Ch39 - [Xi Jin's new developments] Do you like gems?

The sharp feeling of pain gave Nalun no choice but to take this seriously. He sat upright, rolled up his sleeve, and revealed a large area of skin.

Mona: “…….”

She only cameby randomly to take a look and unexpectedly bumped into the scene of the Honored Prince rolling up his sleeve and staring intensely at his arm!

With a wave of excitement, Mona couldn’t help but quietly sit down in a seat an aisle away from the Honored Prince.

Cough Cough. Appreciating a beauty in public was one of the privileges of being a citizen of the Empire.

— What just happened?

Nalun was completely unaware that he had accidentally teased an innocent passerby. Looking around the surroundings, he didn’t see anyone else reacting strangely.

Rubbing the area where he felt pain, he didn’t find any redness or sharp object. Could it be allergies?

Lowering his head and taking a whiff of the cloth material, he temporarily couldn’t figure out what it was.

After pondering for a moment, he was still without any leads. He rolled his sleeve back down and temporarily placed this matter to the side.

“Pss.” There was a sudden itch on his waist. He swiftly reached out and touched something strange around the edge of his shirt at the waistline. The next second, he felt something climbing over his fingers and onto his skin.

Nalun: “……”

Just what was that thing that flashed by right under his eyes?

“Ah, smells so delicious.”

The intoxicated voice of a youth sounded.

Eyes spinning in thought, Nalun looked around inconspicuously. In the end, he finally discovered the source of the voice to be coming from his own chest.

“???”

Doing his best to control the urge of sticking a hand inside his shirt and touching his chest, Nalun lowered his voice and asked: “Xi Jin?”

Immediately afterwards, almost like a reply, he felt himself getting poked in the chest by a very short, thick insect claw.

A somewhat sharp pinch instantly came from the skin on his chest.

Not only this, the insect claw seemed to have even tugged the round ring on his left nipple briefly.

Nalun pressed a hand over his chest and pretended to cough. He turned his body to block Mona’s gaze, which was currently turning towards him.

“Shouldn’t you have returned to your hometown? How did you turn small?” And suddenly appear here?!

This series of questions clearly expressed Nalun’s collapsed mental state. If someone asked him, the person or thing he didn’t want to see most this year, then Xi Jin would be at the top of this list. This wasn’t targeting Xi Jin personally…… alright. It was targeting Xi Jin. A fine and dandy Insectoid, what’s wrong with returning home to gnaw on metal? Why keep coming to find him?

The black colored mini Metal Devouring bug followed along Nalun’s sleeve and once again rolled into his palm. It stared at Nalun with its pitch-black eyes unblinkingly.

“Big beard…….”

Oh, this familiar feeling of extreme misfortune.

It’s still the same suffocating feeling!

Nalun held up a finger: “Shh, don’t call me randomly.”

The Metal Devouring bug: “I spoke it in the Insect language. Other people shouldn’t understand.”

Nalun asked under his breath: “Why did you come here?”

Xi Jin said; “I, I saw you so I followed over.”

Nalun: “??”

Xi Jin fiddled with his front claws, almost acting embarrassed.

“You’re the first friend I made here. Whenever I see you, I feel happy.”

Nalun: “…….” Thanks, but, don’t.

“Ever since we separated last time, I missed you a lot.” Xi Jin’s voice carried a hint of melancholy: “A lot of things happened after that. I discovered that under the stress of certain circumstances, I can grow big and shrink small! Therefore, I changed into a little bug, wanting to escape the Imperial Capital secretly. However, I accidentally caused a car crash…….” Speaking here, Xi Jin paused for a moment and said comfortingly: “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Nalun: “???” No, I wasn’t.

Xi Jin continued to say: “Luye didn’t even notice at first. Later on, I stood my ground and he finally agreed to take responsibility and took me back to recuperate.”

Lu, Luye?

“Oh, he’s the culprit.”

Nalun’s head blanked, eyes dazing off into the distance. Why did he feel like he couldn’t understand anything?

“You said you changed into a bug, got hit by a car……. and then stood your ground…as a bug? As a result, you were taken back to receive care?”

Xi Jin poked his palm: “That’s right.”

Nalun’s eyes were filled with bewilderment.

Just how did this world appear in the eyes of an Insectoid?

“He has many delicious metal cookies. I really like it, however, he only treats me as a pet.”

Nalun: “???”

Xi Jin sighed: “You’re better after all.”

Nalun: “……” No, I’m no good.

“In other words, you ran over to reminisce with me? This place is not an area accessible to anyone. What’s the name of your owner?”

Xi Jin: “It’s just Luye.”

Nalun asked tentatively: “……Then what about me? What’s my name?”

This time Xi Jin was shocked: “Big beard. Of course you’re Big Beard!”

Nalun: “……”

Xi Jin gave a worried look: “I know you’re called Nalun. They all call you this. Are you saying you don’t know this yourself?”

Nalun squeezed out a faint polite smile.

The Metal Devouring Bug was probably only the size of a coin. Right now, it was hugging to Nalun’s thumb with its 8 legs. Looking at it carefully, it even looked a bit cute.

