Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Lu Huai had died, and Lu Ran's spiritual power had not yet recovered. Both individuals capable of battling the Swarm leader were out of commission. The Emperor ordered other guards to pilot mechs and provide heavy fire cover for the retreat. Lu Huai's body was carried by a dedicated team.

The Emperor rushed back to the palace, sweating profusely. He gulped down water before collapsing into a chair.

"Emperor, the Swarm on the capital planet is no longer a big threat and can be handled easily."

Lu Ran had been accompanying the Emperor. In the quiet room, only they were present. Neither spoke. Who was talking?

Lu Ran looked up and saw an unexpected figure. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The Emperor thought Lu Ran was talking to him and replied, "Yeah, the guards can handle the rest of the Swarm. The real challenge lies in reclaiming the occupied zones."

Lu Ran wasn't listening to the Emperor. He pointed a trembling finger at the figure approaching the entrance. "You... you're supposed to be dead?"

The sudden statement made the Emperor sit up and look. Lu Huai was standing in the center of the hall.

Lu Huai, alive and well.

"You..." The Emperor was momentarily speechless.

He recalled, certain Lu Huai couldn't be alive. His throat was slit, his head almost cut off. Such a deep wound would have left no signs of life.

Who was this Lu Huai? A ghost? Or a twin brother?

"Emperor, it's me, Lu Huai."

The Emperor stood up, disbelieving, and walked over to inspect Lu Huai. His face had bloodstains, but his neck was intact, without a scar. He looked great, like he'd never died.

Coming back from the dead—such a fantastical event happened right before his eyes.

"Amazing!" A glint of greed flashed in the Emperor's eyes.

Lu Huai keenly noticed this and remained silent.

"Any side effects?" the Emperor asked.

Lu Huai wasn't sure if there were any side effects, but that didn't stop him from fabricating: "Some. After resurrection, I can't live as long as a normal person. I probably have about ten years left."

Hearing that he only had ten years to live, the Emperor lost interest. Dying now or ten years later made little difference. He still needed to cherish his life and avoid life-and-death crises.

The Emperor nodded, indicating he understood, then asked Lu Huai, "Lu Huai, you have served me well. Now that the Swarm is dealt with, what reward would you like? How about a generalship?"

Lu Ran, standing nearby, was green with envy. Who wouldn't be when someone had the strength to trade their life for the Emperor's? Exchanging a life-saving favor for a generalship didn't seem too enviable, especially since Lu Huai only had ten years left. Once he died, wouldn't Lu Ran become the strongest in the galaxy?

Lu Ran desperately tried to convince himself not to be envious, but his heart still ached with jealousy.

"No need," Lu Huai said. "Emperor, I have a request."

Lu Huai didn't elaborate, but the Emperor had a vague premonition about his request.

"Speak."

"I wish to resign from my position as Imperial Admiral," Lu Huai stated solemnly.

Lu Ran looked at Lu Huai in confusion. Had this man's brain gone haywire after his neck was stitched up? Not only was he refusing a generalship, but he was also stepping down as Imperial Admiral to become a commoner. What kind of logic was that?

Was Lu Huai truly so indifferent? If he didn't want the position, he could have given it to Lu Ran! Lu Ran was practically going mad with desire for it!

"Are you sure?" the Emperor asked again, receiving a firm confirmation from Lu Huai.

Although he had a good idea who Lu Huai was doing this for, he still couldn't resist asking, "Is it because of the Shennong Star Lord?"

Lu Huai did not hide it. "Yes."

"Actually, being a general wouldn't prevent you from being together. Wouldn't that be better than this?" the Emperor said.

He still didn't want to miss the opportunity to establish a relationship with Shennong Star.

"It's fine, the Shennong Star Lord won't mind," Lu Huai assured confidently.

"Was it her idea for you to do this?"

Lu Huai shook his head. "For the next ten years, all I want is to be with her."

The Emperor wanted to ask, 'Do you really like the Shennong Star Lord that much?' But he didn't continue, as he had no reason not to agree to Lu Huai's conditions.

