The gates of the Milantu command tower were tightly shut, with defense robots patrolling the entrance, ready to shoot at any suspicious figure. When Darius Bayes led his men out of the underground garage, the robots surrounded them, their eyes flashing red, indicating they were in attack mode. Without even glancing at them, Darius walked straight towards the command tower gate with a submachine gun in hand. Then, the red lights in the robots’ eyes turned off, replaced by green lights, indicating the attack mode was deactivated.
The programmers left in the underground garage gave each other thumbs up.
Half of the soldiers who infiltrated Milantu on the Silver String were technicians. Initially, Leibniz protested that this was too dangerous, but now he deeply admired the Major General’s foresight.
Standing in front of the command tower gate, the Major General lightly pressed the communicator in his ear. “Zorda, can you open the gate?”
“I’m cracking the control program of the command tower. Please wait a few minutes.”
“No time.” The Major General gestured to the soldiers behind him, who immediately stepped forward to install small antimatter bombs on the gate. Everyone then retreated to the underground garage to find cover. After a rumbling explosion, the Major General returned to the surface. The gate of the command tower had turned into a heap of charred ruins, emitting thick smoke.
More defense robots poured out of the tower, but none fired a shot. The programmers had already seized control of them.
The Major General walked unimpeded into the tower. He was greeted by the gun muzzles of the vanguard team guarding the ground.
“Fire!” the captain ordered.
However, before the team members could pull the triggers, they were taken down by the rebelling defense robots.
Darius stepped over their bodies and entered the elevator. Some soldiers guarded the elevator door, while others climbed the winding stairs to search the upper floors.
“Where’s the main control room?”
“Judging by the power distribution in the command tower, it should be on the fifth floor.”
Darius glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner and smashed it with a raised hand. “Let the lovely robots go first.” He stepped out of the elevator. The robots surged in to replace him, and Darius pressed the button for the fifth floor and stepped back outside.
The elevator numbers changed from 1 to 2, then 3, 4, and finally stopped at 5. After a while, the search team reported through the headset, “Reporting to the Major General, there are no living people in the fifth-floor control room.”
“Stand by there.”
“Yes!”
Only then did Darius leisurely call the elevator back down.
“Main control room? Strange, there’s no response.”
Joshua Planck stood at the post he was in charge of in the square. The main control room, which had been continuously transmitting information to them, suddenly went silent. No matter how much he searched, he couldn’t hear a sound. He couldn’t even contact his comrades. The headset and communication terminal were filled with static, as if the whole world had gone silent.
Something must have happened in the main control room, he thought.
Joshua loaded his handgun, silently apologizing to the captain for leaving his post.
The main control room was almost awash with blood. Bodies of the vanguard team members guarding the place piled up at the elevator door. The navigators had been working dutifully until their last moments, now lying face down on the main control panel, blood flowing from the panel to the floor, forming a winding river.
Darius stepped over the bodies to the control panel, made the sign of the cross over his chest to bless the dead, then roughly pushed the dead navigator aside.
“Major General, have you reached the main control room?” Zorda’s voice came through the headset.
“Yes.”
“Then please operate the computer according to my instructions.”
“…I should have let you come here yourself.”
“Oh, didn’t you order all the technicians to hide in the shelter? Get busy, we don’t have much time. First, connect the communication terminal to the computer…”
Joshua squinted his black-golden eyes, staring at the charred command tower gate and the idle defense robots at the entrance, instantly guessing what had happened in the main control room.
‘In this situation, it’s a wonder if the communication isn’t interrupted,’ he thought. ‘Trojan Horse. Should we say that the wisdom of the ancients still shines, or that human intelligence hasn’t progressed much in thousands of years?’
The enemy probably monitored all communication channels of Milantu and might be issuing false instructions, leading the vanguard team into their trap.
Joshua discarded his headset, removed the sniper rifle from his back, and crouched behind a statue, assembling the gun piece by piece. Bringing it out was a wise decision. It came in handy so quickly.
After assembling, he estimated the range of the defense robots. He was just out of range, but if any robot advanced another ten meters, he would be within their firing range.
But the assassin, the Mourner, would never let that happen.
“Second Lieutenant, something seems off outside.”
The soldiers guarding the first floor of the command tower uneasily looked at the highest-ranking Second Lieutenant. The Second Lieutenant raised a hand, signaling everyone to be on alert. The mechanical sound of the defense robots was audible just moments ago, but after a series of chaotic collisions, there was only silence outside the gate. Due to the obstructing ruins, the Second Lieutenant couldn’t see what was happening outside. To get a glimpse, he would have to move in front of the ruins.
“Sergeant Edward, go see what’s happening,” ordered the Second Lieutenant.
Sergeant Edward swallowed hard. Empire soldiers never disobeyed orders, even if it meant going to their deaths. Thus, the sergeant hesitantly walked towards the charred gate.
The Second Lieutenant raised his gun, watching the sergeant’s back through the scope. The young man stood at the gate, evidently terrified, hesitating. How did such a person get selected for the death squad? The personnel involved in this operation were all death-defying loyalists to Major General Bayes; none of them feared death. Sergeant Edward usually behaved bravely. What was wrong with him today?
The crosshairs moved to the back of the sergeant’s head. If he dared to retreat, he would be executed on the spot as an example, the Second Lieutenant thought.
Sergeant Edward stared outside the gate as if he saw a prehistoric beast. He suddenly turned back, eyes wide, mouth agape, seemingly wanting to warn his comrades, but only blood flowed from his mouth.
The crosshairs moved above the ruins. A person stepped on the charred metal and walked in. The thick smoke highlighted his silver hair, making it exceptionally striking. His black pupils emitted golden light, like flames burning in hell.
The Second Lieutenant suddenly understood what Sergeant Edward feared. They indeed feared neither death nor life, but before Death, humans could only offer their reverence.
Darius Bayes finally entered the Milantu central computer’s database, pulling up the map of the Second Sea of Death from the complex information. Sending this map to the fleet would make defeating Joanna Begrel a matter of moments.
There was a commotion among the soldiers behind him.
“Intruder!”
“Major General, please be careful!”
“Argh!”
“Shoot! Shoot!”
Darius didn’t turn around but looked at a nearby monitor, continuously displaying the scenes inside the command tower. One screen was black. Darius thought it was the elevator monitor he had broken. The screens to its right showed the fifth floor. His men were engaging the enemy, retreating from the outermost rooms to the main control room.
“Don’t panic,” Darius told his men. “How many enemies are there?”
“Only one!”
The monitor showed a man charging in alone, moving as swiftly as a leopard, as light as a bird, dodging laser beams while using his handgun to bring death to the enemy. He moved from one screen to another, the third showing him from a different angle.
Darius almost admired the man’s prowess.
“Deservedly known as the Mourner. It’s a shame you’re under Joanna Begrel. You should join me.” He looked at the final screen. The monitor showed the main control room from above. Several bodies lay at the edge of the screen. The silver-haired assassin stood at the door, his gun pointed at him.
Darius still didn’t turn around. He spread his arms and said, “I am Darius Bayes, the Empire Major General. I can offer better conditions than Joanna Begrel. Think about it?”
He heard the Mourner laugh.
“Does it matter if a dead man is a Major General or a recruit to me?”
“Attention all units! Attention all units! Return to the mothership immediately! Retreat now!”
Leon’s order through the loudspeaker shocked Alois. “Why?” He couldn’t help but wonder if he had misheard.
“I repeat! Retreat immediately! Do not engage the enemy! This is an order!”
Leon’s voice carried an unusual tension and severity.
What happened? The current battle was clearly in their favor. The enemy’s vanguard had suffered heavy losses, and more of their units, unaware, were still moving deeper into the Second Sea of Death. With a bit of luring, they would enter the mine-laden high-risk area. Why retreat when the situation was so favorable?
Alois wanted to ask but had no time for questions on the battlefield. As a soldier and a pirate, obeying orders was his duty. He could only turn his craft and fly towards the mothership, Lady of the Night, skimming past an Empire cruiser.
The enemy was probably as startled by the sudden retreat as we were. Soon, two modified Godot IIs appeared on the radar, closely tailing Alois like determined hounds. If this were a retreat under unfavorable conditions, it could be seen as a feigned defeat to lure the enemy in. But retreating under advantageous conditions seemed too abnormal and could only be explained by internal issues within the pirate ranks. Not pursuing now would be foolish.
If Alois were the Empire commander, he would also send fighters to chase. The previous losses were too severe. If they didn’t score a win before the pirates disappeared, the record would look too dismal. The two Godot IIs behind him were determined to take down Doro.
Alois pulled up the map and located the Lady of the Night. She was cleverly hidden in an asteroid cluster, camouflaged as a large asteroid nearby. But Alois couldn’t return directly to the mothership. The enemy was too close; a slight approach would reveal the Lady of the Night’s position. Even if the ship’s laser cannons could take out the two fighters instantly, attacking would expose the ship’s location.
Alois gritted his teeth and looped back towards the battlefield. If he couldn’t shake off those annoying tails, he might as well take them down!
“Lagrange! What’s taking you so long?!” This time, Titia’s voice came through the speaker. “Retreat quickly! Don’t engage the enemy! Shake them off!”
“They’re too close, I can’t shake them!” Alois said as he pressed the launch button. Missiles shot towards a Godot II, but it easily dodged and skillfully destroyed the missiles. Through the explosion’s fire and smoke, the other fighter emerged, like breaking through the clouds, with indigo beams slicing through the air like a sword.
Alois pulled up his craft just in time to dodge the beams. Such high-level maneuvers must be from one of the top aces in the Empire fleet. This thought brought a subtle sense of jealousy to Alois.
A sharp noise came through the speaker, followed by Joanna’s voice, loud enough to shake the cockpit. “Lagrange! Stop fighting and retreat immediately!”
Simultaneously, six or seven red dots representing enemies lit up on the radar, quickly closing in on Doro’s position, forming an encirclement. When Alois tried to shake off the two persistent Godot IIs, a rain of indigo beams cut off his retreat, pushing him step by step towards the center of the encirclement.
“Alois, we’re coming to help!” Titia’s voice came through.
“No! Don’t come over!”
More red dots appeared. The Empire realized the pirates were genuinely retreating and couldn’t let them disappear into the vast space. Even downing one pirate fighter would at least save face from this surprise attack.
“Captain! You guys go first! I’ll follow soon!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You want us to leave you behind?”
“It’s a tactical retreat, not running away.”
Alois launched another wave of missiles, this time firing them to the left and right of his target. When the Empire fighter dodged, it ran straight into the missile. Even so, the damage wasn’t significant, and it pulled back, with more comrades filling its place.
“Alois.” This time, Joanna called him by name. “If you can’t win, surrender. The Empire treats prisoners well.”
“You don’t need to tell me that.”
“You idiot!” Joanna’s anger was tinged with deep helplessness. “Stay alive until I come to rescue you!”
“I… know that!” Alois shouted back.
The speaker fell silent. The radar showed all ships, including the Lady of the Night, retreating in an orderly fashion. The pirates quietly withdrew from the battlefield, shielded by the interference field and the cover of the Second Sea of Death’s debris. The Empire forces seemed hesitant to pursue into the complex terrain of the star sea.
