The Arachnoax forces, with their unparalleled speed of thought and calculation, attacked with strategies that were nearly impossible to predict. Their evolution and adaptation occurred so rapidly that humanity's ultimate weapons, such as energy rays, were effective for only a single battle. After a loss, the Arachnoax would immediately analyze their weaknesses and develop a sure-win strategy for the next engagement.
Even humanity's most experienced commanders were left frustrated. With every loss, human forces were forced to retreat, surrendering planet after planet to the Arachnoax. Even the corpses of fallen human soldiers were exploited by the Arachnoax to further their evolution.
This dire situation compelled the Human Federation to reconsider the use of artificial intelligence (AI), a technology previously banned due to the immense risks it posed. Unfortunately, the current AI systems were still no match for the Broodmother. Time was desperately needed to accelerate the development of technologies capable of countering the seemingly unstoppable evolution of the Arachnoax.
Meanwhile, thousands of planets that had once thrived under human control were now turned into feeding grounds for their enemies. The growing string of defeats was masked by propaganda, spread through mass media, reporting false victories to calm the public.
But for Lyna, who came from a noble military family, these lies were impossible to believe. She knew a far grimmer truth: the Human Federation was on the brink of collapse. They needed every life they could throw onto the battlefield to buy the time necessary to develop the technology to fight the Arachnoax. The reality on the front lines was far worse than words could describe.
Tragically, her husband was also aware of this horrific truth. Lyna didn’t need to think long to guess where he got this information—it was obvious: her father. Lyna’s father, a respected military commander, was one of the few who fully grasped the severity of the crisis.
Moreover, Lyna knew that her husband was no ordinary man. Despite his often deceptive laziness and carefree demeanor, he was a top graduate of the most prestigious military academy in the Human Federation. If he hadn’t married Lyna, he might have already been a celebrated fleet captain known across the galaxy.
Yet their love was too profound to be separated. To preserve their relationship, her husband chose a simple job as an administrative staff member, merely tasked with receiving and sending messages. This job allowed him to return home every evening, spend time with Lyna, and maintain the warmth of their little family.
But now, the man who was usually so gentle had changed. Behind his deep black eyes, Lyna saw the blazing fire of resolve. He had decided to head to the battlefield, to join the ranks of humanity fighting against the Arachnoax—even if it meant leaving Lyna behind and risking his life.
Lyna felt her world crumble. Her husband’s decision, driven by love and an overwhelming sense of responsibility, only filled her with suffocating fear. The thought of losing the man she loved more than anything else shattered her heart. In a voice trembling with desperation, she began to speak, her tone almost like the fragile murmur of a child trying to deny reality.
“We… we can run away! Yes! My love, we can escape from all of this!” she exclaimed, her tone brimming with fragile hope. “We can go to the ends of the universe, to a place where there are no giant insects devouring us for the biomass of their queen!”
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Her husband remained silent, gazing at her with a calm yet unshakable expression. That look pierced deeper into Lyna's heart, sending her into a rising panic. Her breath hitched, and she began to speak faster, almost uncontrollably.
"We can live anywhere, my love! I don't need a luxurious home or a soft bed. I can sleep soundly in your arms—you know that! I don’t care about eating at fancy restaurants; I can eat anything you give me. I can even learn to cook! You like spicy tofu and sautéed water spinach, right? I’ll learn—I promise! You’ll get addicted to my cooking!”
“My love…” he tried to interject gently, but Lyna kept talking, her voice growing higher.
“I can clean the house! We don’t need a household robot. I’ve heard cleaning is good exercise, so I can sweep while staying healthy. You don’t need to worry! Even if our house has a dirt floor, I’ll clean it until there’s not a speck of dust left! You believe I can do that, right?”
“My love…”
“We could live in a remote place, surrounded by green gardens. You could open a coffee shop in front of our house, serving customers while writing the fantasy novels you love. I’ll take care of the flowers in the yard. At night, we could sit on a rattan patio in the backyard, staring at the stars. That’s your dream, isn’t it? We can live like that now!”
“My love!”
“Let me finish! Please, let me finish!” Lyna interrupted, her voice trembling but full of determination. “I only need you! I don’t care about anything else! I don’t care if my arrogant father becomes food for those insects! I don’t care if this useless humanity turns into waste! I only need you! Just you!”
Tears streamed down Lyna’s face, soaking her flushed cheeks. She clutched her husband’s hands so tightly that it felt as though they might break. Her body, strengthened since childhood, made her far stronger than an ordinary human, and that strength was palpable. Yet she had never once used that strength against this man.
There was something in her that made her feel her husband—a simple man from a commoner background—was far stronger than she was. That was why Lyna had never even considered using force or locking him away to keep him from going to the front lines. But now, her fear was nearly driving her to break the principles she had always held dear.
Her husband gazed at her with deep love, full of patience, as if the pain from his nearly crushed hands didn’t exist. In a gentle voice, like a loving teacher guiding a favorite student, he said:
“My love, life has given me more than I ever hoped for. I, who was born alone, have never felt loneliness or lack. Life gave me peace and love in abundance, so much that I feel ashamed not to be grateful. Life also brought me to you—the greatest blessing of my life. You are My Beautiful Thing.
That is why I want to repay life’s kindness. Let me protect those who are oppressed, those who have no hope. Let me safeguard the small flicker of light at the edge of this universe so that those who are alone, as I once was, will know they are not truly alone. I want them to feel that one day, they too will find their Beautiful Thing, just as I found you.”
Her husband’s gaze was so sincere and pure that Lyna couldn’t bring herself to respond. She lowered her head, avoiding those eyes, as a wave of self-loathing began to consume her heart. She knew how selfish she was being, but logic was powerless against the storm of her emotions. Harshly, Lyna released her grip on his hands and screamed in anger:
"THEN DIE LIKE I CARE!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran to the bedroom, locking herself inside. In the silence of that room, her sobs poured out uncontrollably. When she finally felt calm enough to come out and try to convince him one more time, all she found was a letter announcing his departure.
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Seven months later, a soldier knocked on her door. With a cold yet sympathetic expression, he handed her an official letter informing her that her husband had fallen in battle. Along with the letter, the soldier also presented a wedding ring—the only thing left of the man who had been Lyna’s entire world.