Chapter 63: Show of Force

Chapter 63: Show of Force

Amidst the ruins, several mutants, having devoured each other, lay dead in the flames, with the contamination slowly burning away into ash.

Upon receiving orders, the Third Regiment stationed at the spaceport immediately landed at the spaceport of Customs Star.

After the regular army moved in, the entire area was completely sealed off, roads were placed under strict lockdown, and nearby residents were even temporarily quarantined to determine if they had been contaminated.

Ground mechs entered the devastated battlefield, and fully armed cleanup crews sprayed special disinfectant guns around, conducting the final sweep and cleanup operations.

The warehouse where the smuggling group stored the inhibitors, which had caught fire in an explosion, was completely extinguished upon the arrival of the rescue fire trucks, with all the inhibitors destroyed in the blaze.

Quite a bit of pheromones still lingered in the air; most had been blown away by the wind, but the remaining scent was enough to make the rescue personnel's mental entities dizzy, leaving them disoriented.

Military medical vehicles were parked on the open ground in front of the ruins.

Uncertain about the extent of Xiao Sa's infection, Landis refused to let any other medical personnel near him, fearing further contamination, and insisted on carrying him onto the vehicle himself.

When he heard Xiao Sa say he was in pain, Landis couldn’t bear it anymore. He knew how strong-willed Xiao Sa was, with a high sense of pride and a tendency to save face. If he was showing any weakness, it meant the pain was too much for him to bear.

"Painkillers! Bring the painkillers over!" Landis shouted at the medics, more frantic than he had been when Little Star was attacked.

Xiao Sa grabbed Landis's hand that was about to touch his wounded back. Landis's eyes darkened. "At a time like this, don't be stubborn."

After a brief rest, Xiao Sa regained some strength and leaned on him. A small white tiger appeared beside them.

Before Landis could ask, the white tiger vanished in a flash, and a fog-like silvery mass of mental energy began to condense in the air.

Compared to when Xiao Sa first awakened his abilities and couldn’t even hold such a large mass with both hands, what remained now was very small, like cotton candy in a child's hand.

"What is this?" Landis asked in surprise as the cotton-like mass wobbled over to Xiao Sa's head.

The mass squeezed hard like a sponge, finally dripping a few drops of "rain" that washed away the necrotic black-red flesh and contamination on Xiao Sa's back.

Though he still looked seriously injured, it was much better than the earlier horrific state.

"This is my mental entity..." Xiao Sa explained dryly.

"You have a mental entity?" Could that white tiger be one as well? Landis was full of questions, but this wasn't the time to ask.

Xiao Sa glanced at the second mental entity above his head, feeling as though a dark cloud hung over him, drenching him wherever he went, bringing an air of misfortune.

After the energy mass exhausted all its "rain," the last bit of mental energy in Xiao Sa's mental sea was completely depleted. Xiao Sa let out a long breath and, following Landis, got into the vehicle, falling limp into Landis's arms.

Landis took Xiao Sa directly to the military hospital in the administrative palace of Customs Star. The top floor of the enclosed sanatorium, designated for infected military personnel, was guarded heavily by security personnel, layer upon layer, leaving no room for any breaches.

While waiting outside Xiao Sa's treatment room, Landis continued to command the Third Regiment's ground mechs through his neural interface, relentlessly attacking the smuggling armed groups.

In addition to the group that had dared to attack Landis earlier, who were met with the harshest retaliation and were mostly wiped out, those who had planned to quietly move their goods and hide in some secluded spot were also caught in the crossfire and eliminated.

For a time, the entire Customs Star was in a state of panic. The free trade zone was brought under strict military control, and the administrative officer no longer had to worry about bribing Landis—he was arrested and imprisoned for colluding with armed groups and attempting to bribe a superior officer.

The next morning, the Third Regiment had seized a large number of smuggled and counterfeit inhibitors. Caro, having finished his work, returned to the hospital to find that Landis had not rested the entire night, nor had he accepted treatment. He was still inquiring about Xiao Sa's treatment results with the doctor.

"Mr. Xiao Sa has indeed been infected with contamination, and due to direct contact with the contaminated flesh of a mutant, the infection is severe..."

As Xiao Sa's attending physician spoke half a sentence, Landis's expression changed, and the air pressure around him almost solidified.

