Chapter 1
As Liam Callahan approached his 25th birthday, the pressure to marry grew unbearable in the Insect Realm—a world where the average lifespan stretched to an astonishing 526 years. To Liam, who had just recently traversed from Azure Planet into this peculiar dimension, 25 seemed impossibly young to be considering marriage. The thought irked him to no end, especially since he was a straight man. Initially, he had entertained the idea of succumbing to societal expectations. Some potential brides were even being scouted for him. Yet, despite the pressure, Liam chose not to become someone else's regret. Instead of hastily entering a marriage just to appease the whims of tradition, he decided to confront the source of his frustration. With resolve, he took legal action against The Sage—a prominent figure orchestrating the marriage push. Later, as he exited the courthouse, reporters bombarded him with questions. With a straight face, Liam declared emphatically, "Sophia Grey and I are just friends." Those words, however, proved to be a curse he longed to retract just one day later. Years sped by, and the people of Insectus had come to an inevitable conclusion: Liam and Sophia were indeed married. Liam's initial defiance melted under the warm glow of hindsight. Even within the vast complexities of the Insect Realm, life had a way of twisting fate, leading him into a happily ever after he never requested but ultimately embraced.
Chapter 2
Liam Callahan jolted awake to an alert chiming on his device. "Dear Mr. Liam Callahan, You are approaching your 25th birthday. Please select a spouse at your earliest convenience, or a match will be generated for you by the system. According to the Corey Shikins Algorithm, your top matches include: Caden Brightwood, Sophia Grey, Amelia Stroud... Click on the names for detailed information. Thank you for your cooperation." "Automated System Notification." What is this? Liam knew he had somehow landed in a strange new world of the Insect Clan, specifically transformed into a highly sought-after male specimen. However, he was completely unprepared for the forced marriage system that awaited him upon turning 25. Stunned, Liam flicked through the grim notification, only partially processing the information—it seemed there were over four full screens of potential matches! He decided to ignore it and promptly turned off the Lightbrain. But that was just the beginning; the notification pings kept coming. Matched female members would receive alerts on their Lightbrains, and they hurriedly sent him messages in hopes of being noticed. Cautiously, Liam observed the once-calm interface of his Lightbrain and hesitantly opened a message. It read, "My Lord, please consider me." Another stated, "My Lord, let’s get married! I want to raise a fleet with you." Liam jumped at the unexpected onslaught and quickly closed the Lightbrain again. However, the notification alerts remained persistent, so he hurriedly blocked them out, letting the unread messages pile up. With three whole months until his birthday, he thought, "I'll deal with it later." He was somewhat naively optimistic. Soon, the number of blocked messages soared over a thousand. Fortunately, Liam didn't see them; hundreds of nearby unmarried females aged within 50 years of him received notifications of his high compatibility—as high as 40%. More than half of them immediately sent messages to this precious contact. While it wasn’t uncommon for males of his age to be pressured into marriage by the Sage Society, typically, a male would only match with a handful of viable partners. Liam, however, had hundreds of matches, a rarity largely due to his warm and easy-going nature that allowed compatibility even with females who were not typically compliant. In this world, there existed a rigid hierarchy between males and females. Even if modern norms weren’t as strict as in the past, males were undeniably held in higher esteem than females. Not to mention, the staggering male-to-female ratio stood at 1:5, with over 210 billion Insectus inhabitants—35 billion males and 175 billion females. A single male was inherently precious; even one with no particular skills would garner significant attention upon reaching the marriageable age. It was common for males to remain single until 25, often opting for a more extravagant lifestyle, aware that even taken males still drew attention, albeit the quality of female interest would diminish. Males could marry one female yet take an unlimited number of concubines. Still, many females chose to remain single or settle for lesser arrangements rather than pursue aggressive males. Yet Liam, having been a functioning adult in his previous life, held steadfast views that were firmly established long before he arrived in this strange reality. Despite being in a male-dominant environment, he didn’t feel pride in his gender superiority. Rather, he recognized that males generally displayed less physical prowess and intelligence compared to females. Still, he remained diligent and grounded, earning the respect of many. Logic dictated that a male like him should be in high demand, which was indeed the case; since childhood, countless females had pursued him. Yet, since arriving in this world, he had turned all romantic advances down. He identified as heterosexual and, thanks to his experiences with the LGBTQ community in his former life, he affirmed his orientation confidently.
