ICAWZ Chapter 7

The Zerg race is a society with strict social hierarchies. Over the course of tens of millions of years, they have evolved into intelligent beings comparable to humans.

As Lu Yuan walked out of the hospital, what caught his eye were towering buildings that reached into the clouds, each with peculiar and mystical shapes. Some resembled jumbled Rubik’s cubes, while others looked like clusters of giant mushroom clouds. Constructed with a peculiar glass material, their exteriors could clearly reflect human shadows, shimmering with splendid colors in the sunlight.

Above the heavily polluted, dull sky floated numerous objects resembling interstellar warships. Looking up, they moved so fast that only remnants could be seen. A sky highway extended from the distant horizon, winding its way among the towering fortresses, resembling a colossal python soaring into the clouds.

Occasionally, a few spacecraft would land in open areas along the streets, only to be slapped with fines and warnings by interstellar patrol officers. Eventually, they could only take off and disappear with a whoosh.

Despite Lu Yuan’s reluctance to admit it, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he now resembled a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city. At least in the human world of the 20th century, there were no such whimsical buildings and designs.

“Excuse me, sir, please step aside.”

Just as Lu Yuan stood on the street looking bewildered, his shoulder was suddenly nudged by someone. Immediately, a team of patrol officers brushed past him, rushing towards the medical center they had just left.

Lu Yuan’s ears perked up, and he vaguely heard the lead officer speaking into a communicator, “Search Team G76 just received a report. There’s been an assault on a male zerg at the interstellar medical center. We’re heading to the scene.”

Lu Yuan: “…”

Lu Yuan turned around and walked away.

His status as an illegal resident was already a well-established fact. If he were to get caught and thrown into jail again, it would be like inviting trouble himself, trouble to the extreme.

When it came to getting into a fight and making a quick escape, Lu Yuan was evidently quite skilled. He immediately used his collar to shield his face, hands in his pockets, and walked with his head down toward the most crowded area of the street. However, due to not paying attention to the road, he unintentionally ended up in another place resembling a registration building. By the time he realized it, he couldn’t find his way out.

“???”

Lu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat when he suddenly realized that everyone coming in and out of this hall was a military female. They were armed with guns, dressed in military uniforms, and there were easily several hundred of them.

Damn, did he accidentally wander into a police station?

As this realization hit him, Lu Yuan cursed under his breath, immediately turned around to leave. However, before he could reach the door, two armed military females blocked his path. “Hold it!”

Lu Yuan halted, fearing that any sudden move might lead to an accidental discharge. “I… I just have something I need to attend to outside.”

The guard military female frowned. “Sir, the entry time has already ended. During the conscription registration period, the military building is in a closed state, and no zergs are allowed in or out. There are still two hours left before registration ends. Please be patient.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan’s eyelids twitched, suddenly having a foreboding feeling. “Conscription registration? What conscription registration?”

The military female didn’t speak but instead raised his hand, pointing to the holographic display behind him. Suspended in mid-air were bold, majestic golden characters:

Bardell Military Aristocratic Academy Registration Office.

Although the Zerg race had no direct connection to humans, their written language bore strange similarities to that of Earth. To what extent? Even someone like Lu Yuan, who slipped through nine years of compulsory education, could understand what was written up there.

“Military academy registration?” Lu Yuan exclaimed in surprise. “I never intended to enlist!”

The guarding military female countered, “If you’re not enlisting, then why did you come in?”

Lu Yuan hesitated, “…”

He couldn’t exactly say that he got into a fight, ran away, and accidentally got squeezed in by the zerg crowd. Seeing the guarding military female already scrutinizing him with suspicion, Lu Yuan had no choice but to turn around and head back. Two hours was just two hours; it would pass with a nap.

He found a seat on a bench in a corner, pulled his collar up, closed his eyes to catch a nap. However, before he could sleep for long, there was a creaking sound next to him, and even the chair shook twice.

“?”

Lu Yuan, caught off guard, opened his eyes and turned his head to the side. He noticed a chubby young male zerg sitting next to him, who had somehow appeared there. The zerg was leaning down, struggling to write something on a registration form placed on his lap.

Lu Yuan wasn’t comfortable with strangers being too close, especially when this zerg had already crowded into his space. He shifted his feet, preparing to stand up and move away. Unexpectedly, the other zerg leaned over, acting familiar, and asked, “Hey, are you here to enlist too?”

The chubby-faced zerg had a soft, red short hair, and a few freckles adorned his nose, giving him a somewhat youthful appearance.

Lu Yuan didn’t want to explain much. In response to the question, he simply grunted an “uh,” conveying little emotion.

The male zerg, named Reed Palan, feeling a bit embarrassed, rubbed his nose and said, “Um, I’m Reed Palan, from the Third Tier Star. What’s your name?”

Lu Yuan frowned slightly, thinking this kid talks a lot. Nevertheless, he responded, “Lu Yuan.”

Reed, pleased that Lu Yuan engaged in conversation, lit up, displaying enthusiasm like a preschooler forming a new friendship. He asked eagerly, “Are you from the Third Tier Star too? But I heard that Bardell Academy is very strict in admitting females this year, only opening up five hundred slots. Even though there’s still a day left for enrollment, those nobles from the main star have already taken up all the spots.”

Seeing that Reed had mistakenly thought he was a female zerg, Lu Yuan didn’t bother explaining. At this point, he wasn’t clearly identified as either male or female, and who knows what he was.