"Alright." After all, it's just someone who can only live for ten more years, and the Empire is not short of outstanding talents. Losing one wouldn't be a big deal.

With his goal accomplished, Lu Huai let out a sigh of relief.

At Lu Huai's insistence, the Emperor promptly drafted a resignation document, officially demoting Lu Huai to a commoner. Seeing Lu Huai holding the document with a look of joy, the Emperor was quite bewildered: Is the position of the Empire's Admiral so despised now?

"By the way, Your Majesty, what about my mecha?"

"Mecha? What mecha?" The Emperor jumped up as if he'd been stepped on, seeing Lu Huai staring at him unblinkingly. Knowing he couldn't bluff his way out, he hoped the military equipment department had made some progress. "Oh, the mecha. It's at the military equipment department. Go get it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lu Huai turned and headed straight to the military equipment department without hesitation. He saw a group of people tinkering with his mecha, assembling the legs—apparently, they had already taken it apart once.

Lu Huai frowned. These people work fast!

His expression was cold, his face dark and intimidating.

"Well, we were just inspecting the mecha for any issues."

"So, are there any problems?" Lu Huai asked coldly.

"No, no, we'll put it back together right away." The military equipment ministers quickly got to work and soon had it reassembled.

After Lu Huai reinserted the mecha into the space button, he turned around, and as if thinking of something, his face immediately softened like spring thawing ice.

The Lu Huai that the Empire had cultivated was gone. Now, his life belonged to the Shennong Star Lord.

Now, could he call her Yun Wan?

After saying goodbye to the still-busy Lu Li and Feng Feng, Lu Huai boarded a spaceship bound for Shennong Star.

Shennong Star had already fallen, and its transportation systems were in shambles. Lu Huai took the helm of his private spaceship. At a time like this, no one cared about speed limits, and his ship raced ahead at full throttle.

"Wait for me, Shennong Star Lord."

...

After Lu Huai left, the Emperor hummed a tune as he agreed to Yun Wan's request.

[I agree to the proposal of trading people for vegetables!]

The emperor thought sadly, one wants to leave, and the other wants to take him in; they are mutually drawn to each other! As it happens, both made the same request, so it's not too much to exchange some vegetables while repaying the life-saving favor, right?

Yun Wan thought the emperor wouldn't let him go, but surprisingly, within a day, she received a message of agreement.

While happy, she was also a bit worried; she hadn't asked Lu Huai for his opinion.

After tossing and turning for a long time, Yun Wan felt she couldn't be so selfish and sent a message to the emperor late at night.

[If he doesn't agree, then forget it, I'll still provide the vegetables.]

The emperor, half-asleep, was awakened by the notification sound from his AI assistant.

Who on earth is sending messages at this hour!

The emperor opened his smart AI and felt a twinge of jealousy.

Look at what the Shennong Star Lord said, still providing the vegetables, how loaded and generous! No wonder she could charm the Imperial Admiral into giving up everything! Such a smart person turned love-struck!

The empress also woke up groggily, saw the message, and couldn't help but ask, "Is it really okay to let Lu Huai go?"

"There's no good or bad about it, my dear. You can't force love."

The emperor understood clearly; keeping Lu Huai was of no use, and keeping him might breed resentment. It's better to sell a favor to the Shennong Star Lord.

What he wanted was to have one more friend among the royalty, not one more enemy. Even if he couldn't gain a friend, he must not gain an enemy, especially such a powerful one.

[He is very willing!] the emperor replied.

*

After Shennong Star returned to normal, Jiang Jiayu was fully engaged in rebuilding the planting area, while Hu Yuanyang was managing the planet's affairs. The two affiliated stars were also running smoothly, so Yun Wan focused on the education of Shennong Star.

You wouldn't believe it until you saw it: apart from Yao Xiaole, a graduate from the Teachers' College who was seriously teaching children to write, the other teachers were slacking off, either running to the lab every day or teaching children to do experiments and assemble mechs. Even college students didn't have such a rich life.

