Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 123 | A Radiant Reunion | Novela.app

“That is...” the Recorder murmured. “E... Starstream? He’s in danger. Wait, so many Abominations? Where did they come from?!” As He spoke, He instinctively turned His attention to Lei Ting. Unsurprisingly, He ‘saw’ a flash of intense worry in the other man for a fleeting moment—a trace so brief it was almost impossible to catch. *Fine, Evenheiler.* *The ‘debts’ this guy owes you... are truly beyond measure!!* Of course, even so, the Recorder acted just like the Gazer. Without a word, He cast His protective power across the void toward Evenheiler. Immediately after, He flipped open the notebook in His hand and spoke. “I have established a steadfast dream.” As the flowing light of scattered stardust brushed past a fountain pen, a faint ripple shimmered into existence, revealing a landscape that looked as though it had been processed with a heavy Gaussian blur. The black-and-red tide was blocked by this barrier, their advance severely slowed. Evenheiler looked somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected the Recorder to notice his situation so quickly. However, he said nothing, only accelerating without looking back, racing toward the direction of the golden sun. “In the dream, I gather dried herbs and wash fresh flowers. I open my door to the wind and see a bright lake like a heavenly mirror...” As the Recorder recited, the landscape rapidly became three-dimensional and clear. “I walk—” “You really should walk.” The Gazer reached out a hand and pinched that blurry figure, which seemed to be undergoing infinite changes at every moment. “You’ve stayed here long enough this time, Recorder.” The Recorder: “...” The Recorder: “?” The Recorder didn't know whether to laugh or cry. “I’ll stop reciting, I’ll stop. But if I don’t, what about Starstream?” The Gazer did not look at Him. These super-powered entities did not actually need to ‘look’ to observe things from all angles; all their human-like habits and behaviors existed only because their primary power originated from ‘humanity.’ He simply raised the Steel Earth in His hand, which was shining brilliantly under the light of the super-powered sun. As He did so, that super-powered armor—designed with extreme simplicity and a philosophy of ‘quantity is quality, big is beautiful, and overwhelming firepower is both,’ or ‘if the former is impossible, then keep the wearer from being overwhelmed while maintaining mobility’—exuded an aura of immense power. Beside Him, Lei Ting had already mobilized a massive amount of his own energy. Yet, for some reason, he did not strike directly. Instead, he watched the Gazer with a serious expression. What would this man-made Guardian do? Would it be a strange method like the Recorder’s, or an energy discharge like Lei Ting’s own? In the next moment, the Gazer took a stance like a shot-putter. With a mountain-toppling momentum, He spun His body, swung His arm, and hurled the Steel Earth from His hand! Lei Ting: “...” Lei Ting: “?!” He was dumbfounded. The Steel Earth ignited with a fierce, blood-red radiance, turning into a magnificent red meteor that streaked past Evenheiler and crashed into the swarm of Abominations across the void! A distant explosion occurred. A dazzling red light flashed and vanished. In an instant, nearly half of the hundreds of millions of Abominations, swarming like schools of fish, were gone. Lei Ting: “...?” He slowly turned his head to look back at the Gazer’s hand, only to find to his shock that He was already holding another brand-new, shiny Steel Earth. *Wait, brother, so that thing is a consumable weapon?* *Then why were you holding it over your head the whole time before you woke up?!* *Oh, right. It was an image of ‘a warrior acting as a foundation to hold up the home of the people.’* *...Thinking about it that way makes it even weirder!!!* Lei Ting’s eyes twitched, leaving him speechless. But at the same time, his power had already spread to Evenheiler’s side, conveying an inconspicuous yet stable and reliable sense of comfort and support through the golden sunlight. The aura around him also rapidly adjusted. He returned to his usual solemn and calm demeanor, as if he knew nothing of the explosive information mentioned earlier. The Recorder stared at him keenly. “How do you plan to tell him? About the fact that you already know those things...” Before the golden sun, the black-armored youth wearing a golden crown remained calm. He tilted his head slightly to meet those giant heterochromatic eyes of red and blue. Then, he smiled faintly. He raised a finger encased in a sturdy glove and heavy gauntlet, placing it before his lips in a shushing gesture. His mid-length black hair fluttered slightly in deep space, and his eyepieces reflected the light from the Recorder’s eyes. Thus, the Recorder understood that some people were likely in for a very bad time. “Fine... you really do love him.” The Recorder sighed. By now, He could see that the relationship between Lei Ting and Evenheiler was not what ordinary people would imagine. “By the way, what exactly is the relationship between you two?” *** For Evenheiler, life was a series of grand ambitions botched and hopes dashed. When he was a child, he didn't like toys, only blades and guns. His whole family thought he would become an Alpha, so they didn't use the then-immature predictive methods to check his future secondary gender... then he turned out to be an Omega. When he got used to that fact and proceeded with his academy life as planned, he was favored and mentored by a Vice Speaker. Normally, this would mean he was born at the finish line... then he ended up battered and bruised, with very few of the major things he was supposed to achieve actually coming to fruition. Although those who knew the inside story said he was sabotaged and burdened with tasks