Ch 23: Interplanetary Planting Master

Suspicion

In the millennia-long battle between humans and Dark Beasts, King Beasts had appeared 168 times, each occurrence accompanied by massive loss of life and planetary destruction. Humans were utterly unable to comprehend the existence of King Beasts—how such planet-sized creatures were born and grew to such enormous sizes remained a mystery. This ignorance didn’t prevent King Beasts from wreaking havoc, though. As a massive tentacle of the King Beast emerged in the sky, an overwhelming pressure swept across Broken Star’s surface, making every survivor keenly aware of the imminent threat of death.

Deep in the underground pipes, Han Rui was desperately directing Xiao Bai to dig. When the Beast Tide struck, he was swept along with the panicked crowd into the depths of the underground world. He wanted to find Su He, but the chaotic crowd surged uncontrollably deeper into the underground. Han Rui, like a small drop of water, couldn’t fight against the tide. Once the crowd dispersed and Dark Beasts appeared, he fled in panic, completely losing his way in the maze of pipes.

“Hurry up, Xiao Bai!” Han Rui urged in a low voice. Behind him, Lin Ji, covered in blood, was fiddling with his communicator. Han Rui stole a glance at Lin Ji. They had met in the underground world when Lin Ji saved him from a Dark Beast. Gaining some courage, Han Rui asked, “Are we going in the right direction?”

Lin Ji nodded slightly. The virtual screen of the communicator displayed the layout of the entire underground world. They were headed to the same place as Karong—where a starship capable of leaving Broken Star was hidden.

Han Rui, trying to ease his fear, asked, “I wonder how Su He is doing now?” He believed that Su He, upon hearing about the Beast Tide, would go to the surface to find him, just as he had initially thought of going underground to find Su He. Unfortunately, with the communicators down, they couldn’t contact each other.

Feeling a bit sad, Han Rui frowned, regretting how wary he had been of Lu Li. If he had trusted Lu Li more, Su He wouldn’t have been influenced to stay away from the Iris. Now, with the Beast Tide appearing, surely Lu Li would go to rescue Su He? Han Rui’s heart was troubled, and he didn’t expect Lin Ji to reply, but Lin Ji surprised him by saying, “If the Su He you mentioned is that guide, his sentinel will go to save him.”

Han Rui was taken aback, realizing Lin Ji was talking to him, and hesitantly nodded.

Silence fell in the pipes again until Han Rui couldn’t help but ask, “Will we get any rescue?”

Lin Ji paused before replying, “It’s unlikely.” Maybe seeing Han Rui’s pale face, he softened and explained, “This time, the Dark Beasts have an electromagnetic interference attribute, cutting off all communication. We can’t contact the outside world, and they can’t contact us. If we were in the Federation’s core, with regular patrols, they might notice something wrong with the planet. But this is Broken Star, a place beyond the reach of Federation law, let alone their attention.”

Han Rui’s face showed despair.

“But… maybe not,” Lin Ji said, his expression becoming strange as he rolled up his sleeves and coughed. “There’s a big shot on Broken Star now. Once his subordinates can’t reach him, they’ll probably send someone over immediately.”

“Is it Lu Li?”

“Lu Li?” Lin Ji shook his head. “Are you talking about that sentinel in the black market this morning?” He seemed dismissive. “A young major in his twenties is impressive, but the Federation isn’t short of them. Maybe in 20 years, he’ll be a big shot, but now, to the Federation’s higher-ups, he’s just a promising sentinel. Let’s see if he survives the Beast Tide first.”

The familiarity with the Federation in Lin Ji’s words surprised Han Rui. Hearing Lin Ji comment on a Federation major didn’t feel out of place at all.

“Were you a Federation soldier?”

Lin Ji was silent for so long that Han Rui thought he wouldn’t answer. Then, Lin Ji said coldly, “Yes.”

Han Rui, monitoring Xiao Bai’s digging, sat down against the dirt and said quietly, “My parents were also Federation soldiers. They both died.”

Federation soldiers being exiled to Broken Star had only one reason—endangering humanity’s survival. Both thought the other was there for this reason, so they didn’t continue discussing the Federation. Han Rui tried to lighten the mood, but before he could speak, a wail echoing across the planet hit his mental world. He clutched his head in pain, his face turning deathly pale.

Rewind a few minutes. On the surface of Broken Star, the Iris raised a green shield. The leaves on Reno’s head transformed into countless light ribbons, enveloping the Iris protectively.

Through Su He, Lu Li gave his order: “Block the King Beast. Don’t let it come out.”

