Chapter 261: Female Disguised as Male x Despairing Straight Female (17): Pursuing Him Again, This Time as a Male Zerg

#Felix's True Sex#

#What Is Differentiation?#

#Is Felix a Male Zerg?#

Numerous related topics shot up the StarNet trending discussions.

[I remember reading a Female Zerg × Female Zerg romance.]

[Up until now, it really has been a "Female Zerg × Female Zerg romance." The problem is that Felix's sex seems to be a little... dynamically variable?]

[What a "dynamically variable"! So what the hell is "differentiation"?]

[No idea. Felix is a Zerg, right? At least he should still be a Zerg, right? I'm not prepared to read about a non-Zerg yet.]

[I'm not prepared for Felix to be a Male Zerg either! Who am I? Where am I? This is only a theory, right? How could this possibly be true? What Lord Male Zerg acts like this? Huh???]

[Calm down, nothing's been confirmed yet. Differentiation is definitely outside the scope of my knowledge, but over billions of years of evolution, who knows how many different genes the Zerg race has absorbed? It's reasonable that Felix's ancestral line might have acquired some kind of differentiation-related gene.]

[Reasonable? You think this is reasonable? Look me in the eyes and say that again. If genes like that really existed, how could there have been absolutely no rumors for all these years? An entire ethnic group managed to keep the secret this well? Were they running an intelligence agency back in the former Empire or something?]

[I refuse to believe it. I only just accepted the Female Zerg × Female Zerg romance! How could Felix possibly be a Male Zerg? (sobbing uncontrollably)]

[Would it be bad if he were a Male Zerg?]

[Then he'd be completely out of reach, and Lucas would be getting way too good a deal! Major General Lucas, you deserve better, but you don't deserve the absolute best!]

[Don't panic. Nothing's been confirmed yet. Let's keep reading and see what happens.]

...

[Lucas arranged an aircraft for Felix while he himself returned to Military Headquarters first.

He felt that, given their current situation, it would be better for them to travel separately.

Better for Felix.

After returning to Silver Fortress, Lucas originally intended to head straight for the military administration building and look into the details of the incident. Halfway there, however, he noticed the astonished looks from the military Female Zergs on duty and finally remembered that Male Zerg pheromones were still clinging to him.

The Male Zerg pheromones Felix had brought lingered stubbornly on his body. Even though he'd already showered once, traces still remained.

Lucas's expression changed. Pressing his lips together, he returned to his quarters first and showered again.

He didn't like the scent of those pheromones lingering on him, even though they smelled wonderful, were extraordinarily powerful, and reminded him of Felix.

But they smelled like a Male Zerg.

He didn't like that.

Cold water poured over his head, yet no matter how thoroughly he washed himself, the scent remained. That rich, wine-like sweetness lingered around him and refused to disappear.

Lucas's expression was ugly. His hand settled over his abdomen, his lips pale.

Felix had put a lot inside him.

Pheromones belonging to Felix.

Female Zerg pheromones.

Logically, a Female Zerg should feel uncomfortable after coming into contact with pheromones from the same sex, yet Lucas had accepted Felix's pheromones remarkably well.

His abdomen even felt faintly warm, radiating a comforting heat and giving him an unusually full, comfortable sensation.

Lucas knew perfectly well that this was an illusion caused by that tube of Male Zerg pheromones.

He also understood now why Felix had insisted on using that particular pheromone scent. It was similar to Felix's own scent, allowing it to neutralize Felix's pheromones and erase their aggression.

But Lucas would rather feel the rejection and fighting instinct provoked by Felix's Female Zerg pheromones. He would rather have to restrain himself while practically fighting Felix in bed than face the current situation.

The scents simply wouldn't wash away.

They had blended together so completely that even Lucas could no longer tell them apart.

Lucas painfully braced his head in one hand. Beneath the icy water, he swept his wet bangs back, the corners of his eyes turning red.

He missed Felix.

He wanted Felix to pin him against the cold bathroom wall and fuck him roughly until nothing remained except Felix's scent.

