Chapter 29: Coordinated Combat

Chapter 29: Coordinated Combat

Hilmeth had been waiting on the sidelines since Cang Cheng started the battle.

Now capable of materializing, he could assist Cang Cheng, unlike before, when he could only stand by and watch Cang Cheng face danger alone.

Hilmeth waited for Cang Cheng to need him.

However, Cang Cheng preferred to face the unknown star beasts and fend off swarms of snakes, surviving wave after wave of attacks, rather than actively seek his help.

What kind of "closest person" is he?

A fraud.

Hilmeth's eyes darkened.

Despite his frustration, Hilmeth materialized without hesitation when he saw Cang Cheng in danger.

He saved Cang Cheng from the snake’s tail attack. With a powerful kick, he stepped on the raised snake head, easily evading the attack that Cang Cheng couldn’t avoid.

As an S+ class Spirit Warrior and the youngest admiral in the Canglan Star Region, Hilmeth’s strength was unquestionable.

The person in his arms was thinner and lighter than he had imagined. Hilmeth was careful with his grip, fearing he might hurt Cang Cheng if he applied too much force.

He rarely got close to others, fearing he might mishandle the situation.

After landing gracefully, Hilmeth released Cang Cheng.

"Why aren’t you speaking?"

Cang Cheng’s hand still clung to Hilmeth’s chest. It was an instinctive reaction to being pulled into his arms.

Regaining his composure, Cang Cheng let go and took a step back.

Though Mo, the guide chosen by the Gate of Truth for Cang Cheng, had been with him for a month, Cang Cheng still wasn’t quite used to him. Mo’s sudden appearance and closeness caught Cang Cheng off guard and made him uncomfortable.

Of course, Cang Cheng didn’t show his surprise.

He sensed that if he said something like, ‘Mo, I didn’t expect you to come and save me,’ it would upset the taciturn alien.

Cang Cheng took a second to compose himself, then lifted his gaze, his black eyes gleaming brilliantly.

"Mo! If it weren't for you, I would have been flat as a pancake."

When Cang Cheng praised Hilmeth, his eyes were always bright, smiling, and focused, with their faces extremely close.

Every time, it always left Hilmeth dazed.

Hilmeth deliberately shifted his gaze away and redirected his attention to the battlefield.

"The three-headed snakes are estimated to be between A and A+ rank. I'll distract them. You wait for the right moment to use Wind Blade or Wind Wall to cut their mouths."

"Alright, you're helping a lot."

Cang Cheng gratefully accepted.

Mages seldom fight alone; they typically need warriors or knights to cover the front line to maximize the mage's combat effectiveness.

Since arriving in the Canglan Star Region, Cang Cheng hadn't found a suitable partner, so he had always fought alone.

Now that Mo is willing to take on a significant portion of the attacks, Cang Cheng was more than willing to work with him.

Hilmeth nodded silently to Cang Cheng, then, using his superior physical abilities, leaped into the air and stayed suspended.

Levitation!

This was an advanced combat technique of Spirit Warriors, using the energy fluctuations around their bodies to levitate. Only a few A-rank Spirit Warriors can master this technique.

The cold moonlight illuminated his face, and his black horns glinted.

The soft white light made his face glow.

Hilmeth locked eyes with the two three-headed snakes.

The three-headed snakes' vertical pupils were filled with savagery, while Hilmeth's red-gold eyes were cold and fierce.

Hilmeth said nothing, only gazing at them silently.

He lowered his gaze, looking down at the larger and smaller three-headed snakes.

Intentional pressure.

The three-headed snake, under such a gaze, instinctively felt threatened and instinctively moved backward.

But in the next moment, it became furious, opening its bloody maw wide and roaring, threatening the sudden intruder.

Hilmeth didn’t say a word, coldly withdrawing his gaze.

This dismissive attitude instantly enraged the three-headed snake.

The three-headed snake directed its full hatred at Hilmeth.

The two massive snakes, blocking out the sky, soared into the clouds and then dove down, their six mouths gaping open to attack Hilmeth.

Faced with the incoming ferocious beasts, Hilmeth hovered motionless. The tail that was originally bound to his leg was now loose, swinging left and right to signal Cang Cheng behind him.

Then his calm red-gold eyes showed a hint of amusement.

Suddenly, a wind blade whizzed past Hilmeth’s side, striking the gaping mouth of the three-headed snake.