When Yun Wan visited the school, a group of little ankle-biters was having a physical education class on the playground, taught by a retired soldier who turned the PE class into military training.

Watching the adorable kids standing straight and serious, shouting slogans like "For the glory of Shennong Star" under the teacher's lead, Yun Wan couldn't help but laugh.

This one-of-a-kind teaching method could only be encountered on Shennong Star.

Yun Wan wanted to see how the young beastfolk and Yun Ge were doing. She didn't go looking for them one by one but directly asked the principal, Professor Luo.

"They are in the Shennong class."

"Shennong class? Is it different from other classes?" Yun Wan asked.

If it was a special class set up specifically for the young beastfolk, she wasn't thrilled about the idea. She hoped the young beastfolk could make more friends and integrate into human life.

"Yes, Lord, don't misunderstand. Opening this class was out of necessity," Professor Luo said with a helpless shake of his beard.

Yun Wan's face turned serious. Could it be that the young beastfolk were being ostracized by ordinary students because of their appearance?

Seeing Yun Wan's increasingly worried expression, Professor Luo, afraid of not explaining clearly, said directly, "You'll understand if you see it for yourself."

Yun Wan followed Professor Luo to the back door of the Shennong class and watched quietly for a while. She then realized why the young beastfolk were in a separate class. It was simply because they learned too fast. Often, before the teacher finished explaining, several young beastfolk already understood and were blurting out the answers. Yun Ge, among them, was already much smarter than normal children but was still mocked by Goldie.

"What a dummy!"

"Dummy, the correct answer is A!"

"If they weren't in a separate class, they'd be so bored they'd just sleep through lessons, squandering their potential!" Professor Luo explained.

Yun Wan nodded, showing she understood the special class setup.

Soon after, the class ended, and during recess, many kids rushed to the Shennong Class. Some came to ask questions, while others brought snacks to bribe the little beastmen for a chance to pet them. Ah Huang and the others were very comfortable with this lifestyle, rendering Yun Wan's concerns unnecessary, as they were practically the school's darlings.

Yun Wan felt completely at ease and said to Professor Luo, "I want to take a look at their schedule."

The Shennong Class had a pretty varied curriculum, including mecha classes, planting classes, physical training, and even individual combat training, aiming to turn the students into all-around, versatile warriors. Even adults might find this kind of intense training too much; isn't it a bit too advanced for kids?

"These courses are time-consuming, aren't they too difficult for them?" Yun Wan asked.

"Not at all, they even think it's not enough! The lord doesn't realize just how smart these kids are!"

After checking on the kids and seeing no signs of discomfort, Yun Wan decided not to comment on things she didn't understand. Professor Luo was really dependable.

Returning to the lord's mansion, just as she was about to take a quick nap, the door was suddenly pushed open. The person who came in seemed a bit worked up, not gentle at all.

Yun Wan's nap was cut short, and she wasn't happy about it. Getting up, she saw a familiar figure, and her frown instantly turned into a smile as she exclaimed in surprise, "Lu Huai! You're finally back!"

"...Lord," Lu Huai paused before speaking.

The girl was thrilled to see him, jumping up from the sofa.

"Are you okay? Was the Swarm tough to handle? Where are your flowers?" After giving Lu Huai a once-over, Yun Wan pointed to his neck.

Lu Huai recounted the battle with the Swarm and how he risked his life to save the emperor. Even though he downplayed it, Yun Wan could still feel how dangerous it had been.

She hadn't expected Lu Huai to be willing to die for the emperor; his loyalty went beyond what she had expected.

At that moment, Yun Wan felt that taking Lu Huai away from the emperor might not have been the best idea.

"Did he tell you?" Yun Wan asked softly.

"What?"

"That I exchanged vegetables for you, and the emperor agreed." Yun Wan lowered her head, not daring to look at Lu Huai, afraid he'd think she was butting in.

"The lord exchanged vegetables for me?" Lu Huai's tone rose, his tone hard to read, and Yun Wan's head lowered even further.