Alois fired his last wave of missiles. All his ammunition was exhausted. He closed the communication channel with the mothership and opened the general broadcast to the Empire. “The Doro of the Begrel fleet surrenders. Please treat prisoners according to interstellar law.” After the announcement, Alois felt his face burn with shame. The Empire pilots probably wanted to drag him out of his cockpit and shoot him a hundred times.
His surrender quickly received a response. “Disarm and await recovery.”
Alois marked a big X on the control panel, indicating the activation of the ejection and self-destruction system. The screen turned blood-red as the cockpit transformed, the seat sinking and the upper part closing to form an escape pod. The screen flashed for a few seconds, and then the escape pod was ejected from the craft.
With no control panel, the escape pod contained only essential survival equipment and communication devices. It was soon intercepted and recovered by the Empire. The craft left behind wasn’t so lucky. The “escape and self-destruct system” activated after the pod ejected, turning the craft into a ball of flames, burning itself to ashes.
Even if Joanna would cry her eyes out, Alois wouldn’t change his mind. Leaving the craft and its data to the enemy was unthinkable. “Not letting you have it, my Doro,” he muttered proudly to himself.
When Teest suggested going back alone, Nol could guess what he was thinking. The long pursuit of knowledge and hunting was over, and Teest would probably go… to say goodbye. Even destroying Star Stealer Sol, the Mad Monk wouldn’t suddenly become a person rich in emotions. Even so, Nol could sense the special place “family” had for Teest. At least in this matter, Teest needed more private space, he thought.
But before activating the reversion, there was a hint of confusion in Teest’s expression.
Nol unexpectedly recognized this bewilderment. When his neighbors were saved, their faces all bore similar expressions—a helplessness and anxiety faced with an unknown world.
No, perhaps at the very start of his journey, he too lived daily with this emotion.
So he knew how to end it.
“Remember, I’m waiting for you here.”
Nol leaned forward, cupped Teest’s cheeks, and whispered into his ear, words that only the other could hear.
“As a normal person,” he emphasized, “I love you, Teest.”
This was the most appropriate moment to say these words, Nol thought. Nol didn’t intend to use them to verify anything, trade anything; he hoped they could act like a small flame, illuminating the way forward for him.
He didn’t wait for Teest’s response and sent him back to the past.
…But he didn’t expect that right after Teest came back, he would drop a syrup bomb.
A proposal? Teest? Now?
Nol stared dumbfounded at Teest, who was half-kneeling on the ground. He moved his hand subconsciously and found it was gripped tightly. Teest was smiling at him, well, mostly at his lips.
The Creator’s mind was a bit frozen.
A second ago, he was worried about Teest’s reversion, thinking about the Mad Monk’s heavy past. This moment, he really couldn’t muster a Hollywood grand finale smile and say, “Oh my god, you finally learned the meaning of love. I’m so happy. Let’s go on a honeymoon right now.”
Nol instinctively knew that Teest was serious, and he also needed to respond seriously… seriously…
“Aren’t you upset? Last time, we had a ‘Goddess’ witness our marriage contract.”
Anticipating that Nol might not immediately respond, Teest squeezed Nol’s hand tighter, continuing with a smile. “Since we killed the officiant, that marriage shouldn’t count, right?”
Nol: “You’re right…”
“But I don’t want a divorce from you, so we’ll just have to get married again.” Teest sighed, as if it had nothing to do with the death of Star Stealer Sol. “And I’ve come to understand a bit more—”
Nol immediately perked up his ears.
Teest didn’t continue. Instead, he pulled that hand to his face and gently rubbed it.
Understanding wasn’t necessary, nor was normality. Most people—especially the likes of Painter—were trees filled with ostentatious flowers and abundant fruits. He didn’t need to understand them, nor did he need to become them, even though he only had a few scant fruits.
The fruits only need to be sweet enough, since he wasn’t planning on sharing them with many people.
The two remained silent for several seconds. Nol’s expression shifted from confusion to contemplation. “Let me confirm one thing, is this the ending you want, Teest?”
“Oh—about that promise, I indeed have an ending I want,” Teest said. “But I will never tell you that answer.”
That way, you’ll have to keep this promise in mind, always waiting for me.
“So, this is just an ordinary proposal.” He squeezed Nol’s hand even tighter. “You haven’t given me your response yet. You…”
He couldn’t finish.
Nol forcefully pulled back his hand, pulling Teest up with him. The knight in white armor staggered a few steps, almost bumping directly into Nol.
“I agree.”
Nol stated solemnly, holding Teest’s hands.
This time, the Mad Monk didn’t send over restraining gold threads, but a hand. As for that promise about the ending… now that they had a signpost from the past, that ending could wait in the endless future.
It would only bring anticipation.
Everything was better than Nol had imagined, so good it felt somewhat unreal.
Nol’s face turned red, and his tone was several times faster. “I agree to you, whether it’s the ending you want, or a new ‘marriage contract’. If you’re not reassured, we can guarantee it with the system. Oh, and the previous marriage contract must be annulled—”
“No.”
Teest shrugged, interrupting Nol’s ramblings.
Without the mutual understanding expected in that moment, the gentle atmosphere just evaporated, plunging Nol into confusion.
“Now the system is your power. And so far, you are more powerful than I am,” Teest explained pompously. “Whenever you want, you can change your mind.”
Nol: “Uh…”
He really had no counterargument, but did you really have to talk about this now, Mr. Mad Monk? Seeing the other handle it with such ease, Nol couldn’t help feeling a slight loss—
Ever since hearing the word “proposal”, his heart had nearly smashed his ribs into a comminuted fracture!
Teest released his hand, summoning the small ring box.
He first opened the small box, satisfactorily admired it for several looks, then stuffed it back into the pendant. “Give it to me, honey.”
Nol: “…?”
Didn’t you just take out the ring box yourself? What else do you want me to take out? Do you want double rings, one for each hand for both of us?
Just as the Creator was urgently pondering whether to create wedding rings on the spot, Teest shook his hand. “The previous ring, give it to me.”
Ah, the default wedding ring of the system.
Nol understood. He promptly took it off and placed it in Teest’s palm. Thinking that this item was issued by Star Stealer Sol-manipulated system, he didn’t plan to keep it for long.
Teest very disdainfully removed his own ring, clutching both rings in his palm. Cold golden flames ignited near his hand, but Nol noticed no signs of the rings being damaged.
After all, it’s a system’s thing, Nol thought. It symbolized the system contract between them, holding a part of power. They both knew that Nol could easily erase it now, but for some reason, Teest apparently didn’t want him to do so.
Teest grimaced, clenched his fists tightly, and the golden flames burned even more intensely. Daylight was approaching, and those golden eyes stared intently at the flame as if they were burning.
Okay, the eternal question again—what exactly is the Mad Monk thinking?
Nol touched his lips, suddenly realizing he was smiling. The loss he felt just moments ago dissipated, turning into anticipation.
Powerful magical fluctuations surged and contracted around Teest. Teest slightly furrowed his brows and clenched his hands, his expression incredibly focused. A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead. The fire in his hands condensed nearly to a liquid, giving off a bizarre and wondrous luster.
The Mad Monk didn’t genuinely pray—this Nol knew. Even when dealing with Star Stealer Sol, Teest was actively slashing and pummeling. And with Teest having Nol by his side, they were already fighting together, making prayers practically meaningless.
But at this moment, Teest almost looked devout.
Crack.
A faint sound of breaking came from within Teest’s palm.
[Warning! Warning! Detection of external instability factors.]
[Unknown power is generating! Unknown power is generating! Please intervene promptly!]
No, he wouldn’t intervene. Nol watched the heart-like pulsating golden flame, his lips curling up.
In Teest’s palm, the sound of breaking grew clearer. At the same time, the system’s alert sounds in Nol’s ears became more frequent.
[Warning! Warning! Your wedding ring has been damaged under the influence of an unknown power.]
[Warning! Warning! Your marriage contract has become invalid under the influence of an unknown power.]
[…Analyzing unknown power…]
[External power “Vow” confirmed.]
[Warning, “Vow” power has higher priority than the existing system’s contract.]
Amidst the continuous system warnings, Teest patted the debris in his palm, taking out the ring box again. The golden flame gently enveloped it, and Teest raised the box to his lips, imprinting a gentle kiss.
“Honestly, this power really isn’t suitable for me.” Teest muttered, “Once the contract is established, even I have to follow the rules.”
He took out a moonstone ring and gently slid it onto Nol’s ring finger. The moment the ring touched, Nol could feel its surging power.
“What kind of contract did you establish?”
Nol stared intently at the ring, his heart pounding against his ribs.
“Don’t worry. I can’t create a contract without mutual consent.” Teest averted his gaze. “You agreed to the proposal, so this is just a normal ‘marital relationship’.”
“We both can’t silently erase it. To end the contract, both parties must be informed. A normal proposal, a normal marriage, honey.”
After speaking, his gaze slid back to Nol’s face. In Nol’s eyes, he saw a subtle anticipation, mirroring his own.
“I really like it, especially these rings.” Nol smiled. “Actually, this power is very—very suitable for you, Teest.”
It turned out on this fateful morning, neither of them was ‘at ease’. Teest’s emotions were definitely not as calm as they appeared. He had even created a “power” on the spot.
“Destruction” accompanied by “Vow”, Tahe now had a newly born god.
The future would be more interesting than they imagined, Nol thought.
Teest admired their rings for a long while, his expression relaxing, and he revealed a broad smile. “If you think about it, you’re quite right.”
“Just by inducing someone to make a vow and cleverly using the penalties for breaking it, this power could be a pretty good weapon—”
Nol: “……”
…He knew it!!!
……
Beside the damaged Evergreen Church, Players urgently set up an NPC aid area.
Inside one of the tents, Eugene Malloy opened his eyes.
“Actually, it’s better for two people to choose together.” Thacker skillfully rummaged through the drawers. “Or do you want to prepare a surprise for your lover?”
He took out six exquisite small boxes, lined them up in front of Teest, and opened each one. On the dark velvet were displayed six pairs of beautifully diverse wedding rings.
“A surprise… maybe.” Teest carefully inspected the row of rings. “We don’t need to keep the current rings. The officiant was a complete scoundrel and we just got rid of that guy.”
“Your choice is wise indeed. You shouldn’t keep bad memories.” Thacker Flama wholeheartedly agreed.
All six pairs of rings were very beautiful, made of the finest gold, silver, and jewels, with perfect carving and design. From elegantly ornate to simply majestic, each pair was flawless.
Each ring had an inconspicuous artisan mark on the inside, a twisted trident. Teest knew it was a variant of Flama’s “F”, proving that these rings were the creations of the Flama family.
His father had once specifically drawn it, proudly showing it to him.
“They are all perfect, sir.” Teest stared at the small mark. “I think I need your advice.”
“Understood, you want to buy according to your lover’s preferences. Come on, tell me about your lover.” Thacker naturally let out an “oh”, posing ready to listen attentively.
Teest seemed struck by the word “lover” and he was quiet for a moment before he could organize his thoughts.
“He likes silver-white,” Teest murmured. “He doesn’t like ostentatious decorations—too glamorous wouldn’t work… His personality is very gentle, and he rarely wears warm-colored clothing, so vibrant colors are inappropriate.”