The tender inner lining of the mouth was easily sliced open, the wound deep enough to expose the bone, and dark red blood gushed out like a waterfall.

Although the scales on the three-headed snake’s body were hard, their mouths had no scale protection and were just as vulnerable as a human’s mouth.

While Hilmeth drew the three-headed snake’s attention by treading the air, Cang Cheng formed wind blade runes behind him, seizing the opportunity to attack.

Swish, swish, swish! One wind blade after another struck the big three-headed snake’s three heads.

It instantly became a three-headed snake with split mouths, thrashing in agony on the ground.

The smaller three-headed snake reacted swiftly, with only one head taking the hit, while the other two heads narrowly dodged.

Sensing danger, it attempted to flee, but Hilmeth performed a sky-treading dash, appearing behind the small three-headed snake in the blink of an eye.

He reached out, quickly throwing a punch, striking the snake’s vital spot.

The bony, distinct fist collided with the hard scales—scales that could easily withstand wind blades and electromagnetic guns—yet were dented by Hilmeth’s punch.

Punch after relentless punch, he didn’t hold back.

"Hiss～"

The small three-headed snake emitted a pained hiss, eventually collapsing on the ground, barely alive. It was too weak to even roll around because of its severe injuries.

Its body at the seven-inch point was reduced to a bloody, mangled mess.

Cang Cheng blinked his black eyes, clearly intrigued by Hilmeth’s combat style.

How violent.

He found it appealing.

The split-mouthed three-headed snake, seeing its companion on the brink of death, instantly entered a berserk state, its vertical pupils turning a vivid red, with blood streaming from its mouth.

All of its scales spread wide, glowing along the edges.

Cang Cheng regained his composure, and he smiled. The moonlight softened his facial features.

"Oh, what’s got you so angry? Anger isn’t good."

With that, his slender fingers gracefully traced in the air. Blue magic flowed and gathered at his fingertips, condensing in the night, like swirling stars—mysterious and ethereal.

"Getting injured and bleeding in front of a mage is quite dangerous, you know..."

As he finished speaking, the spirit runes were complete.

A chilling, icy presence enveloped the three-headed snake, the intense cold causing the surrounding temperature to drop sharply.

Water magic: Freeze!

The snake’s blood, like a small waterfall, froze mid-air, turning to ice.

The blood turned to ice, which then seeped into the wounds, covering the blood vessels and freezing them inch by inch.

"Crack, crack," the sound of water freezing.

"Huff, huff," the sound of the three-headed snake exhaling a mist of white frost.

Even as a cold-blooded creature, the snake couldn’t endure the minus 50-degree temperature.

Its blood froze, turning into ice.

Its entire body froze, and the chill from within caused its body temperature to plummet, gradually coating its sharp scales with a thin layer of frost.

It tried to twist its body to shake off the unexplained frost, but it was too cold—its body was completely frozen and unable to move.

With a 'thud,' the three-headed snake stiffly fell to the ground, turning as hard as ice.

It took one last look at the tiny human, whom it could have swallowed whole, and the fierce light in its vertical pupils gradually dimmed.

In the end… it was frozen to death.

The "Freeze" ability consumes half the energy and forms faster when used in places with water.

Blood, after all, is another form of water.

Cang Cheng and Hilmeth worked together in perfect synchrony, each taking care of one three-headed snake.

Hilmeth returned to Cang Cheng's side, not even out of breath.

Cang Cheng extended his fist.

After a moment of hesitation, Hilmeth also extended his fist and bumped it against Cang Cheng's small fist.

"Mo is impressive."

"You are too, Cang Cheng."

Their gazes locked.

The tail of a certain exotic quivered uncontrollably.

*

Ming Bai lay sprawled on the side, his eyes occasionally streaming with green data light waves, repeatedly confirming with the AI that what he saw was real.

A never-before-seen powerful Spirit Rune… Is it possible to use wind in battle?

How did this exotic suddenly appear?

This exotic is incredibly powerful, capable of crushing a star beast snake to death with bare hands.

Having received high-tech education in the Canglan Star Domain, Ming Bo, who could create a weapon capable of obliterating half a planet with a single blow, fell into deep thought upon seeing unseen spirit runes.

Can natural elements be used for battle? How had he never thought of that before?

Could spirit rune masters have such formidable combat power?

If natural elemental forces were used in weapon manufacturing instead of being limited to thermal weapons, could even more powerful weapons be created?

