Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Kelu stopped crying, staring blankly at Queqiu.

Even though Queqiu looked younger and was a delicate Omega, with a voice that seemed too youthful and not convincing, Kelu inexplicably felt a deep trust in him, believing from the bottom of his heart that he was the one who could save him.

"Then, what do I need to do?" Kelu asked softly.

Kelu had previously been fortunate enough to have a C-grade healing Omega for mental counseling, but the entire process was arduous. Building a connection through psychic power took many attempts and was barely established, with the subsequent counseling being quite uncomfortable and of limited effectiveness.

However, to Kelu's surprise, Queqiu shook his head and said, "You don’t need to do anything, just close your eyes and sleep."

Kelu widened his eyes in astonishment, not doubting Queqiu's capabilities, but rather puzzled by his method of treatment: Just sleep? No need to cooperate with a psychic connection? Could it really be that simple?

Yet, out of trust for Queqiu, Kelu, despite his doubts, obediently lay down and closed his eyes.

Confirming that Kelu couldn’t see him, Queqiu then began channeling his spiritual power, directing a stream from his fingertips into Kelu’s body.

A golden glow gathered like an ocean, illuminating Queqiu’s delicate face, enveloping him in a warm, bright light.

His eyes lowered, casting faint shadows beneath his eyelids, his lips slightly pursed, displaying a divine compassion in that moment.

Anyone witnessing Queqiu at this moment would likely clasp their hands in reverence, praying to him as if he were a true deity.

With his experience in healing Figo, Queqiu handled this similar situation with ease. The treatment went smoothly, and in less than forty minutes, the beastification symptoms on Kelu’s hands gradually receded.

The chaotic psychic energy in Kelu's brain slowly calmed, and his furrowed brows smoothed out.

Queqiu withdrew his spiritual power and let out a deep breath.

He moved closer, touched Kelu’s forehead, and upon finding the fever had subsided, a sense of relief appeared in his eyes.

Kelu, perhaps exhausted and frightened for so long, actually fell asleep during the healing process.

Not only that, he softly snored, his black fuzzy wolf ears fluttering lightly, completely relaxed, and possibly even dreaming sweetly.

Queqiu shook his head, resigned, and did not wake him: "Sleep a bit longer."

He stood up, preparing to move to the next treatment room, and before leaving, gently placed a Sahasra flower on Kelu's rhythmically rising and falling chest.

Dawn broke gently, casting a sliver of morning light through the iron bars of the window, meager yet enough to brighten the entire treatment room and dispel the darkness within.

Kelu yawned, groggily opening his eyes, momentarily disoriented.

—Since the practical assessment, he had hardly had a good night's sleep like this.

Kelu aimlessly stared at the empty ceiling, his mind initially blank, then gradually recalling everything he experienced the day before.

"Chief..."

Kelu instinctively called out, but there was no response. He sat up abruptly, scanning around in confusion, only to realize that Queqiu had already left.

As if suddenly remembering something, Kelu quickly looked down at his hands, and to his delight, the beastification marks indicating a genetic disease flare-up had vanished, his body restored to health!

And not just that, even his wrists, raw from fear and pain-induced struggles, were healed, not a trace of a wound in sight!

A series of surprises almost overwhelmed Kelu; he stared in disbelief at the scene before him, tears of joy brimming in his eyes.

"A miracle has really happened..."

"I won't turn into a monster, I won't die..."

Reflecting on the immense psychological pressure, the tangible pain, and the mental torture he endured in just one day, Kelu's nose tingled, and tears slowly filled his eyes. Finally, after all the hardships, he couldn't hold back anymore and wept uncontrollably, celebrating this hard-won miracle.

And this miracle was brought by Queqiu.

He clasped his hands together, pressing them against his forehead, eyes closed in reverence, repeating those two words in his mind, over and over, wanting to etch them into every part of his being, never to be forgotten.

In the midst of this, the Sahasra flower fell, its fleeting pale yellow hue catching Kelu's eye.

"What's this?"

