CR CH73

Chapter 73: Star Alliance

“Whoosh.”

A faint whistle sounded nearby. Ling Kongmiao raised his hand and caught the coin tossed toward him.

“Long time no see, Flower.”

A black cloak completely obscured the figure and appearance of the person standing in the shadows, who asked with a grin: “Heads or tails?”

Ling Kongmiao ignored him, pressing a raised button on the coin. A disguise simulation technology activated, covering his entire body in a blue light. In an instant, Ling Kongmiao’s appearance and figure became identical to those of the cloaked man.

“Didn’t we agree to meet at the coordinates?” Ling Kongmiao skipped the pleasantries and cut straight to the point. “What’s the matter?”

“Sigh, the Chief sent me to give you a heads-up.”

The cloaked man had originally wanted to beat around the bush for a bit, but seeing Ling Kongmiao’s attitude, he could only rub his nose.

“You know the destination this time is Beast territory, and the intel was provided by them.” He glanced at Ling Kongmiao’s expression before continuing, “The King sent an elite guard over, accompanied by the Beast general, Mu.”

Ling Kongmiao showed no extra expression, merely nodding. “Got it.”

“You—”

Just as he started to speak, Ling Kongmiao interrupted him.

“Enough, repeating the same few lines over and over.”

“Did you clear your tracks?” The cloaked man chuckled and said no more on the topic, speaking in a playful tone as he walked out with him: “Your speed was much faster this time.”

“Mm, had some help.”

……

Coordinates: Beast Territory A-091, Northern Border, near the First Interstellar Fortress.

This dark star saw no sunlight. In the distance, a lighthouse flashed red, indicating a state of alert.

Searchlights continuously cut through the darkness. Near an enclosed perimeter, seven or eight cloaked individuals stood face-to-face with a Beast guard detail, where two leaders were currently in conversation.

“We’ve arrived,” the cloaked man beside Ling Kongmiao greeted.

Everyone turned to look over simultaneously, and the scene fell into a subtle silence.

Ling Kongmiao looked straight ahead, walking directly up to the perimeter enclosed by warning lines. Just as he stopped, a voice came from behind him.

“Your Highness.”

Mu bowed in a respectful posture.

A light chuckle laced with mockery drifted over, carrying the floaty, freezing chill of the air, slow and bone-scraping.

“Your princess and your prince are already dead.”

Ling Kongmiao stepped over the warning line, his voice devoid of any ups and downs. “Don’t be an eyesore here.”

“Yes.” Mu took a step back. “The King remembers Your Highness and wishes you well.”

“……”

As expected, there was no response. Seeing that the figure ahead had no intention of stopping, Mu slowly turned, nodded to the members of the Star Alliance, and temporarily withdrew with the Beast guard detail.

“Take the primary source data back for backup first,” the head cloaked man whispered to the person beside him, pointing toward the interior of the warning line. “We’ll be back shortly.”

“Alright.” The person gave a hand signal to the members behind him.

Except for the patrolling guards, the rest walked toward a flight vessel near the lighthouse.

“Long time no see.”

As the black cloak touched the ground, its energy cloaking dissolved. Crouching beside Ling Kongmiao, he handed over a pair of specialized gloves and looked down at the item dug up from the black soil.

A severely corroded plant mutant lay twisted in shape. Beneath this region, abnormal forms packed the underground, while specimens with lighter corrosion were laid out to one side.

Ling Kongmiao took the gloves handed to him, put them on, and gently brushed away the soil. From a crevice, he retrieved a severely damaged ID tag. The characters on it were entirely indecipherable, yet he stared at it repeatedly for a long time.

“It’s from the same batch as last time.” Ling Kongmiao put the item down and looked at the cloaked man. “Did you find the primary source body?”

“……” After a long wait with no response, Ling Kongmiao raised his head, only to find the other party staring off into the distance, lost in thought.

“Billion,” he raised his voice.

“Oh, what?”

Billion snapped back to reality and let out a sigh.

“Little Flower, every time you call me by this codename, you sound so domineering. Your uncle here is getting up there in years; you have to learn to accommodate an old man’s reaction time.”