Under the cold, stern gaze of the battle-hardened general, the doctor felt immense pressure, breaking out in a cold sweat, and quickly added carefully, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, but that gentleman is a spiritual healer."

"The mental entity of a spiritual healer naturally possesses the ability to cleanse pollution. In fact, before being sent to the hospital, Mr. Xiao Sa's mental entity had already cleansed him once. All that remains is for his mental energy to slowly recover, and after some rest, he will be able to eliminate the rest on his own."

"But as a spiritual healer, he should really stay behind the lines," the doctor thought to himself, wondering why the Third Legion had a healer on the battlefield.

Landis repeatedly confirmed that Xiao Sa wouldn't be affected by any mutation before finally relaxing a little, his pale face regaining some color.

Caro handed him the latest battle report from last night and suggested, "Sir, you should get a full check-up too. Yesterday, the only two who had direct contact with the mutants were you and Mr. Xiao Sa. It's better to be cautious."

Landis quickly scanned the report while signing, "I know..."

He looked at the secret document containing the corroded insignia of a former Fourth Legion officer, his expression grave. "Are you sure this came from a mutant?"

Caro nodded solemnly, "It has been verified, beyond a doubt. This time, we captured mech beasts, or rather, 'mutants,' and obtained their undamaged organs and genes.

"They bear a striking resemblance to a Fourth Legion officer who died years ago."

"Combining this with our previous investigation into the sudden appearance of mutants in the atmosphere of Central Star, and our pursuit of infected Fourth Legion officers."

"We have reason to suspect that the mech beasts secretly researched by the royal family likely originated from the corpses of infected Fourth Legion officers, as well as... mutants."

Caro struggled to finish his conclusion. As an imperial soldier, having served the royal family for over a decade, he had fought countless mutants on the battlefield and had watched helplessly as comrades and loved ones died tragically because of them.

Like Landis, or perhaps the entire military, he firmly believed that mutants were the greatest enemy of humanity, the source of chaos in society.

But he never expected that the true "source of chaos" might be someone else, possibly even the royal family they had always been loyal to.

"The royal family actually used the corpses of soldiers and mutants to research mech beasts. This is... this is..."

Caro was furious. Were they, who had shed blood and sacrificed everything for the empire, not even considered human in the eyes of the royal family?

Marriage matches, inhibitors, spiritual healers, all controlled by the royal family, forming a tight grip on them.

For so long, what was the point of their existence? Was it to become monsters one day?

Caro clenched his fists tightly, falling into self-doubt.

Landis looked at him silently. As a general, with higher authority and more secrets known than Caro, he had already harbored suspicions about the royal family and had been investigating them.

Until today, his suspicions were confirmed, and he became extremely calm, solemnly saying, "Caro, stay calm. You must understand that as soldiers, we protect the entire country and society, as well as our own families, not just to serve those in power."

"The country is the country, and the royal family is the royal family. The reason the royal family became rulers is that hundreds of years ago, they drove out the enemies and led the people to build the nation from the ruins, becoming pioneers and leaders, which earned them support."

"We have a real purpose. Do not doubt yourself," Landis stood up, patting his deputy on the shoulder, "And do not punish yourself because of someone else's malice."

Caro took a deep breath, "Sir, so what should we do?"

Landis carefully put away the secret document, "This matter is of great importance. The other generals are our natural allies. Everything that happened on Customs Star must be placed under absolute gag order and cannot be leaked. As for the rest..."

Landis' eyes were deep, "We'll withhold ninety percent of the seized inhibitors and other supplies to accumulate strength. No matter what risks we face in the future, we must keep the initiative in our own hands."

Caro was startled, looking deeply at him, "Sir..."

Landis shook his head and said no more.

Caro steadied his mind with some effort. If things get bad, the general will be the one to handle it. As long as they followed him, their hearts could be at ease. Thinking this way, his heavy heart lightened a little.

He said, "By the way, regarding Mr. Xiao Sa, the people traveling with him have been protected by our men and are now in the rooms below the sanatorium. Among them is Broken Peak, whom we once hunted. He’s now working under Mr. Xiao Sa."

Landis frowned and said, "How did Broken Peak end up with Xiao Sa?"

It seemed that in the months they had been apart, Xiao Sa had become involved in many things Landis knew nothing about.

Xiao Sa's race and unique physiology were concerns. There was also the matter of his mental entity and the ambiguous connection he seemed to have with the mutants...