But that would never happen.

There would be no next time.

He had said such cruel, heart-piercing things to Felix.

He had told Felix that he liked "Male Zergs."

So there would be no next time.

He had broken Felix's heart. Felix would never accept him again.

Lucas gave a bitter smile.

Lucas washed himself under the water again and again. He stayed there until he could no longer distinguish whether the scent belonged to a Male Zerg or a Female Zerg, until even his senses had gone numb. Only then did he get dressed and leave.

He went to his office and pulled up the records.

The files had not yet been archived. His authority as a Major General allowed him to see the entire sequence of events behind the incident.

Lucas sat behind his desk, his face pale and cold, lips pressed together as he flipped through the information on the light screen.

This wasn't some baseless suspicion or misunderstanding about a Female Zerg × Female Zerg relationship. There was concrete evidence, both witnesses and physical evidence.

When they were discovered, the two Zergs were still tangled together, completely oblivious to everything around them.

In fact, because of the nature of Female Zerg pheromones, when the patrol first noticed them, they thought two military Female Zergs were fighting and went over to stop them.

Even after seeing that they were joined together, they assumed it was some unusual method of dominance and submission between Female Zergs, and thought they'd taken things much too far, as though military discipline meant absolutely nothing to them.

It wasn't until they actually separated the two that they realized there had been a misunderstanding.

They were a Female Zerg couple.

When confronted by the patrol, both had scrambled to protect each other, shielding the other with their own bodies and volunteering to take full responsibility. They had even each claimed that they were the one who had forced the other into doing it.

The expressions of the patrol members present at the scene had apparently been spectacular. They had suffered ten thousand points of psychic damage, to the extent that even the Zerg who wrote the incident report seemed somewhat mentally unstable.

In the end, both parties were ordered to write self-criticisms and received disciplinary warnings. One of them was transferred away from Silver Fortress, while all records were sealed and kept confidential.

Lucas closed the file, shut his eyes, lowered his head, and supported it with one hand.

This was already the best possible outcome.

There was nothing to criticize about the decision.

But he couldn't help thinking about himself and Felix.

If their relationship were exposed, Lucas would certainly protect Felix too and take all the responsibility upon himself.

He could accept a transfer away from Silver Fortress.

He could claim that he'd used his rank as a Major General to threaten Felix into being with him, forcing Felix to become his lover. Given Felix's beauty, that story would probably be quite believable.

He could even resign from the military altogether, as long as Felix's future wasn't affected...

The terminal on his wrist lit up.

A message from Felix.

Was it a breakup notice?

Lucas bitterly opened the light screen.

Although he'd already accepted Felix completely, body and heart, they had never formally started dating in the first place. There wasn't really any need for an official breakup notice.

It wasn't a breakup notice.

Lucas's gaze sharpened slightly.

[Felix]: Major General, I need to take care of some matters concerning my identity. Wait until I come back. Three days. Just three days!

Lucas stared at the words on the light screen, lowered his eyes, and fell into thought.

There was no anger whatsoever in Felix's tone, as though Lucas had never said those heart-wrenching words about "liking Male Zergs."

Lucas actually felt a strange sense of relief.

He wanted Felix to have a bright, unobstructed future, yet he was also afraid Felix would resent him.

Lucas leaned backward against his chair.

He had always been passive in this relationship. Felix held the strings of his emotions in his hands, and everything Lucas felt moved with him.

Whether they separated or stayed together, Lucas was still waiting for Felix's answer.

For a single word from Felix, he could fight the entire world.

And for Felix, he could also give up everything—including the feelings he'd struggled so hard to finally recognize—and spend the rest of his life alone.

Three days.

Then he would wait three days.

Three days would be enough for Felix to think everything through, and enough for Lucas to prepare himself for whatever verdict awaited him.

...

On the first day, Lucas woke amid a faint trace of pheromones. Faced with an empty room, he searched for ages but couldn't find where the scent was coming from.

His abdomen was still comfortably warm.

