Wanderer of the Zerg

Chapter 13: Post-Growth Period

Time slipped away like sand through fingers, leaving no trace.

In preparation for the upcoming marriage, Ellis had long since stopped working and spent every day by the male’s side.

Stopping like this, he realized that there were many untidy chores both inside and outside the house.

Busy going in and out, cleaning and organizing, Ellis found himself even busier than during the sanitation inspections back in the army.

Xi Tian didn’t consider himself a neat freak and couldn’t understand why Ellis would call a seemingly decent corner of the living room “too messy.” Then, he would watch as Ellis rolled up his sleeves and started working fervently.

After finishing one corner, Ellis would rest for a moment, then glance to his right and see the clutter there. Comparing it to the newly tidy left side, he would mutter, “Too messy, too messy,” and then start another round of cleaning.

Xi Tian could only laze around nearby.

He really didn’t think it was that messy.

Watching the busy female, Xi Tian began to consider buying a robot vacuum and a housekeeping machine.

Xi Tian liked to make plans for everything, whether it was something as significant as a wedding or daily minor tasks.

Adding the robot vacuum and housekeeping machine to the shopping list, he reviewed his to-do list. At the top was “contact Liang An,” which remained unchecked.

In college, Liang An and Xi Tian were the only two males in their class. The university encouraged males to socialize more, so they naturally became roommates for three years.

Liang An was one of Xi Tian’s few friends. Their friendship endured mainly because of Liang An’s talkative nature.

Liang An was the son of the current head of the Liang family, a male from Liang family, and it was rumored that he would be the next family head. Despite this, Liang An was approachable and easygoing, making people feel comfortable when talking to him.

Their friendship began with Liang An striking up a conversation, and they felt an instant connection, maintaining their bond to this day.

After graduation, Liang An didn’t return to his family business. Instead, he shocked everyone by going to the Biological Research Institute to do research.

Unlike Xi Tian, Liang An loved to travel and had visited many famous scenic spots on various planets. Liang An firmly believed that reading thousands of books couldn’t compare to traveling thousands of miles, whereas Xi Tian believed that one shouldn’t set out without adequate preparation.

They avoided discussing this difference. When Liang An traveled, he would video call Xi Tian to ask about the local history and features, and Xi Tian would answer everything, making a good team.

Their contact was casual, and it was common for one to reply to the other’s message hours later if one of them was busy.

However, an entire month without any communication, like now, was unprecedented.

He dialed the communication number, and sure enough, it was still the robotic service voice: “Dear user, the number you are calling is not in the Zerg Star service area. To leave a voice message, please start after the beep…”

Xi Tian hung up. He had wondered if something had happened to Liang An, but considering how much Liang An’s male parent loved and valued him, it was unlikely they wouldn’t be worried.

He probably went exploring some new remote place.

Xi Tian shook his head and started thinking about what to order for lunch.

Moving to a new place felt like an adventure, trying different takeout flavors every day.

The seafood he ordered yesterday was delicious, though a bit salty. The soup from the nearby supermarket was also very tasty—refreshing and not greasy.

The pastries from that seemingly unpopular shop were also excellent.

Such a dilemma!

“Ellis, what do you want for lunch?”

On the screen, the terminal listed the recently enjoyed takeouts.

In the afternoon, he had to go for a physical examination, so to stay in a good mood, Xi Tian decided not to venture too much with the food.

Entering the living room, every part of the floor shone as if it were glowing, as clean as a model home.

An exclamation of surprise escaped Xi Tian’s lips.

“Very capable indeed!”

Xi Tian earnestly patted Ellis’s shoulder, pretending to give him a loving hug, but Ellis dodged.

Ellis’s face showed a mixture of encouraged happiness and a bit of embarrassment.

“This, it’s nothing.”

Ellis tugged at his shirt, dampened with sweat.

“It’s too dirty, I’ll go take a shower.”

Before Ellis could escape, Xi Tian pulled him over and gently kissed his cheek.

“Great job, my Ellis. Hmm, you have a bit of a salty taste.” Xi Tian chuckled.

Ellis quickly darted away.

“What do you want for lunch?” Xi Tian asked, but the sound of running water already came from the bathroom.

“With all that sweating, let’s avoid ordering anything too salty or dry.” Xi Tian muttered to himself.

Since sharing a bed with his female companion, the awakened male couldn’t resist daily intimacy with him. Their relationship was deepening, their physical compatibility and affectionate gestures making Xi Tian increasingly infatuated with his partner.

Lately, Xi Tian, who rarely dreamed, had frequent dreams of falling from a height, waking up with a jolt from the pain in his legs.

For several consecutive nights, his female companion had to get up and massage him. When Xi Tian finally fell back asleep, it was Ellis’s turn to struggle with insomnia, only getting a bit of rest near dawn.

Although Xi Tian was sensitive, he slept soundly through anything. Contrary to his robust appearance, the military female Ellis slept lightly and was disturbed by any noise before sleep. Getting up in the night made it even harder for him to fall back asleep, leading to dark circles under his eyes over the past few days.

Those engrossed in love seem to fall into a rosy dream, their romantic partner as wonderful as imagined. They love and share each other’s pain, constantly exploring each other, wanting to merge as one, and no one can separate them.