Fortunately, Xiao Sa's ability to control the mutants was known only to Landis at the time. No one else was aware.

Landis looked back at the quiet ward where Xiao Sa had just undergone treatment and was still asleep.

Caro: "Um, also, the gentleman who was with Xiao Sa in the small garden yesterday requests to see you."

Caro watched Landis's expression carefully, expecting anger that never came. Landis simply nodded calmly, "Alright, and bring Little Star over as well. Thank you for your hard work yesterday."

After the chaos that had ensued yesterday, Little Star had been left in Caro's care, frightened out of his wits, not even knowing how to cry or throw a tantrum.

"It's nothing, Little Star was very well-behaved." Caro gave his superior a subtle look. He had thought so—how could the general remain so calm toward a rival? It seemed Landis was using the child as a way to show dominance.

In a short while, Caro brought Little Star over.

The little one immediately ran to Landis, still shaken from the events of the previous day, and threw himself into his arms—trying to unbutton his military jacket to nurse.

Landis: "..."

Unfortunately, his clothes were fastened too securely, and no matter how much the little one tugged, he couldn't open them. He then looked up at Landis with a pitiful expression, his mouth puckered and his cheeks puffing in and out.

A vein throbbed in Landis's forehead. The child wasn't frightened—he was just hungry. Nothing a good feeding couldn't fix—two if necessary.

Caro couldn't help but add awkwardly, "I fed him a bottle of milk this morning, and he drank it all."

Little Star waved a small fist, then lay against Landis's chest, pretending to be pitiful.

Landis was utterly helpless with this precious child and sighed, holding him as he stood up. "Take that gentleman to the reception room and ask him to wait for me there. I'll be right over."

※※※

Xiao Ke was led to the rehabilitation center's reception room by a pair of security personnel.

The day before, he had been walking with Xiao Sa and Little Star in the garden when someone Xiao Sa knew suddenly took the child away. From their conversation, Xiao Ke realized that the child was actually Xiao Sa's partner's son.

The child looked to be about one or two years old, but they had only been married for a little over a year. Either the baby was born before they got married, or there was some other secret behind it.

Xiao Ke had wanted to ask Caro, the aide, for more details but felt it would be too presumptuous. Besides, it was clear that Caro had no interest in conversing with an outsider and had taken the child away to play.

Considering that he and his group were all fugitives, Xiao Ke suppressed his curiosity and temporarily left.

Unexpectedly, just after he left, an incident involving bandits occurred, and soon after, they were all "protected" by the security personnel of Xiao Sa's partner.

When Xiao Ke learned that his younger brother had been severely injured by a mutant and couldn't be seen right away, he felt both furious and anxious. Xiao Sa had once mentioned that Landis was a strict and authoritarian military leader, and Xiao Ke was now experiencing that firsthand.

Though he wasn't fond of it, he maintained his manners and waited quietly in the reception room.

It was half an hour before the door to the reception room was finally pushed open.

Landis, freshly groomed and dressed in clean clothes, walked in with Little Star in one arm.

The disheveled appearance from the day before was gone, and he was once again the serious and dignified handsome general. His messy blonde hair, now neatly slicked back with gel, framed his sharp features. His new military uniform fit him like a second skin, every line and crease perfectly pressed, emphasizing his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His long legs moved with purpose, clad in polished high boots that clicked softly against the floor.

When General Landis and Xiao Ke first met, they gave each other a careful once-over, but with very different thoughts.

Xiao Ke, who inherited his mother's looks, was far more refined and gentle in appearance compared to his father-resembling brother, Xiao Sa. His voice was just as gentle. He took the initiative to extend his hand, saying, "General Landis, I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure."

A rival who looked like this would be hard for anyone to resist, especially someone as possessive as Landis.

His eyes dimmed slightly as they landed on Xiao Ke's ordinary chest, before he casually withdrew his gaze and shook Xiao Ke's hand with a shallow grip. "The pleasure is mine. Please sit down, Your Excellency."

Xiao Ke looked at him curiously, then shifted his gaze to Little Star, who was a spitting image of him, nestled in Landis's arm.

This general, though handsome in appearance, exuded a cold demeanor. Especially his icy blue eyes, filled with a cold, scrutinizing gaze that made him feel oppressed. It took real courage to hold his gaze.

