NOVEL NEXT 01
Chapter 1
“Name?”
“Lu Xi.”
“Age?”
“Minus 3,200 years.”
The doctor, wearing a mask with curved eyes, said, “You’re quite humorous.”
Lu Xi shrugged. “I’m telling the truth.”
The doctor cleared his throat. “Alright, let’s double-check. Mr. Lu Xi, minus 3,200 years – visibly, you’ll remain a lovely underage zerg until your death.”
The doctor added, “Zergs are always youthful until death.”
Lu Xi: “…”
Lu Xi: “175 years old.”
Doctor: “Place of origin?”
Lu Xi didn’t dare to jest anymore and honestly replied, “I don’t know, but when I woke up, I was on a junk star.”
The doctor recorded the star of origin as reported.
Doctor: “Gender?”
Lu Xi: “Male zerg.”
Doctor: “Alright, female zerg.”
Lu Xi swiftly grabbed the doctor’s wrist.
“Hey, Doctor,” he smiled, “I’m a male zerg.”
The black-haired zerg wore a hoodie with a camouflage jacket over it, a trendy style among female zergs.
The doctor stared directly into Lu Xi’s eyes, which under the light resembled pomegranate seeds, bright and transparent.
The doctor said, “Don’t you think, as a male zerg, your physique is a bit too robust?”
Lu Xi looked at the doctor expressionlessly. “You’re quite humorous.”
The doctor sighed, very troubled. “I have to meet female zergs like you every day… Many of them want to scam money because male zergs receive a considerable monthly living allowance. Some want to gain privileges to exempt themselves from crimes they’ve committed. And some… simply have gone insane, believing they’re male zergs. We generally refer to such female zergs as Narcissus Syndrome.”
The doctor shrugged. “Alright, pick a reason.”
Lu Xi was dumbfounded. “No, I really am a male zerg.”
The doctor gave him a subtle look, as if to say: So what?
“Well, if you persist, there’s a good way to verify,” the doctor said.
Bending down, he retrieved a black spherical device from the counter. The device was extremely heavy, and when placed on the table, it made a “thud” sound. However, the doctor seemed very relaxed.
Lu Xi recognized this device from history books. It was the first-generation device used to test spiritual power.
Cumbersome, complicated to operate, low capacity, and very impractical.
But very expensive.
“Come on, let’s test your spiritual power,” the doctor said firmly to Lu Xi. “If you’re a male zerg, then you must have spiritual power.”
Lu Xi: “…”
Ha, feeling less confident now, huh?
The doctor’s eyes were full of triumph.
But to his astonishment, the black-haired zerg raised his eyes, a faint concern on his face as he asked, “What if… I break it? Do I need to compensate?”
Huh? Break it?
You haven’t done anything to it. You’re just imparting spiritual power into it. The only reason it could break is:
The spiritual power is too strong, and the container can’t record it. After overloading, it burns out.
The doctor couldn’t help but laugh. This instrument is used for testing the spiritual power of male zergs below A level (including A level). It would be a great thing if it could be broken.
He generously said, “If you can break it, not only will you not need to compensate, but you’ll also receive a house in the capital center, a lifetime of luxurious living, the respect and love of all zergs, and whichever zerg you like will be delivered to you the next day—”
“These are all the most basic things,” the doctor gestured towards the device with his hand, “The treatment of an S-level male zerg can exhaust your imagination.”
The black-haired, red-eyed zerg was taken aback and murmured, “I remember… he was in this era…”
The doctor didn’t hear clearly. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Lu Xi stood up, extending his hand towards the testing device. His well-built and powerful hand glinted under the light, with a black ring adorning his index finger.
He was exceptionally tall, blocking the overhead light when he stood up, casting a elongated shadow over the doctor.
“There’s a risk of explosion with overload. I suggest you step back,” the doctor subconsciously swallowed saliva.
Although his intellect told him it was impossible, seeing Lu Xi’s calm demeanor, a glimmer of hope stirred within him—
What if… just what if?
He couldn’t help but follow Lu Xi’s advice and stepped back a bit.
The red-eyed zerg closed his eyes.
Lu Xi had broken countless testing devices before, causing explosions one after another, until even before his time travel, his spiritual power limit couldn’t be measured.
He focused slightly, releasing his spiritual power as usual—
The clinic fell into a silence so profound that one could almost hear the flow of air.
Lu Xi slowly opened his eyes, looking at the testing device in his hand.
The black device showed no response.
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow, perplexed, tilting his head. “Huh?”
He looked up at the doctor, who calmly returned to his seat and wrote three words on the form.
[Delusional Disorder]
“Wait, wait, wait, Doctor, wait!!” In an instant, Lu Xi’s face turned red. He waved his arms, hastily grabbing the paper from the table. “Doctor, listen to my explanation!!”
Don’t look at me with that look like I have Chuunibyou, help!!
