I Write Novels in a Zerg Prison

Whenever An Ruo wrote, inspiration poured out of him like a spring.

The moment it came time to test his own game, however, his mind went completely blank.

How was a dating game supposed to be tested?

He stiffly looked toward Ulysses.

Ulysses also seemed to be waiting for his next move, completely leaving the decision in his hands.

But he was the Marshal.

Shouldn't a Marshal be the one commanding armies, taking charge of everything, making every decision himself?

Seeing the male unable to decide, Ulysses took the initiative.

"Would you like to test the tactile feedback?"

"What?"

An Ruo looked puzzled.

"This game can simulate every physical sensation. It feels exactly the same as reality. Would you like to try?"

Ulysses extended his hand toward him.

Test... the tactile feedback?

Cautiously, An Ruo placed his own hand on top of Ulysses' and gently squeezed.

It really worked.

He could feel everything.

Every knuckle.

Every layer of skin and flesh.

Even the faint calluses left by years of handling firearms.

There was also the temperature of his hand.

It felt slightly cool, while the warmth of his palm was just a little higher than the back of his hand.

Watching the male happily squeeze his hand, Ulysses found it oddly amusing.

Yet the male's expression remained as serious as though he were conducting scientific research.

His exploration never strayed beyond the hand, not even past the forearm.

After waiting quite a while, Ulysses finally spoke again.

"You can try other places too. Different parts of the body feel different. Would you like to test them all?"

Hearing that, An Ruo looked up and let his gaze travel across Ulysses.

It paused on his chest for a second.

The different fabrics had clearly distinct textures.

The soft shirt underneath...

The crisp vest on the outside...

Yet no matter how stiff the fabric was, it still stretched over the fullness of powerful muscles beneath, making the buttons look as though they might burst at any moment.

Instead, An Ruo reached out and picked up a loose strand of Ulysses' long black hair, feeling its cool, silky smoothness.

"It really is different."

He nodded in approval.

The broad chest beneath rose and fell steadily.

Beside his ear came something like a quiet chuckle—a low sigh of laughter from Ulysses.

The tips of An Ruo's ears warmed.

He immediately looked up, only to find the great villain wearing the same calm expression as always.

Perhaps that soft sigh had only been his imagination.

"Would you like to try anything else?" Ulysses asked.

"The food here tastes exactly like the real thing. I can put on pajamas and cook for you in the kitchen... just like Xi'an."

An Ruo blinked in confusion.

The food sounded great.

But why did it have to be pajamas, just like Xi'an?

He didn't refuse.

So Ulysses went to change.

After changing clothes, he walked straight into the kitchen.

An Ruo stood at the doorway watching him.

In his novel, Xi'an wore a pure white robe while grilling meat for Claire.

It created an especially warm domestic atmosphere.

Perhaps that was the feeling the great villain wanted as well.

Except in reality...

Ulysses was wearing a black silk robe, his face perfectly serious as he adjusted the kitchen machinery.

He looked as though the next incoming communication would have him mobilizing an army to wipe an entire planet off the map with nuclear bombardment.

Hopefully not the one he happened to be kneading.

The thought made An Ruo laugh to himself.

He wasn't actually worried.

Although Ulysses was the great villain, he was very reasonable.

Reasonable according to his own principles.

Ulysses had promised never to hurt him.

Other than grabbing his throat in panic during Psychic Soothing, he truly had never laid another hand on him.

...Wait.

Why did that somehow make things sound even worse?

Without realizing it, An Ruo's gaze followed the flowing lines of the robe down to the loosely tied sash around Ulysses' waist.

Below that hung the black silk fabric, revealing flashes of firm calves and elegantly defined ankles beneath.

The great villain really did have an incredible physique.

Tall.

Long legs.

A narrow waist.

Broad shoulders.

A full chest.

Lean, tightly packed muscles.

The robe outlined every advantage perfectly.

So...

Was this the perspective of a dating game?

An Ruo felt as though he had suddenly understood something.

Before long, Ulysses returned carrying the finished meal.

Just like Xi'an in the novel—

Grilled meat.

Fruit juice.

An Ruo immediately realized he was deliberately recreating the scene from his book.

This was a female Zerg with absolutely no romantic experience.

That failed marriage had taught him nothing useful.

Everything he knew about romance came from An Ruo's novels.

Coincidentally...

An Ruo himself had no experience either.

Neither of them found anything strange about grilling meat together while wearing pajamas.

The only difference was that when Xi'an and Claire did it...

They hugged and kissed each other all over the kitchen.

They had been just one step away from going all the way.

Meanwhile...

One of them cooked.

The other watched.