"Yes," Yun Wan said awkwardly.

"Why is the lord lowering her head so much? Are you regretting it?" Lu Huai leaned close to Yun Wan's ear, his warm breath brushing against her.

"How could that be?" Yun Wan suddenly raised her head, knocking Lu Huai backward, who groaned, covering his nose.

The ambiguous atmosphere instantly dissipated. Yun Wan looked apologetic, helping Lu Huai steady himself and then sitting him on the sofa.

"Keep your head up, don't lower it, move your hand, let me see if it's bleeding?" Yun Wan pressed her fingers against Lu Huai's forehead, forcing him to lean back on the sofa, and forcefully pulled his hand away to inspect his nose.

Her hand covered his face, Mana flowing, bringing a cool sensation, and the pain in Lu Huai's nose faded.

The lord seemed to have forgotten that he could also use Mana.

He enjoyed her anxious demeanor, feeling valued, and hearing her chatter incessantly didn't feel noisy but rather pleasant.

"Why did you suddenly get so close?"

Yun Wan was startled into a sweat, fanning herself with her hand, and sat down next to Lu Huai.

"Sorry..."

When Lu Huai apologized so sincerely, Yun Wan felt a twinge of guilt.

"It's okay, just be more careful next time."

Lu Huai glanced over at Yun Wan, noticing she was still fanning herself hard, as if she were really hot.

"Lord, are you feeling hot?" he asked deliberately.

"Ah? Not really..." Yun Wan realized her actions and awkwardly didn't know where to put her hands.

Lu Huai's eyes crinkled in a smile. Was she just pretending to be busy? His lord was so adorable!

"Cough cough!" Lu Huai still leaned weakly against the sofa, looking completely exhausted, and let out a couple of weak coughs.

His discomfort quickly caught Yun Wan's attention.

"What's wrong? Did you get a concussion from that hit?" Yun Wan asked worriedly.

Lu Huai shook his head softly, "No, it's not your fault, my Lord. I must have gotten hurt fighting the Swarm."

"Wanwan, could you take a look for me? My waist is hurting a bit. Did I get injured there?"

At that moment, the man was sitting on the sofa, lifting his shirt and biting it to hold it up, showing off his eight-pack abs.

"Ah?"

Yun Wan blushed and sneaked a couple of glances.

There wasn't even a scratch on his abs! Was he doing this on purpose? Was this a seduction tactic? Was this sly man deliberately trying to seduce her?

She glanced at Lu Huai's face again, which wore an expression of "I'm in pain, I'm being good." When Yun Wan looked at him, he looked back, his eyes filled with confusion, not seeming like someone who would do such a thing.

He must really be in some pain, maybe internal injuries or something.

"Wait a moment." Yun Wan swallowed hard, forcing herself not to look at the man's waist.

What hadn't they done before? They'd been in negative distance contact! What was wrong with touching his waist?!

After psyching herself up, Yun Wan extended her hands and pressed them against Lu Huai's waist, channeling her Mana. Her palms emitted a continuous flow of warmth.

The flesh around the man's waist was firm and smooth, feeling incredibly good... No, no, his waist was perfectly fine! She tried moving her hands downward, reaching his thighs, and frowned as she felt around again. There really was nothing wrong.

"Hmm!" Lu Huai suddenly made a sound.

Yun Wan gave him a strange look.

His body was perfectly fine, so why did he make a sound that Yun Wan found somewhat... alluring?

"Lord, are you done?" Lu Huai's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice deep.

Yun Wan quickly withdrew her hands and slapped his chest.

"You lied to me! You're perfectly fine!"

"Heh hahaha," Lu Huai suddenly burst into laughter, "I really was uncomfortable, but after Wanwan used her Mana, I feel much better."

"I didn't use any Mana..." She hadn't even released her Mana!

"And, what did you call me?"

Facing the same issue again, Lu Huai felt entirely justified this time.

"Wanwan,"

Yun Wan's lips parted in surprise. 'Haven't you always called me Lord?'

