Z:IGSG -- Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Calm

 The cabin's bathroom was spacious yet showed almost no signs of use. A single bottle of multi-purpose cleaner sat on the shelf, nothing else. Clearly, the blonde military female in He Lin's arms had no interest in personal grooming.

Hot water cascaded down, thoroughly drenching the two figures embracing in the shower.

As their long kiss ended, He Lin pulled back, but Grant, still unsatisfied, instinctively stuck his tongue out to linger.

He Lin smiled, lowering his gaze. He curled his index and middle fingers to pinch the female zerg's tongue. Only after receiving a glare did he release his fingers, using his fingertips to gently stroke Grant's lips.

Grant leaned lazily against the wall, allowing him to proceed. His narrowed eyes swept over the male zerg's upper body, noting not only his superior proportions but also his exceptionally fine physique—lean, taut muscles defined by clear contours. Transparent droplets rolled down, tracing the deep V-line of his abs before disappearing into darker depths.

They had entered the bathroom, yet both tacitly removed only their upper garments.

Grant was a noble female zerg born on the home world, both a general and a house lord—his status was beyond measure. Raised with the most orthodox female ruler education, he understood clearly that as a female ruler, his first marking should be reserved for his wedding night with his male lord.

Only then could he ensure he wouldn't be marked and then discarded, and only then could he earn his male lord's true respect.

Yet as Grant traced the contours of He Lin's abs with his fingertips, the burning desire deep within him made him lick his lips involuntarily.

Want. His body screamed for it.

He craved more intimacy, more caresses. Though his lineage and power were beyond reproach—qualities that should have made him the object of countless suitors—his overwhelming mental strength had earned him the contempt and scorn of other males.

Why?

Grant heard his soul scream, reaching out countless invisible tentacles toward the male zerg before him. He yearned for solace from this strikingly handsome lord—one who was clearly superior to other males by immeasurable degrees. He longed for the other's lips and fingers to soothe his grievances, for the other's tongue to quench the parched spiritual sea that had thirsted for far too long.

“He Lin...”

The tall, proud blond general finally lost control, murmuring the male zerg's name: “Satisfy me...”

He Lin lowered his eyes to look at him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Steam billowed in the bathroom, a damp white mist swirling around them. Beyond the sound of water, only their breaths remained, nearly merging into one.

Yet He Lin's eyes remained clear, observing the female zerg before him—now surrendered to desire—with an amused detachment.

He remembered his role: a tender, attentive lover. Lowering his head, he soothed the restless female with kisses while releasing his psychic energy to comfort him—a female zerg who had endured too long in solitary agony.

Plop.

Amidst the continuous sound of water, an almost inaudible noise echoed—the wet clothes being tossed onto the floor.

He Lin held Grant tighter, pressing them close together. Not wanting to risk having his tongue bitten off by the overly excited female, he transformed the deep kiss into a series of shallow pecks.

Grant initially grumbled in displeasure at the interruption, but the next moment, he tilted his chin back, his breath trembling. All other thoughts vanished.

In this bathroom, he was no longer the family patriarch or the general. He was simply an ordinary female zerg, utterly conquered by his male mate—body and soul.

The soothing in his mental sea persisted, yet the physical embrace rendered it thick with sensuality.

During the most agonizing moments of his Rage Period, Grant had wished he could rip his mental sea out.

Fortunately, he hadn't done so. Otherwise, he wouldn't be experiencing this blissful daze now—the sheer ecstasy of being utterly consumed within the embrace of this peerlessly handsome male, his mind completely overtaken.

“General.” The young, dark-haired male had unconsciously taken most of his weight, yet still found the energy to tease him. “Enjoying it? Want to move to the bed?”

“Yes... yes...”

Grant hadn't shed a single tear since he could remember, yet now his eyes felt wet, tears flowing completely beyond his control.