When he didn't speak, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Xiao Ke almost mistook himself as not a "relative," but a "criminal" being interrogated by the other.

Xiao Ke chuckled at his own thoughts. Yesterday, Xiao Sa must have already informed Landis about him. Maybe this was just how the general always acted.

From what he knew of his brother, Xiao Sa's taste should be in the Omega who was soft and dependent, not this type. Was there something about him that Xiao Sa found special?

But now wasn't the time to think about that. Xiao Ke pushed aside his wild thoughts and took the initiative to ask, "How is Xiao Sa now? I heard he's seriously injured. Is it a pollution infection? I'd like to see him. Please grant me some leniency, Your Excellency."

Xiao Sa? How familiar.

Landis frowned slightly. He had never called him that.

And during their wedding, Xiao Sa had mentioned his "experience." Could it be with this person?

He then thought, it's said that the one who isn't loved is the "third party." Since Xiao Sa deeply loved him, then in this competition, this "lover" was destined to be the loser, even if there were past experiences he wasn't aware of.

Landis had always looked down on those who lost, even feeling a hint of pity.

Just now, that flicker of jealousy was quickly suppressed by Landis, who gently stroked Little Star's back and looked at the other party calmly. "He's still unconscious, but the doctors say he'll recover with time. His physique is special, so there's no need to worry—he just needs to rest and recuperate slowly."

If this had happened a day ago, Landis wouldn't have let them meet again, preferring they stay as far apart as possible. But after yesterday, when Xiao Sa chose to protect him even at the cost of severe injury, his confidence returned. Even if Xiao Sa were a perfect match with someone else, there could never be any outsider coming between them.

Landis replied calmly, "When Xiao Sa wakes up, I'll send someone to inform you."

Relieved to hear that his brother was fine, Xiao Ke exhaled, somewhat surprised. He had expected Landis to be some arrogant, hard-to-talk-to noble, but he turned out to be quite reasonable.

Xiao Ke’s eyes drifted back to Little Star, who was sound asleep in Landis’ arms, his tiny mouth drooling after a full meal.

He hesitated but finally asked, "Excuse me, Your Excellency, is this child...?"

Yesterday, when talking to Xiao Sa, Landis didn’t want him to come back just because of the child, especially since Xiao Sa's attitude clearly showed no anticipation for the child. So he had not mentioned it.

Now, with his 'rival' in front of him, Landis felt differently; he wanted to explain in as much detail as possible.

Landis spoke with a hint of pride and a touch of pity for the defeated. "This is the child Xiao Sa and I had. He's six months old, inheriting Xiao Sa’s genes and mental energy level. His development speed far exceeds that of normal children his age; he is a baby with exceptional talent and strength."

"What?!" Xiao Ke was nearly choked on his saliva, suddenly standing up, incredulous and agitated. "Your child? Your biological child?"

Holy crap, this is Xiao Sa’s kid? Not only that, but he was also so talented, well-nourished, and cute!

If Father and Mother knew, they would be overjoyed.

Xiao Ke was overwhelmed, his eyes welling up with tears.

Xiao Ke didn’t dwell on how someone who wasn’t an Omega could have a kid or why the baby was developing so fast—probably some advanced tech. Lost in the excitement of having a nephew, he didn’t think much about it.

Seeing Xiao Ke's eyes glimmering with tears, Landis thought the other man should finally give up. He said calmly, "Now that you know, Xiao Sa and I are back together. He loves me, and only me, and I feel the same way."

"We now have a baby, and we'll get back together after we return. We’ll have the happiest family."

Xiao Ke blinked in surprise, his mouth hanging open, shocked by the other man's bluntly staking his claim.

Landis spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without a hint of the shyness typical of Omegas, making Xiao Ke blush in embarrassment on his behalf.

Xiao Sa had once said that Landis was very passionate and straightforward, that he took off his clothes and proposed on the spot during their first blind date.

At the time, Xiao Ke had found it unbelievable, but now he realized that his brother hadn't exaggerated at all.

So, it seems people from the star sea region really are this passionate and straightforward!

He had been wondering how Xiao Sa could go for someone so cold and distant, but it seemed he had misjudged based on appearances.

This must be what makes him so special.

