Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 180 | An Information Island | Novela.app

Pheromones that had been forcibly suppressed for five years were surging. The sweet, cool scent of mint candy permeated the air around Lei Ting’s nose. He was utterly stunned; this was a move by Evenheiler he truly hadn't anticipated. "Don't waste time, 'Sun Star,' and don't look so confused." Evenheiler held the fully armed General tightly, pressing his cool lips against the familiar curve of Lei Ting's ear. "The suppressor always needs to be flush against the skin, doesn't it? Even without touching the structure of your little toy, I can still cut off the micro-injections of the pheromone extract..." "You're insane!" Lei Ting roared, grabbing Evenheiler’s arm and pinning him firmly into his embrace. "What if I hadn't come during this time? You would have just waited to die in a state of hyper-fever and hormonal imbalance?!" "You guessed right." Evenheiler allowed himself to be pulled down, staring at the steel visor from inches away. "But you wouldn't let that happen. Would you?" "...You shouldn't have done this," Lei Ting said, his voice cold. He showed no sign of being moved or swayed, even though he had been asking the other man when they would marry just a month ago. "I know a relationship like this can't bind you," Evenheiler said. He leaned down and kissed the corner of Lei Ting's mouth, the familiar sensation stirring a complex mixture of emotions in both their hearts. "But..." "But you still want to try and see if you can tether me... no matter the method." The speed at which Lei Ting’s emotions stabilized was eerily fast. He ruthlessly exposed Evenheiler’s intentions. "Even if it's just a possibility, you have to try—because I've changed, and so your attitude and way of dealing with me have changed as well," he said. "You've started to become more unscrupulous, all for the sake of your comrades and the future you hope for." "Yes." Evenheiler didn't attempt to deny it—at this distance, nothing could be hidden from the 'Sun Star.' "Most of what you said is correct. However, you've forgotten one possibility..." He pressed down against the young man in armor and kissed him. "...Perhaps I truly do need you," he murmured indistinctly, not allowing himself to show any more of his longing, nor the sorrow churning in the depths of his heart. ……………… ………… …… …… Five hours later, Lei Ting left the 'Waterdrop Garden.' As he traveled through the 'Spirit's Depths' toward the coordinates of the First Legion's flagship, his expression was as stony as his heart was conflicted. To be honest, he, more than anyone, hated that the relationship between him and Evenheiler had become so strange, even distorted—he clearly harbored resentment toward the man, yet he couldn't help but care for him. And the feeling was mutual. With two people like them in a relationship like this, he had actually agreed to such a mutually agonizing night together. ...Well, as the one holding the initiative, he supposed he didn't have much right to complain about it. Lei Ting rubbed his face in frustration, but his hand only met his visor. *Tsk.* In any case, he hadn't actually married Evenheiler. He knew it wasn't what the other man truly desired, and he didn't want to make this twisted, tangled mess even more absurd. They only needed to confirm that the other was still alive and still possessed a warm, beating heart. Everything else would have to be settled in the infirmary or on the battlefield. In the darkness, Lei Ting sighed. He re-entered the starry void, flickering alongside a golden light before landing on the flagship of the First Legion. Truthfully, he was exhausted. No matter how powerful he was, he was still only human. Even though the Orion bloodline was naturally adjusted and enhanced, it hadn't been specifically reinforced for endurance against long-term sleep deprivation... Therefore, the moment he descended into the starship and reconnected to the 'Xihe' system, Lei Ting gave an order: "Give me the recent important reports. Also, bring me a few bottles of high-grade vitality agents." 【Administrator 'Sun Star,' please specify the quantity of 'high-grade vitality agents,'】 Xihe replied tonelessly. "Five bottles," Lei Ting said helplessly. Because their core frameworks were built so early and lacked high-level intelligent learning programs, the intelligence of 'Xihe' and 'Wangshu' was lower than that of most Legion AIs. However, having been born in the fires of war, their underlying logic was better suited for combat than those other AIs, especially for counter-offensive operations. No matter how rigid they were, they were the collective manifestation of the highest wisdom created by humans who had struggled to survive through blood and fire. Soon, five bottles of vitality agents specifically for high-level espers were delivered to Lei Ting’s office. The process was recorded by 'Xihe,' but seen by no one else. After drinking a bottle, Lei Ting felt a surge of energy. He summoned the floating desk's metallic structure from beneath the floor, placed the remaining bottles on the table, and began reviewing the documents. Before long, his expression gradually turned strange... "Surveillance at the edge of the occupied zone detected massive white fungi growing on planets assimilated by 