Lu Huai smiled, leaning closer. "Now I want to call you Wanwan. Is that not okay?"

His tone was dominant, leaving no room for argument.

"Whatever." Yun Wan avoided Lu Huai's gaze; it was just a name after all. "Move that stick away! It's poking me. Are you trying to kill me?"

Yun Wan pushed Lu Huai.

Lu Huai panicked, glancing at Yun Wan's profile, then quickly stood up to hide the evidence.

"Sorry."

Yun Wan, now free, noticed Lu Huai's awkward posture. She curiously stared at his waist, where his pocket didn’t seem to conceal a stick...

Realizing what it might be, Yun Wan's eyes widened. She covered her face and scolded, "Lu Huai! You pervert!"

Caught, Lu Huai gave up hiding and said nonchalantly, "Isn’t it normal in front of someone you like?"

However, Yun Wan, overwhelmed with shyness, kept chattering, completely ignoring Lu Huai.

Lu Huai took a deep breath to calm his body's awkward reaction. Helplessly watching Yun Wan chatter on, he suddenly said, "Lord, we’ve been shortchanged."

That statement immediately silenced Yun Wan.

"What loss?" she asked, her cheeks still flushed.

"I saved the emperor, and in return, he granted me a request: I resigned as Imperial Admiral."

"So, I didn’t need to change after all? That swindler! Ugh! Swindler!" Remembering how the emperor had swindled her out of a batch of vegetables, Yun Wan was so angry her teeth itched.

"But, Wanwan, I’m truly happy," Lu Huai said softly, then hugged Yun Wan, burying his face in her neck.

Yun Wan thought Lu Huai had lost his mind, suffering such a big loss yet still being happy.

"Wanwan also likes—"

"Lord, it’s bad!" Hu Yuanyang burst in, saw the two embracing, and tactlessly pulled Lu Huai aside to report to Yun Wan.

Lu Huai shot a resentful look at Hu Yuanyang.

If this wasn’t a big deal, Hu Yuanyang was dead!

"Lord, a few of the Swarm have suddenly mutated. Dr. Lin investigated and found two hundred of them acting erratically, showing aggressive tendencies. Dr. Lin discovered chips in these Swarm..."

"Do all the Swarm have chips inside them?" Yun Wan asked.

Both turned serious, their romantic thoughts vanishing.

"No, only the erratic ones have them. It’s as if someone is controlling them from behind."

The idea of someone controlling the Swarm could overturn everything Stellar citizens believe.

Stellar citizens have always believed the Swarm’s frenzy stems from their primitive, chaotic state—uncivilized and driven solely by primal killing instincts. If there are chips inside the Swarm, it implies a 'person' is behind them.

Someone is controlling the Swarm, continuously launching Swarm waves, inciting the creatures to riot. How many lives and loyal souls have been lost in these wars? Who would do such a thing?

*

Grandmother sat in her rocking chair, knitting sweaters for a few young beastmen by the sunlight streaming through the window. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

The knitting needle fell, and the ball of yarn rolled to the door, leaving a trail of pale yellow yarn.

Grandmother clutched her chest, doubled over in pain. She frowned, her eyes flickering, briefly turning fierce before softening again.

The pain in her chest subsided slightly, but her face grew unusually serious.

"Wouldn't it be better if you just stayed asleep?"

Grandmother whispered softly.

After tidying up the yarn and sweater, she went out and saw a group of ferocious Swarm creatures in cages.

That familiar pain surged through her chest again.

She quickly steadied her breathing.

These Swarm creatures seemed to respond to a silent call, all turning and howling toward Grandmother. The guards noticed the disturbance and looked in the direction the Swarm was pointing, where onlookers had gathered, nothing seeming out of the ordinary.

Before the guards could investigate, Grandmother had already left the side of the cage and went straight to the lord's mansion to ask to see Yun Wan.

Yun Wan was holding an emergency meeting with the planet's leaders.

"Could it be Ji Wei and his people?" Yun Wan thought of the time they sent subjects to assassinate her.

