The King Insect subjugation battle lasted until the fifth day. Even the teams handling the outskirts could no longer scavenge any worthwhile loot, so it was officially declared over.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of medicinal fluids. Rows upon rows of insect cadavers lay exposed in the open, resembling an assembly line for building vehicles—a batch of several thousand units, a truly spectacular sight.
In the wilderness outside the city, the Nether Queen train modification project was underway.
Numerous corporate conglomerates had already entered the fray: city-backed giants from Union City, sprawling private mega-carriers, powerful family factions, and countless smaller merchants.
The Tribunal’s Command Headquarters had relocated from the outpost outside the city to a newly built white hotel within the city walls.
This hotel had been erected overnight by Hejian Group to showcase their prowess.
Meanwhile, their rivals, the McIntosh Group’s business team, encountered an ambush by unidentified superhumans on their way to conduct surveys. By the time the Sheep-Head People received word and dispatched reinforcements, it was too late—the opportunity had slipped away.
In the Command Headquarters’ second-floor office.
Ashley opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of orange soda from a row of glass bottles. She sauntered lazily over to Letisia, who was buried in official duties.
Though her teacher’s fully matured feminine form exuded the greatest authority—untouchable and imposing—it was actually her most vulnerable state.
This contrast stirred something restless in Ashley’s heart.
But as she drew near, she was cowed by her teacher’s presence and didn’t dare act out.
The woman leaned against the window, her legs crossed elegantly. Her long, graceful legs stretched the white silk pants taut and straight. The simple gray suede high heels tapered to pointed toes, elevated at just the right angle—as if a single kneel would allow one to grasp them.
Ashley glanced over and thought that kneeling before her teacher wasn’t out of the question, but her hands were too small; she’d have to cup them with both, turning her into a mere footstool. Far too humiliating.
If it had been Amber looking like that, Letisia would have just smiled and said she wasn’t old enough for high heels yet. But her second disciple’s intense interest in challenging her master felt off—her gaze was downright strange.
Letisia pointed to the spot in front of the desk, making the little rascal stand where she couldn’t see her.
“You’re just in time. The loot distribution and battle damage compensation plan passed at the Hundred People Assembly. All items have undergone standardized valuation. Here’s the list…”
Letisia pushed over a thick stack of documents and continued,
“The allocation ratio is based on contributions during the subjugation. You can claim 52%.”
Ashley sucked in a sharp breath!
Though she had played a pivotal role, she hadn’t expected Union City to be so generous!
“No need to be surprised. Fair distribution is the foundation of Union City. As long as we uphold that, no one can challenge our dominance,” Letisia said, interlacing her fingers. “Besides, this situation was special. It was a defensive battle against the King Insect, not an expedition, so there were no investments in scouts, logistics, personnel scheduling, or local coordination. Only the two of us engaged the enemy, with no casualties, no need for damage compensation, and no extras to share the spoils with. Though I was the one who defeated the King Insect, your intelligence and utility were equally vital.”
Ashley wholeheartedly agreed.
Among various political systems, Union City might not be the worst, but it was undoubtedly the most prone to collapse.
Top players with core tech could split off like shooting stars at any moment. Mid-level cadres’ cliques shifted allegiances fluidly and shamelessly. The Hundred People Assembly burrowed deep underground, oblivious to worldly affairs like moles.
Yet, as long as this distribution system was honored, it could rally an unstoppable legion of superhumans anytime. Without going mad and trying to carry sacks of rice single-handedly, every superhuman could find their place in Union City’s framework.
“But there’s one issue,” Letisia’s tone shifted, drawing Ashley’s attention. “Seventy percent of the loot’s value lies in the two nodes from the Jade King. The King Insect tech they contain—Jade Exudation and Oviposition—account for about 40% and 30%, respectively. What do you want…?”
“Jade Exudation!” Ashley shouted without hesitation. Just hearing “Oviposition” triggered her PTSD.