“The slots are full, why did you still sign up for conscription?” Lu Yuan asked.

This chubby guy didn’t seem like he could make it as a soldier.

Reed scratched his head and explained, “Although the slots for females are full, there are still a few spots left for males. I traveled all the way from the Third Tier Star just to try my luck.”

Lu Yuan casually asked, “Is this academy impressive?”

Reed’s expression twitched as if Lu Yuan had asked a foolish question. “Anyone who can attend Bardell is either the cream of the crop among the nobility or the elite of the elites. After graduation, without exception, they become high-ranking military officials. How impressive do you think that is?”

Lu Yuan thought that was quite impressive. He stared at the clean nape of Reed’s neck, uncertain, and finally asked, “But you seem to be a male?”

Reed patted his chest, looking quite proud, and blurted out all kinds of information. “My father told me that those attending are noble females. He wants me to work hard to marry one and bring her back to become the queen. That way, our family can squeeze into the imperial nobility circle.”

Nation, glory, power – these were everything the Zerg race pursued, seemingly not much different from humans on Earth.

Bardell Military Aristocratic Academy almost gathered the entire empire’s elite nobility. Compared to the rich connections and marriage opportunities inside, the quality of educational resources became almost negligible.

In Bardell Military Aristocratic Academy, females could find scarce males, and lower-ranking nobles could find a ladder to swift ascension. Breaking into high society was difficult, but if you were in Bardell, it was simple.

Since the founding of the Salaranfa Empire, over ninety percent of the military’s top brass graduated from Bardell Academy. They were viewed by successive zerg emperors as the core force of the empire’s future, showcasing its unparalleled status.

Clearly, Reed was a commoner male zerg, burdened with the heavy responsibility of “family”. Rather than saying he came to study, it seemed more accurate to say he came for arranged marriages.

Lu Yuan finally understood the situation and raised an eyebrow but refrained from making any comments. Seeing Lu Yuan empty-handed, Reed curiously inquired, “Aren’t you here to enlist? Why don’t you have a registration form?”

Lu Yuan replied, “I didn’t pick one up.”

Unexpectedly, Reed, with unwarranted enthusiasm, grabbed him without hesitation and headed towards the front desk. “Come on, let’s go! I’ll take you to get one. There’s less than an hour left until the registration ends. If you don’t fill it out soon, you’ll be too late.”

Lu Yuan subconsciously frowned, feeling that the zerg in front of him was being overly enthusiastic. But to avoid suspicion, driven by curiosity, he went to the front desk and picked up a form.

“Hello, this is your registration form. After filling in your personal information, please input the electronic version in the Cyber Hall in the middle of the lobby and then submit it to the registration office. Each zerg is limited to one form. Please keep it safe and do not lose it.”

The front desk worker handed over a registration form, kindly reminding, “The terminal will end information input ten minutes early. There are forty minutes left until registration closes, so please manage your time well.”

“Thank you.”

Lu Yuan casually took the registration form, examined it carefully, and saw that it was densely filled with information to be filled out. It not only included personal details like name, address, and identification number but also required information about family members, resembling the length of a short essay.

Reed handed him a pen and urged, “Hurry up, time is running out.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuan glanced at Reed’s registration form and then at the registration form of a passing female zerg. He suddenly noticed that their names all sounded quite foreign. He couldn’t help but lower his head into contemplation:

Should he give himself a foreign name too? Otherwise, he might seem too unusual.

What should he call himself? Jack?

No, too cliché.

Mike?

Too ordinary.

While Lu Yuan was deep in thought, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the hall. Following the sound, he looked towards the entrance and saw a brown-haired male zerg walking in, surrounded by dozens of female attendants. Instantly, he captured the attention of every zerg present.

Reed, beside him, exclaimed in a hushed voice, “It’s Wengel!”

Lu Yuan looked at him. “You know him?”

Reed sighed, running his fingers through his hair, looking somewhat disheartened. “I don’t know him personally, just saw him on StarNet. He’s the heir to the title of the Monck family, with a blood purity of a whopping 40%. If he’s here to enroll, I might not have a chance. There weren’t many slots left to begin with.”

On the Salaranfa planet, most male zergs had a blood purity of around 30%, but Wengel boasted a purity of 40%. Coupled with his illustrious family background and handsome appearance, his allure to females was undeniable, bordering on fatal.

As he entered the hall, almost all the females couldn’t help but take a step forward, revealing expressions of admiration and daydreaming. Their gazes, once fixed on him, seemed rooted in place, unable to pull away.

However, Lu Yuan remained indifferent. He even broke his usual silence to console Reed with an unprecedented remark, “The entry time has long passed, and during the conscription registration period, the venue is closed. He can’t get in.”

Reed fell silent for a moment. “…Who told you that?”

Lu Yuan pointed to the entrance. “The guarding military female.”

Before he could finish speaking, the military female who had stopped him earlier suddenly collectively stood at attention, releasing the cordon at the entrance. He then bowed to the male zerg named Wengel, performing a noble salute. “Your Excellency, it’s an honor to serve you.”

Lu Yuan: “…”

Fuck!

 

 

 

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Author’s note:

Lu Yuan (pondering): Should I go with Jack or Mike?

Author (with a weary sigh, lighting a cigarette): How about Fuck Lu? Sounds good.