Neither had any intention of helping.

...Mainly because An Ruo genuinely had no idea how to operate those machines.

Afterward, they sat across from each other to eat.

An Ruo moved the meal into the courtyard.

It was nighttime.

Flowers bloomed throughout the garden beneath moonlight and warm lamps, peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful.

Ulysses sat where the moonlight reached him, quietly watching the male opposite him—

A presence even brighter than the moon itself—

Lower his head and happily taste the food he had prepared.

Compared with Claire, they shared far fewer hugs and kisses.

Yet somehow...

He didn't feel any regret.

It was the first time An Ruo had tasted food outside the prison.

Even though it was only virtual food, it tasted completely real.

Everything felt wonderfully novel.

Looking up and seeing Ulysses hadn't touched his own meal, he asked in confusion,

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Of course."

Ulysses picked up the glass of fruit juice.

In his hand, the crimson juice somehow looked more like an expensive vintage wine.

Its color complemented the robe hanging open at his collar.

If someone spilled it across him...

It would probably look beautiful.

An Ruo's thoughts wandered off again.

Ulysses' hand remained unbelievably steady.

Several gusts of wind swept through the courtyard.

The chair beneath him suddenly collapsed.

Yet not a single drop spilled from his glass.

Only An Ruo was left staring blankly as the unexpected wind scattered everything, making it impossible to continue eating.

Ulysses stood beside the broken chair, his face dark as he checked the central weather-control system.

"For sure... we've found another bug."

His voice carried obvious displeasure.

Such an important moment spent with the male...

And something like this had happened.

It had even interrupted the male's meal.

"It's alright. It's not a serious problem. Just fix it."

An Ruo comforted him.

Glancing at the food that had already gone cold in the wind, Ulysses said,

"I'll make everything again."

"No, no. I'm already full."

An Ruo stood up.

"You hardly ate anything yourself."

"I don't need these."

They were only virtual foods.

Even if the game required stamina recovery, he would simply drink nutrient solution.

He had only taken a few bites to accompany the male during the meal.

Once they returned to the constant warmth indoors...

Ulysses quietly apologized before helping An Ruo smooth the hair the wind had tousled.

Standing behind him, his fingertips gently brushed through hair that flowed like a waterfall of moonlight.

Near the male's ear, he softly asked,

"Do you have any other plans?"

An Ruo shook his head.

If he had been alone...

He probably would have spent hours trying every little feature the game had to offer.

He might even have turned on the faucet just to play with the water.

But with another person—

Another Zerg—

Beside him...

He had no idea what to do.

"Then..."

Ulysses said quietly,

"Let's retire for the night."

After a pause, he gently asked,

"May I attend to you?"

An Ruo froze.

Only after several seconds did he realize what Ulysses meant.

Surprised, he turned around.

"Is... that part of the testing too?"

"Yes."

Without changing expression, Ulysses answered,

"What if one bed collapses under two Zergs?"

It was originally meant as a joke.

But after the chair had just collapsed...

It suddenly didn't sound entirely impossible.

Thinking about it that way, An Ruo felt the test really was necessary.

A chair breaking was only a minor accident.

If a bed collapsed during an intimate scene in a dating game...

That would be a major bug.

Not only would it hurt Affinity...

It might even frighten the male badly enough to ruin the mood.

"...No need to attend to me."

He hesitated.

"We'll... sleep together."

What An Ruo meant was simply lying on the bed together to see whether it would collapse.

If it didn't...

They could log out immediately.

Ulysses looked at him in astonishment.

When he'd heard "no need to attend to me,"

he had assumed he had lost the opportunity.

Yet the male had immediately agreed to sleep together.

For a moment, his mind went completely blank.

He even forgot to make any preparations and simply followed the male upstairs in a daze.

Without thinking, An Ruo headed toward his own bedroom.

The moment he entered and saw the pillow pressing down on the blanket...

His entire body stiffened.

There was something in this room he absolutely couldn't explain.

Trying to leave now was already too late.

Ulysses had followed him inside.

And had already noticed the strange look on his face.

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

Ulysses supported him, then followed his gaze toward the bed.

Suddenly, An Ruo grabbed his arm.

"There's... something I need to confess."

The wording sounded suspiciously like a Male Lord confessing to his Female Lord that he had another little lover outside and wanted to bring them into the household.

Except...

That wasn't their relationship at all.

Ulysses narrowed his eyes slightly.

He couldn't imagine what required the word "confess."

"...Go ahead."

"I'm listening."

An Ruo spoke stiffly.

"You know... I have a small hobby..."

Ulysses wasn't entirely sure what he meant.