beyond his personal capability, when the ‘problem is right there and your personal ability is insufficient’ fact was laid bare, he didn't feel comforted at all. And so, he was pushed to his limit by those parasitic things clinging to the Human Union, and he finally defected. Clearly, if he had been willing to endure, he might be standing at the pinnacle of the Federation’s power today. He might have walked the same path as Lei Ting, changing the Federation from within... but he knew that was impossible. Absolutely impossible. The path of the Resistance might not be entirely correct, but it was certainly not as wrong as the current Federation. He would not join Lei Ting’s path, which caused a greater sense of guilt to rise in his heart as he rushed toward that sun. Evenheiler flew into Federation space without looking back, trailing that black tide. When he received aid from the Recorder and the Gazer, he barely had the mental capacity to wonder ‘why the Gazer’s method of aid seems a bit different from usual.’ He simply accelerated by reflex, crashing into the light of the golden sun like a literal beam of white light. Almost immediately, he felt a gentle comfort, a vast transmission of power. It was the energy radiation from that super-powered sun; it had been emitting such a field in all directions, and anything that actively flew toward it would receive its buffs and enhancements. It was practically like a mobile buff station... that doubled as a safe zone. However, Evenheiler knew very well that the light’s performance when burning others would be far more cruel than he imagined. It only felt this way to him now because, just as he had sensed back then, it would not hurt him. Within the area covered by the super-powered sun’s radiance, Evenheiler let out a long breath. Maintaining his armored state, he flipped and leaped through the void. While observing the situation behind him, he watched the stardust be dyed gold by the even more intense light. Lei Ting would definitely sense him coming here... he just didn't know when the other would... ...Come. Evenheiler was thinking this when he felt a familiar embrace envelop him from behind. He looked down at the arms wrapped around his waist and abdomen. *Well, he’s already here.* Although he had decided to believe this person would respond to it all, to be honest, arriving this quickly was indeed surprising... He thought this and did not struggle out of that broad, powerful embrace. Instead, he allowed the young man he hadn't seen for less than half a month to hold him for a while. When the other showed absolutely no intention of letting go, he helplessly patted those arms. “Let go.” Lei Ting leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on the man’s shoulder. He didn't say anything like “you caused so much trouble just by going out once.” Instead, he whispered, “Even, I missed you.” “...” Evenheiler’s heart nearly skipped a beat along with his breath, but he held his ground. “I know...” He sighed, finding that the guilt and pain he had been brewing seemed to be dissipating, and the psychological defenses he had worked so hard to build were collapsing again. “Let... forget it.” Forget it, he wouldn't be able to hold him for long anyway, he thought. If it was Lei Ting, then he could hold him if he wanted. Since he said so, Lei Ting did exactly that. The strength of the arms encircling him increased further, quickly reaching a level sufficient to snap an engineering support pillar. But Evenheiler, who was also a ‘powerhouse’ in his own right, only patted his hand soothingly when a slight ripple appeared in his armor’s super-powered structure. A moment later, Lei Ting laughed, released his arms, and pulled Evenheiler around to face him. “By the way, this is perfect timing...” The embrace was gone, and Evenheiler even felt a trace of reluctance in his heart. But he quickly suppressed that bit of weak longing and turned his head as requested— —He saw a hundred-meter-tall phantom of a statue holding a Steel Earth, and another illusory figure dozens of meters high. One was silently stroking the model of the Steel Earth in His hand, while the other was silently rubbing a notebook and fountain pen. They were both staring at Evenheiler’s azure eyes. Evenheiler: “...” “...I happened to be in a meeting with these two,” he heard his young sun say. Then, Lei Ting spoke to the two super-powered entities, who both likely felt like giant third wheels: “Let me introduce him. Evenheiler Kang, title ‘Starstream.’ My boyfriend.” “...” The Gazer’s movement of stroking the Steel Earth paused for a moment, then He changed His posture and continued stroking. “...” The Recorder’s thumb rubbing the fountain pen also paused, then He flipped it upside down and continued rubbing. “What’s wrong with you two?” Lei Ting blinked. “Recorder? You...” “He is wondering if He said too much earlier,” the Gazer spoke in His heavy, steady voice. “Now He feels like He might have dug a hole for someone.” Dug a hole for whom? Lei Ting turned to look at Evenheiler beside him—who was completely defenseless against him and could be pulled into his arms at any time—and uttered a confused “Huh?” “Dug a hole for whom?” Dug a hole for whom? Evenheiler’s expression was wooden as he silently looked at those two massive phantoms, whose true forms one might not see even a few times a year. He was numb. *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 星流 | Starstream | Evenheiler's title/codename. | | 憎恶生物 | Abominations | Monstrous creatures mentioned in the text. | | 钢铁地球 | Steel Earth | The model/weapon held by the Gazer. | | 异魔 | Eldritch Demons | Malevolent entities/monsters. | | 眼魔君主 | Beholder Monarch | Also referred to as the "Eye Demon Lord." | | 传递者 | The Messenger | A term related to the "Eye" and the Gazer's lost power. | | 视野 | Vision | The name of the Eldritch Demon that betrayed the Gazer. |