He looked on in puzzlement, and upon seeing it clearly, his already wide eyes almost bulged, his mouth agape in disbelief, unable to fathom what he was seeing.

Kelu even wondered if he had died and arrived in heaven.

Trembling, he clumsily held the pale yellow flower in his silver handcuffed hands, which seemed to soften at the touch of the flower, a symbol of his imprisonment and restraint.

Carefully, Kelu placed the Sahasra flower over his heart, feeling the immense energy and hope it brought, much like the small Omega who had given it to him.

At this moment, his face was filled with a blissful smile, tears rolling down his cheeks, dropping heavily onto the delicate petals.

Not only Figo and Kelu, but also the abandoned Alphas and Betas in the treatment rooms, each received a small, beautiful Sahasra flower. Their reactions were almost identical: surprise, joy, disbelief, tears brimming, and sobbing uncontrollably.

Born on the dark planet like the Sahasra flowers, growing up in such harsh conditions, most of them had never seen a blooming flower or smelled its fragrance in their lifetime.

They thought their fate was set: to be honed like weapons, thrown into wars, and eventually destroyed, with no escape or chance of change.

Yet, one morning, a delicate, beautiful Omega stepped into their cold, desolate world, bringing the fragrance of a flower to these forsaken beings struggling in the dark.

Since then, all darkness was dispelled by the dawn, all suffering found solace, and all pain was erased.

The abandoned found new hope, a new dawn, and a new deity.

They would never forget the miracle that had entered their barren lives, and they would forever hold the memory of the miracle and its divine bringer in their hearts.

*

Queqiu went from room to room, spending an entire day and night, healing all the first-year combat Alphas.

Upon hearing the news, Louis immediately left his work and rushed over. Seeing Queqiu, he frowned and said, "You must rest now. I'll have the Inspection Team take you back. The remaining Alphas and Betas can wait."

Queqiu wanted to persist, but Louis cut him off, "I know you're eloquent, but now you better not argue. Go look in the mirror and see how pale you are."

Queqiu was startled but indeed felt the negative effects of the significant loss of spiritual energy. Normally not feeling tired, he now just wanted to close his eyes and rest.

Seeing Queqiu silent, Louis softened his tone, persuading, "I know you want to save them, but there are hundreds of Alphas and Betas here. Even with a regular rotation, it would take nearly a month. You can't save so many in a short time; the most important thing now is to rest and recover your strength before continuing to save people."

"A month? That's too late." Queqiu knew too well the speed of genetic disease progression from Figo and Kelu's cases. He understood that he had to race against time, against the death-bringing genetic disease, to save lives while there was still a chance.

Louis: "The healing Omegas on rotation not only have to manage the treatment rooms, but they also provide mental counseling and pheromone comfort to the queued Alphas and Betas. The daily limit is typically five, any more than that would lead to an overexertion of psychic power. Even if you are extraordinary, you can't neglect your own health. Forcing yourself to overextend could end up dragging you down as well."

"So far, I've healed twenty-four Alphas."

Among them, four had already experienced genetic disease outbreaks, and twenty-one were on the brink of one.

As Queqiu said this, his face was expressionless, merely stating a fact without intending to boast, yet Louis was left dumbfounded.

Louis exclaimed in shock, "Twenty-four?!"

Isn't that, on average, one every hour?!

He looked at Queqiu incredulously, but the latter remained calm, not considering this figure a matter of personal pride.

Queqiu knew clearly that if he were still on Earth, he could have simultaneously healed those hundred-plus Alphas and Betas.

But now, after healing just twenty-four in succession, he felt his spiritual power had been drained by more than half.

Queqiu once again acutely realized the gap between his abilities on Earth and in this world, even suspecting that the world consciousness might be limiting him, to prevent exceeding the power that this world could handle.

He understood clearly that he could both save these people and easily destroy them.

Though Queqiu didn't take it to heart, Louis was visibly shaken. Having worked in the Inspection Team for many years and guarded the treatment rooms, he knew that even the highest-ranked healing Omegas in the Empire, like Bai Tianxing, could at most offer mental counseling to ten Alphas or Betas in a day.

