopped. New polluted planets are constantly being born in the star systems we’ve conquered. Transporting resources from other planets to keep a resource-depleted world running is too costly; it’s simply not worth it.”
The Great Radiation.
Yan Mo recalled seeing records of this event in Zerg history when he was first researching them on the Star Net.
It was after the Great Radiation that the number of Males dropped sharply, and the mental power of Females became polluted, making them more prone to mental riots.
“But if the number of polluted planets is increasing and nothing is done, won’t the Zerg eventually run out of living space?”
Lan Ze shook his head and explained, “The expanse of the universe is infinite. Even with current Zerg technology, we cannot find the end of it. The Zerg expand their territory every year, and our speed of conquering resource planets is much faster than the rate of pollution.”
“Some interstellar astronomers speculate that the Great Radiation pollution zone is limited. Once we break through that zone, we will no longer have to suffer from pollution.”
Yan Mo understood.
The Zerg were a race of conquerors, possessing strong bodies and powerful mental energy. If the astronomers were right, the Zerg would eventually break through the pollution zone.
“But what if… the entire universe is polluted?” Yan Mo pressed.
Lan Ze seemed to have considered this question as well. He had no answer and no solution.
Radiation pollution was a problem the Zerg had yet to solve.
The scarcity of Males and the even greater rarity of high-level Males were largely due to this pollution. Currently, the only way the Zerg could combat pollution was through Male pheromones, yet Males were becoming fewer and fewer.
Perhaps one day, when Males went extinct, Females would follow them into oblivion due to mental riots.
On that day, the Zerg race would vanish from the universe.
Seeing Lan Ze’s silence, Yan Mo knew he didn’t have the answer.
“Is there really no other way to solve the pollution?” Yan Mo asked, puzzled.
“The impact of pollution is actually greater on Females than on Males. A Female’s mental power becomes polluted, leading to mental riots. Currently, only Male pheromones can help a Female cleanse that pollution.”
Lan Ze paused. Something seemed to cross his mind, and his face flushed slightly. In a voice so low it was almost a whisper, he said, “There is research that says the more polluted a Female is, the harder it is for them to conceive a Male cub.”
His voice was very soft, but Yan Mo’s hearing was excellent, and he caught every word.
Yan Mo blinked, stunned. “What about you? Is your mental pollution very severe?”
Upon hearing the question, Lan Ze’s azure eyes dimmed for a moment. He bit his lip, looking nervous. “My mental power rank is high, which makes me more susceptible to pollution than the average Female.”
Yan Mo asked because he could sometimes sense that Lan Ze’s mental energy was very chaotic—even more so than the Female he had seen rioting before.
However, Lan Ze’s mental power was far more robust, and his mental domain was much broader. The level of pollution he carried would have been a death sentence for an ordinary Female, but Lan Ze’s sheer strength allowed him to suppress it.
Still, it was a ticking time bomb. If Lan Ze’s mental power wasn’t soothed for a long time, he would eventually suffer a riot just like that other Female.
Seeing Yan Mo’s silence after his answer, Lan Ze felt a surge of apprehension.
Lord Yan Mo must really want a Male cub, right?
No Male would dislike having a Male heir; Yan Mo was likely the same.
His own mental pollution was too severe; he might not be able to conceive a Male.
Lan Ze lowered his head, his platinum hair seemingly losing its luster in an instant.
When that time comes, Lord Yan Mo will have other Females to help him conceive Males.
He will be good to them, just as he is to me.
The thought of Yan Mo being with other Females caused a sharp, recurring pain in Lan Ze’s heart.
By then, Yan Mo will probably forget me. Just like my Male Father did. My Female Father only had me as a cub. I inherited my Female Father’s talent; my mental power might even surpass his one day.
Since his birth, Lan Ze had never known the love of his Male Father.
Not long after he was born, his Male Father had married another Female Attendant, who subsequently gave birth to a Male cub.
Ever since that younger brother was born, life for Lan Ze and Admiral Lan Hechen had become even more difficult.
Fortunately, Lu Min still needed Lan Hechen’s influence in the Fourth Army to stabilize the Lu family’s status on the Capital Star. That was the only reason Lan Ze and his father were allowed a moment’s peace.
Thinking of this, Lan Ze couldn’t help but ask tentatively, “Lord, do you prefer Male cubs or Female cubs?”
Yan Mo was taken aback by the question. His ears began to burn. As long as they were Lan Ze’s, he would love them regardless of gender. But since that hug a few days ago, he and Lan Ze hadn’t made any further progress. Would answering now be too forward?
Chapter 22: Struggle
Since realizing he liked Lan Ze, Yan Mo had quickly accepted the fact that Females could bear children.
If it were Lan Ze…
Picturing Lan Ze’s lean waist gradually rounding, his well-defined abs softening…
Yan Mo felt a rush of heat straight to his head.
Quickly cutting off the fantasy, Yan Mo smiled at Lan Ze. “I love them both!”