“Right, he has black hair, and his eyes are a beautiful bright blue, like the wings of a blue butterfly. Hmm, he would really suit a blue moonstone…”
Probably because he had given a frightening budget, the rings in front of him all used more expensive, finely cut gems, none of which were blue moonstone.
Thacker hesitated for a moment, then removed four pairs of rings with elaborate intricate settings and overly large, colorful stones. He rummaged around and brought out two more boxes to replace them.
This time, he chose all silver-white settings with cool-colored gem designs. Just as he was indifferent to the White Demon in front of him, Thacker didn’t show any surprise about the “he” Teest mentioned.
“Continue telling me about that young man.” He adjusted the position of the rings, encouraging Teest to go on.
The Mad Monk didn’t easily discuss personal matters with strangers. But Thacker Flama was no stranger, though this was their first such… formal conversation, Teest thought.
He was very good at trading and disguising, yet at this moment, his prided abilities suddenly had lost their use.
“The first time I met him, I thought he was a very strange guy,” Teest confessed almost awkwardly, his speech a bit slow. “Yes, very strange, and he had a lot of whimsical ideas.”
“In the areas he excels in, he’s very confident. But in areas he’s not good at—like social interactions—he can be quite dull. Luckily, as a companion, he’s still professional.”
His father listened patiently, casually removing another two pairs of rings and replacing them with a new pair. Now, only three pairs of rings remained on the counter.
“When did your view of him change—I mean, become more special?” Thacker Flama casually inquired.
Teest’s motion of touching the rings stopped.
There could be many answers to this question.
Such as the day they were forced to enter into a marriage contract facing Lich Valdorlock, or the day in Lynn’s forest when they first exchanged their vows.
Or perhaps during the depths of winter, the first time they truly embraced, the day he made that ridiculous deal about “life, loyalty, and love”.
But what he unconsciously recalled was a sky full of endless fire.
That night, Nol’s blue fire had first become fervent. The blue flames devoured the wooden hut and bodies in the cold wind, the firelight piercing the heavens, tearing the night apart.
[I need to destroy more. I need you. Come with me.]
[My Sir Knight.]
From the moment his heartbeat lost balance, their story truly began.
Reflecting on the past, Teest found it both amusing and sad. Nol had kept his promise, and his own deal had become full of holes. He couldn’t help but shake his head and take a breath.
“If I have to say, it was a very cold night, everywhere covered in snow.”
Teest gave his answer, then realized he was smiling. “Yes, he became special a long time ago. He’s very good at making things ‘special’.”
“Oh, thinking about it for so long. It’s clear you’ve had many special moments,” Thacker teased with a wink. “You really love him.”
Teest looked into his father’s golden eyes, not denying it. “For you guys, these things seem easy to judge.”
“I don’t know if I can give the right response or if I can do it to his extent…”
Thacker grinned. “Well, since you’re so unsure, why don’t you just leave him?”
“No!” Teest twisted around as if his tail had been stepped on.
“That settles it then?” Thacker shrugged. “Let me tell you a secret, I also had premarital jitters—my wife came from a much better background than I, and I always worried I would hold her back, worried that I wasn’t good enough.”
“But I also ‘didn’t want to leave’ like you, so I just had to try harder.”
Saying that, Thacker took away two more boxes.
Teest: “……” What does “just like you” mean?
As far as he knew, his father couldn’t even kill a mouse without closing his eyes. Their mental states were absolutely worlds apart.
However, one thing was certain from this conversation—
From that snowy night with the sky ablaze, he had unintentionally given an honest response.
[I’m yours.] At that time, Teest had responded this way.
“You’re right. I love him.” Now, he phrased it differently.
“Don’t tell me.” Thacker clicked his tongue, taking away the last pair of rings.
“So let’s change the topic. What do you mean by this?” Teest raised his eyebrows towards the now empty counter.
Thacker looked at Teest thoughtfully, leaning down to take out a silver-white ring box from the very back of a drawer. Then he pushed it in front of Teest, gently opening the lid.
Inside the box lay a pair of elegantly designed matching rings.
They used antique silver for the setting, embedded with blue moonstone. The gem was flawless, polished even rounder than a droplet of water. Its size was just right, emitting a captivating bluish-green.
The antique silver surface was engraved with delicate patterns, hiding a set of blessing runes, creating a slightly rough texture. The silver itself had a special luster, which, together with the moonstone, gave the entire ring a subtly soft glow.
At a glance, the rings felt like… a quiet, snowy night.
“The most expensive rings in the store.” Thacker laughed. “You know, antique silver is very expensive. Normally, no one would pair it with moonstone.”
Teest pulled his gaze away from the ring, looking at Thacker with confusion.
“This is something my wife and I made together,” Thacker said happily. “Ignoring what’s normally done, this combination is quite beautiful, isn’t it?”
“If you plan to buy them, I can give you a discount. Just 600 gold wheels, sir.”
Teest was aware of the value of these jewels. Rings priced at 600 gold wheels indeed qualified as “most expensive”, but considering the value of the antique silver and the gems, the price was almost at cost.
“I do intend to buy them, but I don’t want to take such a big advantage of you,” Teest said, not hiding the curiosity in his tone.
Thacker waved his hand cheerfully. “Knowing you appreciate our work, Edith—my wife—would be very happy. And…”
He coughed twice, his voice lowering.
“And your smile resembles my wife’s. It feels familiar to me. Consider it our wedding gift to you.”
Teest’s throat felt dry. “Just for that reason?”
Thacker scratched his head and glanced at the street. Finally, he sighed and lowered his voice.
“I have a child who is very much like you,” he said, subtly glancing at Teest’s silver-white hair. “I hope that when he grows up, he can… find a wonderful partner and have a decent life like you.”
“Consider it a father’s selfishness.”
“…Teest.”
“What?”
“My name is Teest,” Teest said, staring intently into Thacker’s eyes. “As you see, I am a knight—a knight who hunts down heretics.”
Long after this, we will destroy that god of chaos, Father.
Thacker was taken aback for a moment, apparently misunderstanding Teest’s words. “I see. Dangerous work… but I won’t take back my offer.”
“Sir, if my child could turn out like you, I would be very proud.”
Teest looked down, thoughtful. After half a minute, he opened his pendant space, slowly counting out 600 gold wheels—part of it was in equivalent gems, some in silver hooks to round it off.
Finally, he took out the blood-stained gold wheel and gently placed it on top of the small mountain of gold wheels.
“I wish you happiness, Mr. Teest.”
Thacker Flama handed over the ring box with both hands adorning an especially bright smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Flama.”
Teest took the ring box, clutching it tightly in his hand.
“Thank you for your blessings.”
The doorbell rang again as Teest put his helmet back on and left the small jewelry shop.
He didn’t rewind time but continued walking down the street. The afternoon sun was exceptionally intense, and Teest walked unconsciously, inadvertently returning to a familiar place.
In the courtyard, vines bore gem-like grapes, and the swing swayed with the wind. The sound of children laughing and playing came from the yard. Several kids crouched in the bushes, watchfully looking toward the back of the house.
His home.
Worn memories gradually fell into place, becoming vivid—
That day, his father was at work, and his mother went to visit his brother at the knights’ group. His sister was helping with accounts next door, taking his little sister along, and the old grandmother from next door was watching the children in the yard.
Today, his brother who practiced at the knights’ group would come home, and on this day, his parents would give the children gifts and pocket money, and everyone would enjoy a sumptuous dinner together.
At the moment, the young him was staying at home, playing hide and seek with the visiting children.
Teest stood outside the courtyard for a while. Inside, the neighbor’s grandmother spun thread while watching him warily. Teest casually concealed his presence, and the old woman’s wariness turned to confusion.
Crossing the familiar gate, Teest tiptoed towards the backyard.
His past self had hair the same deep brown as his parents’, slightly long and seemingly well-behaved. The young him sensed the unfamiliar footsteps and reached for the blindfold.
Teest waved his hand, and the fabric clung tightly to the boy’s eyes.
So that’s how it is. Having done all this, he couldn’t help but look at his hands.
…So that’s how it is.
Teest turned and walked towards the inside of the house. He turned down one corridor after another, descending the stairs, passing through doors of various sizes.
He stopped at the Flama family’s secret prayer room, walking towards the portrait of the benefactor his family had always worshiped. Teest reached out, touching the cracked paint on the canvas and the god’s smile outlined by that paint.
His Nol.
Teest knew that his God was waiting for him in the future. He gripped the ring box in his hand, his expression soft.
Just then, the sound of light footsteps came from behind.
“Who are you? Only my family knows this room, and Earl wouldn’t be so foolish.” The young him spoke hoarsely, like a young animal trying to intimidate an enemy.
Finally, Teest thought, he finally understood everything. Teest crouched down, reaching out to touch his own head.
“You will go through many things. Your life will be full of questions. No matter what, you will try your best to survive.”
These words were neither a prophecy nor consolation. Teest knew they couldn’t soothe his past self; they were merely a period—a period that declared victory.
Watching his young self’s confused face, Teest’s mouth curved into a smile.
“Everything will eventually end,” he said softly. “God loves you deeply.”
……
After leaving the Flama family’s house, Teest sat on a nearby bench.
He saw his mother and brother laughing as they entered the yard, saw his sister carrying his younger sister and humming a tune as they pushed open the home’s door. He saw his father, who had closed his shop early, beaming with happiness, carrying a purse and fruit home.
Laughter and play filled the Flama family’s house.
At that moment, the whole Flama family was crammed into the kitchen. His father was selecting vegetables, his mother was cooking soup. His brother, having removed his armor, was busy handling fresh chicken. His sister stared intently at the frying pan, ensuring the food didn’t burn. His younger sister, unnoticed by the family, attempted to raid the candy jar.
Teest clasped his hands, quietly listening. The sunshine remained brilliant, the smell of food wafted from the nearby house, familiar and unsettling.
Creak.
The front door opened, and the young him, holding a purse, stepped out of the yard. Yes, his task that day was to buy bread for dinner for everyone.
In that small purse, there were several silver hooks and a gold wheel.
Teest watched his own last departure, his small figure running towards the end of the street. That small silhouette grew increasingly distant, running towards the noisy crowd, running towards a destined tragedy, eventually swallowed up by the overly bright sunlight.
“Bet our little brother will buy what back?” His brother laughed.
His sister became alert. “Hey, you took a gold wheel too. Why do you want to steal a kid’s snack?”
“It’s definitely cake,” his mother said. “I guess it’s peach cake today. It’s the season.”
“Mom, don’t encourage Earl!”
“If it’s cake, that kid will buy one for each of us,” his father interjected. “Instead of arguing, you two should think about what to buy for him.”
“Hmph, I’ve been saving some money every time. When that kid comes of age, I’ll buy him a good sword.”
“Maybe he’d prefer to work in the jewelry store,” his sister said huffily. “His brain works better than someone’s. I’ll buy him a gemstone guide tomorrow…”
Teest sat across the street, continuing to listen.
He listened to those nearly forgotten laughs, to his family’s plans for the future. He listened attentively until his parents became anxious over his long absence, until he heard his long-lost, true name.