And after such intense counseling sessions, their condition would be far worse than Queqiu's mere weakness, often rendering them unable to stand on their own.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Empire, genetic diseases in their latent stages were treatable, but once they manifested, they were almost incurable. Louis was unaware that Queqiu had healed at least four Alphas with active genetic diseases, assuming he had only performed regular counseling.

Yet even so, such unprecedented numbers were enough to leave Louis astonished for a long time.

He became curious about when Queqiu had chosen the combat department. They only knew he was a defective healing Omega, but not the level of his combat skills.

Based on Queqiu’s consistent top performance in various trainings and practical combat, it seemed he was no ordinary fighter. Translated to Alpha terms, he was probably at least an A-level combat Alpha.

The more Louis thought about it, the more remarkable he found Queqiu. He wanted to ask more, but by the time he came back to his senses, Queqiu was already gone.

"Where did he go?"

"Report to the captain, Chief Queqiu has gone back."

After receiving a satisfactory answer, Louis breathed a sigh of relief, then instructed the Inspection Team to guard the treatment rooms diligently while he went to report the situation to Gebu and Yan Weili.

Upon returning to the dormitory, Queqiu opened the door to find two Alphas, eagerly waiting for him, squatting in front of him.

"Why aren't you two sleeping at this hour? What are you doing here?"

Tang Butian, with dark circles under his eyes, looked worn out, "Ever since you left, Mengtuzi and I haven’t slept a wink, worried something might happen to you."

Xu Feng, with his perennially slightly red rabbit eyes, now looked even more bloodshot, his complexion poor, "When we went to deliver comfort aids to Instructor An, he wouldn't let us go to the treatment room, so we knew nothing."

Seeing Queqiu's pallor, he asked worriedly, "Queqiu, are you alright?"

The pair, with their exaggeratedly forlorn expressions, made Queqiu appear almost ruddy by contrast.

Queqiu: ...

"Better than you two."

Without another word, Tang Butian went to fetch nutritional supplements for him, while Xu Feng hurriedly poured water. After Queqiu had rested for a while, they dared to ask him about the situation in the treatment room.

"Figo is okay, right? Genetic diseases are really terrifying, I've been so worried about him," Tang Butian fretted, tugging at his ears, uneasy all day without any concrete news.

Queqiu, not wanting to worry them, hid the fact about Figo's genetic disease outbreak, simply saying, "Figo is doing quite well. His condition improved a lot after I did the mental counseling, and his physical recovery is also fast. He might need a few more days of observation, but should be able to return once he’s completely stable."

Hearing this, Tang Butian and Xu Feng both relaxed, exhaling deeply.

"That's such a relief, you're all okay!" Tang Butian, thrilled, hugged Queqiu tightly. "Queqiu, you're truly our savior!"

Xu Feng, equally moved, looked at him, "Thank goodness for Queqiu, it's a silver lining in our misfortune."

Queqiu, however, was quite composed. He patted Tang Butian on the head, signaling him to let go.

Standing up, he assured them, "Don't worry, I'm here."

"I've used up a lot of mental energy these past two days and need to rest. I'll probably be in the treatment room for the next few days, so don't worry too much about me."

"You're going back there?!" Tang Butian and Xu Feng asked in unison.

They exchanged surprised glances, their eyes reflecting concern, yet they refrained from dissuading him—

Having spent so many days and nights together, they understood Queqiu's character too well. Once the little Omega made a decision, no one could change it.

As expected, Queqiu nodded, "Yes, I will go back."

"Either save none, or save them all."

Although Queqiu's face was pale and his lips colorless, revealing an overall weariness, his eyes shone with an unwavering determination, as bright as gold.

Tang Butian and Xu Feng would never interfere with any of Queqiu's decisions. While they might not agree with his choice, they expressed nothing but concern, holding back any unnecessary words.

Tang Butian cautioned, "Just make sure to stay safe, no matter what. Your own health is the most important thing."