The Iris rose into the air, surrounded by swarms of Dark Beasts. They attacked like octopuses, spraying thick “ink.” The corrosive liquid sizzled on the green shield, creating small holes that quickly filled with green light points. Countless tentacles tugged and pulled at the Iris, but the starship ignored the Dark Beasts’ attacks and directed all its weapons at the dark portal in the sky.

Shen Shen gritted his teeth. “Let’s push it back.”

Lu Li remained calm. “Our first team has killed countless Dark Beasts. We didn’t die on the frontier; we won’t die on Broken Star! Everyone survived the Blue Sand Battle. If we lived once, we can live again.”

“Exactly,” Shen Shen’s handsome face twisted. “We’re Blue Sand Battle survivors. We won’t die here!”

Wei Na’s hands flew over the starship’s controls, her eyes smiling as she chimed in, “If I recall, the Blue Sand Battle’s commendation hasn’t come through. After we leave Broken Star, shouldn’t the boss compensate us for our emotional trauma?”

Reno relayed this to Su He verbatim, easing Su He’s serious expression. He looked at Lu Li with an odd expression.

“What?” Lu Li asked.

“You’re going to be out of pocket,” Su He teased.

Lu Li guessed what it was about and, maneuvering his mech through the Beast Tide towards the Iris, cheekily said, “The signal’s bad. Didn’t hear that.”

Su He: “…”

The black mech soared, shredding two Dark Beasts around them. They were now in Area A-1, getting closer to the Iris.

In the sky, the Iris’s weapons charged, particle cannons aimed at the dark portal. Hundreds of scorching beams fired, vaporizing the Dark Beasts in their path. The blue ocean parted, leaving a dark corridor, followed by a second attack, all directed at the massive tentacle.

“Roar!”

A wail of agony swept across Broken Star as most of the tentacles extending from the dark portal vaporized.

Su He clutched his head, his mental barriers collapsing under the torrent of pain, nearly drowning in the King Beast’s emotions. Lu Li held him tightly, extending his sensory shield to encompass Su He, helping to reinforce his mental defenses.

Su He severed the link with Reno, his spiritual sapling steadfast despite the onslaught. With Lu Li’s help, his mental barriers reformed. Though cracked, they held. Su He gasped, drenched in cold sweat, his mind hazy. He realized the King Beast was different from ordinary Dark Beasts—it was intelligent.

“Su He,” Lu Li called, brushing Su He’s forehead with a warm hand. Su He instinctively nuzzled into the touch, his scattered thoughts reassembling. Opening his eyes, he saw Lu Li’s worried face. Their gazes locked, Su He’s heart raced. He looked away, saying, “I’m fine.”

Lu Li, feeling the same flutter, maintained his composure and asked, “What did you sense?”

Su He gathered himself and tried to describe, “A strong sense of pain and a hidden disgust…” He asked, “Is the King Beast intelligent?”

Lu Li said, “The Federation’s scientific community hasn’t reached a consensus on King Beasts’ intelligence. Researchers studying them have never been on the battlefield. They insist on practical knowledge but refuse to risk visiting a planet with a King Beast.”

Su He: “…”

Lu Li touched Su He’s forehead. “We need to get back to the Iris quickly. The King Beast will reappear, and the Iris’s energy won’t last long.”

The changes in the sky rippled through the surviving Broken Star inhabitants, giving them a glimmer of hope. While the Beast Tide was terrifying, escaping was still possible with the starship. But with the King Beast’s emergence, there would be no survivors on Broken Star.

Zhuang Wei looked at the sky, admiration in his eyes. The Iris’s crew was truly bold. They wouldn’t have lasted without the Galactic Treeman they had intercepted.

His guards reported, “General, we’ve reached Area B-2, near the Iris.”

The journey from Area A-9 had been perilous. The red exteriors of their mechs were cracked and pitted, covered in corroded holes. The mechs, adorned with flesh, exuded a lethal aura, like demons from hell. Despite the disrupted communication, the sentinels’ abilities allowed them to coordinate, staying close to Zhuang Wei.

Zhuang Wei nodded, leading the charge, his thoughts racing.

The Beast Tide’s appearance was too strange, even with the King Beast. He couldn’t believe it was a coincidence, just like

18 years ago on Iris Star. He suspected the target was himself. But who could be orchestrating the Beast Tide? No, it couldn’t be. Humanity had been at war with Dark Beasts for millennia; it didn’t make sense.

So what was the reason?

Han Qi’s message, “She’s not her,” flashed in Zhuang Wei’s mind. He pondered if Han Qi meant that Song Silan was no longer herself. Then who was she? What about the Third Corps? Could there be someone among them who wasn’t themselves either?

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