On the second day, Lucas suddenly remembered the tube of pheromones Felix had taken out.

It hadn't been an ordinary commercially packaged tube of pheromones.

It had been a... pheromone collection tube.

Only a Male Zerg, or a Female Zerg personally given pheromones by a Male Zerg, would possess a collection tube like that.

Oh.

Felix knew a Male Zerg.

One he was close enough to that they could exchange pheromones.

That was practically no different from being married.

And Felix had used that Zerg's pheromones while spending those three days with Lucas.

While joining with him.

Lucas's heart sank.

Perhaps he'd never been Felix's one and only.

Perhaps he'd never even been Felix's only choice.

Maybe he was nothing more than something Felix used to relieve his boredom.

There was an explanation now for why Felix would only take him from behind as well.

Female Zergs sometimes used that method to intimidate one another and establish dominance. It had nothing to do with romance.

Felix merely wanted to establish his position over Lucas and make him submit, which was why he'd pinned Lucas down and fucked him.

And Lucas, like an idiot, had been fucked senseless, lost himself in it, and absolutely loved it.

It felt like a kind of humiliation.

On the third day, Lucas decided that yesterday's version of himself must have been out of his mind.

Felix's feelings had never been false.

That blazing affection couldn't possibly be fake.

If even that was false, then nothing in the world was real.

There was only one day left anyway. Lucas gathered his thoughts and stopped letting his imagination run wild.

He used the remaining time to pack a few things and visit his old comrade who had been transferred away.

The other Zerg looked somewhat awkward and a little ashamed when he saw Lucas, but still invited him inside.

Lucas swept his gaze around the residence he'd acquired on Amber Star.

A bright home.

Neat furniture.

And...

Two Female Zergs' shoes and clothing.

They were still together.

The discovery surprised Lucas.

Since Lucas already knew and there was no point hiding it anymore, his former subordinate simply gave up trying.

"Yes! We're still together. The military only controls what happens in the military. Once we walk out the gates of Military Headquarters, how a military Female Zerg lives and who he chooses to be with is his own business. As long as we don't break any laws or regulations, nobody cares. Even you, sir, aren't going to interfere in my private life, are you?"

Lucas nodded.

Of course he wouldn't.

Facing his former subordinate, who looked ready to explode at the slightest provocation, Lucas smiled.

"Congratulations."

The other Zerg froze.

...

Lucas returned to Military Headquarters and waited for the arrival of a new day.

His heart had completely settled.

Whatever answer Felix gave him, he could accept it.

But actually...

He was still nervous.

Feeling the beating of his heart beneath his chest, Lucas smiled helplessly.

Felix would always pull his emotions along with him.

It was impossible for Lucas not to feel his heart race for Felix, not to feel nervous, anxious, confused, feverishly obsessed, passionately in love...

On the morning of the fourth day, Felix returned.

Dressed in casual clothes, Felix stood in the sunlight and smiled at him. The morning sun was just rising, and the warm breeze was gentle.

Pretending everything was perfectly natural, Lucas walked over. He glanced at Felix's clothes and said,

"Go change into your military uniform first. There's a training assignment at noon. I got you three extra days of leave, so you'll have to make up the assignments afterward."

Felix smiled at him and readily agreed to everything he said.

"All right, sir. But there may have been a few minor changes to my personnel file. Have you looked at it?"

Lucas had indeed received a notification, but he hadn't had time to read it yet.

Lucas was just about to open his light screen and check when Felix suddenly linked his arm through Lucas's.

Lucas's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Felix. Then he frantically looked around, checking whether any Zerg had noticed them, his thoughts dissolving into chaos.

How could Felix dare to do something like this openly in the military?

They had a perfect cautionary example right in front of them. Wasn't he afraid—

While Lucas's thoughts were still in turmoil, Felix's voice reached him.

"Sir, may I pursue you again?"

Lucas slowly turned his head.

Felix smiled at him.

"This time, as a Male Zerg."

Lucas stared at him.

"...?"

...]