'Gah'...?" In an instant, Lei Ting thought of that 'Commist.' Originally, its sub-strains had been in a state of chaos due to the bizarre condition of the original strain. Now that the original strain was completely dead, they would inevitably choose a new one... Could those strange space fungi be the work of that new original strain? Lei Ting frowned as he flipped through the relevant records, searching for the truth in every detail. Soon, his gaze locked onto a segment of long-range observation footage that had been flagged in red by both the intelligence analysis team and 'Xihe.' It couldn't even be called a dynamic video; because the target was so massive and the recording time so short, everything in those thirty-four seconds was nearly static. But even so, anyone could see the massive problem within it. It was a planet roughly the size of Mars, crisscrossed with endless growing crystal clusters. On one side, near its north pole, long, slender white fungi had taken root. Those roots pierced through the crystal clusters, spreading out like distinct internal networks. They weren't coexisting with 'Gah'; they were piercing, segmenting, corroding, and devouring those crystals. But Lei Ting felt no joy at the sight. Because he saw that beneath the largest fungal cap, the stalk was shaped like the long, slender figure of a woman. He would bet his life on his S-rank sensitivity and his observation skills as a soldier—that was absolutely a proportionally scaled-up torso of 'Atlin Heather'! —Very well. A fungal growth of that size could only be the original strain. Then... 'Hisa,' this demonized fungal strain, must be the new original strain of the 'Commists.' Just like that 'Abyssal Demon Eibon,' she was a creature with many burrows... and such an opponent was a shadow as long as they existed: if an enemy is confirmed to have the ability to 'respawn off-field' or 'manifest in a thousand forms,' you had best assume that even if you kill the one in front of you, there will always be another. Lei Ting rubbed his brow, his heart heavy. He had just returned to his post only to find that while internal troubles remained unresolved, the Federation's external threats had gained a new addition. It was, frankly, a bit too much excitement. As Lei Ting silently reviewed the report and its supplementary documents, he suddenly noticed the seal of Legion Commander Valiana on a blank space. Beneath the seal, Valiana had marked a question mark. He pondered for a moment before calling Valiana's comms. The call was picked up almost immediately. "You're back." Valiana didn't seem surprised by the call, nor did she ask why Lei Ting’s visor had dispensed with the usual eyepieces. She went straight to the point: "Did you see the file?" "I saw it." Lei Ting nodded slightly. "Are there suspicious points that couldn't be recorded in the document?" "Wait a moment, I'll come over and tell you." Valiana waved her hand and stood up from her desk. The floating camera captured the First Legion emblem behind her. It was a golden ring formed by three stalks of wheat connected end-to-end. The ring was encased in a thin outer hoop, flanked by a pair of geometrically pieced wings. Inside was another thin hoop, filled with a sword-and-shield insignia. That emblem was branded on everything belonging to the First Legion, including the chest of Lei Ting’s armor. A short while later, Valiana arrived at Lei Ting’s office with Susanna. She left Susanna in the adjutant's office outside and entered the vast, empty hall alone. Her first words were: "That information came from 'Crater 900'." 'Crater 900'... 'Crater 900'?! Lei Ting was stunned. Wasn't that the starship belonging to his old classmate, Wan Huan? "Regarding this, 'Sun Star,' I must apologize to you." Valiana sighed. "As early as the end of last year, 'Crater 900' went missing." Lei Ting’s brow furrowed. He instinctively disconnected the network permissions of all surrounding equipment—in this regard, he was more effective than any hacker, as he physically dismantled the network ports every time. "Explain," he said. ... A long while later, the intelligence exchange was complete, covering everything from *Crater 900*'s stealth engagement to that final, awe-inspiring zone of absolute void. "Why keep this from me?" Lei Ting asked, his expression calm. "Because it couldn't be sent out," Valiana replied. "Couldn't be sent out?" Lei Ting frowned. "Was the information intercepted?" "No, I mean that for all information related to this and many other events, as long as it is within our fleet, the command to send document data simply cannot be executed." Valiana shook her head slowly, her expression complex. "Do you understand? I am right here, we are right here, at the edge of our home, under the same sky... "But on a certain level, we have become an information island where data can enter but never leave. I don't know if the other Legions are like this, but the First Legion certainly is," she said. "Modern network communication technology is mostly built on the foundation of the Star Net, and we are being isolated by the Star Net. Even though I am certain 'Xihe' is secure. "Therefore, I didn't dare leave the fleet to send information through 'the other side'... I was afraid that by the time I returned, I wouldn't even be able to find my own soldiers." ***