The wind stopped, the swing in the yard no longer moved. His anxious family left the house, searching everywhere for the missing Flama’s youngest son.
“Goodbye.”
Teest stood up, bowed slightly, and whispered to those familiar figures.
He ended the reversion.
In the next moment, he was back in the ruined Bissus City, standing in the ruins of the square.
Nol stood before him. The God of Creation retracted his wings and horns, taking on a fully human form. Seeing Teest appear safely, the concern in Nol’s blue eyes quickly dissipated.
“Thank god, the reversion was accurate.” Nol sighed with relief, his face full of concern. “Did you see your family?”
Teest nodded, his expression as calm as when he left.
“It’s all over,” he said.
Nol studied Teest’s face, which now carried a strange softness and a subtle sense of loss. As he expected, Teest didn’t break down or cry; he was unbelievably calm.
Still the same Mad Monk, but…
“I suddenly feel like telling two stories,” Nol said softly. “Would you like to hear them?”
Teest looked at him skeptically. “Please.”
“Once there was an ordinary child named Thacker Flama.”
“From his earliest memories, he had a playmate with whom he got along very well. They played together from time to time and maintained their friendship into adulthood, occasionally visiting each other’s homes. They would talk about many things—work troubles, life’s little problems, and so on.”
“Until the Flama family disappeared, they remained best friends.”
Teest’s calm expression vanished, and he looked at Nol blankly. Nol returned the gaze with a gentle expression and continued his story.
“Once there was an ordinary child named Edith Blanco.”
“When she was very young, she got a beautiful white cat. The cat would listen to her troubles, protect her life, and quietly accompanied her for over a decade. Soon after she met her lover, the cat peacefully disappeared.”
“Then she met her lover’s friend, and she gained a new friend. She and her lover often invited this friend to their home to play with their young children.”
Nol reached out and touched the top of Teest’s head.
“Teest, the reversion just now is not the end. It’s a beginning.”
The Flama family was destroyed in plain view, their deaths etched into fate, irreversible. After that, neighbors no longer spoke of that family. The sole survivor “Teest” lost his real name and most of his memories of his family.
Thus, the past of the Flama family was completely obliterated, unknown, and unremembered by anyone.
…But this also means, for the predetermined fate, the lives of the Flama family contain many, many blanks.
Insignificant blanks, fillable blanks.
In the several decades of life that Mr. and Mrs. Flama had, there could exist a friend who shouldn’t have been there or a cat that shouldn’t have existed. The Flama family’s eldest son could have an extra classmate knight, the eldest daughter could gain a mysterious pen pal.
Unrelated to fate, unrelated to laws. They wouldn’t change history, only leave behind more happiness and memories.
“If not used in warfare, ‘reversion’ is a very good ability.” Nol said, “You still have plenty of time to get to know each other, Teest.”
Teest suddenly felt a pain in his throat. He stood somewhat helplessly, his thoughts blanked by Nol’s “stories”.
Nol exhaled, stepped forward, and embraced the rigid Teest.
“You look like you need a hug,” he said.
Teest looked up at the horizon, where the sun was blood red.
He had left in the evening and returned in the morning. If not for the increasingly bright sky here, Teest almost confused the time.
The morning was appropriate, he thought. Strange emotions pressed on his organs, their presence becoming clearer and he needed to expel them quickly.
Under the concealment of his ability, amid thousands of celebrating Players, Teest ended the hug. He grabbed Nol’s right hand and knelt on one knee.
“I swear to you.”
Teest kissed the back of Nol’s hand, his tone returning to its usual lightness. “This time it’s not a skill, honey. I owe you a real knight’s oath—I will offer you my life, loyalty, and love.”
“I accept,” Nol reflexively responded, then widened his eyes at Teest’s latter half of the statement.
But his knight didn’t immediately stand up.
“I pray to you.”
Teest pressed his forehead against Nol’s hand, closing his eyes. “My faith still belongs to you, and I will not take it back… Thank you for everything you’ve given me, Nol.”
“You’re welcome?”
Nol said somewhat bewilderedly, his neck and ears turning slightly red. There were too many people here—even if they couldn’t see them right now, it was still too crowded.
He hadn’t expected Teest to suddenly do this. It was the first time he’d received such an exaggerated thanks.
His pope still didn’t plan to get up.
“I request of you.”
Teest turned that hand over, this time kissing the palm of Nol’s hand. “Terminate that damned marriage contract. We don’t need Star Stealer Sol as a witness. Now, I formally propose to you.”
“About the words you said to me before the reversion,” he said. “This is my response—”
“I love you too, honey.”
The author has something to say:
The proposal is here!!!
I’m thrilled—this is the real proposal! Yes!!!
Kinky Thoughts:
This chapter is really too bittersweet. I cried in sadness, then that ending I cried in happiness.
To clear up a few things: Why does Teest seem to have stunted feelings? It’s because he carries the gene of the Pillar of the World inside him. When Nol first arrived in Tahe after completing the game, he met a group of people; a woman begging him to save her daughter. He gave the flesh of the Pillar of the World to save the daughter, who then inherited its genes and traits.
As this group of people reproduces, the gene naturally passes through their offspring, and eventually many became “White Demons”, which have partial Players authority. This is why all White Demon have a second life (one resurrection).
Part of the trait of the Pillar of the World is that they are emotionless—their goal is only to create, observe, and evolve. This is why those who inherit the “White Demon” trait, like Teest, have stunted feelings.
Second: The laws of time. Star Stealer Sol’s reversion ability works as basically a save/load. However, once something is etched into history, saving will no longer work. To be etched into history, it must be a significant event that fate deems worthy and must be witnessed by many people.
This is why the Flama family’s fate cannot be changed, as their story is known and has become a part of history. However, the details of their lives can be changed. In this case, Nol is offering to send Teest back to basically become companions to his family (a cat, a friend, a pen pal) so he can get to know his family better.
These things ultimately will not affect their fate, but instead of probably having mundane memories, they will have more fulfilling memories.
Connecting it back, I forget which chapter (it was wayyyy back) but when Teest looked into Nol’s eyes, he felt they resemble blue moonstone (which is being used for their rings). This event is also why Teest choose to become the knight profession (ch161), because he was the last customer in his dad’s shop before they were slaughtered.
I really love how everything connects so seamlessly together, which is usually Nian Zhong’s MO, but I think she really has outdone herself this time with Full Server. This kind of reminds me of another novel I read called Mist. It’s an unlimited flow novel that I quite enjoyed and recommend.
Nol savored the taste of victory for a while. It tasted like blood, dust, and the morning air. He let joy wash over him, feeling the warmth rise on his cheeks and the back of his neck.
However, he only relaxed for a moment. Nol quickly turned to Teest, only to notice his subtle expression—Teest seemed frightened by something, which was rare.
Nol looked at the palm of Teest’s hand, at a piece of the Star Stealer Sol’s flesh, and a nearly brand-new gold wheel.
“You got it back!” Nol recognized the gift he had given to Teest, clearly taken back from Enbillick.
“…Mm.” Teest murmured, his stiff expression quickly fading.
“I’ll take this for now.” Seeing that Teest had regained his composure, Nol sighed in relief. He pinched the black-red piece of flesh, and his cheeks twitched a few times. “Good. My ability can confirm whether that guy is still alive.”
[Fallen Death] only worked on the flesh of the deceased, so if Star stealer Sol’s body was still alive, he couldn’t acquire skills through it.
Teest typically left it for him, though eating it directly was disgusting… To prevent Star Stealer Sol from having unknown backup plans, it was better to be cautious.
Nol held his breath, frowning. Back on Earth, he couldn’t even swallow raw beef. As a native of Country C, his tolerance for raw food was limited.
For victory.
Nol swallowed the piece of flesh, trying not to let his tongue touch it, directly gulping it down his throat. Even so, the pungent stench filled his mouth instantly, and Nol gagged a few times, almost vomiting it back up.
[Fallen Death has been activated, successfully obtaining the following authority:]
[Reversion: You have the right to roam, observe, and interfere in the river of history. ※Do not defy the flow of fate.]
Nol finally settled down.
[Fallen Death] had successfully activated, confirming that Star Stealer Sol’s body was indeed dead. And this time, [Fallen Death] brought not a skill but an authority.
[Note: This authority doesn’t belong to the skill extraction scope. It is an illegal extraction. Once confirmed, the system will reclaim the [Fallen Death] skill.]
The system added reluctantly, [Do you wish to save the “Reversion” authority?]
Nol couldn’t help but smile.
As the true ruler of this world, he could invoke any system skill and no longer needed [Fallen Death] to extract it. Just being able to obtain Star Stealer Sol’s authority, “losing [Fallen Death]” was hardly a price.
Even so, he could only choose one authority between Star Stealer Sol’s “Reversion” and “Fusion”. For Nol, “Reversion” was enough.
Nol decisively confirmed the receipt.
A new power blossomed within him, feeling like he suddenly grew an extra arm. It moved freely, but the sensation was somewhat odd.
This time, he fully understood Star Stealer Sol’s authority.
He could change the physical state of objects or living things.
However, he could only make targets “younger”, roughly restoring them to a past state. For instance, he could revert Teest’s peas prepared for dinner back to beans or turn mashed potatoes back to fresh ones… Teest wouldn’t be pleased, though.
He could also send any target—including himself—back to any point in the past and make certain interferences. The distance of the retrospective point depended on the magic he invested.
Yet the laws of time remained as usual, not giving way because of the “Reversion” authority. Whether returning as a human or a god, the established flow of fate couldn’t be changed. If one tried to defy it, destruction was the only outcome.
“I’ve obtained Star Stealer Sol’s ‘Reversion’ authority.” Nol looked at his hands and candidly informed Teest.
Teest didn’t respond immediately. About a dozen seconds later, he smiled nonchalantly. “Want to give it a try?”
Nol: “I was just about to say, let’s go back two hours and see.”
They could backtrack a bit of time to observe the battlefield from another perspective. Nol was particularly interested in the details of Teest’s fight with Enbillick. After all, once the reversion ended, they would return to this moment, not missing anything.
“……”
Teest was silent for a while. “Let’s try it with just me first. You need to stay here. If we return late and no one is watching, something will definitely go wrong.”
“And if it’s me being tested, you’ll definitely focus and use all your strength, right, honey?”
Nol looked at Teest, somewhat astonished.
It made sense, but he always felt there was more to Teest’s words. Nol had never seen such a complex expression on Teest’s face, and he even sensed a subtle repression, not like the demeanor of a victor after a great battle.
Time reversion…
Nol suddenly realized something, pursed his lips, and decided not to ask further. He moved close to Teest and gently kissed Teest’s forehead.
A very warm and soft kiss.
“I will use all my strength, Teest. You can reach any time point over the past two hundred years.” Nol whispered softly, “Remember, I’ll be waiting for you here.”
Teest silently stared at Nol, clutching the gold wheel in his hand, the hard coin hurting his palm. He could hear his heart pounding beneath his ribs—Teest knew his request was somewhat abrupt, but Nol ultimately didn’t ask anything.
Nol spread his arms and cupped his cheeks. His God leaned forward and spoke solemnly and gently in his ear.
Teest’s pupils contracted.
