For the first 27 years of his life, Bai Muxing firmly believed that he was a beta.
This was quite normal since the vast majority of people completed their differentiation before the age of sixteen. The latest recorded age of differentiation in the empire was only twenty-one years old.
Bai Muxing had reached the age of 27 without showing any signs of becoming an alpha or omega, so he naturally considered himself a beta.
He didn’t feel bothered by this, but those around him seemed more disappointed.
“Senior, you’re amazing! You got a perfect score in the mecha practice class. If you were an alpha, I’m sure there would be plenty of omegas chasing after you!”
“If you were an omega, that wouldn’t be bad either. Bai Muxing, you have a slender waist and long legs. Your physique is even better than many differentiated omegas. Being an omega wouldn’t be bad at all!”
“A-Xing, if you became an omega, I would definitely pursue you!”
Bai Muxing heard similar comments countless times during his growth.
Even after he entered the military academy, joined the army, and earned the rank of colonel through numerous battles, such remarks would still pop up from time to time.
“Colonel, you’re so formidable, yet you’re not an Alpha!”
“If you were an Alpha, perhaps you could perform even better. What a pity.”
Bai Muxing found them strange. Why did he have to be an Alpha or an Omega?
But upon careful consideration, it wasn’t that surprising. People in this world have always yearned for exceptional individuals to become Alphas or Omegas.
For instance, among the high-ranking officers in the imperial army, 95% were Alphas. Alphas were the most outstanding beings in this world, possessing physical and mental capabilities far beyond those of other genders. They were powerful and aggressive, standing at the top of the pyramid. With just 15% of the total population, they controlled over 80% of the empire’s power.
In times of war, these people with beastly natures were like walking war machines.
Omegas also held a significant presence. Though they only made up 5% of the empire’s population, they were the most precious “resource.”
Due to their gentle and sensitive nature, omegas were protected closely and meticulously because of their natural fertility. They would be urged to mate with Alphas and bear offspring once they reached the appropriate age.
Alphas and omegas were always seen as the most suitable partners, as their offspring had a much higher probability of becoming high-psychic Alphas or omegas compared to other pairings.
In comparison to these two groups, betas, who made up 75% of the empire’s population and had no meaningful glandular degeneration, were always overlooked.
Once they differentiated into betas, it was as if they were stamped with the label of mediocrity.
But Bai Muxing didn’t think being a beta was a bad thing at all. He didn’t have to deal with pheromones or the kind of wild mating urges that he found strange and contrary to human nature. He quite liked the simplicity of his existence and accepted the idea of a plain and ordinary life.
Not everyone aspires to be a hero or the protagonist of an idol drama.
While attending the intermediate preparatory academy, Bai Muxing’s life expectations were to become a beta, find another beta to marry, and live a simple and uneventful life.
Everything was going smoothly, except that midway through his studies, he gave up on his original medical specialization and chose to join the military, which was still within his expectations.
After the war came to an end, he planned to retire and use his pension to take on a farming and ranching planet for his retirement.
Oh! He also had to find a beta to marry, but he didn’t insist on it. Being alone was fine as well.
Bai Muxing had everything planned out, even down to the varieties of crops he would grow on the farming and ranching planet.
However, everything changed when he turned 27, just after retiring from the military and while handling administrative matters on the capital planet.
He differentiated into an Omega at the “advanced age” of 27.
At first, Bai Muxing thought he had contracted some strange illness. He often felt sluggish and dizzy, with unexplained fevers.
Due to this, he postponed his plans to take on the farming and ranching planet. The medical facilities on the capital planet were better than those in remote areas, so he wanted to get his health in order before proceeding.
At first, the doctor didn’t pay much attention, saying, “Hormonal imbalances are usually more common during puberty or after improper use of suppressive medications… Wait a minute! Are you a beta? That’s strange; betas rarely get this condition!”
The doctor earnestly examined the medical report for a full twenty minutes, expressing surprise.
Although rare, it was still possible, theoretically.
After being surprised, the doctor didn’t show much of a reaction. He prescribed some hormone-regulating medication, advised him to maintain a regular sleep schedule and stay in a good mood, and suggested that it might be caused by mental stress.
After all, Bai Muxing was a veteran, and many soldiers had difficulty adapting to normal life after leaving the battlefield, leading to various problems under stress.
Especially Alphas, this group of people with primal animal genes, tended to cause even more trouble after the war. After the retirement of a group of military officers like Bai Muxing, there was a three-percent increase in brawls and fights on the capital planet, giving the police chief headaches!