Ling Kongmiao followed his gaze with a quick glance, then took off his gloves and tossed them aside.

“We’ll talk back inside.”

The Beast guards were patrolling nearby. This was an uninhabited zone with low exploration progress, where unexpected dangers could arise at any moment.

Billion nodded. The two walked toward the flight vessel, which looked entirely unremarkable on the outside. Just as they stepped into the main hall, they ran right into a cloaked man hurrying toward the central control room. Seeing the two of them, he paused abruptly.

Billion understood instantly and enabled visible permissions on his device. The cloaked disguises in their eyes faded into virtuality, revealing their true appearances to one another.

“Chief, Flower, you’re back at just the right time. The primary source body has undergone a mutation.” It was the smiling youth who had returned with Ling Kongmiao earlier, but right now his brows were tightly knit. “Follow me first.”

The primary source body referred to Specimen No. 1 or the initial donor in certain experiments or new types of mutants.

Inside a transparent container preserving the primary source body, a giant Denticulate Flower had withered. It was about two meters long; this specimen was not an adult, and the data on the right side indicated it had most likely died during a secondary Rank-A energy fusion phase.

“The cores of all failed specimens were recovered.”

The woman responsible for data analysis pushed up her glasses: “My guess is they possess some sort of conversion device. When these cores are on the verge of shattering, they use a special catalyst to trigger an energy burst, which is then stored and used as nourishment for the next round of experiments.”

The three had just stepped into the lab when they heard the woman’s analysis, and all three subconsciously frowned as they looked toward the transparent container.

“It was originally just a guess, but I didn’t expect a surprise discovery this time.”

Traces of age showed at the corners of the woman’s eyes as she turned her gaze toward Billion.

“The worst outcome has come to pass. Our suspicions were correct—it’s a living subject experiment again.”

The root system of the giant Denticulate Flower inside the transparent container wrapped around the bottom. After adjusting the angle, its stem portion was completely exposed before everyone’s eyes. Entangled within the thick, black roots was a melted human face.

It looked as though a person had been submerged at the bottom of a “flower vase,” looking up and crying for help, while the mutated root stems flexibly bored into their skin, taking root and absorbing energy through their eye sockets, mouth, and head.

Amidst a heavy silence, the woman spoke calmly.

“One thing is very strange. The experimental remains discovered recently aren’t of the high-danger-coefficient variety. Their experimental direction……” The woman paused briefly. “Seems to lean more toward catalysis.”

“Or perhaps they’re trying to obtain a specific threshold value for energy tolerance, as if developing some sort of targeted therapeutic agent.”

In recent years, the number of Awakened individuals had surged dramatically. Just twenty years ago, it was still the era of mechas.

Ling Kongmiao suddenly spoke up: “Originally, the energy domains generated by mutants were just a expanse of pitch-black darkness. They are continuously evolving.”

“The spaces currently manifesting are getting closer and closer to mental domains.”

Rank-S ability was merely the bare minimum threshold in the Star Alliance. But even here, Ling Kongmiao was currently the only talent capable of establishing linked communication with mental bodies and perceiving a complete mental domain.

Because he could often bring back more clues than ordinary people could gather, several members immediately looked at him.

“Within these domains, projections of certain personalities and mental traits have begun to appear frequently.” Ling Kongmiao lowered his eyes, pondering for a moment. “I have no empirical evidence right now, so I can only offer one possibility.”

Complex emotions flickered in Billion’s brown eyes as he spoke that possibility on Ling Kongmiao’s behalf.

“Those domains feel to you more and more like E07 back then, don’t they?”

Ling Kongmiao: “Yes.”

Yet they all knew full well what such a possibility implied. After a brief silence—

“Flower, if you make any new discoveries, please inform us,” the woman said earnestly. “Thank you for your hard work.”

The worn badge on her right shoulder represented the first generation of the Star Alliance, a sight now rare in the current third-generation Star Alliance.

Ling Kongmiao nodded. “Alright.”

“Sister Yun, you all can continue the discussion first.” Billion gave the woman a genial smile, displaying a good attitude. “I’m going to have a private chat with Flower.”