In the next instant, everything in front of him disappeared, and before he could respond, Teest found himself standing on the ground in the intact plaza of the church in Bissus City. Pigeons flew up in flocks and crystal-like water gushed from the fountain. Under the excessively hot sun, people in white clothes came and went.
Teest, wearing a sword around his belt, was covered in black-red blood. His originally white armor was full of dust and mud, clashing with the clean streets. Many passersby cast curious glances, and Teest hurriedly walked to a darker place, storing his sword in the pendant space and cleaning his clothes and armor.
…No, that wasn’t enough. He touched his striking silver-white hair.
Cold golden flames ignited, magic quickly gathering.
Teest glanced at the passing Temple knights. His light armor began to shake, gradually transforming into a suit of full-body armor, as ordinary as any other. The long hair symbolizing him as a “White Demon” was hidden inside the helmet, with not a single strand showing.
This felt completely different from the last time he went back in time.
Last time he was a passenger in the “Reversion” carriage, which dropped him off at an unknown location, and he had to find his way. This time, he was the coachman of the “Reversion” carriage, just stopping here briefly.
He knew clearly that this was Bissus five years ago. He also knew he could continue to go further back.
Teest went full speed towards the direction of Grape Collar. As time rapidly changed behind him, he stopped again in the midst of a high summer.
This should be Cork Street in Grape Collar. The street was bustling with people, and the aroma of wine mixed with grease and fruit was particularly lively.
“Bang!”
A heavy sound came from nearby, like flesh hitting a wall. Teest casually looked over, then fixed his gaze. He saw a big-bearded mercenary with a dented head, and Little Piel just sliding down the wall.
Now, he could see that a mini version of Nol and himself were hiding on Little Piel.
“Dead?” The mercenary kicked Piel with the tip of his boot. Teest frowned.
Clang!
The oblivious mercenary kicked his shin, which was solidly blocked by armor. Teest, with his back to Piel, silently stared at the fat mercenary.
Now, he was powerful enough to hide his presence in front of the past Nol. But he couldn’t speak. Nol would recognize his voice… That would take away a lot of the fun. Teest couldn’t help but curl his lips.
The fat mercenary was blabbering something, but Teest didn’t listen to a word. He knew that the little Nol was observing him, the gaze felt like a feather brushing across his spine.
The fat mercenary’s tone became sharp, but Teest still didn’t bother. Perhaps retaining some animal instinct, the man finally just grunted, “Lunatic.”
“Sir Knight, Sir Knight! Thank you so much!”
Little Piel rolled over like a ball. Teest looked at the tense faced mini Nol and couldn’t help but nod and smile at him.
Too bad the helmet blocked it. Nol couldn’t see his smile.
Teest turned around, blending back into the crowd, moving against the stream of time. Time reversed again. Teest passed a particularly familiar alley. In front of the alley, a group of stray cats were wandering, ready to enter.
…Hmm?
At this point in time, he remembered…
A flicker of light passed, and the White Knight turned into a fluffy big white cat. Teest leisurely walked towards the alley, releasing a bit of destructive aura—dozens of stray cats arched their backs and, in a blink of an eye, cleanly ran off.
This should be fine.
The white cat raised its tail and couldn’t help but turn towards the alley.
“…Just being smaller in body, it’s much better than I imagined.” At that time, his mini self stretched lazily.
“Are you sure?” Little Nol swallowed his saliva.
How funny. Teest resisted the urge to rub Nol’s head with his paw.
Unfortunately, his past self reacted too quickly, immediately summoning Ben. Teest regretfully gave Ben a swipe, confirming that their past selves had perfectly hidden their presence, then he jumped back onto the wall and left that moment.
Time continued to flow backward.
Teest strolled through the past, his body determining the destination before his heart did. It wasn’t the burning Immortal Church, nor a dark dungeon, but a moderately sized jewelry store.
He stopped on the day the Flama family began to walk toward ruin.
The weather that day was incredibly good.
The jewelry store was very quaintly decorated, with vines covering the walls and an elegant sign slightly darkened by the paint. Everything was familiar yet foreign. Through the clean glass, passersby could see the smiling shop owner.
…Is it only my father in the shop today?
Teest stood at the door for a full five minutes before finally pushing it open. The door was much smaller than he remembered, and the welcoming bell at the entrance chimed pleasantly, fate remaining silent.
“Welcome, Sir Knight.”
His father—Thacker Flama—stood behind the counter with a genuinely warm smile.
Teest stared at his face for a while, his fingers instinctively tightening. His father was alive, right in front of him. If he took his father away now… before anything had happened, if he took his whole family away from Grape Collar…
Just as the thought rose, his instincts screamed in warning, as if he was about to jump into an active volcano. It was a warning from time itself, advising him to stay away from the established fate.
As expected, it wasn’t possible.
The tragedy of the Flama family was well known, with the people of the Flama family killed in broad daylight, their burned bodies displayed in the courtyard for many years.
It was an unsolvable, destined death. It was the starting point for the birth of “TEEST”.
He knew all of this was unshakeable, but—
“…Hey, is there something on my face?” Thacker Flama scratched his face awkwardly. “If you need anything, just tell me, and I’ll help you choose.”
There was no one else in the shop at the moment. Teest hesitated for a few seconds before removing his helmet. His silver-white hair cascaded down, and Teest looked up at the familiar face before him.
Seeing an infamous “White Demon” appear in front of him, Thacker Flama was stunned for only a half second, but his face still bore a warm, comforting smile.
“Oh, you’re quite handsome,” Thacker winked. “Let me guess—you’re here to pick a gift for your lover, right?”
“Yes.” Teest heard himself answer. “I need…”
He touched the area above his chest, clearing his throat. “I need a pair of rings, sir.”
“How sweet,” Thacker said cheerfully. “What’s your budget? If you’re not in a hurry, our shop also offers customization services—”
Teest stared fixedly at his father’s smiling face, faintly sensing the direction of this story. But even though Teest thought over and over, “I just want reasonably priced rings,” fate remained undisturbed.
Yes, the destruction of the Flama family was inevitable.
Whether they had the best or the worst day, these were mere “errors” in the face of impending death.
If he had to choose…
In the end, he indeed hoped they’d be happier, Teest thought. The weather was incredibly nice today.
“No problem. Please show me the most expensive ones.”
Thus, Teest said it with a smile, like an ordinary person engulfed in happiness.
“My budget is very—very generous, Mr. Flama.”
The author has something to say:
Finally seeing the family, Teest (.
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow. It’s coming full, full circle. All the pieces. Everything. I have to say this is probably the best of Nian Zhong yet.
Darius Bayes raised his head, and his brown eyes reflected the gray shadow of the cell door. His cellmate nodded and immediately lay down on the bed, clutching his stomach and screaming loudly, rolling from side to side. His acting was so realistic that it was almost convincing enough to make someone believe he really had a stomach ailment.
Darius pressed the buzzer on the door, and soon, the special glass turned transparent. Two guards, holding guns, stood cautiously in front of the door.
“What’s going on?” asked the older guard.
“My cellmate.” Darius tried to make his face, which wasn’t good at expressing emotions, show a look of urgency. “His stomach condition flared up again, and it looks very painful. Can you call the doctor?”
The cellmate let out a scream louder than a pig being slaughtered. The guards seemed moved. The older guard gestured to his companion to wait outside and then opened the cell door, entering the room and squatting by the bed to check. Darius glanced at the older guard, who was holding a gun, nervously pointing it at the cell, ready to shoot if the prisoners made any sudden moves.
“How long has he been sick?” asked the guard, squatting by the bed.
“Uh, I’m not sure. Maybe about twenty minutes. I thought it was just his usual problem. You know, usually, he gets better after a few minutes, but today it seems especially serious.” Darius followed the pre-arranged script. “Can you call a doctor? Or take him to the medical room? Oh God, he looks really bad.”
The guard carefully observed the cellmate’s expression, seemingly trying to judge from his pale face and cold sweat whether it was a disguise. But it was all in vain. In the end, the guard was still deceived by the realistic performance.
“It’s a special time.” He turned to Darius, as if Darius were the patient’s family. “We can’t find a doctor for now. I’ll go to the medical room to see if there’s any painkiller. Try to hold on.”
“What? Painkillers?” Darius frowned. “If painkillers worked, why would we need a hospital! Hurry up and get the doctor! You damned pirates!”
The guard, looking as if he couldn’t be bothered, turned and walked out of the cell, telling his companion. “You watch them here. Report anything to me. I’ll go to the medical room.”
“I… I’ll go with you,” the younger guard seemed reluctant to take the task.
“Stay here and watch them. Prevent them from playing tricks.” The older guard firmly patted his companion’s shoulder and walked down the corridor.
The guard left behind awkwardly looked at the two prisoners. “Don’t panic. Just hold on a little longer.”
Darius stood still for a while, hearing the footsteps in the corridor disappear, then said to his cellmate, who was rolling around clutching his stomach. “Hold on a little longer. The medicine is coming soon.”
This was their agreed signal, meaning: the plan is entering the second phase.
The cellmate suddenly let out another scream, convulsing all over and occasionally retching.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Darius asked with concern.
The reply was broken moans.
“Hey! You!” Darius made a gesture to the guard outside the door. “Can you check when the medicine will arrive? My friend is almost dying!”
The guard hesitated. “But I…”
“Why don’t we take him to the medical room? Even if there’s no doctor, at least we can use some medical equipment and find some medicine easily,” Darius said, lifting his cellmate’s shoulder. “You take his legs!”
“Uh, you…” The guard hesitated, but the patient’s screams eventually moved him. He slung his submachine gun across his body and stepped forward, lifting the patient’s legs.
“Be careful!” Darius advised.
“Shut up…” The guard muttered. They carefully lifted the patient and moved cautiously towards the door.
As soon as they got out of the cell and entered the corridor, Darius suddenly let go!
The guard, unsteady on his feet, almost stumbled to the ground. In his panic, he released his grip, and the patient cried out as he fell. Darius jumped over his cellmate’s body, punching the guard to the ground. The cellmate then got up, grabbed the guard’s weapon, and threw it to Darius.
“Sorry.” The Major General aimed the gun at the guard’s head and pulled the trigger. Then he returned to his indifferent expression. The performance was over.
“Who would have thought there were no surveillance cameras in the prison? These pirates are indeed fools. Huh, Zorda?” Darius asked, holding the gun.
“The prison’s computer and the outside seem to be different systems. But that’s natural, right? To prevent external hackers. But internal attacks can make them crumble instantly.” His cellmate, Zorda, searched the guard’s body, finally removing a silver communication terminal from his neck. “I heard that everyone on Joanna’s fleet is equipped with such a terminal, which can directly link to their AI. Very convenient.”
“Joanna’s AI is really powerful.” Darius slowly walked down the corridor, guessing that the medical room should be in that direction. The older guard had just gone that way. “It can bypass five mid-range AIs, controlling Hecate’s central computer. Can you handle it alone?”
“Take it slow, you’ll get it done eventually. First, release the virus and cut off all contact with the outside world. Then, analyze the central computer in Milantu and steal the administrative rights. If I’m not mistaken, that AI is mounted on the Lady of the Night. We just need to cut off its link to Milantu,” Zorda said with a pleased smile as he fiddled with a small terminal. “After all, no matter how advanced an AI is, it was still created by humans.”