…
Three minutes later.
The black-haired zerg sat dumbfounded in the chair. “I am indeed a male zerg, whether you believe it or not, it’s true.”
The doctor looked at Lu Xi affectionately. “Have you ever considered that you might be a psychological transgender patient?” ※Source※
Lu Xi: “…”
Lu Xi: “Huh?”
Lu Xi stuttered, “B-b-but I like female zergs!”
The doctor was accommodating. “Well, isn’t that right?”
Lu Xi looked bewildered. “Right about what?”
The doctor clapped his hands. “Although you’re a female zerg, you identify as a male zerg—liking female zergs is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”
“Congratulations, although you’re homosexual, you’re also heterosexual at the same time.” The doctor applauded emotionally. “You’re very normal, you passed!”
With a slap, the doctor stamped the testing form.
Lu Xi, a transmigrator from three thousand years in the future during the primitive era of the zerg race, was diagnosed as a normal female zerg and could be discharged from the clinic.
Lu Xi: “…Oh.”
His mind was numb.
“A sincere suggestion,” the doctor handed the form to Lu Xi, “I don’t really recommend you quitting that military academy. After all, military achievements are almost the only opportunity for civilian female zergs to make a name for themselves…”
Lu Xi smiled. “Thank you, but I still want to withdraw.”
The doctor sighed lightly, but having met numerous individuals, he could easily discern the character of the zerg before him.
Though he had a very handsome face, full of youthful vitality like those just coming of age, a closer look at those eyes revealed a very mature and independent personality.
In the end, he could only say, “Well, I wish you good luck.”
Lu Xi’s eyes curved upward. “Thank you, Doctor.”
As he left the office, the doctor, bored, picked up his file and read it again.
Lu Xi arrived on Planet S three days ago, having previously lived on a junk star.
No different from other female zergs, surviving on a junk star was extremely difficult, let alone accumulating enough to leave the junk star, obtaining a ticket, and enough money to enter a higher military academy.
From this, it could be seen that this female zerg was either very clever or exceptionally strong—either way, there was something special about him, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he showed his prowess on the battlefield in the future.
After showing his capabilities, he would quickly accumulate military achievements, then he could marry a more outstanding male zerg.
This was a life that could be seen at a glance in the zerg world, and the doctor, with his broad experience, had long been accustomed to it.
—If he hadn’t had that accident.
During a fishing trip with a boat (this job was a rare good job on the junk star), he was accidentally thrown off the boat by a huge wave. After being salvaged by the boatmen, perhaps his brain was soaked, or perhaps he was battered into a pulp by the waves…
Anyway, he now firmly believed that he was a male zerg, with many strange additions to his belief.
The doctor didn’t understand, of course he didn’t understand, otherwise he would probably be mentally ill too.
The next patient knocked on the door, the doctor put down the documents and called out, “Come in.”
Busy with work, the doctor naturally wouldn’t remember this male zerg named Lu Xi.
At most, he might leave a vague impression because of this face that was enough to astonish zergs.
…
Standing at the bustling hospital entrance, Lu Xi raised his head, the bright sunlight made him squint.
He used the back of his hand to shield the sunlight, and there was a faint scar on the little finger of his right hand.
It was this scar that made him, after crossing over, convinced that he hadn’t just transmigrated his soul, but had also transmigrated along with his entire body.
Unless the original female zerg named Lu Xi also, during differentiation, caused an overload of the guiding device due to excessive spiritual power, resulting in an explosion.
This wound was caused by fragments at that time, and perhaps due to the influence of spiritual power, it couldn’t fade away over the years.
But… was it really just a coincidence?
Looking exactly like him, even having the same name Lu Xi…
In different times and spaces, at a certain point in time, one Lu Xi, a female zerg, fell into the sea, while another Lu Xi, a male zerg, hibernated in a nutrient tank.
They crossed over like this.
Well, this was really a profitable deal, Lu Xi thought with amusement.
You see, he now had a considerable sum of money—although for the original owner, this amount of money was far from enough to marry a male zerg in this era.
But he didn’t need a male zerg, he himself was “him.”
This money was enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, and if he found some work, he might even have the leisure to vacation around.
As Lu Xi thought this, the smile on his lips became more apparent.
But the trouble was, this money had been arranged for by the original owner.
The original owner had previously hired a female zerg, which seemed to be the usual practice these days.
New recruits who had just entered the military academy were always hard to adapt, and at this time, they needed a female zerg to accompany them for care.
—That was a euphemism.
In reality, the mortality rate at the military academy was not low, and this era was not so peaceful. Most military females needed to go to the battlefield during their student days.
And the task of this accompanying female zerg was to ensure the safety of the employer. They went to step on landmines, they went to explore, they bore the greatest risks.
So, they were very expensive.
The money that could allow Lu Xi to comfortably live out the rest of his life was just enough to hire this female zerg for three years.
