Chapter 002

Chapter 002

Bai Xiaoyu thought it might be a high-tech product.

But that black ball saved his life, so it must have been controlled by someone. He had to find a way to thank its owner when he got the chance.

He wondered how much such a black ball would cost. No, in this world, they used credit points as currency. He wanted one too.

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, the image of the original owner's account, with a long string of zeros, automatically appeared in his mind. All his assets had been taken by his siblings before he was sent here.

The original owner had nothing but a light brain. Those people were afraid he would return and some even wanted to get rid of him for good.

"Teacher Bai Yu, are you feeling unwell?"

Bai Xiaoyu snapped back to reality, realizing his sudden silence had scared the assistant, "No, I'm fine. How long was I unconscious?"

Yu Xi: "Three days. You gave us quite a scare."

Bai Xiaoyu smiled at Yu Xi, "Thank you for all your hard work these past few days."

Yu Xi, who was not yet eighteen, was simple-minded and had been deceived by the original owner. The original owner, fearing he wouldn't have enough money, even 'borrowed' Yu Xi's savings.

Yu Xi hadn't realized he had been tricked; Bai Xiaoyu's smile made him stare again.

Bai Xiaoyu had fair skin, phoenix eyes, and thin lips. When the original owner was still around, his demeanor was gloomy, yet his appearance ranked among the best among his siblings.

Everyone mocked him as a double F loser, but no one could fault his looks. Thus, the original owner was known as a useless beauty on Capital Star.

And now, Bai Xiaoyu was even more remarkable. When he didn't smile, he looked like a refined gentleman, and when he did, he radiated warmth like spring blossoms.

Yu Xi's face turned red, and his words stumbled, "N-no... It's my duty. This... This is Doctor Yang, your attending physician."

Doctor Yang stood behind Yu Xi. Unlike Yu Xi, who had black hair and black eyes, she was a beautiful woman with brown hair and green eyes, a mature type. She spoke, "I'll do a full-body checkup now."

Bai Xiaoyu nodded, "Thank you."

Yang Wang looked at this person who seemed contrary to the rumors, her surprise flashing away quickly.

Born on Capital Star, she was different from the information-deprived locals. They had even attended the Imperial Military Academy together, though she studied medicine while Bai Xiaoyu studied cultivation. In a sense, they both belonged to the medical field.

Back then, this person had entered the Imperial Military Academy's top program through privilege but skipped classes every day, failing every subject at the end of the year, ranking last in the entire academy. His reputation was well-known throughout the academy.

She had been personally assigned by the dean three days ago to be Bai Xiaoyu's attending physician. The dean was concerned and repeatedly emphasized the importance of the assignment, saying that Bai Xiaoyu was the only cultivator in their region, a high-achiever from Capital Star specifically sent here.

In fact, Yang Wang didn't believe it. After all, she remembered his school record vividly. Additionally, she had chosen to serve as a military doctor in the frontier because Bai Xiaoyu's father had once shown interest in her at a banquet. Her excellent bloodline and leopard form made her desirable for producing more humanoid offspring, which made her rejection even more intriguing to him. Her parents had paid a heavy price to allow her to escape.

Thus, she had no good feelings toward the royal offspring, including Bai Xiaoyu.

Bai Xiaoyu quickly noticed the hostility in the doctor's eyes. He sifted through his memories but found no information about her.

Could it be that the original owner had offended someone without realizing it?

Back then, the original owner had indeed offended many people.

Bai Xiaoyu didn't know that this woman knew the original owner's background and almost became one of his many stepmothers. She hadn't left any surgical gloves or scalpels inside during the operation due to her kindness and medical ethics.

Bai Xiaoyu was scanned in the treatment device by the grim-faced Yang Wang but couldn't recall anything. Finally, he gave up on investigating.

Instead, he focused on the treatment device, which he knew could heal external injuries quickly.

Of course, severe fractures still required a doctor's intervention. Due to the advanced physical and mental capabilities of future humans and advanced technology, most incurable diseases from before the apocalypse were now trivial.

The current challenge in the galaxy was genetic diseases, including those caused by the dark matter of the insectoids, leading to issues like a sharp drop in the birth rate of newborn eggs, difficulties in hatching, and a decreasing number of powerful humanoid births.

After thousands of years of fighting the insectoids, humanoids, with their superior physical and mental abilities, were better suited to pilot mechs and had always been on the front lines. The stability of countless planets in the galaxy was largely maintained by the sacrifices of humanoids.

In recent centuries, the number of humanoids had decreased, and many half-humanoids and pure humans had to fight on the battlefield, making the situation increasingly dire.

Like the planet he was on, which had experienced a major battle three years ago, many people had left after the war, leaving only a few behind. Reconstruction had just begun to stabilize things.

After reconstruction came the issue of reproduction. This frontier planet lacked resources, had a harsh environment, and was often harassed by insectoids, making it difficult to attract talent.

Cultivators like him were hard to come by; it took a long time for Capital Star to send one over.

Newborn eggs in the galaxy only began developing after hatching, and cultivators played a crucial role in this process.

An excellent cultivator could not only hatch healthier newborns but also increase the birth rate of humanoids.

Bai Xiaoyu frowned, feeling the pressure mounting.

The examination was quick, and Bai Xiaoyu was dismissed by Yang Wang afterward.

Yu Xi waited outside for him, and they took a public flying vehicle back.

Bai Xiaoyu watched the scenery, vastly different from the post-apocalyptic world, with lush greens and various buildings, showing no signs of the former battlefield.

"The reconstruction has been impressive."