Darius had already disappeared. Shortly after, gunshots echoed from the end of the corridor. At the same time, Zorda cracked the prison computer’s password and transferred himself as the administrator. The doors along the corridor opened one by one, and Empire soldiers disguised as prisoners walked out in pairs. Without needing any orders, they automatically formed a long line and began counting their numbers under the supervision of Major General’s aide, Leibniz.
“All present!” Leibniz, his previous gloom swept away, looked at the daredevil squad that had followed the Major General deep into enemy lines with a proud and spirited expression, feeling a genuine sense of pride as if victory was just within reach.
“Don’t get too excited yet,” Darius Bayes said as he walked slowly down the corridor, carrying a gun, having dealt with the lone guards. “If you get complacent over a small gain, you’ll end up like those brainless pirates.”
“You’re right!” Leibniz saluted the Major General.
The Major General’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Continue with the plan. Zorda, where do we go next?”
“The prison is sealed, but there’s an emergency escape route underground that leads to an underground parking lot near the spaceport. I’m opening it now.”
“Is that place far from the Milantu command tower?”
“It’s right next to the command tower.”
“Excellent.” The Major General tilted his head. “Let’s go, boys. We’re taking the command tower… Oh, and first, we need to grab some weapons.”
In the next ten minutes, the prison’s armory was ruthlessly looted.
After passing through the First Sea of Death, the Bayes fleet slowed down in the Windless Zone while arranging their formation. The Major General’s flagship, the Sword of the Queen, was centrally located, with Colonel Gilbert Gauss’s ship at the forefront. Major General Darius Bayes temporarily handed over command to Colonel Gauss, much to the latter’s satisfaction. Eager to make a name for himself, Gauss placed his ship in the vanguard position. In war, the vanguard always faced great risks but also had the best chance to achieve glory. Besides, this time, the enemy wasn’t a well-equipped Federation army but a group of unruly pirates.
Upon reaching the edge of the Second Sea of Death, Colonel Gauss found that the pirates weren’t within visual range. They were hiding among the asteroids and sparse interstellar material, planning to resist desperately like cornered thieves.
“Colonel, how about sending out small patrol boats and fighters into the Second Sea of Death to lure them out and wipe them out?” a staff officer suggested.
“No,” Colonel Gauss rejected the proposal. “That crazy bitch is very cunning and may not fall for it. Besides, we outnumber them significantly, so there’s no need to be so cautious. Change formation. I will lead the charge into the Second Sea of Death and give them a head-on blow!”
“But Colonel, we don’t have a map of the Second Sea of Death. Charging in recklessly might lead us into a trap.”
“What are you afraid of? How capable can a bunch of bandits be! Even if there are traps, we can still force our way through with brute force!”
Alois was piloting Doro, hiding behind a small asteroid. Several fighters were concealed in this asteroid field. The radar indicated that Fran and Rachel were above and to his left and right, respectively, while Liz and the sister ships from the Romantic Exile were hidden in another asteroid cluster. Between the two sparse asteroid fields was a wide open space, resembling a corridor. When the Empire fleet passed through, the six fighters would attack simultaneously.
Of course, confronting cruisers with fighters was challenging, but Joanna had devised a thorough plan. Their main objective wasn’t to defeat the enemy head-on but to lure them into the depths of the Second Sea of Death. This spacious corridor didn’t lead to Milantu but to a dangerous area filled with old mines. Alois and his team’s task were to lure the Empire vanguard into the minefield, letting Old Earth technology wreak havoc, then charge into the enemy’s main formation in the ensuing chaos.
“If we can force Bayes to retreat, that would be best,” Joanna had said. “But if he insists on continuing the attack, I don’t mind at all if you bury him in space.”
Alois steadied himself. The Empire vanguard was passing through the corridor. The radar showed a cruiser and three frigates had already passed his “checkpoint”. Now wasn’t the time to attack. He reminded himself to wait for Errol’s command. He couldn’t act rashly.
His hand rested on the control panel, palms sweating and quickly absorbed by the spacesuit. This wasn’t a simulation or a relaxed merchant ship robbery; it was a real war. It was laughable that he felt nervous—something Leo would mock him for a month.
How ironic that the enemy he faced now was Darius Bayes. The last time he saw him was two years ago, when he was still in the Royal Guard. Bayes liked to loiter around the palace as if it were his home (which it almost was), with no sense of “avoiding suspicion”. He also enjoyed mocking Alois in front of Prince Annot, from his hairstyle to his socks, until the prince had to intervene. “Hahaha, Darius, you and Lagrange seem very familiar. Everyone should get along well.”
As if! Alois wished he had never known this brat! If he had known they would be at each other’s throats today, he should have finished Bayes cleanly in school and reported to the teacher with feigned righteousness. “Cadet Bayes had an accident during survival training.” That would have saved a lot of trouble!
But the god of fate loved to play cruel jokes on Alois. Not only was Darius Bayes alive and well, but he also led a fleet to attack Milantu. Now, the vanguard of his fleet—three cruisers and seven frigates—had passed the checkpoint. Errol’s clear command came over the speaker. “Attack!”
Doro shot out from behind the asteroid like an arrow, leaving a trail of bright green particles. The other five fighters followed, forming a silvery-green stream in the dark space.
Following the training plan, Alois made a feint attack. The last frigate in the vanguard quickly fired lasers at him. Alois deftly dodged, while Titia emerged like a ghost from behind him, delivering a deadly missile into the frigate’s heart.
The explosion’s flash lit up the dark sea of stars, announcing another frigate’s demise. Ahead, several large asteroids moved aside, revealing the Princess Sophie and the Romantic Exile. Their main cannons, fully charged, fired dazzling white beams at the Empire fleet!
A cruiser’s side was grazed by the white beam, causing it to shudder, while an unfortunate frigate behind it was pierced through.
The Empire forces finally realized they were ambushed. Pirates lay in wait ahead, and the rear was cut off by elusive fighters. The fleet could no longer slow down, so the vanguard continued forward, engaging the pirates as they advanced. Dozens of fighters launched into space, swarming towards the pirate fighters like locusts.
Alois dodged enemy fire while heading towards the minefield. After downing two persistent enemies, he approached the main cruiser and fired a volley of missiles. Most were blocked by the ship’s force field, and the few that slipped through were shot down by secondary guns. But this tickling attack enraged the big mother ship, which accelerated forward, eager to reach Milantu and destroy the pirate base.
The bait worked! The ship entered the minefield!
Old Earth’s old mines were undetectable by modern sensors. The ship was like a child in a minefield, where each step could trigger an explosion. And it did. A mine, disturbed by the ship’s field, floated like a dandelion seed in the breeze before erupting in flames, engulfing the entire ship!
“Ha, got them!”
In the Lady of the Night’s command room, Joanna cheered. These mines were as sensitive as cats, reacting to the slightest disturbance. The successive flashes of explosions were a spectacle, but the pirate regretted that in the vacuum of space, there was no sound. In movies, even lasers made “pew pew” sounds!
All she could hear were reports from six control stations, exchanging damage assessments of the enemy and broadcasting confirmed results. The captain now knew that a main ship and two frigates were sunk, with another frigate lightly damaged, fleeing towards the Empire’s main fleet.
This was a major victory, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy and boosting their morale. But Joanna’s joy was short-lived, and her smile faded quickly.
The Empire forces were tricked? They were lured into the minefield? What did this mean? It meant the Empire forces didn’t know what awaited them; they didn’t have a map of the Second Sea of Death! But they safely passed through the First Sea of Death; why? Did they have incomplete intelligence? Was Darius Bayes reckless enough to invade Milantu with incomplete intel?
No, impossible. Bayes wouldn’t take such a risk. He never fought unprepared. So how did the Empire forces get a map of the First Sea of Death? Was there a traitor in the base? No, even if there were, Leo would intercept any sent information. Joanna was 100% confident in that. What gave Darius the confidence to invade Milantu with an incomplete map?
…invade Milantu?
“Damn it!” Joanna slapped the armrest and stood up abruptly. “We are the ones who were tricked!”
“What’s wrong, Captain?” Leo’s holographic image appeared beside her.
“Darius doesn’t need to enter Milantu because he’s already there!”
Six control officers stared at Joanna, eyes wide with shock and confusion.
“Damn! Damn! Damn!” The pirate wanted to pull her hair out. “I was too careless! Falling for a centuries-old trick! The Silver String! It wasn’t a merchant ship. It’s full of Imperial soldiers! That explains why the Empire forces crossed the First Sea of Death but lacked the Second’s map! The Silver String recorded its path and sent it to the Empire forces, but the quantum interference around the Second Sea of Death blocked their terrain data! This is a gigantic Trojan Horse, and I happily dragged it home! I’m an idiot!”
She shouted and furiously ordered, “All units, retreat! Don’t engage the Empire forces. Return to Milantu immediately!”
“Yes, ma’am!” The control officers resumed their tasks.
The captain told Leo, “Contact Milantu. Tell them to secure the command tower and eliminate any suspicious personnel!”
Leo bowed. “Yes, ma’am!” But soon he frowned. “… Captain, bad news…”
“What?”
“We can’t contact Milantu. Communication is cut off. Hackers have infiltrated Milantu’s central computer and taken control!”
The Lady of the Night, the Aphrodite, the Princess Sophie, and the Romantic Exile were speeding through the Second Sea of Death, heading towards the Windless Zone. Since Joanna’s escape, this was the first time the fleet’s four main ships had set out simultaneously, marking an unprecedented event in five years.
Of course, the enemy they faced this time was stronger than ever. They weren’t the usual pirates, but the fleet led by Major General Darius Bayes, nicknamed the “Whip of Judgment”. When Leo detected the flagship “Sword of the Queen” on the sensors and identified the fleet, Joanna sighed in relief but also felt a surge of intense unease.
In the past, when she served the Empire, she had met Bayes several times. Back then, Bayes was not a Major General—not even officially ranked—but a cadet in the military academy. In her impression, he was a stern, uninteresting person, whose mind probably contained nothing more meaningful than “loyalty to the Empire”, “defeating enemies”, and “climbing the ranks”. As colleagues, their battlefield cooperation was excellent, but privately, their personalities clashed. As an enemy, Darius Bayes was terrifying. Sometimes his actions were predictable due to his narrow focus, but other times he was unpredictable, like a chessboard full of variables or a sealed candy box where you never knew the next flavor.
No matter what, Joanna acknowledged Major General Bayes as a troublesome enemy. “I never expected him to be the one attacking,” she said, sitting in the command chair, resting her chin on one hand and tapping the armrest with the other, speaking with a tone of helplessness. “No matter how you look at it, the admiral has more important things to do, like taking down Prince Sori, arresting Duke Winnet, or conquering the Federation to unify the galaxy. These tasks are clearly more critical than chasing space pirates. What game is he playing?” She fell into confusion.
“Our fleet will leave the First Sea of Death and enter the Windless Zone in an hour,” Leo reported. “The enemy will leave the Second Sea of Death in three hours.”
