“Chapter 3: The Newly Born King”

"Chapter 3: The Newly Born King"

"'Unable to locate coordinates!'"

"'Unknown signal origin…'"

"'No user ID information, as if it's a brand-new shell straight from the research facility—'"

"Outside the massive pure white eggshell-like building, numerous guards have gathered, and a silver spaceship hovers at the entrance of the intelligence center. Additionally, a group dressed in white, lavish clothing stands outside."

"Their usually reserved and indifferent faces now show a hint of anxious panic. One of them can't help but ask, 'Is the news about the youngest son of the Xiènà family true? Did he really see... that supreme being?'"

"'Xiènà is already inside checking. He is the executioner of this generation for the First System. This person will definitely discern if the news is true or false.'"

"Several people exchange glances, each seeing unhidden worry and excitement on the other's faces."

"'It's been four hundred years... For four hundred years, the new generation has only heard of the supreme being in legends. When they look at me with eager eyes, I really don't know how to describe to them that our king is not as cold as a statue. He loves each of his believers fairly, his spiritual power is like an ocean, gently protecting every Itan...' The female dean of the First Educational Institute of the main star quivers, 'Although we wish not for the king to expend even a fraction of his energy.'"

"'...The children will understand, Stana, as soon as they witness the existence of the king once again.'"

"Inside the eggshell, in front of the display screen of the intelligence center, stands a silent, tall figure."

"His hair is as white as snow, similar to Ael's, but his is much longer, reaching his waist and tied at the end with vine-like metallic bindings. Further up, similar colored fixtures keep his hair in place, extending to the sharp tips of his ears, with two white gems dangling like icy teardrops from a snow-capped mountain."

"Ael, still feeling turmoil inside, repeats his earlier words to the long-haired youth beside him: 'Brother—no, Lord Xiènà, the signal was intercepted ten minutes ago. We have traced its origin as quickly as possible, but...'"

"He looks hopeless: 'But Lord, the distance is just too vast. The entire Heiyao System is continuously expanding, as if the coordinates are at opposite ends. We are at α, and that person, that person is at β.'"

"The youth suddenly speaks: 'So what?'"

"Ael swallows nervously: 'So, we only know he is in alien territory, but cannot pinpoint his location quickly. And if his power was stable, he wouldn't be so thin, so it's highly likely that he is in...'"

"Xiènà finishes his sentence, '...in a hungry, lonely, sensitive, and vulnerable nascent stage, unprecedented for any royal family member to endure outside the Ita Empire, in this perilous phase so susceptible to harm.'"

"Ael takes a deep breath."

"Xiènà raises his slender fingers, once again tenderly touching the small figure on the screen."

"The youth continues to smile at them, standing amidst the ruins, yet his demeanor is so noble and adorable."

"Ael notices his usually emotionless and aloof brother's fingertips trembling slightly as he gazes at the boy intently, reading the coarse image frame by frame, as if on a pilgrimage."

"Feeling the gaze of others, Ael reluctantly asks, 'Lord Xiènà, so what we are seeing, is it real?'"

"The air seems to freeze for a second at his question. All Itans present fix their gaze on Xiènà, their expressions tense and desperate, as if awaiting a death sentence from him."

"Xiènà slightly lifts his head, looking towards the top of the eggshell structure, where the only opening lies. Above it, the Ita light shield that has protected the main star for four hundred years still twinkles faintly."

"A legacy of power from four centuries ago, still shining softly to this day."

"The young man with long hair speaks in a cold voice, heard by every Itan present: 'According to the Ita Tome, all Itans are born of union, except for the king, whose birth is a supreme gift from the cosmos. We do not know when he will appear, only that if our faith persists, a young new king will emerge from the old king's demise, leading the Itan race forward in the universe.'"

"Xiènà withdraws his gaze from the light shield, looking towards the eager and expectant Itan faces around him."

"'And the universe-like grey-purple eyes are the most distinctive symbol of our royalty.'"

"Xiènà turns, 'The gates of the royal palace shall reopen soon, and the Rolanviette Garden will be revived. I'm ashamed to have never met the true king, but I believe my intuition.' - from the first moment he saw that child."

"Ael is both excited and aggrieved. They've wandered in darkness for four hundred years in this star field, losing their royal family, akin to losing their purpose in life. Their spiritual power has grown restless, yet just being gazed upon by those purple eyes has brought immense solace."

"Every Itan is born to protect the king, a mission etched into their souls."