It wasn't just the tears that were uncontrollable. The organ hidden within his abdomen, meant for bearing offspring. had clearly prepared, itself alongside Grant, to be marked.

Grant's hand rested on He Lin's shoulder, attempting to push the male away so his weak legs could gather the strength to walk again.

But unexpectedly, the male zerg before him exerted a sudden strength, effortlessly lifting him into his arms.

“...!”

Grant's eyes widened. He had never imagined that a military female as tall and sturdy as himself could be carried by a single male zerg. Judging by the way the other walked and the rhythm of his breathing, this was nothing at all for He Lin.

How could such a male exist?

Even as he was placed into the soft bedding, Grant remained somewhat dazed.

Only when He Lin kissed him again did Grant tilt his head slightly, frowning. “How can you be so strong?”

He Lin smiled. “Perhaps because I am quite different. General, when you were too powerful to be comforted, did you not consider this?”

Grant asked, “What are you thinking?”

“That... since you were too powerful to be soothed by those other males, the one who could soothe you must also possess something extraordinary.”

Grant narrowed his eyes slightly, reaching up to wrap an arm around He Lin's shoulders. “Aren't you just an ordinary B-class male?”

He deliberately used He Lin's earlier words to provoke him, but He Lin merely smiled. “Yes, I'm an ordinary B-class male zerg. But beyond rank...”

He Lin leaned close to Grant's ear, his voice low and suggestive. “I can assure you, I possess qualities beyond the ordinary.”

Grant's gaze involuntarily drifted downward, heat spreading across his face.

Indeed...

This male zerg was truly... extraordinary.

Grant felt a tinge of fear, but more than that, he felt a surge of anticipation.

He was thirsty. He had been deprived for far too long.

“Come,” Grant murmured. “Let me taste... your forbidden fruit...”

He Lin kissed his cheek. “As you wish, General.”

--

The zerg race placed immense importance on procreation, never treating it as a secret to be avoided.

In his youth, Grant had attended countless lessons for female zergs, with specialized instructors teaching him how to serve his future male partner and how to bow his head, begging for comfort.

Back then, Grant let it go in one ear and out the other, dismissively thinking he'd simply use his power to coerce any male zerg into soothing him later. Even if males were superior and females inferior, he was sure he could find some common male zerg willing to sell his psychic energy for money.

His teacher, however, said he was thinking far too simplistically.

Only by bearing a male's mark could a female's mental sea find respite from its ceaseless turmoil. Only through a male's nourishment could his body find fulfillment, freed from the torment of anxiety and emptiness.

Grant reluctantly endured two lessons.

The teacher explained that the marking process would be excruciatingly painful, but they must endure that agony and open themselves to the male. If the delicate males felt pain, they would be whipped and cursed, denied the mark and the comfort it brought.

The teacher said all males despised the females' tall, sturdy forms, so they delighted in trampling them beneath their feet. Therefore, they must learn to kneel, to submit, to endure.

The teacher said they must learn to beg for the males' “favor” through self-humiliation...

Grant stumbled and fell, learning a little along the way.

Yet when the night of marking finally arrived, none of it mattered.

He Lin remained gentle, considerate, and... calm throughout, causing Grant not a shred of pain. He left a trail of kisses across the female's body, tracing his zerg markings with meticulous care before imprinting his own mark.

A deep marking—the complete union of male and female.

After the marking concluded, Grant lay where he was, his chest heaving violently. Muscle and soul trembled with the lingering aftershocks, his once-toned, defined abs now slightly swollen.

He knew this male zerg he'd sought out was extraordinary, but he trusted even more that no matter how unusual a male might be, his true nature remained unchanged—especially at such moments, when the zerg would reveal his true form. Thus, he had prepared himself to endure the pain in such matters.

But why was there only pleasure and satisfaction?

So comfortable, truly so comfortable...

Especially in that moment of complete marking, when He Lin used his psychic power to seal Grant's mind sea airtight. In that instant, Grant genuinely desired—without a shred of flattery, purely of his own volition—to kneel on the ground and submit to his dominant male.