“So we still have time to arrange our formation?” Joanna’s eyes scanned the three-dimensional simulation of the fleet, showing a total of thirteen ships, including the main and escort ships, forming a snake formation carefully navigating the star sea filled with old mines and gravitational vortices. The simulation marked dangerous areas in red, which the fleet cautiously avoided. Joanna clicked on the map, zooming out to show the entire Flaming Binary Star System. Milantu was far from the fleet, appearing like a small marble on the map. Two Sea of Deaths surrounded the two stars, with the safe area between them known as the “Windless Zone”. The Second Sea of Death was surrounded by many quantum interference devices, blocking communication between Milantu and the outside world to prevent information leaks. The limited communication channels were strictly controlled by Leo.
This simulation map was part of the data Leo had when acquired. According to the AI, these were advanced technologies discovered by ancient colonists, transmitted back to Old Earth before the first Galactic War, and later brought back to the colonies by Earth survivors. Five years ago, Joanna relied on this map to safely land on Milantu and establish a pirate base. It wasn’t surprising that Leo could get this map, but how did Darius Bayes get the related data? Did he make a deal with the Neo Athens Academy?
The more she thought, the less she understood!
“Leo, order the entire fleet to slow down. We can’t confront the enemy in the Windless Zone. The disparity in strength is too great. We must use the Second Sea of Death as a barrier,” Joanna commanded.
No response.
“Leo? Are you malfunctioning?” The pirate frowned. The AI didn’t respond to her command!
“Sorry, Captain. There was a small issue.” After a while, Leo replied, “Some viruses were detected and being cleared.”
Releasing viruses to paralyze the enemy’s computer system during a battle was a common information warfare tactic, although not honorable, but surprisingly effective. Joanna never worried about her ship’s computer getting infected because they had the most advanced AI in the universe!
“Was it Darius who released the virus?”
“Not yet identified. But it doesn’t affect operations.”
“That’s good. Was the previous order conveyed?”
Leo hesitated. “What order?”
Joanna was momentarily speechless.
“Uh, really sorry! There was a little glitch. I didn’t hear it…” The AI was extremely nervous about its dereliction. “Please, please repeat the order, Captain.”
Joanna mechanically repeated the previous order, but she didn’t hear herself speaking. Her unease reached its peak. In her years of dancing with death in the military, this was unprecedented.
“Darius Bayes?”
In the rest area of the Lady of the Night preparation bay, the waiting pirates were chatting casually while flexing their muscles. They had just learned the enemy’s identity, and Major General Bayes’s name caused a ripple in the room. Some girls were excited. “He’s the Empire’s most handsome soldier! And he’s nobility, young and high-ranking, like a fairy tale prince!”
The men collectively expressed disdain. “Tch, this prince rides not a white horse but a ship with laser cannons.” Errol said, earning an elbow strike from his sister.
“You’re just jealous,” the female mechanic taunted the brother, rolling on the ground and clutching his stomach. “Just admit it.”
“If you like him so much, why not marry him?” Udino retorted.
“Oh, I wish, but he wouldn’t fancy me.” The female mechanic stuck out her tongue. “Haven’t you dreamed of marrying a beautiful princess?”
“Of course not…” Udino glanced at Titia’s face and immediately said seriously, “Never thought of it!” He was then knocked down by his sister. “No ambition!” Titia scolded.
“Enough.” Alois sipped his coffee and interjected. “Darius Bayes isn’t as cute as you think.”
“You know him?” The women’s eyes lit up, expecting some juicy gossip from Alois.
But the anticipated young man only said lightly, “He was a year behind me in military school. He was talented, but also the most obnoxious, unfeeling, and unlikable brat I’ve ever seen.”
Titia’s mouth formed an O shape. “Alois, I didn’t know you had such a past!”
I’d rather not have it. Alois rubbed his forehead.
“Attention all units! Attention all units!” Leo’s voice interrupted their pleasant conversation. “The entire ship is slowing down. We will confront the enemy at the edge of the Second Sea of Death. Prepare for battle!”
Alois threw his cup into the storage box, quickly stood up, and walked towards the preparation bay exit, with Titia following him. Errol and Udino got up from the ground as if nothing had happened. The others left through another exit, heading to their posts.
The time was 15:00 on July 14, 1416, Galactic Standard Calendar. The Battle of Milantu was about to begin.
“Level two alert! Level two alert! High-energy reaction detected a quarter of a light-year from Milantu in the direction of Lyra!”
“What kind of high-energy reaction?”
“Adjusting satellite radar! Beginning scan!”
“It’s a fleet! A military-grade fleet is exiting warp and heading towards Milantu!”
The command tower of Milantu lit up with red lights, flashing incessantly. The sharp alarm sounds and the exclamations of the navigators rising and falling made Joanna Begrel irritable. She tossed her empty can to the floor, crushing it with a tooth-grinding “crunch”. The control room fell silent immediately, with all eyes on the captain, except for the still-blaring alarms.
“Leo, are you sure it’s not a false alarm?” Joanna glared at the ceiling, “Not a sudden meteor shower or something?”
“Have you ever seen meteors like these?”
The screen flashed, revealing footage captured by the probes. Against the deep red cosmic backdrop of the Flaming Binary, ships bearing the Empire “White Wolf Sword” emblem were emerging from warp, swiftly reorganizing into formation, and heading towards Milantu in an orderly fashion. The high-energy flashes caused by their warp exit seemed even brighter than the Flaming Binary themselves.
“Which fleet is it?”
“We can’t identify it. They’ve shut down the entire ultra-light network, using a closed internal network. We also can’t detect any electromagnetic or gravitational waves,” Leo replied. “Moreover, they’re passing through an area known as the ‘First Sea of Death’. If they aren’t taken out by old mines and turbulence, they’ll cross the ‘First Sea of Death’ in seventeen hours, and the ‘Second Sea of Death’ in twenty-eight hours. At that point, we’ll have no choice but to face them at our doorstep.”
Joanna continued to stomp on the can with her high boots, making the navigators flinch as if she were stepping on them. “This is the first time in many years that an army has dared to cross the ‘Sea of Death’. Their commander is either recklessly indifferent to life and death or has inside information about a safe route.”
“Do you mean one of our partners leaked the information, or there’s a traitor among us?”
Joanna shook her head amid the high-energy flashes on the screen and the flickering red lights in the command room. “I’d rather believe the Empire soldiers are idiots.” She stood up and kicked the flattened can into the corner, where a cylindrical cleaning robot buzzed over to sweep it up.
The captain’s tall figure stood before the screen, her voice clear as a spring amid the noise. “Sound the Level One alarm! All personnel to battle stations! Lady of the Night, Aphrodite, Princess Sophie, and Romantic Exile prepare to intercept the enemy in the ‘Calm Belt’ between the First and Second Seas of Death. Ground personnel, follow Emergency Plan No. 3, and be ready to evacuate Milantu at any moment!”
Her words were met with a chorus of exclamations in the command room.
“Is this really necessary, Captain?”
“Please reconsider!”
“Milantu is our last stronghold. We can’t give it up!”
“Do as I say!” Joanna commanded sharply. “The enemy has the strength of a whole army group. What about us?” She scanned the room, and no one dared to answer. “Abandoning Milantu is the worst-case scenario. Pray we can defeat them with fewer numbers.” She turned and walked out of the command room, with the cleaning robot hastily making way for her.
“What? Milantu is under attack by Empire forces?”
Alois put on his headset and opened the door to his house. To save energy, Milantu base had disabled the transparent sky projection, turning the sky a dull gray, while the flashing alarm lights dyed the low buildings red. Ground personnel capable of fighting had all been armed, calmly forming into units according to drill protocols, executing their tasks. Women and children who couldn’t fight were being escorted to underground shelters. If necessary, everyone could quickly reach the spaceport via underground tunnels and escape Milantu.
Leo’s voice came through the headset, fulfilling his role as an advanced AI, issuing commands from the command tower to the ground. “Lagrange, report to the Lady of the Night. Joshua, head to the east square, where the second vanguard team is gathering.”
Alois pressed the headset. “Is the vanguard team not boarding the Lady of the Night?”
“We’re going to fight a battle, not a raid. The vanguard team will stay at the base. If the warships can’t stop the enemy, they’ll land on Milantu, and we’ll have to prepare for ground combat.”
“Understood.”
Alois and Joshua exchanged glances. “Be careful.”
“You too.” Joshua lightly kissed his lips, then ran towards the vanguard team’s gathering point.
“Hey, don’t jinx it with that death flag stuff…” Alois took a deep breath and headed in the opposite direction.
Townsend almost spat out his coffee. “What’s this? An air raid alarm?” He looked helplessly at the gray sky, the flashing red lights, and the piercing alarm sound.
“Two long, three short, it’s a Level One battle alarm.” His colleague Yakin swallowed his last bite of bread and tossed his coffee cup into a nearby bin. If the base had to disable the gravity grid, flying cups could become deadly projectiles.
Yakin walked to the surveillance room computer, expertly pressed a few keys, and a prompt appeared on the screen. “Activate Level One Battle Emergency System?”
He pressed “Yes”, and a low rumbling sound indicated that the prison perimeter was now sealed, preventing any prisoners from escaping during the chaos. Milantu prison was designed to be easy to defend and hard to attack, capable of withstanding low-altitude bombardment. Underground escape routes were also opened; if the enemy resorted to using nuclear or antimatter missiles, these tunnels would allow the prisoners to be quickly evacuated to safety. The pirates were indeed humane.
“Is that all we need?” Townsend asked nervously.
“Let’s hope we don’t need the last resort,” Yakin whispered. “With these prisoners, if the enemy attacks, we can use their lives as leverage.”
“Will that work?”
“It never has before.” Townsend dragged a storage box from the corner and opened it, revealing an arsenal of guns. “Let’s give it a try.”
“Did you hear that?”
In Milantu prison, the young man with hawk-like, tawny eyes asked his cellmate, who listened for a moment and smiled. “It’s an alarm.”
“They’ve gone into battle mode.” The young man remained indifferent. “This means Colonel Gauss has begun his attack.”
“Is it time to start our plan?”
“Wait a bit longer.” The young man closed his eyes. “Joanna isn’t foolish enough to confront the enemy at her doorstep. I guess they’ll fight in the area between the ‘First Sea of Death’ and the ‘Second Sea of Death’. Crossing the ‘Second Sea of Death’ takes about nine hours. The battle will start no sooner than nine hours from now. We wait. When Joanna’s main fleet leaves and Milantu’s defenses are thin, it’ll be our turn.”
His cellmate clenched his fists in excitement. “I can’t wait for that moment, Your Excellency!”
The good news: the Jade Buddha Gang didn’t keep them chained up. The bad news: they were locked in a cage.
The Jade Buddha Gang had turned an abandoned courtyard into a perfect prison. The six of them were trapped in the same cage, with the madman locked in the next one.
The madman’s body was covered in sores, and his hands were tightly bound behind his back. He was thrashing around wildly, making inhuman, low-pitched howls.
The good news: their ghosts were no longer affected by the spirit-binding chains. The bad news: the cage was covered with talismans to ward off evil spirits, meaning their ghosts were imprisoned with them.
Only Bai Shuangying wasn’t trapped. The ghost had followed them all the way and was now strolling around the bonfire in the center of the courtyard. Aside from Fang Xiu, no one noticed him.