Even if Xi Tian didn’t care much, seeing his companion’s fatigue prompted him to schedule a doctor’s appointment.

On Zerg Star, hospitals had an entire set of equipment dedicated to examining males. These devices were more precise and complex than those used for females, expensive and unmatched by popular portable home health equipment. Health-conscious males enjoyed the little trouble of visiting a large hospital for a check-up.

The female doctor, specializing in male patients, reviewed the physical examination report on the electronic screen several times. After confirming that Xi Tian had indeed entered adulthood, he muttered, “How is this possible?”

The female doctor’s words put Ellis, who had accompanied Xi Tian, on high alert, as if he were ready to jump into battle at any moment.

Seeing Ellis’s posture, the female doctor dared not delay and went next door to fetch a resting specialist doctor.

The specialist came in, put on his glasses, and looked at the electronic screen several times before saying to the young female doctor, “What are you looking at? It’s just that his growth hormone levels are a bit high.” Turning to Xi Tian with a smile, he said, “You’re about to grow taller.” The specialist’s gentle tone had a unique flavor typical of an experienced person.

The young female doctor said, “Male and female growth periods have three stages, each with explosive growth. In the half month before the growth period, the body’s growth hormone levels increase fivefold to meet the sudden changes required. This is all written in the ‘Physiology Handbook for Males and Females’.

Only sub-females have a slow release of growth hormones before the age of eighteen, allowing their bodies to gradually grow without the sudden changes typical of males and females.

He is clearly a male, and his growth period is over. How could he grow taller again?”

The specialist doctor felt like hitting the young doctor on the head with something, “Have you read too many books? What’s written in books are general rules. When it comes to individuals, there are always exceptions.”

Turning back to Xi Tian with a smile, he said, “Sorry, this kid is new and inexperienced, always sticking to the book.

I see you’re in the male-specific post-adolescent growth phase. Although rare, it’s not unheard of. There’s a 5%-10% chance that males will continue to grow slowly after their adolescent phase.

Your physical examination report shows you’re healthy in all aspects. The post-adolescent growth phase can last from three months to half a year. It can be a bit tough for those who haven’t experienced it, and leg cramps are just a sign of growing taller. I’ll prescribe you some calcium tablets.

When you go back, don’t just eat fruits and vegetables. Have more protein, sleep early, get up early, and exercise more.”

The specialist asked, “What flavor of calcium tablets do you like? We have fruit flavor, mixed flavor, and a new five-grain flavor. Calcium tablets are mainly for sub-females…”

What on earth is he talking about?

A sharp, precise electrical noise filled Xi Tian’s ears. He could only see the specialist’s mouth opening and closing, completely unable to hear what he was saying.

A faint sound was buried under the electrical noise. Xi Tian tried hard to discern it as it gradually became clearer:

“…The largest website in the Southeast Passage, known as the commercial capital, has received a petition from ten thousand males calling for the abolition of the double-female marriage system, which was rejected by the local court.

At 10:37 this morning, H612 colonial star reported that Tatar Star launched a surprise attack on our troops. The Zerg Star government expressed strong dissatisfaction with this despicable act. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that we will defend our image by force if necessary.

That’s all for the midday news.”

“…Quick news,” Xi Tian murmured.

“What did you say?” the specialist asked.

“Master said ‘quick bao.’ Is there a calcium tablet with that flavor?” Ellis was puzzled.

“Never heard of that flavor. Is it a new brand?” the specialist wondered.

“Your news report wasn’t turned off.”

The noisy sound finally subsided, leaving complete silence.

Ellis: “?”

Specialist: “!”

The specialist doctor exclaimed, “My news broadcast has started!”

He rushed out like a gust of wind.

The female doctor and Xi Tian exchanged helpless glances before sitting down. “You have really sharp ears. The soundproofing in this hospital is top-notch; I can’t hear anything from the next room while I’m here.” He returned his gaze to the electronic screen and got back to business, “What flavor of calcium tablets do you want?”

In the end, Xi Tian left with three bottles of mixed fruit-flavored calcium tablets.

Ellis relayed the specialist doctor’s words to him since he had missed the explanation due to the sudden tinnitus.

“So, I’m going to grow taller again,” Xi Tian mused. Among males, he was already considered tall, but he was still shorter than his female lord.

In the Zerg species, each growth phase maintains the same form for a period, then suddenly grows over a few specific days.

This sudden growth requires a huge toll, greatly consuming physical and mental energy.

Moreover, this growth pattern only occurs in males and females. Sub-females grow slowly and continuously, like humans on their sister planets.

Having suffered once during puberty, Xi Tian decisively wore a breathing apparatus and soaked in nutrient fluid, directly taking a fixed amount of sleeping pills to fall into a deep sleep, waking up to completed growth.

Xi Tian still vividly remembers how weak and exhausted he felt upon waking up, even though the nutrient fluid prevented dehydration. After waking up, he drank several liters of lightly salted water to replenish the lost fluids.

Thank modern technology!

Now, he was told he would grow taller again, but this time it would be a slow growth like a sub-female. Thinking about it, he felt a bit envious of the sub-females’ natural advantage.