This answer wasn’t enough to satisfy Lan Ze.
He thought of Admiral Lan Hechen’s ordeal and had no desire to follow in his Female Father’s footsteps.
He was the youngest Major General of the Zerg. He had achieved countless military distinctions among the stars. He had his own pride.
The biggest difference between him and his Female Father was that Lan Hechen did not love his Male Father, Lu Min. Therefore, Lan Hechen could endure Lu Min’s violence and coldness.
But Lan Ze knew he had already fallen in love with Yan Mo.
If he was destined to lose him in the end, it would have been better never to have started.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Lan Ze’s mind.
He remembered the agreement Yan Mo had made with him at the very beginning.
If the time came and he asked Lord Yan Mo for his freedom, Yan Mo was so good that he surely wouldn’t refuse.
Yan Mo felt waves of heat rolling through his body. He didn’t know if it was because of his sudden shyness, but the heat in his head wouldn’t dissipate.
Yan Mo looked at Lan Ze. The Female had his head lowered, lost in his own thoughts.
Watching Lan Ze, Yan Mo’s throat felt parched. He couldn’t help but swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
In a raspy voice, he called out, “Lan Ze…”
Lan Ze snapped back to reality. The scent of pheromones spilling into the air made him realize what was happening.
Lan Ze’s body went weak, and his eyes reddened. “Lord…”
He was thrown into disarray by Yan Mo’s pheromones. The complex thoughts from a moment ago vanished, leaving his mind a complete blank.
“What’s wrong with me? I feel so hot. Is it just the temperature here?”
Lan Ze forced himself to focus. He said to Yan Mo, “You must be in your estrus period before your secondary differentiation. Quick, we have to get to the room! There’s a pheromone shield there. Saiensi and the others are likely on their way back!”
Lan Ze grabbed Yan Mo and hurried toward the camp. He couldn’t imagine the terrifying consequences of a Male going into estrus while surrounded by hundreds of Females.
Lan Ze pushed Yan Mo into the house and followed close behind, locking the door and activating the defense mode. He slammed the switch for the pheromone shield.
Once it was done, Lan Ze’s legs gave out, and he slid down against the back of the door.
Yan Mo helped Lan Ze up and pulled him into his arms.
“What do I do now? Lan Ze, tell me.”
“Follow my mental power… release the excess pheromones…”
…
The feverish heat in Yan Mo’s body subsided, and his reason returned.
Looking at the limp Lan Ze in his arms, Yan Mo’s breath hitched. Heavens, what had he done!
Yan Mo felt his face grow hot enough to steam an egg.
Recalling what had just happened—by human standards, he hadn’t done much, but by Zerg standards, it felt like he had done everything!
Had he really just used those “pheromones” to turn Lan Ze into this state?
Afraid Lan Ze might catch a cold, Yan Mo quickly rose, picked Lan Ze up, and laid him on the bed.
With a flushed face, he stripped off Lan Ze’s soaked clothes and changed him into dry pajamas. Yan Mo was about to get some water when his arm was caught by a slightly more lucid Lan Ze.
Yan Mo sat back on the edge of the bed and nervously gripped Lan Ze’s hand.
“What is it? Are you uncomfortable? Should I call a doctor?”
A crimson blush spread across Lan Ze’s face.
“No… no need…”
After a pause, Lan Ze said, “Lord, your estrus period has ended for now. But before your secondary differentiation, you will experience several more. Your pheromones are leaking; it’s best if you don’t go out until you can control them.”
Before a Male’s secondary differentiation, there were several pheromone imbalance periods, commonly known as estrus.
During these periods, a Male couldn’t control his pheromone leakage. If this happened in an area with a high density of Females, it would trigger a collective estrus among them, leading to mental riots as they fought over the Male.
A Male’s estrus required guidance from a Female’s mental power. This allowed the Male to vent the excess pheromones and learn how to control them.
The official secondary differentiation would involve the Female guiding the Male to fully bond. Once the differentiation was successful and the pheromone level stabilized, the Male was considered a true adult and could take a Female Monarch.
Listening to Lan Ze’s explanation, Yan Mo nodded obediently. “Alright. I won’t go out. I’ll stay here with you!”
Lan Ze’s cheeks turned red. He felt conflicted.
Before Yan Mo’s estrus, he had been worried that Yan Mo would reject him because he couldn’t easily bear a Male cub, and he had even considered giving up on the relationship.
But the sudden onset of estrus had cut his brooding short.
In reality, he could have found any Female to help guide Yan Mo’s pheromones.
Any of the Females outside would have been more than willing. As for Yan Mo, would he have been willing? Probably. After all, a Male could have countless Females in his lifetime.
But Lan Ze realized he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t stand the thought of Yan Mo being intimate with any other Female.
His upbringing had taught him that if you wanted something, you had to fight for it with everything you had.
He would tie Lord Yan Mo firmly to his side, ensuring his eyes never strayed to any other Female.
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