If Fang Xiu didn’t believe he couldn’t have imagined such a beautiful face, he might have thought he was hallucinating.
“Damn these bastards. It’s bad enough they locked us up, but they had to stick talismans on too.” Blondie kicked the cage while glancing at Fang Xiu. “Brother, you’re pretty loyal, getting screwed over with us.”
Fang Xiu responded absentmindedly and continued observing the enemy’s base.
There were four members in the Jade Buddha Gang.
The strongman who led them and the scarred man who attacked them weren’t in the courtyard at the moment.
Watching over them were two others—a middle-aged man in a white coat and a scrawny thug. They called each other “Doctor” and “Skinny Monkey”, and neither of them wore a jade Buddha. They seemed like low-level henchmen.
Skinny Monkey swaggered over. “What kind of abilities do your ghosts have? Tell me.”
Blondie spat at him. “Dumbass, why would I tell you?”
“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the pretty lady.” Skinny Monkey tossed a bone at Mei Lan. “Hey, gorgeous, tell me, and I’ll let you out to live the good life.”
Mei Lan huddled in the corner of the cage, remaining silent.
“Ungrateful.” Skinny Monkey spat and tossed a knife in front of Blondie.
“Stab her. Don’t kill her right away, just enough to make her talk.”
Blondie said, “You think I’m sick or something? Why would I stab my own teammate?”
Skinny Monkey laughed. “Then I’ll start with you. The boss hates troublemakers, and you look big enough to feed us for days.”
He pointed at the bonfire, where there were signs of a makeshift barbecue. A few white bones were scattered on the ground, and Fang Xiu immediately recognized them as human leg bones.
Cheng Songyun couldn’t hold back any longer. “There’s food in the shrine. You don’t have to do this…”
“The shrine? We burned that down ages ago.”
Skinny Monkey pulled out the spirit-binding chain, playing with it while staring at Blondie. “So, are you gonna stab her or not?”
Blondie visibly tensed. He looked at the knife on the ground, then at the trembling Mei Lan. After a moment of hesitation, he bent down and picked up the knife.
Mei Lan shook her head violently in fear.
Jia Xu grabbed Blondie’s arm. “We can’t turn on each other—”
“Shut up! If you don’t want to die, you can take my place!” Blondie angrily shook him off.
“Enough! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you!” Fang Xiu shouted, covering his ears as if he was breaking down.
“We drew ghost lots, which allow us to use one type of ghost magic! The cost—the cost is that each time we use it, we lose a year of our lifespan.”
Blondie was still stunned, but Cheng Songyun immediately caught on. “Yeah, that’s right! That’s how it works! Don’t push us anymore!”
Skinny Monkey snickered and walked up to Fang Xiu. “Then why do you only have one shadow?”
“I didn’t dare draw a lot.” Fang Xiu backed away slowly. “The scene was too scary…”
Skinny Monkey glanced at the spirit-binding chain in his hand. He’d heard that this guy was the last one they captured, and he’d given himself up out of fear. Now, seeing him up close, Fang Xiu did seem like a coward.
The spirit-binding chain was the bane of ghostly powers. These guys’ “self-defense” techniques were ghost-based, which explained why they were so easy to catch.
“Fine. You’d better not be tricking me, or I’ll kill you first.”
Skinny Monkey snapped his fingers, and the knife flew out of Blondie’s hand. He sheathed it and walked off, humming a little tune.
Jia Xu moved closer to Fang Xiu. “That was reckless. They captured the auntie earlier. Who knows what they got out of her? What if he’s cross-checking information…”
“The auntie didn’t have a ghost, so she wouldn’t have given them too many details.” Fang Xiu whispered, “I mainly wanted to know how much they know about us.”
Jia Xu finally realized—
Making up lies was risky and could easily be exposed, but Fang Xiu’s half-truths were just right. He had blurred the fact that ghosts could act independently, making it sound like their abilities were just skills, and he’d added a fake price.
If the enemy didn’t know better, this misdirection could be huge.
“The auntie knew we all had ghosts. But that guy casually asked me, ‘Why only one shadow?’ instead of asking where my ghost was.” Fang Xiu stared at Skinny Monkey’s retreating figure. “Overall, this group doesn’t know much about us. When they found the auntie, she might’ve already been dead.”
“Brother, you’re brilliant. We should wait for a chance to ambush them,” Blondie said excitedly, acting as if nothing had happened.
Jia Xu looked grim. “That’s enough. You need to be more careful. Lao Mian said they’re down to just two people. When their teammates die, they can’t recruit more.”
“This is only the first round, and we’ve already lost two. Every person who dies means one less strength. Stop thinking only about the short term…”
Blondie snapped. “Did I ask for your opinion?”
Seeing the two about to argue, Fang Xiu turned away in boredom, his gaze drifting toward Bai Shuangying.
By the bonfire, Bai Shuangying was walking even faster now, appearing in front of him every two minutes. When Fang Xiu had first been locked up, Bai Shuangying’s face had been full of “Beg me to help you” and “Come on, beg,” but now his expression had returned to its usual blankness.
How interesting.
Amid this hellish scene, that white figure was truly beautiful.
“Hey, the one in red. Come out and be my dog.”
Skinny Monkey came back outside, dragging his chain, possibly bored after spending some time indoors.
“Doctor” frowned. “Don’t…”
“There’s nothing here, and I’m bored. What’s the harm in having some fun with that weakling? I’m not going to kill him.”
Doctor sighed and stopped talking.
Fang Xiu didn’t mind. This was exactly what he wanted. Now that he’d established himself as a “weak coward”, the enemy’s guard would be lower.
The closer he got to them, the more opportunities he’d have. Fang Xiu put on a timid expression, waiting for Skinny Monkey to unlock the cage and let him out.
Just then, Bai Shuangying stopped in his tracks.
He turned around slowly and stared deeply at Fang Xiu.
The next second, he unfolded in front of Fang Xiu.
Fang Xiu couldn’t think of any other way to describe it than “unfold”. Bai Shuangying’s body melted like cream, expanding into large, twisted patches of color. Dark hues mixed and swirled, like something out of an AI-generated dream.
Skinny Monkey jolted, as if suddenly realizing something was in front of him. Before he could react, a voice echoed softly—
[You are a tree,] The voice said.
Skinny Monkey’s eyes glazed over.
He staggered over to the cage, kicked off his shoes, and pressed his feet deep into the soil. The ground was soft, but he pushed so hard that his skin, flesh, and bones peeled away, bloody and raw.
[Trees don’t talk,] the voice said.
Skinny Monkey’s grunts of pain stopped instantly, along with his breathing. He stood there, bloodied, in a grotesque position, mimicking the branches of a tree.
[Trees don’t have heartbeats,] the voice added.
In the dim firelight, Skinny Monkey’s complexion turned ashen.
He was dead.
His corpse remained standing in that bizarre posture, right next to the cage.
From beginning to end, no one besides Fang Xiu noticed any of this. Everyone else was busy with their own affairs, as if what had just happened was the most natural thing in the world.
Bai Shuangying didn’t return to his human form; he drifted closer to Fang Xiu.
This human had treated him like a weakling but was ready to bow down to a thug, even though Bai Shuangying knew Fang Xiu was pretending, he couldn’t swallow his pride.
So he revealed part of his true form, killing someone in front of this human. To ensure the message was clear, he let Fang Xiu understand his words and witness the bloody reality.
Now that this guy had seen the truth, it was time to stop the silly charade.
…Bai Shuangying “looked” at Fang Xiu.
In the rain, the enormous, distorted shape pulsed rhythmically, as if breathing.
They were just half a step apart. Bai Shuangying wanted to see the panic or fear on Fang Xiu’s face, maybe even some kind of defensive posture or submission.
…But instead, he saw Fang Xiu gazing back softly, with a faint blush on his face.
Bai Shuangying: “?”
He stopped moving.
“That mole is still there.”
Fang Xiu extended his hand through the cage, lightly touching the bizarre form in front of him. Amid the chaos, the tiny blood-red mole on Bai Shuangying’s form gently floated, standing out vividly.
Something was wrong. This reaction wasn’t right.
Bai Shuangying was literally frozen in place. Fang Xiu’s eyes held nothing but pure admiration and appreciation, exactly the same as when he had seen Bai Shuangying in his human form.
“Did you act out suddenly because you were in a bad mood? Was it because of me?” Fang Xiu quietly asked, noticing Bai Shuangying’s inaction.
Bai Shuangying, reacting instinctively, replied, [Yes.]
“I’m sorry if I treated you poorly. I don’t have much experience interacting with people my own age.” Fang Xiu’s tone was genuinely apologetic.
Bai Shuangying: [……]
How strange. This human was actually reflecting on his actions instead of assuming Bai Shuangying couldn’t stand to see a human mistreated. Fang Xiu seemed to understand the way evil spirits thought.
The problem was… Do I look like I’m your age?
Realizing that his phrasing was off, Fang Xiu quickly corrected himself. “I mean, I’m not very good at being kind to others…”
Bai Shuangying: [……?]
No, do I even look human to you?
By the end of this thought, Fang Xiu had begun to laugh at himself.
“To be honest, my companions might benefit from harming me, but you wouldn’t gain anything from it. We’re helping each other out, moving forward together… Isn’t that what friends do?”
“I just want to get along with you, Bai Shuangying.”
Bai Shuangying remained frozen for a long moment, then, losing interest, he reverted back into his human form.
Fine. Fang Xiu’s just bad at expressing kindness. This human had many issues with his head, so one more wouldn’t make a difference.
Bai Shuangying was used to looking down on humans, but he wasn’t entirely sure what made someone a “friend”. And he had no intention of admitting that fact. After all, Fang Xiu had, for once, lowered his guard.
Things had turned out very differently from what he had anticipated. Fang Xiu didn’t seem to care at all about Skinny Monkey’s death. But since the result was satisfactory, Bai Shuangying wasn’t inclined to delve into it further.
“We can be friends,” Bai Shuangying declared, in his usual mysterious tone.
Bai Shuangying glanced at Skinny Monkey’s corpse and added pointedly, “As my friend, you can’t go bowing to trash like him so easily.”
Fang Xiu nodded. “Alright. If anything bothers you in the future, just let me know anytime.”
Bai Shuangying was pleased. “I’ll remove the spell now. Be careful.”
With that, he resumed his walk around the bonfire, this time at a more relaxed pace.
As the spell dissipated, no one reacted, as if Skinny Monkey had never existed. Everyone’s eyes casually swept over his corpse, treating it like part of the scenery; like a tree that had always been there.
It was as if the Jade Buddha Gang had never questioned where their “eighth man in white” had gone.
But those were minor details, Fang Xiu thought.
The important thing was, starting today, he had a beautiful and straightforward friend.
In the dead of night.
“Doctor” in the white coat approached the cage, nervously biting his fingers, his eyes red-rimmed.
“I-I have to tell you something. About the sacrificial ritual, you’d better—you’d better be mentally prepared.”
“I’m sorry.” His voice broke, and he looked on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry…”
The author has something to say:
Frie~nds~ is just a lie~~~ (in that kind of tone)
Comrade Fang Xiu, buddy, a person’s sexual preference is free, but… (omitted
It’s perfectly reasonable that the one guarding you is a doctor.
Kinky Translations 