Ming Bo suddenly realized that his previous belief in his own omniscience, his assumption that his weapon-making skills had reached the pinnacle, now seemed incredibly narrow-minded compared to Cang Cheng’s combat prowess.

He still had much to learn; his comprehension of weapons was far from complete.

And Cang Cheng, who had made such unexpected moves, had previously been rumored to be useless and incompetent. How blind could they have been?

Cang Cheng slowly walked up to Ming Bo. His steps weren’t very steady, somewhat unsteady.

The high-intensity battle and magic consumption had left his body very weak, and his head throbbed slightly.

His face was pale, which made the teardrop mole under his right eye even more noticeable, making him look frail and unwell.

Xilimos, after punching a small three-headed serpent to death, naturally assumed a protective stance behind Cang Cheng.

His breathing was steady, his expression cold, with only the slight redness on the back of his hands revealing that he had just fought a high-level star beast of unknown rank.

"Oh, you saw that, did you? What should I do now?"

Cang Cheng made a very villainous remark. But he was just thinking; it didn’t mean anything else.

Ming Bo’s heart skipped a beat.

Indeed… he had seen another side of Cang Cheng, the fifth prince, and even saw him fighting alongside an alien.

This was something that could cost him his life.

Previously, Ming Bo had genuinely believed that living was fine, and dying was also acceptable.

He had already created a complete planetary defense system for the main planet. Though the system now bore someone else’s name, he could see that others praised its effectiveness.

His expertise had benefited the Canglan Star Domain, and even if no one remembered his name, he found that sufficient.

But… now, he suddenly doesn’t want to die just yet.

So many mysteries await his exploration—Spirit Runes of the natural domain, star beasts he has never seen, and even more powerful weapons… he doesn’t want to die now.

Ming Bai raised his head: “Sir, don’t kill me.

I can do anything for you, Sir. I can create top-tier planetary defense systems for the Canglan Star Region, and an ultra-long-range space-folding cannon that can destroy the administrative hall of the main planet from Luo Ri. I can also monitor the entire information flow of the Canglan Star Region for you, Sir.

Sir, I am extremely useful.”

Cang Cheng: ▼-▼ (Expression of confusion or frustration)

Hold on, he didn’t intend to kill anyone…

Did this person misunderstand? He just wanted the other party to remain silent.

But…

A top-tier planetary defense system?

An ultra-long-range space-folding cannon?

They sound incredibly secure, precisely the kind of weapons he needed.

With these planetary weapons, Luo Ri would be much safer.

“Mo, I want to use him,” Cang Cheng said, stating it plainly.

Hilmeth furrowed his brow. He suddenly found Ming Bai somewhat familiar.

“What is your designer name?”

Just as Spirit Rune Masters have their own signatures, weapon designers also have aliases.

Ming Bai’s gaze darkened.

“M. My designer name is M.”

M was once a genius weapon designer, who earned the admiration of all weapon manufacturing institutes in the Canglan Star Region by scoring 109 points higher than the second place in the Canglan Star Region Designer Competition.

He was once the most brilliant mechanic in the Canglan Star Region, but unfortunately... 10 years ago, M was exposed for plagiarizing his work, had his legs severed, his spine broken, and was stripped of his military rank, becoming a pariah.

Cang Cheng noticed Hilmeth’s face darken and asked, "What's wrong? Is something wrong with him?"

Hilmeth didn't answer directly, "Let’s save him first."

With the help of the patrol robots, Ming Bai was sent to Mù Xīng’s lab.

There was no choice; Luo Ri hadn’t yet set up a specialized medical system, so they had to rely on the alchemist Mù Xīng to assist.

After returning to their room, Hilmeth told Cang Cheng about M.

Cang Cheng frowned, "Did he really plagiarize the work? I don’t think he would do something like that..."

Perhaps it was the shared passion among those who pursued knowledge, but Cang Cheng could see M's thirst and pursuit of knowledge.

His gaze was clear and passionate, his heart sincere and upright. How could someone like that commit plagiarism?

"I wasn’t there for the specific incident, but it’s said that M plagiarized the design for the defense system ‘Fantasy,’ which was highly praised by the military department of the main planet," explained Hilmeth.

"See for yourself, Cang Cheng."

"I will, thank you."

Cang Cheng wouldn’t judge a person based on rumors; he trusted his intuition and his own eyes more.

After a long night, Cang Cheng was exhausted.

He yawned, lay down, and turned to his side, looking at the big-tailed alien sitting by the bed.

