After finishing the laundry, Evenheiler hung the nearly identical shirts, trousers, and trench coats on the automatic disinfection dryer in his courtyard. He looked up at the red sky beyond the house’s spherical barrier for a moment before suddenly saying, "Come in. If you have something to say, say it."
"I appreciate you not telling me to 'cut the crap.'"
Morgan rounded the corner from the courtyard gate. Looking at Evenheiler’s profile, he asked with a strange expression, "Are you really with the 'Sun Star'...?"
"He is more than just a terrifying enemy; he is an excellent partner." Evenheiler watched the sky, his tone calm. "At least, 'Evenheiler' was very happy when he was with him."
"Is that so?" Morgan blinked, stunned. "I’ve observed him from a distance. That guy doesn't strike me as the type who knows how to take care of people."
"The 'Sun Star' must make the world believe he will never compromise, never stop, and never soften his heart. He has to be that way, just as I once was." Evenheiler smiled faintly. "But the truth is quite the opposite."
Morgan’s eyebrows began to dance again.
"Don't even think about it," Evenheiler cut him off. "The current him is like the past me; his personal will cannot be shaken by any external force, just as I would never choose to change my life's goal because of him. I suggest you stay away from him for now... at least for the time being. Only when he realizes the Federation is beyond saving will there be anything to talk about between you two.
"Right now, he and I maintain a basic level of peaceful coexistence. But if you fall into his hands, I would have to reveal everything and break things off prematurely just to rescue our side's boss—and I likely wouldn't be able to save you anyway, while potentially getting myself and the rest of our people killed in the process."
Morgan, who had recently spent too much of his free time playing with—no, volunteering with—children at a nearby kindergarten, made an exaggeratedly shocked face. "Since you let him mark you, I thought your view of him would be a bit... softer."
"Don't talk such nonsense, Solo..."
The blonde man flashed a rare, enigmatic smile. He turned to look at Morgan and said softly, "But truly, if I weren't limited by the fact that I'm a short-lived ghost... I would absolutely find every way possible to bind him to my side."
A benevolent, steadfast, and tolerant young saint; a sun shining upon all living beings... If there were a chance to stay by that man's side for a long time, Evenheiler’s behavior would certainly not be as it was now.
But he knew the remaining length of his life was not enough to allow him to 'accompany' Lei Ting for long.
He would die soon, within the next few years... and his withered, short lifespan told him there could be no other ending to this.
Evenheiler turned back, the smile vanishing from his face. His lips flattened, and a hint of cold hardness surfaced in his expression. It was a coldness like the wind and snow covering the entire world, a coldness that had never left him throughout these years.
...To be honest, he didn't want to die either. If he had a choice, he naturally wouldn't want to leave this world.
But he had no way, and no time, to test more potentially viable options.
"I’ve thought about how to die in a place the 'Sun Star' could never find, so he would always think I’m still alive and wouldn't be too sad. I’ve also thought about dying right in front of him, or even letting him kill me with his own hands... so he would remember me forever.
"That way, for the rest of his life, he would always remember me and everything about me. From then on, he could never escape my influence. A man like him would spend his whole life mourning me and our past, even if he still wouldn't change his stance because of it, nor would he show mercy to you all, nor would he deviate from the direction he believes in..."
Evenheiler drifted upward, reclining in mid-air as he spoke softly to the red sky.
"..."
A sudden chill made Morgan frown as he looked at Evenheiler. "This... doesn't sound like your style."
Evenheiler had lived his life for others and for noble ideals. When had he ever harbored such a cruel thought—for both himself and the other person—as 'carving his death into another's life, forcing them to look at that invisible tombstone in unrest for the rest of their days'?
It was said that 'Double S-ranks' were natural madmen. Although the 'Sun Star' didn't seem to show those tendencies yet, Morgan still felt... such behavior was dangerous, extremely dangerous.
Seeing his friend's reaction, Evenheiler suddenly burst into laughter. "Relax, Solo! People always have wild thoughts before they die, don't they? I won't actually do it. Unless... I've lost control to the point where I can't even manage suicide."
"...Don't mention that word, please," Morgan said hoarsely. "If it really comes to that moment, we could consider..."
"No. Ending with euthanasia isn't satisfying enough. By comparison, I still prefer my original plan—finding a worthy, lucky enemy to take down with me."
Evenheiler shook his head and turned to give Morgan a bright smile.
"You know, friend. 'Starstream' is an arrogant bastard who loves chasing thrills. Therefore, the story of his life must either end at the zenith or vanish into the abyss. I have fought here for half my life; I should depart in battle as well!"
...
Looking at Evenheiler’s profile, Morgan opened his mouth but found he didn't know what to say.
But at that moment, he suddenly remembered the handsome young man who used to always be frowning. When that youth had finally woken up on this planet and recognized the correct path in his heart, he had shown a high-spirited smile—one that tore away the shackles that never should have belonged to him.
Yes... even if that smile had lasted only a short time, it was enough to prove that a man like him should never die in a hospital bed, nor would he allow himself to linger on supported only by life-support systems.
'Starstream' was always a desperate, all-or-nothing fall. Back when he chose that name, he was already prepared for the fact that no one would catch him.
And when a river of stars crashes into the bottom of the abyss, it should splash with light that illuminates the deep reaches of space.
***
A starmetal alloy cube was tossed into the air.
Under the radiance of energy like golden sunlight, its dull, deep-black surface shimmered with a magnificent golden glow. Additionally, a texture like fine stardust flickered on its uneven surface, visible only from certain specific angles.
