Chapter 17

Chapter 17: This Is the Bright Future Chat Group, You Know!

Now that Wangshu thought about it, the Alluring Swarm Lord's lineage would normally need to disguise themselves, infiltrate, and then strike like a coiled viper at the right moment.

But what did that have to do with the Swarm Lord herself?

An Emanator-class insect in a place like Cangcheng — could she even encounter a natural predator here?

Speaking of which, did Propagation even have natural predators? These things ate sunlight, ate heat, ate dirt, ate grass... oh, and they ate meat too.

"You're quite curious about the Propagation swarm?"

Huoshi leaned in closer. The sweet fragrance nearly tickled his nose, and his body instinctively tilted back to create some distance.

The seemingly delicate girl narrowed her eyes, thoughts unreadable. Wangshu wisely leaned back in.

"Of course I'm curious — after all, I ran into you this morning."

He pressed his palm to his forehead. How could he not be curious?

Huoshi seemed to automatically filter out the tinge of exasperation in his tone. Her smile unchanged, she extended a slender finger toward the bookshop's ancient front door.

"Sitting here reading is so boring~" Her voice was light, carrying a hint of playful wheedling. "How about... you treat me to something to eat?"

Follow me outside like a good boy, or else — Wangshu's imagination helpfully supplied a pitch-black handgun pressed to his forehead. There. Now it felt normal.

"It would be my honor."

He smiled politely, having completely forgotten little Jingliu's advice about guarding his countenance... staying alive came first.

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Asta: "Newbie, you still alive?"

Wangshu: "The situation is... complicated. I don't know how to explain."

In the vast restaurant, Wangshu sat in a comfortable cushioned chair, watching the petite girl before him consume his entire morning's revenue with impeccable elegance, one bite at a time. His vision started to blur.

Girl, you're literally just eating!

The servers kept bringing new dishes. After who knew how long, as the stack of plates grew higher and higher, so did the crowd of spectators.

Wangshu: "Girl_three_stacks_of_plates_surrounded_by_onlookers.jpg"

Wangshu: "Close_up_of_hand_gripping_money_trembling_slightly.jpg"

Wangshu: "That's roughly the situation... also, I don't think I have enough money."

Asta: "Where's your money? I just gave you that investment yesterday."

Wangshu: "It's in little Jingliu's account. All I have on me is this morning's sales."

Jingliu: "You put all your money... with me?"

Wangshu: "..."

Jingliu: "Sigh, alright, alright. Little boy, I know you're the trusting type, but you should at least show some restraint with this kind of thing. What if your future girlfriend finds out and gets upset?"

Wangshu: "Polite_smile.jpg"

This wicked little brat — was he really so unwilling to listen to the voice of experience? Money was the sort of thing you should keep in your own hands.

There was actually another possibility, but she wouldn't think about it. Didn't dare think about it.

Asta: "I don't know what's going on, but if you can't pay the bill, won't they make you wash dishes?"

Wangshu: "...Is there no more dignified way to be rescued?"

Wangshu: "We're the Bright Future Chat Group, you know!"

Wangshu: "Okay, the moment I typed out 'Bright Future,' I got it."

Bright future just means the present is hopeless.

Wangshu: "Can someone send me a recording device? I haven't bought a phone yet."

A new dish was placed on the table, and Wangshu snapped back to attention.

"Who were you talking to? Tayzzyronth?"

Huoshi paused her eating for just a moment, daintily savoring her food, though her gaze had never left Wangshu.

"Not exactly... well, sort of. The remnants, though."

Wangshu thought about it. He couldn't escape anyway — might as well try bluffing. After all, he really was communicating with the Propagation remnants.

The future Jingliu had indeed fused with them, and he was indeed talking to the future Jingliu. Round it off and Wangshu hadn't even lied.

Huoshi stopped chewing for a moment. Her face broke into a beaming smile: "Check, please!"

She paid. Wangshu's heart flooded with relief — at least he wouldn't be washing dishes.

Someone had definitely screenshotted this whole spectacle for social media by now, but Huoshi didn't seem to care. As she left, she grabbed a baguette, nibbling at it like a little hamster... demolished it in three seconds, then started licking her fingers.

Walking down the street in the pleasant sunlight, Wangshu still clutched the first volume of Notes on Otherworldly Insects Across the Realms. The atmosphere was genuinely strange — it didn't feel like a kidnapping, but it didn't feel like a stroll with a friend either.

"If it were Zinie, she'd be very fond of you."

Huoshi suddenly thought of that Swarm Lord — the one most like the Swarm Sovereign.

"Thanks, but I'm guessing... I wouldn't be fond of her."

"I know. After all, the Swarm Sovereign is dead. And you won't become the Swarm Sovereign."

Her tone was flat.

Wangshu paused. Right — after the future Jingliu fused with the Propagation remnants, hadn't these Swarm Lords gone looking for her? How did these Swarm Lords even identify their targets?

Huoshi's eyes narrowed. "After all, They would never call me 'Huoshi,' nor accept a name like 'Zinie.' Those are names other people gave us."

Huoshi, Phantasmal, Zinie — all human-given names. More like descriptors of traits than actual names. To the swarm, they held no real meaning.

Wangshu finally couldn't hold back the question that had been circling his mind: "So what exactly do you want with me?"

Cangcheng currently only had one boss — Rahu and Hoolay. Twin bosses. An extra Swarm Lord was genuinely unnecessary.

At that, Huoshi turned around, clear eyes glimmering: "Can I reserve the first child you produce?"

Wangshu: ...

His mouth opened and closed. He started to speak, stopped, and for a long while produced no sound at all.

【Bright Future Chat Group】

Wangshu: "@Jingliu, Senior, can I reserve the first child you produce?"

Jingliu had assumed the little brat needed help again. But she read the message several times over, and finally — refusing to believe her eyes — rubbed them.

Only then did she send a bewildered: "?"

Did this brat have any idea what he was saying?

Asta: "Is that... a confession?"

Oh, so that kind of statement could actually be interpreted as a confession? Wangshu came back to his senses slightly. Looking at Huoshi's innocent face, he tested the waters:

"Can I take that as a confession?"

A flicker of confusion crossed Huoshi's small face. After a long while, she finally connected "reserving a child" with "confession" using human cultural logic.

"What I mean is, the first child you produce will likely inherit a portion of Propagation's source power. If consumed as nourishment, it could probably complete me. We could make a deal."

She tried her best to express it in more human terms.

Huoshi could vaguely understand the confusion... After all, Propagation's power was tied to romance and procreation. It was just that beings powerful enough to fuse with the Swarm Sovereign's remnants typically wouldn't be troubled by such minor details.

Wangshu: ...

Then why not just eat me directly?

Of course, he didn't say that out loud.

He subtly realized that a misunderstanding had formed between them — Huoshi seemed to think he was already a powerful individual.

After a long silence, Huoshi was the one who smiled again, dimples blooming. Especially after eating, her cheeks seemed particularly rosy:

"Of course, if you're willing to become my husband, I'd happily accept. Our child might become the offspring closest to Them."

She imagined that future for a moment. It seemed... acceptable, actually. After all, the Alluring Swarm Lord lineage had always practiced shedding claws and armor, revealing soft skin and a gentle face, earning others' sympathy and affection, and then... mind your business! Swarm affairs were not for outsiders to pry into.

Wangshu's cheek twitched: "Let's go back to the child topic."

Huoshi naturally moved past the previous subject: "Then what would you like as payment for the reservation? I can go find it for you."

"I hope that after you fully understand and master that power, the first offspring you produce can be given to me."

Her beautiful eyes fixed earnestly on Wangshu, awaiting his price.