The alien’s face was calm, his tail still neatly tied around his leg, the fluffy tip gently swaying.

This seemingly rigid alien fought ruthlessly today, agile and imposing. Cang Cheng found him very dependable.

"Mo, you were so handsome today when you beat that snake."

"Hmm."

Hilmeth responded with another concise word.

Cang Cheng’s gaze returned to Hilmeth’s large hands resting naturally by his sides. His hands were broad, with distinct knuckles, exuding a powerful presence.

It was with these hands that he had flattened the snake with punches.

While Mo looked pretty impressive fighting with his fists, he’d probably look even cooler with a weapon.

"What weapon are you used to? I’ll get one for you."

"M314 Mobile Fortress."

Cang Cheng’s forehead bore six dots, indicating his confusion.

Hmm, what kind of weapon is this?

I’ll look it up on the Star Network tomorrow.

Cang Cheng changed the subject, "We really had great teamwork in today’s battle, don’t you think, Mo?"

As soon as Cang Cheng mentioned this, Hilmeth became angry again.

At the start of the battle, Cang Cheng hadn’t thought of seeking your help at all. If he hadn’t taken the initiative, Cang Cheng might have been seriously injured.

"Why didn’t you ask for my help at the start?"

Hilmeth’s voice was low.

"Ah… this…"

He couldn’t exactly say that Cang Cheng hadn’t considered asking Mo to fight for him...

After all, Mo was just a temporary guide assigned by the Gate of Truth, who could leave at any time and wasn’t even considered a partner.

"I was afraid you’d run out of energy and leave."

"Run out of energy?"

"Calling you to my side requires energy, but there's a maximum limit to the total amount of energy that can be transmitted. If that limit is exceeded, you’ll be sent back.

Intense battles consume energy and can reach that limit faster.

I wanted to spend more time with you, so... that’s why I didn’t ask you to join the fight."

Cang Cheng was speaking the truth.

The assistance from the Gate of Truth is limited, not infinite.

There have been cases where a forbidden spell mage, when in trouble, summoned the strongest Knight King from history to assist. The Knight King defeated thousands of enemies in just 5 minutes, but he could only remain for 5 minutes before the Gate of Truth sent him back due to the energy limit.

Cang Cheng really liked Hilmeth. He was knowledgeable, spoke little, but had a warm heart, and was Cang Cheng’s favorite exotic being.

Cang Cheng hoped Hilmeth could stay by his side a bit longer.

"I see. How long can you usually stay?"

Cang Cheng wasn’t entirely sure: "If we don’t waste energy, you can usually stay for about three to five months..."

Hilmeth lowered his gaze.

That meant in three to five months, he would either truly die or awaken from a severe injury due to the mysterious contract with Cang Cheng.

By then, would he and Cang Cheng...

Would they become strangers once more?

Hilmeth’s red-gold eyes darkened with a stormy intensity.

Cang Cheng sensed the tension around Hilmeth drop significantly.

He emerged from under the blanket: "Hilmeth, are you unhappy?"

Hilmeth pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

"Don’t be upset. Don’t overthink it."

Cang Cheng boldly reached out, wanting to offer some comfort.

The slender fingers lingered for a moment beside Hilmeth's cheek. Just as Cang Cheng was about to gently touch the other's face, Hilmeth spoke up.

"Cang Cheng."

"Hmm?"

Cang Cheng instinctively halted his hand when he heard his name, raising his gaze, looking somewhat confused.

Meeting Cang Cheng’s clear eyes, Hilmeth’s gaze softened.

He took Cang Cheng's wrist and placed his hand back under the blanket, tucking him in.

"It’s late, and you must be tired. Good night, Cang Cheng."

"Oh."

Indeed, Cang Cheng felt sleepy. "Good night, Mo."

Cang Cheng always slept well, and before long, even breaths soon filled the room.

Asleep, Cang Cheng looked particularly peaceful and harmless, with gentle brows and slightly parted pale pink lips, evoking a gentle tenderness that softened the heart.

No one could imagine this Cang Cheng as the one who had just used the Wind Blade to slice a three-headed snake into pieces.

Fragile yet strong.

A paradox.

Over the month they spent together, Hilmeth had never fully understood Cang Cheng.

"Three to five months, huh..."

Hilmeth murmured to himself.

He walked to the window, where the silvery moonlight passed through his ethereal form, casting a glow on the floorboards.

In his palm, the sensation of holding Cang Cheng’s body still lingered.