Nalun asked in confusion: “Why do I feel like you’ve gotten fatter recently?”

Although it has changed into a miniform, in actuality, there were other hidden differences. For example: The bug’s belly was even more prominent! Originally, the Metal Devouring bug already gave people a ‘rolly polly’ misconception. Now, this ‘rolly polly’ feeling seemed even more intense.

Nalun couldn’t help but extend a finger and poke at the bug’s belly.

Xi Jin immediately screamed: “What are you doing? Why are you touching my butt?”

Nalun: “???”

He’s very certain. He was only thinking about touching the Metal Devouring Bug’s fat behind.

“I have gotten fatter recently.” The Metal Devouring bug hid its butt behind its back and said bashfully: “A few days ago, I received some cash from work.”

Nalun’s eyelid jumped. He remained calm and said: “Oh, congratulations.”

The source of that money was currently standing right in front of you, stupid bug.

“I said before that as long as you’re willing to help me, I’d share 10% with you as a reward and thank you, however……”

“Nalun.”

A call came from behind him.

Nalun hastily covered the bug in his hand and turned his head to ask: “What’s the matter?”

Mona looked behind him suspiciously: “Who are you talking to?”

Nalun shook his head, expressing, no, he wasn’t talking.

Mona: “……”

Nalun said sincerely: “There’s a speech conference in a few days. I am reciting the script.”

Mona clearly looked like she didn’t quite believe it. However, she still reminded him politely: “We’re almost to the forest. We’ll be dropped off randomly soon. It’s time to get prepared.”

Nalun had a general idea of the Hunting competition’s sequence of events. When the time came, the two planes with the different emblems would drop off the numerous participants like dropping dumplings into a pot.

As for the exact location of the drop……Everything was unknown until it happened.

The Metal Devouring bug in his palm quietly flipped over while still using its antenna to bother him relentlessly: “Wah, Big Beard. Your palm is sweating!”

Nalun: “……” Were there any bug extermination sprays?

Finally sending off the lady of the house of General Yisi, Nalun didn’t dare to chat with the bug so openly anymore. Xi Jin very understandingly expressed it’s fine if Nalun just listened.

“I changed that money into coins. You Asha people really have terrible tasting coins. There’s at least a mix of three different metals inside. The taste is not pure enough. In addition, the chemical reactions between the metals cause damage to the nutritional value. Eating it is not good for growth.”

“……. ” Did the people from the coin department even consider the taste of the coin? The nutrition value of the coin?

No.

Right now, his Insectoid friend was giving sincere feedback. It’s time to invite some master chefs to expand the coin industry.

Briefly imagining the scene of the Metal Devouring bug holding a coin with its front claws and eating it like a little cookie, Nalun astutely maintained his silence.

“But I still accidentally ate them all.” The Metal Devouring Bug sighed: “Right now I am penniless…… However, I place great value in our friendship and don’t want to be someone who breaks their word. Look, do you like gems?”

When the Metal Devouring Bug asked the last question, his tone was filled with anticipation.

Nalun noticed his mood and nodded his head in cooperation.

“That’s great! I have a super pretty and big jewel that I can give to you.”

Nalun said: “…… Gems are worth much more than regular metal.”

“No problem! Everyone seems to like this kind of bad tasting metal.” Xi Jin smiled very sincerely: “To me however, they’re really way too hard to chew. If you like it, I can give it to you.”

Hard to chew……

So you actually tried to bite it???

Nevertheless, the hardness value of gems was indeed very high. From a certain point of view, Xi Jin’s description wasn’t wrong.

“Where did you get the gem?” The transaction of jewelry and precious stones was very well-controlled in Asha. You must pay under your real name with your personal comps. Unregistered residents like Xi Jin would have a lot of trouble buying them successfully.

Xi Jin stammered for a long time before he stated the truth: “I lost my memories. After I woke up, there was only an engraved tablet and a gem stone next to me. I hid them away. They’re my priceless treasures.”

And right now, this foolish bug was planning to give his priceless treasure to the first friend he made after losing his memory– as a present.

Nalun felt complicated.

His treatment towards Xi Jin… was actually even more complicated.

The brain capacity of Insectoids was truly less than Asha people. This magnified how much instincts influenced the Insectoids. Some Insectoids with extraordinarily strong instincts and weak human-like intelligence often rejected other races intensely. A lot of their decision-making methods carried primitive Insect habits.

From the very start, Nalun has treated this suddenly appearing Metal Devouring Bug with caution and suspicion. If his identity wasn’t exposed because of ‘smell’, Nalun definitely wouldn’t have cared about the life and death of this bug.

The series of things that happened afterwards… was also only so Xi Jin could obediently keep his secret.

From start to finish, Nalun only treated the Metal Devouring Bug with a superficial kindness. Facing such a sincere and heartfelt Xi Jin right now, Nalun felt somewhat at a loss.

Xi Jin suddenly asked: “Oh right, the small metal cookie on your chest smells really good. If there’s a day that you don’t want it, can you consider giving it to me for a snack?”

Small metal cookie?

Nalun furrowed his brows. It took him a moment to realize what that was.