“Still such a coward in middle age.”

Ling Kongmiao’s airy voice floated over, but Billion simply grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward the small conference room.

Now in middle age, the sinister facial features Billion had displayed in his youth looked even harder to cross under the weathering of time.

“What the hell do you know? This is called playing coy. Do you even know what playing coy means?” Billion closed the door to the conference room and let out a slow sigh. “You’ll understand once you have a partner. Acting obedient is the most effective trick.”

“……”

Unsure whether he was disgusted by Billion’s greasy remarks or keeping a guilty conscious of his own, Ling Kongmiao reached out and poured a glass of water.

“Can you be any more disgusting?”

“Right back at you. I’m just disgusting, not malicious.”

Billion snatched the water glass straight out of his hand, lacking any of the composure expected of an elder.

“Still can’t compare to that time you engaged in a verbal battle with General Taylor of the Empire. No wonder he’s held a grudge against you for so many years; his cursing was truly vile. Though I also thought it was a bit unrefined for the other side to attack below the belt, that line of yours……”

“Why did you look for me?” Ling Kongmiao interrupted him.

“Zero patience at such a young age.” Billion sat down on the sofa, leaning back to find a comfortable posture. “A while ago, I accidentally witnessed quite a cute scene. You were certainly patient with him.”

Seeing Ling Kongmiao sweep a cold glare over, Billion raised his thin monolids into a playful arc.

“Rank-A Star’s famous amusement park, a comprehensive task—he seemed to lose control.”

The closer one got to awakening, the more active their ability became.

“Seeing that kid bite right into your hand, I actually broke a sweat for him. I had already started calculating the parabolic arc of him flying out to prepare emergency aid, but to my surprise, you didn’t react at all.”

“I could tell at a single glance that he’s the child of Duan Ye and Zheng Qing.” Billion’s gaze drifted into the distance, as if reminiscing about something. “His eyes look like Duan Ye’s, while his nose and mouth resemble Zheng Qing’s.”

“The way he looked at your departing back looked extraordinarily like how Duan Ye looked at Zheng Qing back then…… I raised my hand to wave a greeting, and he instantly became vigilant, his glare mean as hell—the exact same virtue as his old man.”

His voice was lazy. Just as Ling Kongmiao was drifting off in thought, Billion’s tone suddenly deepened.

“‘Destruction’ is the Hunters’ job. You shouldn’t take the risk.”

He stared at Ling Kongmiao’s expression, not letting any exposed emotion slip past him.

“Survivors of the first-generation living subject modifications are undoubtedly successful ‘weapons.’ Their descendants carry ‘Hunter genes’; these children are often extraordinarily gifted, but their abilities are alive—slaughter and destruction will devour their willpower.”

“If they are devoured during the process of awakening their beast form, they are already dead, reduced to so-called Rank-S mutants.”

Billion: “I know your profession. I’ve never brought it up, but you should have guessed long ago.”

“There has never been such a thing as a Rank-S mutant in this world. Existing mutation energy values can at most feed a Rank-A mutant. Those Rank-S mutants that appear without warning are ‘Hunters’ who have been devoured.”

Ling Kongmiao’s expression held not the slightest hint of surprise as he let out a cold sneer.

“Their job? The biggest joke of the Hunter Organization is letting their companions’ corpses show up at exhibitions.”

Billion: “If he had truly been devoured that day, the only thing you could have done was kill him, and send the corpse to some laboratory according to protocol.”

“My blue fireflies would burn him until not even ashes remained.”

“That behavior of yours is called grinding bones and scattering ashes.”

“A body no longer carrying a spirit is merely an empty shell. The meaning of its existence is the emotion you bestow upon it.”

“Even if I ate him, it would just be feeding,” Ling Kongmiao said objectively.

“Sometimes I think you’re human, but occasionally I feel like you’re very much a Beast.” Billion sounded partly mocking, partly emotional. “It must be pretty hard, huh? Whether Beast or human, they can only understand a single part of you.”

“Hardly. At most, when considering whether or not to eat a fellow species’ corpse, I’d eat while crying.”

“……Don’t tell dark jokes at a time like this.”