So delicate, he needed to be incredibly careful.

Hilmeth felt that the three to five months were too short; he hadn't decided what his relationship with Cang Cheng was.

Was it merely a contractual relationship?

There must be more to it...

*

The next morning, Cang Cheng rode a patrol robot to the site of yesterday’s battle in the outer district.

Philip, Mù Xīng, and Ming Bai were already present. Mù Xīng was collecting various snake tissues using containers of different sizes. Philip was helping Mù Xīng by dissecting the bodies, while Ming Bai used a self-made precision instrument to explore the surrounding area.

Seeing Cang Cheng, the three of them bowed.

Only Ming Bai’s gaze lingered for a moment longer before he turned away.

He appeared puzzled.

Cang Cheng’s gaze fell on Ming Bai, who moved freely without any sign of discomfort.

Strangely, how did Ming Bai, who had looked like he was about to die yesterday, recover so quickly overnight?

Is the medical system in the Canglan Star Region really that advanced?

"Sir, we’ve confirmed that the three-headed snake is a newly evolved star beast, graded A+."

"Fortunately, you dealt with them yesterday. If you hadn’t, the consequences would have been catastrophic."

Mù Xīng looked at the still-frozen, stiff giant three-headed snake on the ground, feeling a shiver of fear.

Luo Ri Star’s defense system was virtually nonexistent. Without Cang Cheng’s intervention, these three-headed snakes alone could have devastated an entire central district. And it wasn’t just one three-headed snake, but a whole nest of star beasts.

If the snake group had been allowed to grow, it would have been a disaster for Luo Ri Star.

"Yesterday, Ming Bai even wrote a final message, preparing to face the group of star beasts alone."

"Fortunately, Sir arrived just in time."

As he spoke, Mù Xīng looked at Cang Cheng, his eyes behind the lenses filled with gratitude.

Although he hadn’t witnessed Cang Cheng’s battle last night, the state of the dead star beasts made it easy to imagine how Cang Cheng had handled these troublesome star beasts.

Cang Cheng was even more impressive than he had imagined.

He hadn’t chosen the wrong person to follow.

"Oh? You were preparing your final words yesterday?"

Cang Cheng smiled and asked Ming Bai, "If I hadn’t shown up on time tomorrow, what would you have done?"

Despite Cang Cheng’s smile, Ming Bai felt a subtle pressure emanating from it.

It was the aura unconsciously exuded by someone of higher status.

Ming Bai bowed his head and replied, "I have a self-destruct program installed in my body, capable of creating an impact equivalent to a small nuclear explosion. I had already initiated the program before you arrived.

I will protect this planet in any way I can."

With that, Ming Bai looked up and saluted Cang Cheng.

Ming Bai knew his reputation was poor, and Cang Cheng might have prejudices against him or dislike him.

But that didn’t bother him.

It didn’t stop him from protecting the residents in his own way.

He had been a soldier and would continue to uphold military discipline.

Cang Cheng nodded to Ming Bai.

Cang Cheng: [Mo, I think Ming Bai is a good man.]

When Ming Bai declared he would protect the planet even at the cost of self-destruction and looked at Cang Cheng with clear, upright eyes, Hilmeth silently agreed with Cang Cheng’s assessment.

Rumors suggested that Designer M was a thief who plagiarized critical systems, but… the person before them stood tall and acted honorably.

Rumors cannot be trusted.

Hilmeth: [I agree with you.]

Cang Cheng: [Then can I have him work for me? I’m quite interested in his skills.]

Hilmeth: [It's your call.]

"However, it's strange that snake star beasts congregate in energy-rich areas. With such a dense population of star beasts here, I expected our instruments to detect an energy signal, but... they didn't."

Ming Bai shared his thoughts with Cang Cheng.

Not only do the Star King Snakes inhabit this area, but they have even evolved into new species, indicating a nearby sufficient energy source. Yet, the instruments detected nothing.

Cang Cheng inquired, "Do you mean... there could be an energy source nearby?"

Ming Bai nodded in agreement.

Mù Xīng added, "Considering the growth habits of star beasts, there must be an energy source here. But we haven't found it yet."

"Simple."

Saying this, Cang Cheng took out 3 Chain of Wind Blade Spirit Runes and 2 Wall of Wind Spirit Runes.

He had made these earlier that morning.

He smiled broadly, his eyes forming crescents, "Let's blow this place up and see what we find."