The wall full of protagonists?

Writing novels?

Surely he didn't mean that sort of hobby...

Though judging by how hesitant the male looked...

Perhaps it wasn't impossible.

For one brief instant...

Ulysses' mind went completely blank.

Then he watched the male walk over, lift the blanket...

...and pull out...

...a plush doll.

It had long black hair.

A chubby round face.

It wore pajamas.

Its little butt was sticking up while it slept on its stomach.

A tiny yellow duck rested beside it.

Holding the chibi plush, An Ruo looked completely helpless.

It took Ulysses a moment before he recognized...

That plump little doll was modeled after himself.

He accepted it and gently squeezed it.

It was filled with soft cotton.

"So..."

"This is your hobby?"

"...Mm."

An Ruo nodded with a bright red face, too embarrassed to look at him.

Seeing his reaction, then remembering the plush had been hidden under the blanket...

Along with the "small hobby" the male had been too shy to describe...

Ulysses lowered his eyes toward the doll.

Even the tips of his own ears became warm.

More than anything...

He felt astonishment.

And curiosity.

"Do you... normally use this plush?"

"My plush?"

he asked nervously.

Use it?

Did he mean keeping it beside the bed?

An Ruo quietly nodded.

Heat also spread across Ulysses' face.

"So..."

"So this is what you like."

An Ruo buried his face in his hands in humiliation.

He simply loved collecting merchandise for every one of his own characters.

And now the real person had caught him making cotton dolls.

"I've heard that high-ranking male Zergs can connect a female Zerg's senses to another object through Psychic Power."

"You could try it."

Ulysses suggested.

He thought the male would probably find interacting with a plush much easier than interacting directly with a female Zerg.

They could begin with that.

An Ruo looked at him in confusion.

"Connect...?"

"Connect what?"

"My senses..."

"...to this plush."

Ulysses answered.

An Ruo still didn't understand.

But if high-ranking male Zergs could do it...

Then naturally, he could too.

Although he had no idea why...

Since Ulysses had suggested it, he decided to indulge him.

His Psychic Power extended outward, linking Ulysses' sensory perception with the plush in his hands.

"..."

Ulysses lowered his eyes toward the chibi doll.

Being held in someone else's hand...

Really was an unpleasant feeling.

Fortunately...

The hand happened to be his own.

Otherwise, the disgust would probably have been strong enough to make him want to chop the offending hand off.

As it was...

He merely felt uncomfortable all over.

He quickly stuffed the plush back into the male's arms.

The moment he felt himself being embraced by the male through the doll...

The discomfort gradually faded.

Everything surrounding him became soft.

Warm.

Fragrant.

His entire body slowly heated up.

An Ruo accepted the plush in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Did the connection fail?"

"It worked."

Ulysses explained.

"It just feels strange when I'm the one holding it."

"You should hold it instead."

"...?"

Wouldn't that be even stranger?

Looking down, An Ruo examined the plush in his arms.

The chibi Ulysses was sleeping soundly.

Its cheeks were plump and adorable.

Its fluffy hair felt wonderfully soft.

Perhaps it was only his imagination...

But somehow...

The texture seemed even better now.

Without thinking, he gently squeezed it.

Ulysses clenched his teeth, forcing himself not to make a sound.

His eyes dropped toward his own rising chest.

His heart burned.

The male's grip was far too firm.

It felt as though he intended to claim every part of him.

The male's hand cradled the back of his head and his back.

His little finger rested beneath his hips.

Only his thumb pressed against the front of his chest—

Yet with a single squeeze, it completely enclosed and occupied his entire chest.

His whole body was under another person's control.

Nothing obeyed his own will anymore.

Only after squeezing the plush did An Ruo suddenly remember...

Its senses were now connected directly to Ulysses.

Everything he'd casually squeezed...

Had been no different from squeezing Ulysses himself.

He hurriedly placed the plush onto the bed, not daring to touch it again, before turning back toward Ulysses.

"Are you alright?"

he asked anxiously.

The plush was only stuffed with cotton.

No matter how hard someone squeezed it, it wouldn't break or feel pain.

Ulysses was different.

Wouldn't that hurt?

His ribs weren't broken, were they?

The more An Ruo thought about it, the more alarmed he became.

Fortunately...

Only the sensations had been linked.

No actual physical force had been transferred.

His body remained completely unharmed.

Even if it had been real...

SSS-rank skeletal strength could withstand virtually anything.

Unless...

He himself chose otherwise.

Ulysses raised his silver eyes toward the male.

For once, ripples shimmered within them.

"I'm fine."

His voice was low.

"You can squeeze harder."

"...However you like."

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