Chapter 3
In this world, males and females had distinct roles, but both looked like the men from Liam Callahan's hometown. The females sported intricate markings that set them apart, making them a point of intrigue and a source of sadness for Liam, who found himself grappling with expectations he wasn't ready for. Unfortunately, turning 25 without tying the knot meant that males like him would be forced into a matching process. Marriage was no longer a choice for Liam; it had become an obligation. Despite this troubling situation, Liam managed to keep his head above water. He calmly went through his morning routine, enjoying breakfast before heading off to work. His salary couldn't afford the overpriced apartments near his office, but the government offered particularly generous benefits for males. Liam could live comfortably just on his welfare payments, but he'd much rather not just drift through life. Instead, he anonymously donated 10% of his income along with his benefits each month. He might live in a place he considered rented, but at least he was contributing to a good cause. “Mr. Callahan, may I pursue you?” the receptionist stated, her face serious yet betraying a glimmer of hope. Liam was surprised by the bold declaration from Amelia, the eager receptionist he’d only just noted in the employee list. Her fervor caught him off-guard. He fumbled his way past the stunned encounter, managing to reach his office. Yet, to his dismay, the atmosphere there wasn't much better. Almost all his colleagues were females, and whether they were single or married, they were all staring intently at him as if they had conspired ahead of time. The Corey Shikins Algorithm considered eleven different parameters, including age, personality, job, hobbies, and more, giving his coworkers an upper hand—at least in their minds. “You’re a male,” Finn Ashford, his closest colleague, trembled as he asked the question. Usually, Finn was the life of the party, but he was currently flustered. “... Yeah," Liam hesitantly confirmed. He hadn’t actively hidden this fact; it was just that his demeanor was more gentle than that of other males, hence the misunderstanding. “You’re not married?” Finn exclaimed in disbelief. At 231 years old, he had married shortly after finishing his mandatory military service at 20. It staggered him that someone as amiable as Liam was still single at this age. “...Right.” Liam glanced away, feeling the pressure. At the average lifespan of 526 years in the Insect Clan, the concept of getting married at 20 and facing matchmaking at 25 felt excessively premature. “So, do you have any female servants?” Finn pressed on. With a male-female ratio of 1:5, owning two or three female servants was quite common. However, Finn's husband had chosen not to take any extra partners, as they had grown up together as childhood sweethearts. “I don’t,” Liam confessed, feeling overwhelmed at the thought. “Seriously? How have you made it this long?” Finn’s tone was disbelief wrapped in curiosity. “Uh... it’s just how it is. But anyway, we should probably get back to work,” Liam said, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead and palms. Finn returned to his desk, his expression still full of questions. Work was a necessity, so Liam buried himself in tasks, determined not to dwell too much on the prying eyes of his colleagues. The nature of their work kept them busy, so he gradually lost himself in the rhythm of the day, trying to forget their glances. However, come lunchtime, reality crashed back in. A crowd gathered around him, even his married boss chimed in to tease him openly, enjoying the spectacle. Colleagues approached him with serious inquiries about marriage proposals, leaving Liam at a loss for words. He had hardly ever wanted the end of the workday as desperately as he did then. Having been in this world for only five or six years, he hadn’t deeply understood its norms. His knowledge was alarmingly shallow, and due to the challenging experiences of his female parent, he bore a fear of the marriage system. With the announcement of the matching initiative rattling his settled life, Liam had no choice but to confront the reality that loomed overhead.
Chapter 4
Finally off work, Liam Callahan returned home, had dinner, and spent half an hour steeling himself before booting up his Lightbrain. He glanced at the messages that had come through while he was offline and felt a jolt of recognition at a familiar name—Sophia Grey. Liam remembered that she held the second position on the match list, and he decided to initiate a chat with her first. “Hello, I’m Sophia Grey,” was the first message from her. Her tone was polite and restrained, showing no intention to form a horde or to be his submissive partner. Liam found himself appreciating her demeanor. “Hi, I’m Liam Callahan,” he replied, mirroring her formal approach. “Let’s chat.” The response came swiftly, and despite the awkward start, the conversation flourished, turning warm and engaging. Before Liam knew it, several hours had passed, and it was almost 3 AM. They had been chatting for nearly four hours, completely unaware of the time flying by. The Sage Society had done a surprisingly good job with their compatibility test; he and Sophia shared numerous interests. Each new revelation was a pleasant surprise, and if Sophia wasn't cleverly trying to win him over, he might have believed they found a soulmate connection. But somehow, he sensed that, given her personality, Sophia wouldn’t resort to such tactics. After careful consideration, he thought that if in three months he hadn’t developed a connection with anyone else (which was unlikely), he might just marry Sophia. He enjoyed their conversations so much that, if not for her potential as a marriage candidate, he would’ve liked her even more. If the second-ranked match was this much to his liking, he couldn't help but wonder what made the first-ranked candidate, Caden Brightwood, so special. Liam knew who Caden was; he was a Colonel in the Republic and an idol for young people across the stars. Just as the rumors suggested, he was quite aloof and had not reached out to Liam at all. Liam didn’t have the nerve to make the first move; he figured whatever was meant to happen would unfold naturally. Caden hadn’t messaged because he’d seen his fair share of this type of situation in recent years. At 72, he had already achieved much, and being unmarried was hardly scandalous among women. Caden was also the new heir to the Everhart Estate, a status that attracted attention from all corners, even from self-important males. Countless suitors were eager to get close to him, and some with minor connections were hoping to use the Corey Shikins Algorithm results to kindle something more. One particularly confident suitor, who had been hoping to marry him through the matchmaking system at 25, found the match compatibility lacking and hurried into a marriage elsewhere. Caden assumed this was just another scenario like that, and didn’t even bother checking the message. Earlier at the dinner table, Caden had faced a gentle reprimand from Lady Ava Kingsley for still being unmarried. With a gender ratio of 5:1 in the society, why should he follow in his father’s footsteps and make time for a partner? He was busy enough without having to take care of someone else. Returning to his room feeling slightly annoyed, Caden finished up some work and reopened his Lightbrain, curious about what the previous message might contain for amusement. But when he saw there was still nothing there, he paused, opening a system notification—“Liam Callahan.” The name didn’t ring a bell; he vaguely recognized Callahan Manor. Checking his profile revealed no substantial connection, and he couldn't fathom how The Sage Society had made such a match. Suddenly intrigued, Caden nearly typed a message but hesitated, deciding to observe for a few days instead; maybe it was a case of lead and lure. Meanwhile, Liam and Sophia exchanged goodnights and made plans to meet after work the following day at a restaurant called “Embroidered Year.” It was his favorite place, as the cuisine reminded him of the meals from his previous life, and he was pleased to find that Sophia liked it too. Liam kept his intentions discreet; laying everything on the table would be too forward. Yet Sophia didn’t push for ambiguity; they talked about building a friendship without veering into flirtation. His admiration for her continued to grow.