"'Continue tracking the signal, dispatch all cruisers stationed in the first star system. Screen the crew meticulously; each ship must have a nutritionist, a psychological counselor, a high-ranking military officer, and active royal guards. If faced with alien resistance, proceed at all costs until reaching the king.'"

"Xiènà closes his eyes, white eyelashes resting on his lids, moving slightly with each breath."

"'Inform the executive officer of the second star system, Gaxiu, to mobilize the blue-feather fleet from the Lanfei star system for escort. Do not disseminate the alien image to avoid public panic and anxiety.'"

"Finally, he softly adds, 'May the power of faith be with us, long live the Empire.'"

"This declaration effectively informs everyone that the existence is unquestionably real, and their task is to welcome the return of the new king."

"The crowd watches the nobleman hasten away, leaving behind a sea of white spiritual tails swirling in his wake."

"Their voices are suppressed with indescribable boiling emotions, tinged with the unique cold, inorganic tone of their race."

"—'May the power of faith be with us, long live the Empire!'"

-

"'Are you sure you want to live here forever?' Hu Lin repeatedly asks Yun Huai, 'K420 isn't a great choice; many species can't stand its barren and dull life.'"

"Yun Huai holds the finished meal packet, speaking more to Hu Lin, 'This place is perfect for me right now. Maybe things will change, but I don’t want to think too far ahead.'"

"He just wants to seize this second chance at life, earning enough for basic needs. There might be minor troubles, but it’s better than exposing himself on a higher-level planet."

"Hu Lin smiles slightly, 'You always give me the feeling that you don’t belong to K420.'"

"Yun Huai softly sighs, his brows and eyes drooping sadly as Hu Lin's words make him feel like even this world might not accept him."

"To his surprise, Hu Lin lowers his voice, leaning in, 'You shouldn’t be toiling for a living. If the universe's hierarchy is a tall mountain, your face belongs at the very peak. Just a wave of your hand would bring countless people yearning to kiss your feet.'"

"...Is it just because I'm short and peculiar to them?"

"Yun Huai's eyes flicker, 'Could there really be someone in this world who would like me, Mr. Hu Lin?'"

"He had never truly experienced being treated kindly. Even his death was absurdly tragic, so he couldn’t imagine some things happening to him."

"The man with brown hair pats the young man's head, 'Of course, you’ll find it, that most supreme and pure love of legends.'"

"Yun Huai, being pragmatic, doesn’t let Hu Lin's words fuel fanciful daydreams. Still, he thanks his mentor and expresses his resolve to work hard and look forward to that day."

"Dropped off at his familiar doorstep, Yun Huai remembers to discard the trash in his hand. Hu Lin lives further down the street. Watching him disappear around the corner, Yun Huai turns, only to feel something heavy strike his back."

"Looking down, he finds a medium-sized rock."

"His expression remains calm, unfazed. Such petty tricks are nothing compared to the worse ordeals he endured in the apocalypse."

"Yun Huai had been busy working and earning money these past few days and couldn't think of anyone he had offended."

"But soon, he finds out."

"A boy slightly taller than him approaches with a few men, some of whom Yun Huai recognizes as those urging him to pay his rent."

"The young man's brow furrows slightly, aware that the ten days agreed upon for his rent aren't up yet, and he hasn’t prepared the remaining amount."

"The boy walking at the side spots Yun Huai and sneers with malice, 'Enjoying taking over other people's jobs, kid?'"

"Yun Huai is puzzled, 'What do you mean?'"

"The taller boy scoffs, 'Hu Lin used to assign the energy box tasks to me! Why does he favor you just because you had some gene beautification done?'"

"Yun Huai, bewildered, '...?'"

"Gene beautification?"

"His genuinely confused expression makes the accuser's words feel like they're hitting cotton. The boy angrily throws another stone at Yun Huai, who deftly dodges as it nearly hits him."

"'Uncle! Aren't you still holding his rent? This kid has been earning quite a bit lately; he must have gathered enough for the rent, right?'"

"The man behind him gazes directly at Yun Huai, 'Last time I saw you, you looked like a scruffy kid. How did you become so fair and tender in just a few days? Did you really get a genetic makeover?'"

"Yun Huai is not afraid of the boy looking for trouble but is more wary of these new species who seem capable of knocking him out with a single punch."

"He steps back slightly, his back against the mottled wall."

"As the man starts approaching him, his expression becomes somewhat dazed, 'Strange... why do I feel that you—'"

"'Stay away.'"

"Yun Huai faces the man squarely, struggling to contain his agitated psychic ability due to the mounting tension."