This was the origin of its name.
Darkness fell from mid-air, with occasional flashes of starlight twinkling within it, looking like a 3D astronomical observation photograph, or like a piece of the starry sky peeled away from the universe.
It fell into a hand clad in armor and a glove. The anti-slip fabric of the palm supported it, long and powerful.
Then, the hand clenched into a fist.
"He won't die." Lei Ting’s tone was as still as ancient well water, as if what he spoke was not a mere sentence, but a truth that dictated reality. "I won't let him die. Just as... I won't let this war reach that same conclusion again."
—War? Foreign enemies?
It seemed... this world required even greater violence.
"Please, you must succeed," Shane said with a serious face. "If there is anything I can help with, please do not hesitate to command me!"
"You will be transferred to my direct command," Lei Ting said calmly. "Just do your duty."
As he spoke, he opened his hand. A brilliant golden, double-layered ring badge floated up. Its outer layer had a ring of sharp, radiating light spikes that occasionally connected to the inner layer. The inner layer flowed with light, as if some key structure had yet to be determined.
In the 'office,' Lei Ting casually tossed this badge to Shane and sent the slightly stunned man out of the room.
Afterward, Lei Ting stared blankly at the massive screen for a while, sighed softly, and turned it on.
—Although Shane hadn't explained it personally, judging by his reaction—feeling that even the 'Sun Star’s Office' was unsafe and only opening up on a barren planet—the Federation's information security system had indeed suffered a major crisis.
This aligned perfectly with the information error that occurred during the Sandro incident.
If that were the case, the entity behind this 'information insecurity'—perhaps a faction, or perhaps a single individual? Regardless, the mastermind behind all this did not have a good attitude toward Lei Ting, or rather... toward the Federation's new pillar. Harming his friends and family, disturbing his mental state—this clearly wasn't done with good intentions.
They wanted to drive Lei Ting mad, to plunge him into the same chaos as previous 'Double S-ranks.' Just thinking about the hidden schemes and the danger the people of the Federation might face caused a sliver of lingering fear to rise in Lei Ting's heart.
And beyond that fear, there was mostly a burning rage.
Lei Ting withdrew his gaze from the large screen with a calm expression, not doing anything rash that might alert the enemy.
He opened his optical computer—for someone like him, the external hardware was linked directly to 'Tianhe.' As the central mainframe of the Federation's Star Net, it was almost impossible to hack. This was the only good news in this entire affair... probably.
With that thought, Lei Ting opened the communication interface for 'Tianhe.'
[Sun Star: Tianhe, search for data related to 'Carbon-I Repair Solution.']
In an instant, Tianhe provided its response.
[Tianhe: Hello, respected [Sun Star]. You may be searching for: ["Carbon-Based Type I Body Repair Solution"]. Viewing this document will register a non-public browsing record. Please turn on your optical computer's scanning system to ensure there are no other sapient beings in your current environment.]
Lei Ting activated the scan as instructed. After scanning the entire room, he passed the audit without issue and then buried himself in the document.
***
It wasn't until nearly a day later that Lei Ting snapped back from that extremely complex document, which involved a vast amount of profound genetic science terminology.
His brow was furrowed as he pondered for a long time.
It was hard to deny that this was indeed an operational procedure that could not be followed step-by-step to create a finished product. Many of the required materials were things he had never even heard of.
Furthermore, although the document had been translated into the Human Union's common tongue, the numerous measurement standards and environmental indicators involved seemed to belong to that 'All-Stars' civilization.
In the absence of relevant cross-reference files, he couldn't even discern what those figures would be if converted into current Galactic common units.
Lei Ting let out a long sigh, temporarily abandoning the plan to manufacture a new batch. If it were feasible, the Human Union's previous medical scientists would have made it long ago.
In the field of biomedicine, there were simply too many predecessors; if they couldn't do it, how could a layman like Lei Ting achieve it on his own?
—It seems I'll have to wait for the war situation to ease up, then take some time to dig through any potential ruins of the All-Stars civilization...
Lei Ting closed the document on his optical computer's eyepiece and turned his attention to other documents regarding Chemist, the virus, the Galactic Empire, the Devourers, and other key information.
But in the next moment, his communicator began to beep urgently! Lei Ting’s heart tightened as he answered. Valiana’s cold, serious face appeared on the interface. "A large number of alien armies from various backgrounds have appeared on the border toward the Perseus Arm. They seem to have reached some kind of alliance agreement. A massive organization called the 'Perseus Union' has launched a war of aggression against us.
"The Consortium is currently meeting to discuss how to handle it, but I think we need to stall the enemy's advance before those bureaucrats reach a conclusion. What do you think, 'Sun Star'?"
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
星合金立方 | Starmetal Alloy Cube | A high-tech material or object mentioned in the chapter.
诸星 | All-Stars / Many Stars | Refers to an ancient or external civilization (诸星文明).
碳一型修复溶液 | Carbon-I Repair Solution | A potential cure for Evenheiler's condition.
《碳基一型机体修复溶液》 | "Carbon-Based Type I Body Repair Solution" | The full title of the technical document.
英仙旋臂 | Perseus Arm | A location in the galaxy.
英仙联盟 | Perseus Union | A new enemy alliance launched against the Federation.
综合体 | The Consortium | Likely referring to the governing body or a major political entity (previously translated as 'The Combine' or 'The Integrated' in some contexts, here 'Consortium' fits the bureaucratic tone).
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