Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Autumn's appearance undoubtedly captivated everyone; it was hard to imagine someone so strikingly beautiful existed. His allure was like a drawn dagger, bright as the sun and impossible to look at directly.

Gasps of awe filled the air. Even those who had seen his photos online couldn’t believe that in this age of advanced technology, where images are so beautified they seem unrealistic, the person in front of them was many times more beautiful than any picture, especially with a liveliness that no photo could capture.

Autumn himself didn’t make much of it, looking straight ahead: A rose knows it will be admired when it blooms; he was born aware of his beauty.

Those who know their own beauty don’t seek gratification from others' admiration, as they are used to living amidst praise.

For administrative purposes, the participating teams needed to register upon landing. An Ran, leading the Dark Star Military School team for the procedure, found that while other teams were promptly assisted by staff upon disembarking, they were dismissed with a frown and a hasty "find it yourselves" when they approached for guidance.

The disdainful avoidance from the staff made it seem as if people from Dark Star were plague-bearers.

The stark contrast in treatment between them and other teams, who received eager assistance, made the Dark Star team feel even more unwelcome.

The cadets, mostly spirited young men, were infuriated by this blatant disparity.

The Hippo Alpha complained, "Aren’t we all here to compete? Why can’t we be treated equally?"

You Buwei, with a smirk, said, "We're from a criminal planet, how could we expect equal treatment?"

Having experienced the previous tournament, Dole was used to being overlooked and consoled them, "It’s fine, we’ll manage on our own."

Noticing the cadets' discontent, An Ran, though also upset, maintained his composure as an instructor: "No worries, the registration hall shouldn’t be far from the landing pad. I’ll go with Autumn for the registration. Dole, take the rest to the lounge and wait for us."

Autumn nodded, handed his backpack to Figo, and followed An Ran’s lead.

"Dole then led the group to the lounge to wait."

"Finding the registration hall was relatively easy; Anwei Ran and Queqiu managed to locate the correct place without much effort and joined the queue. When their turn came, Anwei Ran handed over passports and registration forms through the window, saying politely, 'Please register these, thank you.'"

"Behind the service window, a young Beta tapped rapidly on a transparent keyboard, his head never lifting as he spoke in a formulaic tone, 'Please wait, there are twenty-three teams ahead of you yet to be processed.'"

"However, his actions paused momentarily when he saw 'Siku Star' on the passport. Then, looking up at Anwei Ran and noticing the Shasha flower embroidery representing Dark Star on his uniform, his tone became impatient, 'Where's the form? You need to fill out the form first, bring me all the documents together, then I can process your registration.'"

"Anwei Ran, ignoring his tone, asked in confusion, 'What form? Nobody mentioned we needed to fill out any form.'"

"The Beta rolled his eyes, 'The forms were distributed by staff after your landing. It's not our fault if you didn't pay attention. Without the forms filled in advance, I can't process your registration. Go back and ask a staff member for it, then bring it here after completing.'"

"Remembering the indifference they faced at the landing pad, Anwei Ran frowned, 'But nobody told us about this.'"

"'What's that got to do with me? I'm just following the rules. Stop making a fuss and move aside if you're not going to complete the procedure. There are many other teams waiting in line,' the Beta retorted irritably."

"His attitude was clear, and those waiting in line behind patted Anwei Ran on the shoulder, urging them to move on."

"Facing one obstacle after another, Anwei Ran, who was not known for his patience, would have not tolerated it this long if it weren't for the youngsters he was responsible for. He shot back coldly, 'Take your hand off!'"

"The one who had touched his shoulder was a hulking Alpha chimpanzee, nearly three meters tall, a giant even among other large Alphas. Snorting disdainfully from above, the chimpanzee Alpha said, 'Hmph, typical trash from Dark Star, can't understand human language.'"

"Anwei Ran's fists clenched tightly, but he was stopped by a cool, small hand. Turning his head, he saw Queqiu shaking his head at him."

"His lips moved silently, but it was evident he was saying, 'I have a plan.'"

"Strangely, even though Anwei Ran was furious just a moment ago, the moment he locked eyes with Queqiu's golden ones, it was as if a gentle spring breeze had swept through, taking away all his anger and negative emotions."

"Anwei Ran suddenly calmed down and nodded at Queqiu."

"As Queqiu stepped forward, the chimpanzee Alpha's eyes flickered with admiration. His previously fierce demeanor softened into a somewhat ingratiating one, nervously saying, 'Ah, I hope I didn’t scare you. Please don’t take it personally; I was just scolding this oblivious snow wolf Alpha.'"

"Queqiu didn’t respond; he simply walked towards him."

"Seeing this, the chimpanzee Alpha grew more excited, eagerly introducing himself, 'Beautiful little Omega, hello, I’m Tyler, captain of the Titan Star team, an A-grade Alpha. I noticed you back at the landing pad, captivated by your beauty. I wonder if I could…'"

"Before he could finish, the petite and pretty Omega furrowed his delicate eyebrows, expressing his displeasure, 'You’re really annoying, move aside.'"

"Tyler was taken aback, instinctively stepping aside a bit, clearing the view for those queuing behind. Their eyes lit up at the sight: such a cute, beautiful little Omega!"

"His golden hair and eyes shone like glistening gold!"

"His lips were soft, plush, resembling strawberry-flavored cotton candy!"

"He seemed like an exquisitely fragile doll displayed in a shop window!"

"Although Queqiu didn’t consider himself an Omega, he knew that to handle such an obnoxious Alpha, he had to adopt Omega tactics."

"He closed his eyes, recalling the small expressions and details from his interactions with Bai Tianxing. When he reopened them, he was still the same person, but his aura had completely changed. No longer intimidating, just softening his gaze was enough to make him more endearing. His usually inorganic eyes appeared slightly petulant yet not overly so, charmingly enticing people to pamper him. His voice, naturally soft, slowed deliberately, sounding even more tender."

"Queqiu's eyes were large and round, conveying an innocence and naivety when wide open. The corners of his eyes slightly upturned, and his pupils pure gold, combined innocence with a hint of profound mystery, resembling the lively eyes of a cat. A mere glance from him was like a hook, captivating a group of Alphas, quickening their heartbeats."

"Each Alpha felt as if his gaze rested solely on them, their hearts fluttering in response."

"With such subtle groundwork, it seemed that no matter what request this pretty and delicate Omega made, they would be more than willing to comply wholeheartedly."

"So when Queqiu, with his soft and glutinous voice, said, 'No staff were willing to explain the registration process to us. We didn't know we needed to fill out a form. Could you please tell me where to get one?'"

"The Alphas, already captivated by his beauty, hurried to offer him their assistance, pushing forms they hadn’t yet filled out into his hands:"

"'Don’t blame yourself! It’s all the fault of those staff members, not yours.'"

"'Exactly, isn’t it the responsibility of the staff to guide us and facilitate our registration? But they neglected your needs, which is truly despicable!'"

"How can someone bully such a soft and delicate little Omega? If those staff members are Alphas, they're a disgrace to Alphas, deserving to be shot!"

"No form? No problem, use mine!"

"I grabbed a few extra, use mine, use mine!"

"Why are you crowding? What if you squeeze the little Omega? Make way!"

The registration hall, once orderly, now became chaotic as Alphas jostled to help, leaving the Beta staff bewildered, suddenly cast as villains just by a few words.

The initially rude chimpanzee Alpha Taylor stood dumbfounded, facing sneers from passersby.

Here, no one respected Alphas who discriminated against Omegas, even if the object of their original contempt wasn’t Autumn.

Taylor's teammates, wanting to offer their forms to Autumn, were rebuffed by the Omega’s disdainful glance: "I don't like people from Titan Star. Too impolite."

Eager to please, the Alphas chimed in, "Exactly, those Titan Star Alphas are just muscle-bound simpletons, utterly rude."

"We dislike those unreasonable, brawling elements of society."

"Don't be upset because of them; they’re not worth it."

"Didn’t you hear? The little Omega said he dislikes you. Get lost!"

Stunned, Taylor's tall, muscular teammate retreated, aggrieved. Seeing Taylor still rooted in place, he complained, "It's all your fault, now the little Omega dislikes me too."

Taylor, bewildered by the turn of events, crouched down despondently, a mountainous Alpha brooding over whether he was truly so unlikeable that even such an adorable Omega despised him.

The more he thought about it, the sadder Taylor became, his tears swirling in his eyes.

Autumn casually took an extra form, handing it to An Wei Ran to fill out, while thanking the helpful Alphas, causing these tough men, unaccustomed to tears on the battlefield, to blush excitedly, each inwardly dancing with joy: Ah, the little Omega thanked them!

So cute! So polite!

Especially the raccoon Alpha whose form Autumn took, was so thrilled he was lost for words, just holding his hot, flushed cheeks and gazing at Autumn with starry eyes.

An Wei Ran quickly filled out the form and handed it back to the Beta at the window, his demeanor now frosty: "All set. Can we register for landing information now?"

Having witnessed the Alphas' display, the previously arrogant Beta was now eager to please, quickly agreeing to register them with a smile—

No joke, hadn't he seen how completely that little Omega from Dark Star had these Alphas tamed? If he dared to act up as before, it would be a miracle if he made it out of the registration hall in one piece.

The Beta swiftly processed Dark Star Military School's landing information, handing them a booklet with a hint of appeasement: "After registration, you're free to move around Capital Star. We've also arranged accommodation for your team."

An Wei Ran took it without a glance at the Beta.

After completing registration, he whispered to Autumn, "We can go now."

Autumn nodded, waving at the smitten Alphas: "Goodbye."

Though expressionless and not particularly ingratiating, the Alphas, as if enchanted, eagerly waved back: "Goodbye, goodbye."

"Wah, he said goodbye to me!"

"Shameless! He obviously said it to me!"

As they passed by Taylor, seeing the big man sorrowfully squatting, Autumn paused and said indifferently, "If you can't learn to respect others, naturally, no one will like you."

Having said that, Autumn left with An Wei Ran.

The chimpanzee Alpha abruptly looked up, struggling to believe that Autumn's words were meant for him. Remaining frozen in his awkward pose, he stared blankly at the departing figure, his shock slowly turning into realization. Recalling his earlier disrespectful tirade against An Wei Ran, calling him trash from Dark Star, he was overwhelmed with shame, his face turning as red as a boiled lobster.

Even after leaving the registration hall far behind, An Wei Ran was still in disbelief about the sudden change in everyone's attitude, prompting him to ask Autumn, "How did you manage that?"

Dropping his feigned innocence and coquettishness, Autumn returned to his usual aloof and detached demeanor.

Despite the many Alphas falling for his softened words, he didn't even glance back, telling An Wei Ran, "I don't particularly enjoy the privileges that come with being an Omega, but I don't mind using them to teach a lesson to Alphas who are full of themselves."

"You really are a unique Omega," An Wei Ran remarked admiringly.

"Is that a compliment?"

An Wei Ran smiled, "Of course."

They returned to the waiting hall, collected Dole and the others, and prepared to head to their accommodations.

Dole recalled how he was mistreated during his last visit, like how teams arriving later than them were accommodated in official hotels, while they were still struggling with registration.

He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly this time.

"This time was really smooth," Dole couldn't help but comment.

An Wei Ran glanced at Autumn with an amused look, "We had a great helper this time."

You Bu Wei interjected, squeezing between them, eagerly asking, "Where are we staying tonight?"

An Wei Ran opened the booklet given by the Beta staff, initially thinking he had read it wrong, staring at it in disbelief.

Impatient, You Bu Wei peeked over and whistled, "Wu~ staying in the palace, huh? What luck."

As soon as he said that, everyone immediately crowded around, exclaiming, "Really?!"

"Wow! Staying in the palace!"

"Does that mean we might even see members of the royal family? That's so cool!"

"Instructor, I request that we set off immediately, right now!"

The palace?

Autumn paused slightly.

Xiao Yue had told him to come to the capital star and find Mo Erfa in the palace.

Now, their accommodation was arranged in the palace, just a few steps away from Mo Erfa.

The purpose of this trip seemed easily achievable, yet for some reason, Autumn, who never knew retreat or weariness, felt a sudden twinge of fear upon hearing such good news:

Was he really going to meet Mo Erfa?

No… now, he should be called, Duan Chen Sen.

Autumn didn't realize he was nervously biting his nails, the noise and clamor around him irrelevant in that moment, as he was completely absorbed in his own world.

The man who was an admiral of the empire seemed too unfamiliar to him.

He had only seen him once on a TV in the slums, separated by a screen.

For a moment, Autumn felt unusually unsettled.

He thought, the person he was looking for was Mo Erfa, but the person who emerged from the cocoon was Duan Chen Sen.

