I Write Novels in a Zerg Prison

【Check Affinity...

Morris felt nervous.

Over this period of time, it wasn't as though he had never wondered how much Affinity Roy had toward him.

He simply never dared think about it too deeply.

Even less did he dare check.

A numerical display that could be activated with a single tap had become, in his eyes, a Pandora's box.

It could give him life.

Or destroy him.

Now, with Roy's permission...

He turned the display back on.

Slowly raising his eyes...

He looked above Roy's head.

9...

9...

99!

Morris's eyes flew open.

For a moment, he genuinely suspected his vision had blurred and he was seeing double.

Maybe...

There was only one nine?

He focused again.

 Roy wore a sullen little pout as he waited.

But after a while, seeing Morris remain completely motionless, he looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong? Did the gift pack expire?"

Roy asked.

He didn't think there wasn't a gift pack.

He merely assumed too much time had passed and perhaps the claim period had already expired.

Morris stared blankly at him.

"Say something."

"Did you freeze?"

"Disconnect?"

Roy reached out to touch his face.

Then suddenly remembering something, he angrily demanded,

"Did you lose interest as soon as you saw the Affinity value? You don't want to play this game anymore, do you?!"

The more Roy spoke...

...the angrier he became.

That was exactly why he hadn't wanted Morris to know his Affinity in the first place.

But Morris had fought over a bouquet for him.

Had told him he wanted to marry him.

And Roy had foolishly thrown reason aside.

He wanted to raise his rank.

To become worthy of Morris.

To mark him.

He had even taken the initiative to let Morris see the Affinity.

And now...

The moment Morris saw it...

He had lost interest.

He didn't want him anymore.

Before Roy could finish making himself furious...

Morris pulled him into an embrace.

"I'm sorry."

"I think my eyes are playing tricks on me."

"Or maybe there's a bug in the system."

"The display must be wrong."

Morris apologized first.

Then hurriedly tried explaining what he'd seen.

Roy had no idea what he was talking about.

A system bug?

Wrong display?

He wrapped his arms around Morris in return.

Confirming that he truly existed.

He was here.

Warm.

His heart was beating.

His pheromones surrounded him.

Although Roy's pheromones couldn't remain permanently on Morris...

They could cling to him for a short while.

That scent made Roy feel safe.

Relaxing against him, Roy asked,

"Is there a level-up gift pack?"

Morris immediately opened the menu.

"There is."

"There are..."

"...three."

"Three?"

Roy blinked.

"Yes."

"One unlocks at forty Affinity."

"Another at sixty."

"And another at eighty."

Morris explained.

When he spoke the last two numbers...

His confidence noticeably weakened.

It almost felt as though he'd won the greatest prize imaginable because of a system error.

He felt guilty.

Uneasy.

And delighted.

But the guilt outweighed the joy.

"Eighty?"

Roy frowned.

"Only eighty?"

Silence suddenly filled the room.

Morris unconsciously held his breath.

Slowly lowering his head...

He looked at the Male Zerg in his arms.

Roy also looked back.

His gaze shifted away awkwardly.

He seemed unwilling to meet Morris's eyes.

"...Yes."

"Yes."

"It's eighty."

Morris quietly concealed the remaining value—

The part even he himself couldn't believe was real.

Roy seemed to sigh in relief.

Yet...

He also looked slightly puzzled.

In the end, he chose not to dwell on it.

Looking seriously at Morris, he said,

"Let's leave it at that."

"Use those three level-up gift packs first."

"Three gift packs..."

"Does that mean B-rank..."

"A-rank..."

"Super A..."

"...or even S?"

Even saying it aloud sounded unbelievable.

Could leveling up really be that easy?

Was it actually possible?

Or...

Did the gifts only raise smaller sub-ranks?

Like...

From C...

To C+...

Then B-...

Then finally B?

Whichever possibility it was...

These gift packs were absurdly powerful.

If they were ever sold publicly...

The resulting chaos would be unimaginable.

Fortunately...

There weren't many closed beta players.

And all of them were far more interested in romance than exploiting mechanics like this.

Three beautifully wrapped gift boxes appeared before Roy.

They were physical gift boxes.

Morris carefully took them out one by one.

Allowing Roy to unwrap them himself.

Blue.

Red.

Gold.

The colorful presents piled into Roy's arms.

It almost felt like opening birthday presents.

Roy had never received birthday gifts before.

He had only watched other Male Zerg classmates opening theirs at school.

It had always been lively.

The only birthday celebration he had ever received...

Came from his younger brother.

If they both happened to be home that day...

His little brother would gather wild fruit...

And make him a fruit cake without any actual cake.

