The Insectoid's Box

Occasionally serious, occasionally silly, with an unpredictable personality x Cold and violent toward others, clingy and straightforward with his loved ones, and a shameless flirt who doesn't realize it

A helpless college student closed his eyes and opened them again, only to transmigrate.

The System was useless, and he had to explore the characters and plot on his own. He fought to survive, found himself a golden finger (which had actually come running to him), then stumbled around, traveling and having fun while completing the System's missions along the way.

One day, an insect told him, "Actually, you're our savior."

He spent every day absorbed in friendship, fun, food, and romance. "Huh? Isn't that the protagonist's job?"

He looked at the protagonist and the other insects, who had become his fans. Fine. Since you're asking me sincerely, I'll be magnanimous and do it. After all, everyone here is my little brother, right?

Luckily, he'd mastered the art of beating up insects he disliked, becoming a male insect who could take on a female insect one-on-one. (Smirks proudly.)

System: Host, you're getting stronger and stronger.

Him: Whose fault do you think that is?

This is a story about falling in love, fighting monsters, and leveling up all the way.

Romantic daily life:

The college student tries to push away a certain praying mantis leaning in for a kiss: "Take it easy, take it easy. That's enough for today."

Caspar catches his hand, kisses it, and gives it a lick: "Oh."

A cold cheek pinch: "No licking."

Caspar: "Wuv you."

The college student, blushing, lets go: "Don't think I'll go soft just because you say you like me."

Caspar kisses him with a serious expression: "I know."

"Echoes of the Past" is a phenomenon in which the remaining mental energy of a deceased male insect resonates with that of a high-ranking male insect, allowing the latter to experience the other's memories and emotions as if they were his own. Every insect afflicted by "Echoes of the Past" dies in agony.

His "Echoes of the Past" came from two male insects.

One was a hero whose traces could no longer be found.

The other was his past, or perhaps his future.

The past is the cause of the future, and the future the consequence of the past. They lived under terrible oppression, and after death their souls wailed without pause.

The abusers still lived in comfort, the abused were consumed by pain, the despicable rose to power, and the noble were reduced to dust.

"But he taught us how to hold a knife, how to kill our female masters, our own kind, our... natural enemies."

At first, he reached out to the male insects mired in pain. Later, they walked beside him, finding a way forward together.

Reading guide:

This is a fictional setting unrelated to reality. Please do not apply it to real life.

The couple is Swindler x Caspar, with Swindler as the top.

The present and the past run in parallel, but one gets more focus. It may lean toward an ensemble cast.

A nontraditional insect-society novel with a male top. No demonization of male insects. Their attitudes toward female insects are complicated. Supporting characters include male-male and female-female romances (They're all insects, so it's fine to be open-minded... what am I even saying?). If these are dealbreakers for you, don't read.

Caspar falls in love at first sight; the reason will be explained later. Okay, I just like sweet romance (I'm a sucker for it).

The original story is just background until the plot starts in the middle.

The protagonist's original name was Ruan Buci, but he changed it to Swindler. He's not a good person and will deliberately avoid trouble and anything that might cause it, but he'll give a lot to the people or insects he cares about. His memory is a little unreliable, so I've given him a cheat. (Survival of the fittest, what?)

Don't be rude in the comments, and no personal attacks. My writing is amateurish, so if you want to criticize me, fine, just go easy on me (I'm a coward).

Daily updates at 9 p.m. If I don't update, I'll leave a note (I'm sorry, I'm ashamed. I procrastinate, so I recommend reading the next day because I might not finish writing until 5 a.m. QAQ, but I won't skip an update).

I'll add more if I think of anything.

Theme: Only your own strength is true strength