He had once scorned the title “Master.” How could a male zerg possibly be worthy of being his “Master”?

But in that fleeting instant... He Lin was more than just his Master. He had become a god in Grant's world.

Grant closed his eyes, gathering his composure, only to find He Lin lying beside him, his arm wrapped around his waist.

“Master,” he murmured instinctively.

Then, meeting He Lin's amused, teasing gaze, he snapped back to reality, his face flushing crimson. “I...”

“It's fine,” He Lin said. “I know. The General was merely temporarily affected by the marking.”

“...Good to know.” Grant accepted the explanation, yet a peculiar sensation stirred within him.

Since this male zerg could soothe him, and now that they shared a bond, marriage seemed inevitable.

But judging by He Lin's attitude, it seemed he wouldn't mind if Grant stopped calling him Master—not just now, but even after they were wed.

Male zergs were troublesome creatures. He Lin was gentle, considerate, and remarkably perceptive. Grant should feel happier and more satisfied.

Yet in this moment, an uncontrollable flutter stirred within him—something elusive, intangible.

Like dandelion seeds or willow catkins.

Like unease.

He Lin embraced Grant, gently licking his own canine teeth.

The sensation of deeply possessing and marking a female zerg was quite magical. It was a pity he hadn't experienced other intimate relationships before; otherwise, he could have understood through comparison where that magical feeling originated.

Because of his lacking experience and bound by the duties of a gentle lover, He Lin wasn't particularly invested.

Of course, he wouldn't be invested.

The warm body in his arms was, to He Lin—who'd worked in the data processing division of the Time-Space Administration for over a decade—nothing more than a segment of data he could manipulate at will.

Sitting in his office, He Lin could clear the memories of individuals within the microcosm or alter their destinies with a few taps on the light screen. He could even control the flow of time within the entire microcosm—rewinding it or fast-forwarding it as he pleased.

Just as a programmer wouldn't marry a data set, he certainly couldn't develop any feelings for the inhabitants of a microcosm.

Still, so far, He Lin was quite satisfied with his first mission experience. At least everything remained firmly within his grasp, progressing steadily forward.

The blonde military female in his arms rested a little longer before slowly sitting up.

He Lin sat up too. “Want to take a shower? Shall I carry you?”

“I'll manage.” Grant glanced at him, clearly skeptical that He Lin could confine himself to merely bathing.

He Lin smiled. “Alright, you bathe yourself. Where are the fresh sheets and covers? I'll change them.”

After soothing and marking, the task of cleaning the bedding was typically delegated to domestic robots or females—how could one burden a delicate male with such chores?

Grant's expression twisted slightly. This male must have spent too long on a secondary planet, constantly playing the female role, to be aware of these customs.

“I'll handle it.” With no household machines aboard the starship, the task naturally fell to Grant.

He did harbor intentions to leverage their status difference and refuse to use the customary male-dominant, female-subordinate rules when interacting with He Lin. But that didn't mean he intended to treat him harshly or make him do chores.

Yet when Grant emerged from his shower, the bed was already clean and tidy. The original sheets and covers had been sent to the laundry room for washing.

His expression briefly grew complex as he looked at He Lin, clearly wanting to say something.

The dark-haired male merely kissed him before stepping into the bathroom to shower.

As the showerhead came on, He Lin exhaled softly.

Meeting, getting acquainted, soothing, marking...

All accomplished in a single night.

A mere hint of respect could leave this female zerg overwhelmed with delight; a touch of tenderness could send him spiraling into submission.

Recalling the way the blonde female had gazed at him—that look of wanting to stay lucid yet unable to resist her own obsession—He Lin couldn't help but curve his lips.

But it wasn't out of pleasure.

Nor was it mockery.

He Lin was simply thinking that, at this rate, his mission would surely be completed very soon.