Holding the three gift boxes...

Roy suddenly didn't know where to begin.

He looked at Morris.

"Aren't you opening one?"

"Maybe it'll level you up too."

Morris shook his head.

"My level inside the game isn't important."

"As for reality..."

"I'll continue training and improving myself."

Roy: "..."

Why did that make it sound like he was some useless little weakling who could only rely on level-up gift packs?

Well...

If he was a weakling, then so be it.

Morris had already seen his Affinity.

Only an idiot would refuse a shortcut.

Roy opened two gift packs in one go.

When only the golden one remained...

He hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

Morris asked gently.

"...Can I save one for my family?"

Roy asked.

He thought of his younger brother.

The younger brother who would one day become a military Female Zerg and head to the battlefield.

Their Female Parent had died in battle.

"No."

"These gift packs are bound to you."

Morris replied.

Originally, ownership belonged to Morris.

The moment he chose to give them to Roy...

They became Roy's alone.

"As for your brother..."

"I'll personally train him."

"I'll teach him everything."

That sounded...

Terrifying.

Roy knew exactly how powerful Morris was.

If his brother truly received instruction from such an outstanding officer...

It would undoubtedly be an incredible opportunity.

The problem was...

Roy had no confidence whatsoever that Morris would remain inside this game forever.

Looking at the final gift pack...

He eventually opened it.

Power surged into his body.

Or perhaps...

The power had always been sleeping inside him.

The gift pack merely acted as the key.

Unlocking...

Awakening...

Everything that had long been sealed away.

Roy felt an immeasurable ocean of Psychic Power surge through him like endless waves.

His psychic tendrils spread outward.

His perception expanded without limit.

He realized...

They had already returned to the floating island.

Below lay his familiar home.

The remote village.

Once barren.

Now gradually coming back to life.

Farther away...

The highway.

The battlefield scrapyard.

And beyond that...

The distant city.

Everything...

Lay within his perception.

He could even clearly sense the emotions of the Female Zerg beside him.

Expectation.

Nervousness.

Unease.

An entirely different world unfolded before Roy's eyes.

Opening them again...

He met Morris's gaze.

He didn't miss the amazement...

Or the shock...

Written there.

Roy paused.

Touching his own face, he asked uncertainly,

"...Did I become better-looking?"

Better-looking?

It was far more than that.

Morris quickly looked away.

He barely dared look at him.

The little Male Zerg he remembered...

How had he transformed into someone so breathtaking...

That merely looking at him made one's face flush...

...and pheromones begin to flow?

Morris opened the terminal's mirror display.

Allowing Roy to see for himself.

Roy looked at his reflection.

For a brief moment...

He was stunned.

His features had become exquisite beyond comparison.

It was as though every hidden potential within his genes had been completely awakened.

Continuously optimized.

Continuously evolving.

His face...

His profile...

Even his skin...

Everything had become flawless.

Beautiful...

Down to every strand of hair.

The perfect appearance for attracting mates.

Improving appearance had always been one of the central directions of Male Zerg evolution.

The true core...

Was Psychic Power.

Physical ability naturally improved as well.

There was no suitable instrument here capable of measuring Psychic Power.

The terminal's built-in scanner couldn't even detect his upper limit.

Roy estimated it himself.

He felt...

He was probably Super A-rank now.

Not quite S-rank.

Reaching this point already left him immensely satisfied.

S-rank...

Had always been something he didn't even dare dream about.

Turning toward Morris once more...

Roy wondered why Morris still refused to look directly at him.

"...Am I not attractive?"

"Or..."

"...am I just not your type?"

Although beauty eventually became universal...

Sometimes...

Personal taste simply wasn't reasonable.

Perhaps Morris preferred someone more ordinary.

Like the dusty little Male Zerg Roy had originally been.

"No."

"You're beautiful."

"Very beautiful..."

Morris answered.

Yet his eyes still didn't dare linger on Roy's face.

Roy became even more puzzled.

Leaning closer...

His overwhelmingly beautiful face filled Morris's vision.

Morris's eyes froze.

He almost forgot how to blink.

"If you don't like me looking like this..."

"I'll cover my face from now on."

Roy said softly.

How could Morris possibly dislike it?

Quite the opposite.

He liked it too much.

So much...

That it filled him with guilt.

He had never believed himself to care about appearances.

He had always thought looks were meaningless.

He had never paid attention to them.

Back when Roy had still been that dusty little E-rank Male Zerg...

Morris had thought he was adorable.

He hadn't even noticed what rank he was.

Rank.

Appearance.

Neither had ever mattered.

Yet...

Under Roy's gaze...

His pheromones were flowing.

...】

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!