Yu Xi proudly straightened his chest, "Of course! We have the Sixteenth Legion stationed here to help. Even if the insectoids come, we're not afraid."

Bai Xiaoyu heard the familiar name, "Sixteenth Legion? Is that the legion where the black egg's owner belongs?"

Yu Xi scratched his head, "I don't know about any black egg, but I do know that General Bai Chen led the Sixteenth Legion to save our planet three years ago."

Bai Xiaoyu saw the assistant's eyes light up when mentioning General Bai Chen, "General Bai Chen, you admire him?"

Yu Xi clenched his fist, his voice becoming firm, "Of course, he's an idol to the entire galaxy! He and the Sixteenth Legion protected half of our galactic territory, keeping the insectoids at bay."

Then his expression changed, looking almost teary and sad, "But he went missing six months ago after battling the insectoid king. Many say he probably won't come back, sniff sniff..."

Bai Xiaoyu was searching his mind for information about Marshal Bai Chen. The original host's deepest impression of him was the fear all the royal offspring had of Bai Chen.

Hearing this, he hurried to comfort Yu Xi, "No, he will come back."

Yu Xi: "Really?"

Bai Xiaoyu nodded, "Maybe he’s just on a mission somewhere and can’t show himself in public."

Seeing Yu Xi visibly cheer up, Bai Xiaoyu looked out the window, his expression turning serious. In his memory, the royal offspring celebrated after hearing the news of Bai Chen's disappearance.

At that time, the original host was busy with his ambitions and wasn't interested. Based on their reactions, the chances of a hero's return were slim.

The future flying vehicle was fast; it took only fifteen minutes to return to the breeding facility.

The breeding facility was even larger than he imagined. The entire building was oval-shaped, like a giant egg.

As soon as they stepped into the breeding facility, the system's voice sounded in his head: "Beep beep beep. Host returned to the breeding facility within 12 hours. Mission completion rate is 50%. Please continue to work hard. Please check on the eggs as soon as possible."

Bai Xiaoyu paused, "Xiao Xi, let's go see the eggs first."

Yu Xi was surprised by his enthusiasm, his eyes filled with excitement as he led the way, gesturing wildly.

Bai Xiaoyu remembered that the original host refused to incubate the eggs. He immediately asked for a flying vehicle and funding, treating the eggs carelessly. At that time, he incubated the eggs without much thought, relying on the little knowledge left in his mind.

Bai Xiaoyu couldn't help but rub his forehead, hoping there wouldn't be any problems with the eggs.

They went directly to the central incubation area. Upon entering, they saw large fully automated machinery. Every meter apart, there was a transparent energy shield shaped like an egg, each containing an egg.

These eggs varied in size. Bai Xiaoyu scanned them and asked, "Are all the eggs here?"

Yu Xi: "Yes, all eighteen eggs are here."

Bai Xiaoyu looked at the row of eggs, trying to recall relevant professional knowledge, but found nothing beyond what the original host had done.

As for what the original host did, it was simple: place the egg in the incubation shield, pour in the nutrient solution, and that was it!

A child of a few years could do it.

But what came next...

Bai Xiaoyu: "System, are you there?"

System: "Yes. Host has not completed the task. Please check each egg individually. Hint: touch with your hand."

What kind of hint was that? Bai Xiaoyu had no choice but to find the smallest egg and touch it.

The goose-egg-sized white egg felt slightly cooler than body temperature, with its shell barely undulating, as if the egg was breathing.

If not for Bai Xiaoyu's years of experience and professional instincts, he wouldn't have noticed.

He closed his eyes unconsciously, focusing his mental energy around the egg and slowly probing inside.

This egg was breathing, though slowly and steadily, indicating strong vitality. According to his guess, it might be due to insufficient nutrients.

But it was just a guess; he had no idea what to do. They needed a professional to come and assist with the incubation.

Thinking this, he saw no response from the system.

It seemed he wouldn't get any help unless he took action.

He released the egg and turned to Yu Xi, "Xiao Xi, how long would it take to request another breeder to come here?"

Yu Xi, who had just seen Bai Xiaoyu's actions, had been thinking that the breeder was finally willing to take over the facility. Hearing this, his face fell.

"Bai Breeder, you applied before, but it was always denied. You were sent here after we requested for a long time. This is the first batch of eggs; previously, they were sent to other districts for incubation. But those districts prioritize their own eggs, so our eggs were weak when hatched, with fewer half-beasts, let alone full beasts. Now that we have a breeder, they refuse to take our eggs."

Bai Xiaoyu was silent for a moment before patting Yu Xi's head, "I didn't say I was leaving. I just want to bring in someone more professional since I don't know how to incubate eggs."

Yu Xi looked at him with bright eyes, "The district leader said you graduated from the best school in the capital, specializing in breeding. If you can't do it, no one else can."

No matter how Bai Xiaoyu tried to explain, Yu Xi wouldn't believe him.

The system urged him again, so he continued touching the eggs, choosing the largest one this time.

As his hand passed through the energy shield, it began to flicker, and the smart system of the incubation equipment started to sound an alarm.

"Warning—energy shortage. Please replenish energy within three days."

Bai Xiaoyu turned to Yu Xi, "How do we replenish the energy?"

Yu Xi was close to tears, "Three days ago, you said to use the system's energy box for the flying vehicle and that you'd bring back nutrient solution and an energy box when you returned."

Bai Xiaoyu: "..."

Was this adding insult to injury?

He sighed and reached into the energy shield toward the egg.

Its breathing was even weaker than before, and the life force inside was fading.

Bai Xiaoyu's brows furrowed, and he suddenly opened his eyes wide.

This egg was showing signs of yolk dispersion!