However, she quickly dismissed the idea.

If these nobles could control the Swarm, they would have already overthrown the royalty and crowned themselves. Why drag it out for so long?

But to be cautious, Yun Wan still sent Cheng Yu and a few others to investigate their old laboratory.

"With the Swarm causing chaos, we should use this chance to destroy Ji Wei's lab," Yun Wan said. "Do you remember where the lab is?"

"We do," Cheng Yu and the others nodded.

"Good, set off now, be careful along the way."

"Yes, Lord!"

Destroying the lab that once tormented them was the perfect mission, settling both personal and official business.

After they left on their mission, Yun Wan had a new theory.

"Besides the nobles, there's another group that could use the Swarm for experiments."

"Are you referring to the Black Ram Organization?" Lu Huai chimed in.

Yun Wan nodded, her expression heavy. The long-dormant Black Ram Organization seemed to be resurfacing.

"But... even if they did it, there's no way to find the location of the Black Ram Organization," Hu Yuanyang had heard of this organization.

Yun Wan already had a faint guess.

Grandmother's visit further confirmed her speculation.

"Lord, would you like to go and see for yourself?" Grandmother gently inquired.

"Over there? Where exactly?" Qiao Yue asked, confused.

Yun Wan felt her grandmother was mysterious, as if she could guess what Yun Wan was thinking, just as Yun Wan could intuitively sense someone's intentions.

"Are you talking about beyond the Swarm's border?" It was a question, but Yun Wan already had an answer in her mind.

If the Swarm was being controlled by someone with a hidden agenda, then placing them at the border must have deeper significance. The main benefit was that Stellar citizens would assume everything beyond the border was Swarm territory, and since the Swarm was ferocious, no one would waste resources exploring a wasteland.

But what if there was something more beyond the Swarm's border?

Yun Wan and her grandmother were on the same page.

But Yun Wan reasoned it out, while her grandmother relied on intuition.

"I sense something calling me from beyond," her grandmother murmured.

Yun Wan got it. Her grandmother, a subject of the Black Ram Organization, had ties only to this group. If something was calling her, it could only be them.

Concerned about the Swarm's odd behavior, Yun Wan asked Dr. Lin to check her grandmother, and sure enough, a chip was found inside her body.

"The chip is non-functional," Dr. Lin reported.

Her grandmother and the Swarm were under the same kind of control, making Yun Wan even more certain that the Swarm was part of the Black Ram Organization’s plot. She never imagined the Black Ram Organization was this close, just past the Swarm.

Yun Wan quickly handled affairs on the planet, brought two guard teams armed with new mechs, stocked up on vegetables and plants, and boarded the starship, ready to explore the world beyond the Swarm's border.

"Bring the little beastmen along; they might prove useful in ways you can't foresee," her grandmother advised.

Yun Wan studied her grandmother, detecting no malice.

"Alright."

She probably wouldn't harm the little beastmen.

Yun Ge hated the idea of being separated from the little beastmen. If they left, he would be the only one left in the Shennong class.

"Yun Ge, be good. This trip is risky," Yun Wan said gently, patting his head. "Professor Luo, could you have him join other classes temporarily?"

"Don’t worry, Lord."

Once the vegetables were aboard the starship, Yun Wan and her team boarded the deck. Lu Huai also joined them; he could pilot the ship.

The starship entered space and slowly headed toward the Swarm's border. The closer they got, the more barren the landscape appeared. There were almost no oases, only endless yellow sand. It was hard to believe the Swarm could survive in such a place.

As soon as the little beastmen boarded, they dashed around the deck, curiously looking at the outside world.

"Are those the Swarm? They look scary, nothing like the ones back home!" Se Se whispered.

"Yes, they are the most typical Swarm," Yun Wan said, while throwing vegetables outside the starship.

Miao Miao and the others thought it looked fun and wanted to join in.

"Can we play too, sister?" Ah Huang, who loved excitement and play, was very attracted to this activity of feeding animals.