Bai Muxing cherished the life he had saved during the war. He dreamed of a peaceful retirement, tending to the fields, and living a carefree and happy life.
Being appreciative of life, Bai Muxing diligently followed the doctor’s advice, taking his medication on time every day. He also watched the popular and lighthearted romantic dramas on the Star Network regularly, being even more punctual than he used to be at work.
However, things did not improve.
His fever symptoms worsened over time.
Many times, Bai Muxing woke up from high fever dreams, seeing his sweaty and flushed face in the mirror, looking like a boiled and steaming shrimp.
For a long time, Bai Muxing didn’t consider the possibility of differentiation. After all, he had been a beta for a full 27 years, and the idea of being an ordinary person was deeply ingrained.
Even though his parents were an Alpha and Omega pair, the probability of having a beta child was still over 50%.
Bai Muxing’s family was just an ordinary middle-class family without any royal inheritance to continue. His parents only had him as their child, and the calm atmosphere in the family made Bai Muxing less sensitive to gender issues from a young age.
It wasn’t until one day, after lying in bed for two days and nights in a daze, he dragged his weak and feeble body outside to pick up a delivery. As he was about to open the protective shield at his door, he suddenly caught sight of a tall and strangely eerie Alpha standing in front of his door.
That person was his neighbor, and Bai Muxing had briefly encountered him a few times after temporarily moving to the capital planet, but they had never spoken to each other.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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His stomach, which had gone a whole day without food, started to spasm, almost inducing vomiting.
The Alpha’s expression softened, and he asked with concern, “Are you okay? You look really unwell. Do you need help? I can take you to the hospital with my hovercraft.”
He spoke politely, seeming to be a genuinely kind neighbor.
If only he hadn’t stared so intensely at Bai Muxing at this moment–
Deep within that gaze lay an indescribable fervor.
Having honed his vigilance on the battlefield for years, Bai Muxing sensed that something was off. He retracted his hand from the protective shield’s switch.
He coldly replied, “No need, thanks.”
In that instant, the Alpha’s expression turned terrifying, as if he had torn through some forced facade.
As Bai Muxing turned to walk back, the Alpha pounced on him, slamming his tall frame against the protective shield, creating a dull thud.
The protective shield emitted a sharp wail.
The Alpha’s cheek pressed against the shield, his features contorted and grotesque.
“You smell so good,” the Alpha muttered.
Fresh blood flowed from the impact between him and the protective shield, but the Alpha seemed impervious to pain. He continued the violent movements as if in a frenzy.
Bai Muxing even saw the Alpha’s wrist twist into a distorted shape under the impact of the shield.
His wrist must have been broken, but he still didn’t stop the almost self-destructive madness.
Bai Muxing even felt a trace of fear.
This was rare for him.
As one of the more delicate betas in his category, Bai Muxing, as a colonel in a military full of Alphas, had no fear of these bigger individuals.
He had fought with many Alphas who were far stronger than him, defeating those arrogant members of the dominant genders countless times.
However, that day, the frenzied appearance of the Alpha sent shivers down his spine.
At the same time, his body began to heat up, as a surge of intense and soft waves rushed up. With every surge, Bai Muxing felt his rationality melting away.
He seemed to transform into a weak and powerless little creature, melting in a pool of syrup.
Even the usually dull Bai Muxing finally realized that something seemed to have gone off the rails.
He seemed to… be experiencing heat?
A long time ago, Bai Muxing read about the heat that omegas experienced during their estrus in a physiology textbook.
The standard protective shield provided to betas by the Empire did not block pheromones. With his last shred of reason, he activated the emergency communication.
The police arrived promptly with strict isolation measures, removing Alpha, who had been blocking his door.
According to the police, the situation was critical. The Alpha in front of his door was an A+ grade, and the standard protective shield commonly used in Bai Muxing’s home couldn’t withstand the relentless full-force attack from an Alpha of that level.
If the police had arrived even a little later, Bai Muxing might have already been marked by that Alpha.
Marked.
When he heard that word, Bai Muxing couldn’t process it immediately.
It was well-known that marking was something that only happened between omegas and alphas. Betas were never associated with this term. How could Bai Muxing have imagined that one day this word would be used to describe himself?
It was so strange.
But this incident happened, and it happened to Bai Muxing, who was 27 years old.