"He even feels a sense of dizziness, his psychic energy coursing rapidly, causing his blood to heat up in a way he never experienced in the post-apocalyptic world."

"It's as if something is silently and stealthily evolving within him."

"Yun Huai suddenly feels a pang of hunger, despite having just eaten a bag of food."

"The man approaching halts in his tracks, standing there for a few seconds. The others behind him mockingly say, 'No way, did a kid really scare you off?'"

"Hu Lin had warned that being too attractive on K420 isn’t necessarily a good thing."

"This is a lower-tier area under chaotic alien governance. The overlord has too many affairs to attend to annually; how could he possibly pay attention to a mere garbage planet?"

"The lower the tier, the more arrogant the insignificant become. On this planet, the order is so chaotic that a few deaths a year don’t even warrant a report to the higher-tier planets."

"The tentacled man, feeling provoked and embarrassed, steps forward again, 'You’ve earned so much these past few days. Surely, you have enough for the rent now. Why wait ten days or half a month? Let’s settle it now, shall we?'"

"In the corner, Yun Huai appears fragile with his eyes downcast, convincing the man that he is internally weak. Gritting his teeth, the man shakes off the brief paralysis he had just experienced and confronts Yun Huai, who suddenly meets his gaze head-on."

"Too close."

"So close that he can clearly see the endless void, akin to the depths of the universe, in Yun Huai’s eyes, devoid of fear or anger."

"Yun Huai feels a burning hunger in his stomach, so intense that it seems to create illusions before his eyes."

"He sees an invisible energy field engulfing the man, where psychic energies intertwine and blaze, reflecting in Yun Huai’s eyes."

"He suddenly licks his lips, his gaze narrowing for a moment."

"So hungry."

"I'm so hungry."

"Following his suddenly emerging devouring instinct, Yun Huai straightened up and began to walk towards the man slowly yet deliberately."

"The latter was initially stunned, then a disgusting lecherous smile appeared on his face."

"The youth’s head felt hot as he reached out his hand, and in that moment, his eyes turned intensely dark, like a top predator disguised at the bottom of the food chain."

"Just as he was about to grab the man's psychic tail, a loud bang exploded next to his ear."

"Suddenly, a huge iron garbage bin appeared in his field of vision, crashing down on the man, covering him in dirty, smelly garbage."

"Yun Huai stopped in his tracks."

"He regained his senses for a moment, slowly looking down at his own hands."

"...What was I just doing?"

"'What are you doing!'"

"The familiar androgynous voice that echoed in Yun Huai’s head was also heard aloud."

"Yun Huai turned towards the voice and saw the 'troublemaker' he had eluded at the starport today, inexplicably appearing near his home."

"And the other person seemed furious, eyes blazing with boiling anger."

"'You all gang up on a cub, do you have no shame? Why don't you look in the mirror and see your own faces, see if that evolution-failed pig face of yours even deserves to stand before him!' Tang Sisi, trembling with fear and anger, picked up a huge steel scrap and hurled it at the stunned people further away."

Yun Huai: "..."

Yun Huai silently moved to the side and wrapped his dusty gray coat tighter around himself.

Tang Sisi hadn't been this angry in a long time. After taking photos at the starport, she had been aimlessly following Yun Huai. When she noticed him rubbing his stomach, she went off to buy food for him, only to return to this scene.

Already feeling protective, her anger boiled over. She didn't hold back her words, "Low-class species of the garbage star, coveting a cub's Luge coins, deserve to be ugly poor devils forever. Even evolving for three more generations won't fix your tiny brains! If the lord were here today, he'd twist your heads into steel cables!"

Steel cables... Ah, so hungry.

Yun Huai rubbed his soft belly, wondering aimlessly if steel cables looked like twisted marshmallows.

Apart from the one knocked out by the garbage bin, the others were scared senseless by the sudden onslaught of heavy objects. The whole street corner was in chaos, with Tang Sisi unleashing pure physical violence.

In the alien world, everyone knows not to judge racial potential by appearance, but grabbing hundreds of pounds of scrap without batting an eye isn't something ordinary people can do.

Her psychic power was probably higher than everyone present combined.

"Monster—!"

The boy who had complained earlier trembled and shouted.

Seeing the situation turn, the rest, clutching their bleeding wounds, quickly scurried away, but not far before Tang Sisi flattened them with a large iron sheet.

"You’re the ones who look like monsters! Bully anyone else and I'll grind you all into salted fish paste!"

After doing all this, she took a few deep breaths, then turned to look for Yun Huai.