"Sure, take the vegetables and just throw them out like this," Yun Wan didn’t stop them; this activity wasn’t dangerous.

"They act like they're taking bribes, letting us through after getting their share."

"Miao Miao is so smart, that's exactly it!" Yun Wan praised.

As they fed The Swarm along the way, The Swarm that received the food obediently made way for the starship. After finishing their meal, The Swarm surged forward again. The sight of The Swarm leaping to compete for food was quite amusing; some of The Swarm had splendid feathers and elegant movements, which were pleasing to the eye.

The starship sailed smoothly without encountering any obstructions. After passing The Swarm's border, the universe was plunged into complete darkness, with not a single source of light visible.

The starship's lights were turned on, navigating through the lonely and pitch-black universe. In the darkness, it was impossible to discern the direction, and they could only rely on the guidance of Grandmother.

"It's so dark, how will we get back later?" Se Se asked, worried.

Yun Wan stayed silent.

The future was uncertain; she didn't know what would happen.

The dark environment was eerily quiet and oppressive. The little beastmen, exhausted from playing, began to snore lightly, and after the others had eaten, they all went to rest.

Yun Wan found Lu Huai at the helm of the starship. There were no immediate issues at the moment, and the starship was on autopilot. Lu Huai didn't need to constantly steer, only occasionally adjusting the course and observing the universe.

"If you're tired, take a break. I'll keep watch," Yun Wan said.

"I'm not tired," Lu Huai replied.

The silence made their voices particularly clear.

Suddenly, an unidentified object shot out of the darkness and collided with the starship. A loud crash echoed from one part of the starship, and the impact forced the starship to sway from side to side.

"What happened?" The guards quickly went on high alert, and Ma Yeting hurried towards the impact site. The starship's protective shield had a hole, and a massive bird-like creature lay on the deck, barely alive.

After confirming that the large bird was not aggressive, Dr. Lin rushed forward to examine its injuries.

"Is this bird dead?" Miao Miao jumped forward lightly, curiously examining the large Swarm creature. "It has no heartbeat."

Dr. Lin shook his head, stood up with a look of surprise, and told Yun Wan, "Leader, this bird is unusual. Rather than being dead, it seems to have depleted its energy and entered a standby state."

"Is this a mechanical bird?" Yun Wan asked.

The giant bird's appearance didn't seem mechanical at all.

"Not entirely, it's in a semi-mechanical state," Dr. Lin turned the giant bird over, and in the center of its chest was a dark hole, inside which was embedded a depleted black energy core.

Similar to the modification direction of the special operations team of the experimental group, part of its body was transformed into hard machinery. The difference was that this bird had modified the most core part of its body—its heart was an energy core.

Yun Wan was intrigued by what kind of new humans the Black Ram Organization aimed to create, being able to integrate species modification and technology so seamlessly. The strength of the organization's leader was not to be underestimated.

"Will it revive if we supply it with energy?" Yun Wan asked.

"Theoretically, yes."

Yun Wan took out a purple crystal fruit and replaced the energy core in the giant bird's chest. After a while, the giant bird slowly woke up, flapped its wings, and flew around twice.

During its unconsciousness, the starship's protective shield had been repaired, so it couldn't fly out and could only anxiously circle and call.

Soon, the giant bird quieted down again, silently looking ahead of the starship, ignoring everyone.

"What a strange bird!" Miao Miao licked her paws, quickly forgetting about the boring giant bird.

The episode with the giant bird quickly passed. This giant bird was unusual; sometimes when the starship deviated from its course, it would call out until Lu Huai adjusted the direction, and then it would calm down again.

"It seems its destination is the same as ours," Grandmother said.

Yun Wan nodded, becoming even more curious about the unknown destination.

The prolonged darkness made the concept of time weak. Yun Wan felt as if several years had passed, but in reality, only a few days had gone by.

Under the guidance of the giant bird, soon a faintly glowing sphere appeared in front of the starship. Not long after, a shuttle approached the starship, holding a loudspeaker and shouting outside:

"Hey, are you space nomads?"