Chapter 5
The following morning, Liam Callahan was jolted awake by his alarm clock, his mind still fuzzy from staying up late—he’d disrupted his internal clock. However, his mood was relatively bright; he had a plan for his upcoming marriage, and the person he was considering was genuinely decent. But his good spirits didn't last long after arriving at the office, as the excitement of his coworkers was evidently uncontainable. “Sorry, I’m not looking to take on a second wife.” “Oh, I heard you already have a candidate.” “I assure you, I’m not single at 25.” Liam responded to the onslaught of questions and comments with these dismissals. “I heard you’re in a relationship now.” Handing over a document, Liam’s boss tossed out an unrelated remark, raising an eyebrow as the intricate tattoo on his left cheek shifted. “...No, I’m just contemplating my options,” Liam replied, frustrated that even his boss wanted to join in the fun. “Wow, that was quick! Just yesterday you were getting pressured into marriage. Need some time off?” His boss seemed oblivious to Liam’s response, merrily joking as usual. Despite the humor, if Liam genuinely did need time off, he knew his boss would grant it—this man had been with the company for two and a half years, never privileged or demanding, even keeping his hours in line with those of the women in the office, which earned him a higher salary. “Thanks, but I’m good.” Liam made a beeline for the exit. Finally, day’s end arrived, and he spotted Sophia Grey waiting in her hover car at the company entrance. The vehicle was a subdued silver-grey, but apart from that, no one else seemed to be waiting around. Sophia stepped out as soon as she caught sight of Liam. They hadn’t spoken on the phone the previous night, only exchanged text messages and photos. Yet witnessing her in person was striking; she didn’t resemble the typical high-maintenance type at all. “Liam,” Sophia greeted with a warm smile, extending her right hand, long and elegant. He took her hand, finding it warm and dry, but his focus drifted elsewhere. Liam’s lips moved slightly, wanting to say something but hesitating. Noticing Liam’s gaze, Sophia turned her left hand, revealing an intricate dark tattoo that didn’t appear delicate in the way others often did but rather fierce. “Sorry if it startled you.” Liam instinctively shook his head, “No, not at all. It’s just the first time I’ve seen such markings on someone’s hand.” He knew some men might find a woman’s tattoos unappealing, but he was simply... curiously intrigued. It wasn’t like him to stare so obviously at someone’s markings, but he figured that Sophia must have an interesting story. Sophia chuckled, revealing her hidden hand further. “I actually got injured, so I can’t use my left hand much. That’s why I’m not shaking with it.” As she opened the passenger door, she invited Liam in. “Is it okay for you to drive?” Liam asked, a hint of concern in his voice. “I’m fine. It just trembles a bit in special situations, but it’s alright for driving. Oh, and,” Sophia sat in the driver’s seat with a playful smile, “you can just call me Sophia.” She noticed that Liam was unsure how to greet her. “Sophia, it’s nice to meet you,” Liam responded, returning her smile, feeling lighter already. They enjoyed a lovely dinner together, with conversation flowing effortlessly as they learned more about each other. Sophia discovered that Liam worked at an advertising agency, and he had penned the script for a widely discussed shampoo ad, which she admired for its creativity. Liam learned that Sophia was a lawyer—young yet already making waves in a controversial case called "Queen's Wound," where she represented the defendant. He was aware of the case: it involved a man who had long abused his partner and even assaulted their child. In a sudden turn of events, the partner killed the child and intended to murder the man before being stopped by onlookers, leading to him being severely injured. The public discourse surrounding the trial was intensely polarized.
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