Lu Xi’s smile faded halfway.
How could that work?
He had to resign.
He stopped in front of a bookstore, and there were iron tables and chairs for passersby to rest in front of the door, but the other party hadn’t arrived yet.
Lu Xi took out an orange at random.
He carefully peeled the orange, the peel of this variety of orange was very thin, sticking tightly to the flesh. If you weren’t careful when tearing off the peel, it would tear off along with the thin membrane on the flesh.
Lu Xi lowered his head, patiently plucking off the white strands one by one.
His fingers were slender and his nails neatly trimmed, so he wouldn’t easily scratch the flesh.
The orange flesh spun in his hand, without a single flaw. It was as if it had been carved from some kind of gemstone. The orange flesh looked crystal clear under the sunlight.
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. Just then, a black figure sat down in front of him.
The zerg he had an appointment with had arrived.
Lu Xi raised his head, his face wearing the usual smile. “Hello…”
Straight to the point: “You’ve specially come to find me, is there something you need?”
This caught Lu Xi off guard.
He was also wearing a large camouflage jacket, but with the hood up, casting a shadow over his face, giving him a cold demeanor.
Obviously, he was the type of zerg Lu Xi was least adept at dealing with.
They had their own set of rules of behavior and were often difficult to persuade with words unless you could hit them where it mattered.
Simply put, they were contrary.
But… but now, Lu Xi was going against the grain.
Lu Xi subconsciously cleared his throat, leaning slightly forward, staring directly into the other’s eyes, which made him appear very sincere.
And full of guilt.
“Well, you see,” Lu Xi said tactfully, “I hired you as my study companion earlier because your abilities are truly outstanding.”
First, courtesy, then strategy. Small talk and flattery were necessary.
The other person looked silently at Lu Xi, not saying a word.
Lu Xi felt his lips were a little dry and subconsciously turned the orange in his hand. He slowly said, “But my financial situation doesn’t allow me to hire you.”
“So, you think the price is too high?”
The voice was slightly hoarse, the tone flat. Lu Xi couldn’t tell if he was displeased, and he couldn’t see his expression, which made him feel quite passive.
“Yes,” Lu Xi said, “even if I put all my assets into it, I can only afford to hire you for three years. I’m afraid I can’t sustain it.”
The hood moved slightly, as if the other person tilted his head slightly. “I don’t understand. You’ll only be in the military academy for three years. As long as you can earn some achievements, it’ll be enough to offset it.”
Lu Xi smiled bitterly, “Still, it’s too expensive. With your skills, you shouldn’t be short of employers, so…”
“…?”
Lu Xi felt uneasy, and after a while, he heard the other person say, “I can lower the price a bit.”
Lu Xi gritted his teeth, “I really can’t come up with that much money.”
The hooded zerg said, “I can accept payment in installments.”
When the conversation reached this point, basically few people could refuse, unless they were deliberately trying to decline, like Lu Xi.
The other person spoke crisply and efficiently, always with a calm and composed tone. It was obvious that he was a calm and patient female zerg, but for some reason, Lu Xi couldn’t help but soften, almost wanting to agree—
No, think about your vacation island!!
Lu Xi took a deep breath, his hand holding the orange warming up, and finally said, “I’m sorry, I want to cancel this contract.”
The other person leaned back, crossing his arms, and Lu Xi saw his fingers were long and pleasing to the eye.
“In fact, I’m also going to Nansheng Military Academy, so I can offer a very low price for this contract, it’s an exception.”
Lu Xi: QAQ
He finally couldn’t help but retract his gaze, and quickly said, “Sorry, I don’t plan to go to Nansheng Military Academy anymore.”
A short sigh sounded, and Lu Xi didn’t dare to breathe.
“It seems there’s no room for negotiation.” Even now, the hooded zerg didn’t show any displeasure, sticking to business as usual, “Please pay the stipulated breach of contract fee.”
Lu Xi’s face felt a bit hot, “I’m very sorry.”
The other person handed over his hand, rolling up the sleeve to reveal a small, strong forearm, with a communication device for transfers on it.
For such a significant contract, the penalty for breach of contract was not small. Lu Xi’s savings were deducted a lot at once, and his eyebrows trembled.
“Well then, goodbye.”
The other person nodded at Lu Xi and stood up to leave—within just a few minutes, Lu Xi had already understood that this was a rather efficient female zerg.
He even began searching for the next employer on the communication device.
If he hadn’t intended to drop out of school, this female zerg would indeed be the most suitable choice.
With nothing to worry about, Lu Xi stretched out his hands and lazily stretched under the sunlight.
A breeze passed by, carrying the warmth of the sunlight. The wind wasn’t too strong or too weak, just enough to blow off the hood of the zerg.
Lu Xi’s squinted eyes instantly widened, his pupils shrinking to the size of a needle.
Xi—
Xi—