But Tang Sisi had to search several times before finding a half-sunken step, with only a few levels leading to a small door, through which she saw a familiar half-face.

Like a young animal in a cave, wary and fluffy, watching her.

Tang Sisi's eyes immediately softened, her voice became artificially gentle, "Actually, I'm very fragile."

Yun · Little Salted Fish · Huai: " ."

"The girl with chestnut hair nervously shifted her gaze, suddenly at a loss for words, 'Um, I didn't mean to follow you at the starport, nor to harass you... it's just, well, you saw, it's easy to be bullied here... I didn’t want to see you get bullied, I really like you, uh.'"

Yun Huai: "Your face..."

Tang Sisi immediately touched her cheeks anxiously, "What, what's wrong?"

Yun Huai's gaze slowly moved over her, his tone less hostile than before, "It's very red. Are you feverish?"

Tang Sisi: "————"

The devilish words of Tang Curse echoed in her ears: [Hide your masculine features, don't act rashly when you're out.]

Tang Sisi, in a state of collapse, tousled her semi-long hair, feeling dirty under Yun Huai's innocent gaze.

"I’m not feverish... it's just my complexion. I blush easily," Tang Sisi said as she edged closer to Yun Huai, "Don’t worry! I’ll be staying on K420 for a while. If they come back, you don’t have to be afraid! When you’re ready to leave, I’ll take you with me!"

Yun Huai asked instinctively, "Go where?"

Tang Sisi, excitedly thinking she had a chance, exclaimed, "To the lord's star! That genesis star field is vast and spectacular! Everyone living there is powerful. They will protect you, you won’t face such things again!"

...Powerful people, and the lord, who sounds formidable. If they all react to his psychic abilities, ten Yun Huais wouldn’t be enough to handle it.

Yun Huai politely declined as he closed the door slightly, "No need, I get seasick."

Tang Sisi let out an "Ah," her green eyes shyly admitting, "My piloting skills are not good, maybe I should call my brother, but he's busy preparing for a military officer promotion exam..."

At this, Tang Sisi’s expression became complex as she muttered, "That damn nerd, rolling from the bottom planets to right under the lord's nose and still rolling, if he dies rolling, nobody else will survive!"

While saying this, she brought in the "Warm Takeout," squeezing one of her jade legs into Yun Huai's tiny house.

Then, as if remembering something, she eagerly persuaded him, "Actually, in the alien race, as long as you work hard and have a special talent, it's really not a problem to jump social classes. The lord gives many people opportunities. Except for mysteriously disappearing for two months each year and having a somewhat abnormal combat value, there’s nothing else to say about him..."

Tang Sisi added, "He can easily excel in various fields! —Theoretical knowledge, mech piloting, starship racing. The lord is a truly terrifying talent-based species. My brother and the others speculate that the lord’s only flaw is probably being a bit love-struck."

She said this as she successfully squeezed into Yun Huai's small space, then spread her arms with a strangely intense tone, "Because he has a huge — personal treasury, rumored to be filled with his wives’ figures!"

“……”

Yun Huai nodded hesitantly, his head buzzing, "But I’m not hardworking or talented, the lord definitely wouldn’t look at me."

"Your special talent is your face!" Tang Sisi proudly relied on her well-informed sources, "So, kiddo, aren't you interested in the outside world? Don’t you aspire to the new lord's power? Don’t you have anything special you want to ask?"

Yun Huai, fearing he wouldn't be impressive enough for the powerful lord, his throat moving slightly, set his obedient gaze on the bag of roasted meat Tang Sisi was holding.

A minute later, Yun Huai thanked Tang Sisi, "I am interested in this, thank you, you are a kind person."

Meanwhile, the girl, holding a garbage bag waiting for the 'little ancestor' to spit out bones, doubted her persuasive skills as a popular internet influencer.

She couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like this beautiful and obedient cub. He was always sensitive and cautious, as if he believed no one in the universe could like him — he really needed someone to properly take care of him.

Tang Sisi's thoughts inexplicably drifted to the omnipotent lord, capable of doing anything.

She hissed, piecing together the image of the pale, soft youth with the cold silhouette she had only seen from a distance.

Then, Tang Sisi's cheeks weirdly reddened again.

Author's note:

"On Earth, we have cosmetic medicine; in the universe, we have genetic beauty treatments. From eye and hair color to body shape and species, it's a one-stop service. You deserve it."

*Background setting of the Eita: There was an old king, now gone. Yun Huai is the only new king born in the last four hundred years, and ironically in the arms of the enemy.