“But the Tribunal wants Jade Exudation too,” Letisia shrugged. “Oviposition is premature for humans.”
“Then… what now?” Ashley was dumbfounded.
A paper box was pushed in front of her, containing two lottery balls.
The existence of Time Bird meant no superhuman abilities could cheat it, and since she drew first, it was a fair gamble—win or lose.
Ashley stared for a moment, not rushing. She went to the bathroom first and washed her face.
In her previous life, she’d always washed her hands and face before drawing cards.
She reached for the left one, hesitated, switched to the right, then back… This was the one!
She cracked open the ball, pulled out the slip, and unfolded it with trembling fingers…
Damn it!
Why Oviposition?!
Ah!
King Insect tech!
This might be my one shot in this lifetime!
Wahhh…
I can’t accept this…
Ashley hung her head, her expression dejected.
The Jade King was one of the weaker King Insects, with only two gene lock nodes. Compared to the Iron King’s ten, both quantity and quality fell short.
Even so, she hadn’t gotten the better one.
Letisia covered her mouth and turned her face away.
“Teacher… are you snickering?”
“No, don’t be ridiculous,” the woman cleared her throat. “Look on the bright side. Wasn’t the King Insect going to lay eggs in your body? Now’s your chance for revenge…”
“Why bite back after being bitten by a dog?!”
“Alright, alright,” the woman reached out to comfort her. “This node’s only 30%. You can pick any 22% from the list.”
“Can I take the Brain Fish?”
“You’re still human, right?”
“Fine…”
Ashley scanned the list. The most valuable remaining items were six live Nether Queen specimens, three Insect Jades, three Nether Queen cadavers, plus fragments of the Lord of Insects, Venerable King Knight Remains, precious samples, superhuman materials, and so on.
She unhesitatingly claimed the live Nether Queen specimens but held off on a full set—Union City wanted to develop a second train line. Due to reliance on super brain machines for computing power to etch Insect Jades, the Jade Lord’s secretions were limited; only three remained in the Initial Chamber, and Ashley took them all.
On top of that, she claimed nearly all the Venerable King Knight Remains.
Lacking cockpits, these combat cadavers were undervalued at a total of 118 units, worth less than 3% combined.
Ashley was startled—this was a massive undervaluation. But aside from her, the Rich Loli, and Little Cousin, no one knew that the Venerable King Guards, aided by super brain computing, were terrifyingly powerful. Each matched a high-level cadre in combat strength, though limited by simplistic attack patterns, lacking tactical intellect and developed superhuman abilities.
After confirmation, she listed the delivery address as the warehouse behind Blackfoot Workshop.
Letisia was swamped, not just organizing post-disaster reconstruction but also handling the Brain Fish—balancing public ethical expectations without overburdening finances.
A human brain in idle state consumed 20-25% of the body’s energy. Roughly calculated, maintaining 500,000 Brain Fish equated to feeding 100,000 people for free.
Assigning “work” to Brain Fish raised thorny ethical issues: effective oversight, mental stability, whether child brains counted as child labor, halted development post-extraction, and if perpetually classified as child labor, did that mean lifelong exemption from work…?
Letisia’s head throbbed. It looked like she wouldn’t be back anytime soon, so she tasked Ashley with guiding and training Amber.
Ashley set off to return, accompanied by Little Cousin and the Big Parrot.
Before departing, the Rich Loli paid a visit.
“The keys and password to Slanted House? Why give them to me?” Ashley asked in surprise.
“Forget that ever happened…” The Rich Loli bit her lip, averting her gaze. “If you dare tell anyone, I won’t let you off! Absolutely not!”
“What do you take me for? Even without hush money, I wouldn’t tell a soul.”
Ashley frowned; she would never stoop to such crass behavior.
“If you don’t take it, I’ll assume you’re planning to blab!”
The Rich Loli’s mindset deemed this the norm.
“Huh?!”
And so, Ashley unwittingly pocketed a hush money payment.