Ling Kongmiao appeared slightly surprised: “I thought you’d take it seriously.”

“Considering how much of a picky eater you are, this could only ever be a joke.”

Ling Kongmiao let out a soft laugh and turned his head to look out the window. Faint shadows of fatigue showed under his eyes, and he raised his hand to gently rub the space between his brows.

The topic was brushed off lightly. He was always like this—generous with certain pieces of intelligence, but completely silent about matters concerning himself.

Billion watched him like this, lost in thought.

Their first meeting had been in a hospital, where the kid underwent recovery treatment every day.

After Fort Xiven was destroyed, Subject E07 burst into the Star Alliance’s view. Billion had just dealt with the second-generation remnants and taken over as Chief. When he met Ling Kongmiao in the hospital, the boy was wrapped in bandages, lifeless as a corpse.

Those blue eyes looked like a dried-up sea; after staring at Billion for a moment, they shifted away with a half-beat delay.

Billion had thought he probably wouldn’t get anything out of him. With time limited, after Billion’s attempts at communication proved fruitless, he still left a line behind.

“If you ever need anything, you can contact the Star Alliance.”

“Star Alliance?”

A murmur suddenly came from behind him. He turned around to meet Ling Kongmiao’s unblinking stare, a chilling creepiness rising from the depths of his heart. Just as his consciousness began to blur, Billion realized with a jolt of shock that he had nearly been controlled by a mere brat.

“As expected of a Rank-S Mental-type.” He glanced at the time and said tentatively, “Our goals are aligned. You can try trusting us.”

Ling Kongmiao’s gaze fell upon him, as if confirming something through him. Just when Billion began to think the kid might have a mental problem, let out a sigh, and turned to leave, the other party dropped a massive bombshell on him.

“I can feel E07 transmitting some kind of message to me. It keeps repeating a name…… Aaron.”

During that first meeting, the information he provided to the Star Alliance completely overturned their previous direction of investigation.

E07 was very likely a composite entity possessing intellect and thought.

Though they had known each other for quite a while, Billion still couldn’t see through him at times. Every time he probed indirectly to test his stance, the boy would only respond with, “We are not enemies.”

“Flower, I’m really curious—which faction does your friend belong to?” Billion suddenly asked, as if joking.

Ling Kongmiao rubbed the back of his hand, leaving the question unanswered this time.

“Leaving.” He got up and walked toward the outside.

Billion had anticipated it long ago and let out a soft chuckle. “Fine then, I’ll see you off.”

The corridor was very quiet. Under the bright lights, a little kid leaned against the wall, and Ling Kongmiao slowed his pace.

“Oh, that’s a little Hunter. Her mother was one of ours, but unfortunately passed away during a mission. We only found her recently.”

Billion lowered his voice, “Similar to that kid by your side, though this one wasn’t quite as lucky. She was locked up in a church for quite a while.”

The child turned around and stared straight at Ling Kongmiao.

“This kid is named…… named Li……”

Billion dropped the ball at the crucial moment, letting out a somewhat embarrassed laugh.

“Li Xiao.” The girl blocked the way in front of the two.

Noticing that she seemed to be waiting on purpose, Billion’s gaze swept back and forth between the two.

“You two know each other?”

Ling Kongmiao shook his head. Li Xiao ignored Billion’s question and spoke directly to Ling Kongmiao.

“You have a Hunter’s mark on you.”

“A mark?” Ling Kongmiao seemed to recall something. “Only you guys can see it?”

Li Xiao nodded: “The aura is very familiar. Pass along a ‘thank you’ for me.”

Ling Kongmiao lowered his eyes: “What effect does this mark have?”

“You are the prey he marked. Once his ability awakens, he can follow the connection to find you.”

Li Xiao watched him for a moment and stated with certainty:

“This mark has been there for a long time. At least ten years.”

Billion was silent for a moment before asking, “Does ‘prey’ refer to an enemy?”

“His isn’t that. The meaning is roughly: Mine.”

Li Xiao’s blunt words brought both of them to a complete silence.

“A Hunter can tell at a glance that you belong to someone. Are you his husband or his wife?”