Xu Feng: "Queqiu, I will always believe in you."

Queqiu paused briefly, then a faint smile curved at the corners of his mouth.

"Hmm," he responded softly.

Back in his room, no sooner had Queqiu closed the door than he was cornered by Morfa from behind.

"You can't go back to the treatment room anymore. Your current condition is not good. You need rest more than you need to save others."

Having not seen Morfa for just a few days, Queqiu felt an unusual sense of alienation, as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time, and even felt invaded by Morfa's overly close proximity.

He instinctively dodged Morfa's worried gaze, but this subtle move didn't escape Morfa's notice.

"I'm aware of my condition and know my limits."

Compared to before, Queqiu's tone was indeed more distant than usual, making Morfa feel as if they were strangers and his concern was an intrusion.

"Are you deliberately avoiding me?"

Morfa's voice trembled, causing Queqiu to feel uneasy and even less inclined to meet his gaze.

Without answering the question, Queqiu gently pushed Morfa away, indicating his desire to rest.

Morfa's pupils constricted, his eyes filled with disbelief and hurt as he was pushed away.

The Alpha stood, stunned, watching Queqiu's familiar retreating figure, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, coupled with an overwhelming fear for the current situation and the future: Was he being abandoned?

The mere thought of this possibility brought tears to Morfa's eyes instantly.

Morfa couldn't bear the thought of his fears becoming reality, unable to imagine being truly abandoned by Queqiu one day. Everything had been fine between them until the appearance of that Silver Wolf Alpha shattered their idyllic dream.

Morfa even started to hate that damned Alpha, hating everything and everyone that took Queqiu's attention away, even hating his lost memories and his other identity.

He despised everything that could distance Queqiu from him, even himself.

With a heartbroken look, he gazed at Queqiu's retreating figure and asked tremulously, "Mom, don't you want me anymore?"

Queqiu paused mid-step, knowing Morfa needed a firm and clear answer. But before the words "No, I don't" could leave his lips, the conversation with Xiaoyue in the Gobi desert involuntarily flashed through his mind.

The two words rose and fell, and after what felt like an agonizingly long silence, Queqiu closed his eyes and eventually chose different words.

"Don't think nonsense, Morfa," he said, "Let me rest alone for a while, okay?"

"If you're already so tired, why do you still want to save those Alphas and Betas?"

Not getting the answer he wanted, Morfa's long-suppressed emotions finally burst out.

He rushed towards Queqiu, grabbing the Omega's slender wrist, his silver eyes red with anguish.

"You never used to interfere in their affairs, but this time you've changed completely. Are you really trying to save them, or just using it as an excuse to avoid me?"

"Of course, I'm heartbroken to see you expend so much spiritual power, and I want you to rest properly. But your idea of rest is to continue saving people. I don't understand, you might save the first-year Alphas in combat, but can you save over a hundred Alphas and Betas in the treatment room? If you save these hundred, can you save all the Alphas and Betas on the Dark Star?! "

"What about the Capital Star? The entire Empire?!"

"How many can you save with just your own strength?!"

Faced with Morfa's barrage of accusatory questions, Queqiu remained unshaken, maintaining his calm demeanor.

He said, "I'll save as many as I can. For every one I save, one less will die."

Even so, Queqiu still selectively ignored the other questions.

Morfa, having anticipated his response, tears shimmering in his eyes, asked, "Is it worth it? You said this world is rotten to the core, that even if you save them, it won't change the current situation. What's the point of all this?"

"I'm not doing it because it's worth it or not. There are so many things in the world that aren't worth it, and not everything has to make sense," Queqiu said. "I just felt like doing it, so I did. As for the deeper implications, if you want to discuss them with me, I'm sorry, but as you know, I'm just a canary. I don't think about such complex matters."

"Because you're just a rose, you don't understand human emotions, do you?" Morfa asked sorrowfully.

Queqiu nodded without hesitation, "Yes."

"You really can't see that I love you, can you?"

Author's Note: