Chapter 2: The Newborn King

Chapter 2: The Newborn King

Despite Yun Huai's quick response, his conspicuousness in the crowd was undeniable.

Even Tang Sisi, who was half a head taller than him, dressed in a goth-style black skirt and pants, stared at Yun Huai with her green eyes and floated towards him as if lured.

Yun Huai pretended not to notice and quickly finished his work, planning to find the shipowner to settle the payment.

But Tang Sisi was much quicker. The owner of the pink spaceship had a face with light wheat-colored skin, which made the blush on her cheeks less apparent.

She blocked Yun Huai's path, her head surrounded by dreamy bubbles creating a whimsical atmosphere.

Yun Huai: "…?"

Up close, Tang Sisi became even more entranced. Her voice had a neutral quality: "Sweetie, how did you end up looking like this?"

Yun Huai had to look up slightly, but he still cautiously hid his eyes: "…I'm sorry, customer, I know I'm not good-looking."

Tang Sisi: "??"

The barrage still open behind Tang Sisi: "???"

What are you saying with your adorable mouth?

Yun Huai slightly averted his gaze, his evasion from the screen quite evident.

Tang Sisi, realizing belatedly, directly adjusted the direction of her screen towards a fishy-smelling head.

Barrage: "............"

You're tough!

Tang Sisi blocked Yun Huai's path, her eyes circling him in shock. "Why do you say you’re not good-looking?"

...Because Yun Huai felt his appearance didn’t fit the mainstream of this world’s strong ideals. The attention he garnered was probably just due to people's curiosity.

Yun Huai found this stranger a bit odd, but since she was a guest at the starport, he vaguely responded, “That’s what they say.”

Tang Sisi, hands on hips, demanded, “Who!”

Thinking of past rumors in the apocalypse, Yun Huai replied, “...Some people who didn’t like me. I have to get back to work, I should go.”

With that, he quickly circumvented her beautiful outfit, careful not to smear any grease on her.

Tang Sisi stood frozen, then hastened after him in two strides, “They’re deceiving you! You don’t look like someone from K420 at all. Ah... I’m not good with words, but you need to have a correct understanding of your face. Hey—”

Her finger touched Yun Huai’s shoulder, but he instinctively dodged, a reaction rooted in his apocalyptic wariness and fear, turning his head and raising his voice, “Don’t touch me.”

Tang Sisi paused, taken aback.

Although the young man before her was not as tall as her, Tang Sisi inexplicably felt her neck hairs stand up, even her psychic energy prickling for a moment.

The pain made her quickly retract her hand, “You, don’t be afraid, I’m not a bad person. I’ve just never seen someone like you...” a different species.

Suddenly, a sweet scent wafted in the air, reminiscent of wine brewed in snow and ice. Tang Sisi’s nose twitched slightly, her pupils dilating and then unsteadily moving closer to Yun Huai.

“Sweetie, you smell so good...”

Yun Huai’s heart pounded, realizing too late that his psychic ability had inadvertently leaked a bit due to his emotional fluctuation.

The youth's face turned slightly pale, and after a quick glance around, he didn't speak again. Moving swiftly, he disappeared into a gap between the spacecraft.

Tang Sisi, left standing there, appeared a bit dazed but quickly regained her senses as she moved away from that scent. The live stream had automatically shut down due to the host's prolonged absence. Tang Sisi frantically searched among the spacecraft for that figure.

The fleeting sweetness she had smelled earlier sparked numerous unfamiliar impulses in her heart... For the first time since she was born, Tang Sisi felt an indescribable protective desire towards something.

She began to worry whether the young repair worker she had just met had been bullied; why else would he be so fearful of people? And the thought that she might already be disliked by him caused an inexplicable tightness and sorrow in her heart.

Ah, damn it, why does K420 have such a beautiful treasure!

Tang Sisi opened her link bracelet. Her private messages were exploding with complaints about her watching the little pudding alone, ignoring everyone else. However, she had no mind to deal with that and sent a message to a contact.

[Brother, I've become a painless mother]

The reply came instantly: [?]

Tang Sisi, still in a daze: [I came across a youngling on K420 during my travels. He's so white, fragrant, soft, and pitiful... Right now, I don’t want to do anything but dote on this little treasure. But I think I scared him, and now he’s run off without a trace.]

Tang Curse: [.]

[I must remind you, your genetic mutation direction is hermaphroditic. If you let your maternal instincts overflow, you'll never return to male characteristics again.]

Tang Sisi choked, slowly placing her hand over her pants.

Oh.

It's still there.

Big.

No, she needed to control herself. This damn genetic mutation wouldn’t care if she lived or died.

Nevertheless, Tang Sisi couldn't stop worrying about Yun Huai. In that moment, she felt she had formed some subtle bond with him, making her unconsciously want to do anything to coax a smile from him.

...So, who would dare say such a child isn't good-looking? Damn it, she wanted to crush those gossipers into crumbs!

Tang Sisi, dressed up as a young girl and shaking off the pink bubbles clinging to her — her exclusive skin — did not leave a better impression on Yun Huai.

She sighed again, then her brother suddenly asked: [You're at K420?]

Tang Sisi replied listlessly: [Ah…]

Tang Curse: [At the northern coordinates 23.05 of K420, there's a deep abyss cave. You can wander anywhere else, but if you don’t want to scare your precious child, it’s best not to wear a skirt and enter the men's restroom.]

Tang Sisi: "......"

Don't worry! A gentleman always sits down to take care of biological needs!

-

Once he was sure that the strange girl had gone far enough, Yun Huai emerged from the gap between the spacecraft. In this world, even a young girl was taller than him, and she had keenly sensed his psychic ability. He realized he needed to be even more cautious to survive among the strong.

The young man pursed his lips, looking somewhat unhappy.

He wondered if his body would still grow. Yun Huai felt that at least an additional ten centimeters in height and a darker complexion were needed to better blend into this environment.

...At least he wouldn't be instantly identified because of being too pale and small.

Yun Huai tightly concealed the scent of his psychic ability and, after circling a few times, found Hu Lin, who had already received his payment and was chatting with a spaceship owner.

"The internal situation in Ita is getting tenser. I heard that the third star system is about to declare independence."

Hu Lin, while handing two Lu Ge coins to Yun Huai, exclaimed, “Isn’t the third star system their main military force? How did it get so strained?”

The spaceship owner lowered his voice: "It's all because of 'that'."

Hu Lin responded mysteriously: “Oh, 'that', right.”

“Exactly, 'that'. Ita has been without 'that' for too long; even they are starting to doubt the accuracy of their history. The third star system no longer believes in 'that', causing severe tensions with the first star system, which remains loyal to the supreme authority. The second star system has been trying to mediate in recent years.”

Hu Lin sighed, "I hope they don't bring their madness to our tribe..." Then he noticed the quiet beside him and looked down to see Yun Huai intently watching their cryptic conversation.

Hu Lin affectionately patted Yun Huai's head, "Kid, don't worry about adult matters. Even if the Ita clan attacks, we have our Lord to protect us."

But Yun Huai shook his head and said, "No, Mr. Hu Lin, I was just wondering if there are any more energy boxes to replace today?" He added apologetically, "I'm a bit hungry. If there's no more work, I'd like to go buy something to eat."

Hu Lin, momentarily taken aback, replied, "You don't have to ask me for permission. You're free to move around. If you're hungry, go eat. Come back to work after eating. I don't mistreat my apprentices."

A faint smile appeared on Yun Huai's somewhat pale face, noticing the gaze of the spaceship owner beside him retracting swiftly.

He nodded in thanks to Hu Lin and walked away quickly, carrying his toolbox.

Watching his retreating figure, Hu Lin remarked, "The kid's good in every way, just a bit too well-behaved..."

The spaceship owner commented, "Poor little guy, didn't you feed him before?"

Hu Lin, shocked, exclaimed, "Of course not! Do you think I would mistreat him? I curse myself even for raising my voice at him!"

The spaceship owner understood, "Right... Who could bear to hurt such a little one? If he smiles at me, I’d empty all the coins in my pocket for him."

-

Yun Huai, with his two Lu Ge coins, approached a self-service vending machine. Unable to read the inscriptions, he first observed others using it from a corner before hesitantly stepping forward.

This was his first time buying food in this world, having eaten only reserve rations in the previous days.

The youth, looking a bit nervous, extended his left hand, wearing a link bracelet, and touched the machine with his link code.

The screen immediately announced, "K420 citizen 164632, please insert coins."

Yun Huai hurriedly inserted the two Lu Ge coins. The screen displayed a smiling face, "Thank you, please wait."

The vending machine was located in a secluded corner of the spaceport, rarely visited because those with a little money wouldn't choose the bland and hard-to-swallow meal paste.

But Yun Huai had no other choice. Apart from eating, he needed to save enough for rent within ten days to sustain his life.

He watched the vending machine intently, and soon a slim package of food dropped from above. Yun Huai, having been constantly hungry since regaining consciousness in this world, felt like he could never eat enough, as if growing. The meal, costing just two coins, was the best option he could afford.

Feeling a bit weary and tense from revealing his psychic ability in front of that strange girl, Yun Huai finally took off his hood once he saw no one around. A trace of sweat lingered on his pale forehead, and some oil smudges accidentally brushed onto his nose.

Just another ordinary day with neither excitement nor danger.

He had already saved up fifteen copper coins. With a bit more effort tomorrow, he could pay the rent in full.

In the distance, a spaceship landing at the spaceport created a breeze, but by the time it reached Yun Huai, it had become gentle, not enough to billow his clothes as before.

It was at this moment that Tang Sisi spotted Yun Huai again.

She had been wandering aimlessly, her heart not in it for her adventure live stream, and initially thought she was hallucinating when she saw a familiar figure.

After staring blankly for a couple of seconds, Tang Sisi murmured to herself, "...Back when Tang Zhuo and I were mucking around in the old home’s swamp, we didn’t even wear clothes like this."

She wanted to do something for him, even if it was just to make him a little happier. But Tang Sisi, sensing Yun Huai’s dislike for flamboyance, knew this small, timid youngster needed her to hold her breath, ensuring he wouldn't get scared and run away.

"He must have never truly admired his own beauty, that's why he's so unconfident. But hasn't he ever heard a compliment in all these years?"

Tang Sisi muttered to herself while pulling out her personal link code camera, paused, then realized the distance was too far to capture even a third of Yun Huai's charm.

Struck by an idea, she fished out a palm-sized black device from behind her.

"Tang Zhuo is somewhat useful, at least I got this ultra-long-range surveillance smart eye from the military research institute, not yet released to the public. This thing doesn't even have a number or location tracking... but it works fine!" Tang Sisi could only see Yun Huai’s back and kept adjusting the angle, zooming in closer. The nearer the lens, the more nervous her breathing became.

Despite not knowing why she was so nervous, she felt like a creepy stalker, yet couldn't control herself, trying to breathe as quietly as possible, lest she startle the little one afar.

"I'll just take one photo, just one... I'll keep a copy for myself, then give the original to him so he can see his own face properly..."

The breeze caused by a distant spaceship eventually settled down, and Yun Huai, completely unaware that he was being "watched," was lightly biting into his cheap meal substitute. Turning around, he saw Hu Lin approaching within his line of sight.

Hu Lin was the first citizen in this world to show kindness to him, and Yun Huai instinctively gave a gentle smile to this kind-hearted tall man.

His turn was so sudden, and his smile too abrupt, that Tang Sisi, feeling like a thief caught in the act, shivered slightly, resulting in a blurry high-definition shot.

In the dim backdrop of K420's evening, the only thing clearly visible was the young man's pale, serene face, eating the cheapest food yet looking entirely content. Moving up, there were his eyes, now fully exposed without the hood, gentle and noble in their gray-purple hue.

Tang Sisi froze for a few seconds upon seeing this through her lens, then suddenly lifted her gaze to fixate on the face of the young man not far away.

……

She didn't know how to describe those eyes. Did these lower-class citizens of K420 realize that even in the Birth Star region of their new Lord, such gentle and noble gray-purple eyes were rare to find?

Like mist, like gems, like all things beautiful condensed and gathered, you'd pray for him to glance your way just once more, as if a distant deity was watching over his devout followers.

Tang Sisi's fingers trembled, her heart pounding painfully. She clumsily tried to hide, but accidentally hit a silver hidden button on the side of the camera.

In an unnoticed corner, a red light flashed briefly on the smart eye.

At the same time, light-years away in the First Star System of the Ita Empire's external war center, a duty officer intercepted a signal from a distant alien species.

Aliens were a significant threat to Ita, and intelligence information was always a top priority. Immediately, someone noticed this signal.

Inside the sterile, eggshell-white building, filled with coldness and mechanization, Ita people hurried to and fro without a hint of unnecessary emotion. A few gathered around the signal, their brows slightly furrowed, expressions barely revealing impatience and arrogance.

"Unlike other species that accept any bizarre being, the Ita tribe from the Black Shine System is notoriously xenophobic. Yet, they are so powerful that many species depend on them for survival."

"But the first criterion for Ita to accept immigrants is appearance."

"Next, they evaluate the perfection of post-evolutionary physical form. The excessively ugly, mentally twisted, and those with major defects are rejected. Around the royal Ita Star, only pure-blooded Ita of three generations are allowed entry, and they must have perfect scores in royal knowledge and theory."

"Even if one successfully approaches the main star, rigorous checkpoints await. The Royal Guard on Ita Star possesses absolute authority for capital punishment. They watch every potential anomaly and disturbance, all to protect the vast Royal Palace at the heart of Ita Star."

"Despite this, the palace has been cold and closed for four hundred years, still awaiting its new ruler."

"The young man monitoring the signal has distinct pure-blooded Ita traits: handsome, tall, with sharp ear lobes."

"Several equally arrogant Ita coldly stare at the screen. 'Lord Xienna instructed us to pay extra attention to alien territories.'"

"The short white-haired young man yawns boredly. 'He's just an obsessive-compulsive sickly king, maintaining that long hair with dignity daily. We're nearly searching for a king in others' homes... Oh sorry, no disrespect to the king. Like every Xienna family member, I sincerely await the new king's birth. Really, I aced the theory exam.'"

"Someone from behind retracts the light-energy gun pressed against the young man's head. 'You better be. Open it and see what's inside.'"

"All the Ita gathered around the signal are in a state of cold detachment, a demeanor sustained for years, expecting this signal to reveal some trivial and boring alien information, as they have countless times before."

"Ael Xienna clicks on the code. The analysis, slowed by the distance, takes a full three seconds. Suddenly, the screen flickers and a blurry photo appears."

"The photo is poorly taken, with a dusty background. Up close appears to be a second-hand machine, and further away, a more blurred small hill - no, not a hill, a mound of scrap."

"But these aren't the focus of the photo. Ael instinctively hums, 'Who's this?'"

"On Tang Sisi's 'smart photo', beside the machine to the right, stands a boy biting a nutrition bag."

"She shot it so blurred that the Ita couldn't even discern the style of the boy's clothes. However, she captured his face clearly. The pure-blooded Ita around Ael lean forward involuntarily, several pairs of pupils hesitantly frozen, bridging countless light-years to lock gazes with an unknown existence."

"He seems to be looking at them."

"With a gentle smile."

"And a pair of perfect, tranquil eyes, the noble gray-purple that only the Ita royalty possess."

"Ael, the closest, feels an inexplicable chill in his blood. Turning to his kin, he notices their tails, one after another, exploding outward."

"This is a unique manifestation of the Ita of the First System's white psychic energy, a shameful bug that only appears when they encounter something they can't process."

"Ael's voice trembles slightly: 'Wait, this person looks somewhat familiar.'"

"The indifferent young man who had held a light-energy gun to Ael's head cautiously brings up a secretly treasured, highly confidential image. His joints stiffen, his perfect evolutionary mind unable to process the current situation."

"In a far superior image than Tang Sisi's photography, a mysterious and powerful figure sits on the white altar of Ita Star. He resembles the enlarged version of the person in the coarse signal photo - more imposing, more indifferent, quietly observing every small citizen worshiping him."

"This is the most real king the Ita people can behold today. Lifelike, yet forever an unsmiling gemstone statue."

"The indifferent young man brings the altar's royal image close to the signal photo. Several pairs of wildly contracting eyes scan from left to right, then right to left, and then... their psychic tails simultaneously explode into white light points."

"Ael stands abruptly, nearly falling in a very undignified manner. More and more Ita people notice their anomaly, and the more who gather, the more slender white psychic tails explode."

"Amidst the chaos, Ael remembers to save the blurry photo from the distant alien world. He isn't sure of his judgment but feels a burst of psychic energy each time he sees those smiling eyes."

"Never has anyone made him feel this way, instantly willing to offer his life for an existence."

"The white-haired noble youth speaks as if awakening from a dream, amidst a sea of white psychic energy explosions."

"‘Not sure, let's check again. So small! Looks underage!’ Ael inhales deeply, pressing himself back against the intercepted signal. 'He's hungry! He's eating something! What is he eating—'"

"His voice suddenly cuts off."

"The background of the magnified surveillance details, the vending machine honestly provides their answer."

"[Concentrated meal replacement, two coins per bag, thank you for your patronage]"

"The youth, sweating slightly as if he had just completed some strenuous work, has a smudge of black oil on his snow-white nose. In the distant and hostile alien territory, he gently sips from a bag of low-quality food not even deemed fit for pets, yet his grey-purple eyes brim with softness and contentment."

"Ael's vision darkens in disbelief as he mutters, 'The universe has gone mad.'"

"Author's note:"

"Good news: The king has been found."

"Bad news: Enemy camp + Wasteland planet + Lower-class life + Difficult situation."

"Worse news: The easily contented young king doesn’t recognize his parental group, planning to retire here as a ship repairer QAQ"

"*This novel will attempt to introduce some novel species, as the vast universe harbors all kinds of beings (X"

"*The hermaphroditic character in this story, like Earth's sea slugs, has two reproductive systems. Born male, Tang Sisi's genetic mutation also enables a female form. Currently leaning towards female, hence the girlish attire. Psychology can influence genes and hormones, leading to the complete transition to female and the loss of male traits, hence her brother's warning (This concept has been revised; this is the latest version)."