Could they truly meet and recognize each other without any reservations?

Autumn was unsure, even though he knew Mo Erfa had assured him countless times of his everlasting love.

Lost in thought, he was gently brought back to reality by Figo's tap on his shoulder.

"Autumn, let's go."

Autumn nodded absently, following Figo with a small measure of comfort.

"You look a bit pale, what's wrong?"

"Maybe it's the long space journey, I'm a bit tired," Autumn lied casually.

Figo didn't probe further, carrying Autumn's luggage and caring for the small Omega, acting like a worried father.

The tournament officials had thoughtfully arranged transportation for each team from the various planetary academies. However, the hovercar assigned to the Dark Star Academy team was noticeably smaller and older than those for other teams.

Logically, providing inferior treatment to a specific team seems more troublesome than treating everyone equally.

Evidently, some people don't mind the trouble if it means making those from Dark Star uncomfortable.

Although the team members were dissatisfied, they realized their complaints were futile against the blatant discrimination they faced since landing.

Before boarding the car, You Buwei commented to Autumn with a sardonic smile, "I told you, this empire doesn't favor those it despises."

Autumn also felt the stark discrimination, more unsettling than the wealth gap on Dark Star.

He remained silent, simply following the others into the vehicle.

Despite its size, the hovercar comfortably accommodated all eight of them.

The car, trailing long fireworks, weaved through the towering buildings. The night had fallen on the capital, with its neon-lit sky and a massive silver moon hanging above the city.

The moon was so large it seemed to cover a third of the sky, potentially invoking fear due to its size, yet obscured by the dense, towering buildings, only glimpses of it were visible through the gaps.

Autumn watched the bizarre scenery outside through the hovercar's window, deep in thought.

He gazed at the moon, a silver orb like a secretive eye hidden behind towering buildings, quietly observing the bustling streams of people and vehicles below.

People walked briskly among the dazzling neon lights and skyscrapers, none pausing to glance at the bizarre, absurd moon.

Perhaps they had grown too accustomed to it.

An comforting approached, curiously asking, "What are you looking at?"

"The moon."

"I thought you were observing the radiation shield."

A familiar term, once explained to Autumn by Yang Shu.

So, he asked, "Does the capital's main city have a radiation shield like Dark Star's?"

Surprisingly, An comforting shook his head: "No."

"The capital doesn't have a main city."

No main city?

Autumn turned, slightly startled, to look at An comforting's face, partially obscured in the flickering lights, unreadable.

After a pause, An comforting continued, "The capital is unlike Dark Star; there's no main city here. Every inch of this planet is valuable, making everywhere the most flourishing area."

He looked up, joining Autumn in gazing at the sky: "Hence, the entire planet is enveloped in a radiation shield, covering every corner. Residents here don't suffer from prolonged cosmic radiation and have a much lower rate of genetic disease than people on other planets."

Autumn lowered his head, murmuring, "So, Dark Star, only able to shield its main city, has the highest death rate from genetic diseases in the empire?"

An comforting hummed in agreement, losing interest in the view and turning away, remarking, "Sometimes, I wonder if the opulent capital represents the true empire, or if it's Dark Star, plagued with backwardness, crime, and illness."

Perhaps realizing his words were overly pessimistic, An comforting added, patting Autumn's shoulder, "That's why I wanted to bring you to the capital. I believe your true potential can only be realized in such grandeur."

Autumn remained silent, not responding to An comforting, even unaware of when he left.

He looked up again, reexamining the lavish, resplendent planet.

He had to admit that, at the thought of Morfa, he had felt briefly disoriented and lost.

But seeing the silver moon hidden behind steel and concrete, and hearing An comforting's words, his confusion and aimlessness gradually dissipated into nothingness.

At this moment, Autumn realized that aside from finding Morfa, there was more he needed to accomplish on this journey.

Not just the trip from Dark Star to the capital—

Autumn meant his journey from Earth to this world, the real task he was meant to undertake.

He gazed at the moon.

The moon seemed to gaze back at him.

Or rather, he was now at the closest point to the empire,

Locking gazes with this colossal entity.

Author's Note:

I'm really enjoying writing this, what about you?

(Just that it's a bit too intense and fast-paced, whew)

Today's Autumn: A bit of a teaser.