Xiao Ke felt a bit embarrassed about his earlier misunderstanding, his impression of Landis completely changed. The more he looked at them, the more they seemed like a perfect match. Just as he was about to offer his congratulations, he heard the other man suddenly say:

"I don’t care what your past relationship with Xiao Sa was, and I don’t want to pursue it any further. I hope you will not interfere with our family in the future."

Landis spoke bluntly, "Moreover, this matter should be brought up by you to Xiao Sa personally. I don't want him to feel guilty or remorseful because of this. You can make any other requests, Your Excellency."

He didn’t think it was inappropriate to make these demands of a rival. He considered it "kind" enough that he was able to have this peaceful conversation.

Xiao Ke's mind didn’t catch up immediately. What "past relationship"? What "interfering with the family"?

Wait, could the other man have misunderstood something? Could it be that Xiao Sa hadn’t introduced him to the other man yet?

Xiao Ke couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. He finally understood that the other man had mistaken him for a rival and had come here showing off the child on purpose.

The door of the reception room suddenly opened, and Caro walked in, whispering to Landis, "Xiao Sa has woken up."

"He's awake?" Landis's brow relaxed, and he immediately forgot about Xiao Ke, standing up with Xiao Star in his arms, striding out of the reception room.

Xiao Ke wanted to follow to see his brother, but Caro and the security personnel at the door stopped him.

Caro pushed his glasses up, "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but without the officer's permission, you cannot leave here for the time being."

Xiao Ke looked at him, both helpless and amused, "Really? Not even Xiao Sa's brother?"

Caro: "???"

※※※

On the other side, in the intensive care ward at the end of the corridor.

Xiao Sa turned over on the hospital bed. All his injuries were on his back. It hadn’t hurt while he was unconscious, but now that he was awake, it wasn’t pain that bothered him, just a tingling numbness.

Yesterday in the treatment room, he had been soaking in a healing pod filled with highly concentrated nutrients for a long time, but such severe injuries wouldn’t heal in just one night.

Even with his double S-rank Alpha physique, it would take at least a week of continuous treatment to fully recover.

He had only been awake for a short while when Landis arrived, hurrying in with the baby in his arms.

"How do you feel? Is anywhere still hurting? Let me see." Landis said, holding the baby with one hand and trying to pull open Xiao Sa's hospital gown with the other.

Xiao Sa immediately grabbed his clothes, "No, no! It's all scars. I've had a painkiller, so it doesn’t hurt now."

When he had first met Landis, he had thought the scars on his body had a rugged, wild beauty, but now that they were on his own body, he found them unsightly and didn’t want Landis to see them at all.

In the brief struggle between them, Landis had already caught a glimpse of the bottom edge of skin, a patch of reddish-brown burn scars, and who knows how much more was hidden under the clothes.

The scars on his own body had always been his honors and medals, but on Xiao Sa, he found them utterly jarring.

Landis's breath hitched for a moment. He had always dreaded Xiao Sa joining the legion and going to war, fearing he'd get hurt. And now, not only was he injured, but the wound was severe, and it was to protect him.

The pain and suffocation he felt now were even more intense than when he saw Xiao Ke.

He leaned down, burying his face in Xiao Sa's shoulder, taking two deep breaths of the long-lost tequila scent, his dry lips constantly rubbing and kissing his neck and ear.

"Baby, I'm sorry..."

Xiao Sa was still too weak to move much, and the position felt awkward as Landis pinned him down with kisses.

He managed to pull his hand out to stroke the other's golden hair, asking between breaths, "Hey, have you told my big brother yet? Let him know so he doesn’t worry."

Landis froze, as if the word 'big brother' was completely foreign to him.

He slowly lifted his head, blinking slowly with a momentary delay before his mind started racing.

The steady and composed expression on his face began to crack, and his scalp tingled.

Xiao Sa looked at him curiously. "Yes, your aide has seen him. Haven't they come to find me?"

Landis was silent for a moment, pretending to casually look away, and sent a message to Caro. He then said calmly, "I've already met him in the reception room. I'll have someone bring him to see you soon."

His heart raced, and he’d never felt more guilty.

Damn, how do I pretend I didn’t mess this up? This is so embarrassing.

Just then, Little Star stirred in his arms, yawning sleepily.

Landis pushed his worries aside, forcing a small smile as he gently rubbed Little Star’s soft cheek and turned him toward Xiao Sa. "Little Star, look, this is your mom."

Xiao Sa’s eyes widened in shock. "Wait… what?!"