The doctor marveled, “Congratulations, you’ve differentiated into an omega. To differentiate at the age of 27 is a record-breaking event in the Empire’s history! Moreover, you’re a rare male omega! Your hormone levels are exceptionally high, surpassing the recognized A-level threshold. There’s a high possibility that you’ll develop into an S-level omega. The Empire only has a few S-level omegas! This is simply…”
The doctor looked at him as if he were beholding a rare treasure that had fallen from the sky onto the road.
The Empire provided significant privileges for omegas. Each omega received substantial subsidies every year, and all public facilities were accessible free of charge for them.
Apart from the forced bonding and reproduction with Alphas, which was widely criticized, the Empire’s laws mostly favored Omegas. Even if they committed crimes, their punishments would be mitigated.
For an S-level omega like Bai Muxing, it was foreseeable that he would practically have any conceptual privilege.
Regarding this, Bai Muxing said with no expression, “…”
He wasn’t interested in becoming part of a privileged class.
Moreover, he had already secured enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of his life through his own efforts. He had already planned to retire and settle down on the farming and ranching planet.
Bai Muxing was silent for a long time before calmly stating, “I want to go to the farming and ranching planet.”
His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.
Doctor: “Of course, the Empire doesn’t restrict the personal freedom of omegas. However, you’ll need to discuss this with your Alpha partner after marriage. If you both agree, you can settle anywhere you like.”
“…”
The doctor continued: “Rest well. Your gland developed too late, and the hormone levels are too high. The turbulent period before complete maturity might be tough for you.”
Bai Muxing spent a month in the special care ward.
As the doctor had predicted, the late development of his gland brought him much more pain than an ordinary Omega would experience during their development.
To ensure the sensitivity of his gland and to facilitate bonding with an Alpha in the future, the doctor couldn’t administer too many inhibitors.
The only good thing was that medical resources were free for omegas, so Bai Muxing didn’t have to pay a hefty sum of interstellar credits for his treatment during this time.
On the day the results came out, the doctor was ecstatic, even more excited than Bai Muxing himself. “You’re truly an S-level omega! Congratulations!”
It was a late night, and Bai Muxing gazed at the faintly twinkling stars outside the window, feeling like one of those stars, ethereally floating in the clouds, about to fall and shatter into pieces at any moment.
Everyone was excited about his differentiation result, and overnight, he found himself surrounded by many Alphas.
Countless invitations to various noble banquets were sent to Bai Muxing with the utmost enthusiasm.
However, he, the main character of this event, remained indifferent, feeling like an outsider.
Once his physical condition had stabilized completely, representatives from the Omega Management Association came to collect his pheromones and input them into the A-O matching system.
Normally, omegas started participating in arranged dates arranged by the Omega Management Association when they turned 18, and at the latest, 25. If they still couldn’t find a suitable Alpha partner by the age of 25, they would enter the stage of forced matching.
Bai Muxing differentiated at the age of 27, so this rule couldn’t be directly applied to him.
The Omega Management Association relaxed the restrictions for him, setting the deadline for forced matching at 30.
In this era, the average lifespan of humans had reached over 150 years. People generally married and had children later in life. Therefore, 30 was still considered a young age.
Apart from the omegas restricted by the forced matching mechanism, many Alphas (due to the scarcity of omegas, some lower-tier Alphas formed families with betas or same-sex partners) and betas only began considering marriage around the age of 40. The idea of marrying and having children later in life was prevalent.
Bai Muxing, of course, belonged to the general beta population. He had never thought of starting a family at the young age of 30, but he couldn’t resist the rule that had been in operation in the Empire for centuries.
He was forced to participate in one blind date after another. Although he barely got through each one, everyone knew that it was just a feeble struggle.
Three years later, he would undoubtedly bond with an Alpha.
With this awareness, Bai Muxing had trouble sleeping for a long time, gazing into the darkness and the silent night sky without any stars.
However, he soon discovered that the deadline at the age of 30 wasn’t the most significant problem.
What surprised him even more was that his pheromone matching results were 100% with four different Alphas.
This was almost unprecedented!
The last time such a situation occurred, where an Omega had a perfect match with multiple Alphas, was over three hundred years ago in history.
That was a 100% match!
Even Bai Muxing understood the significance of a 100% match to some extent.
The quality of offspring produced by Alpha and Omega is closely related to their matching percentage.
A 100% match meant that the probability of producing A+ Alphas or omegas with their partner would be far higher than the usual AO matches, approaching 100%.
Exceptional offspring were finite and precious resources, and the upper echelons of the Empire’s nobility frequently formed alliances through marriage to control these high-quality resources.
By now, most high-level Alphas and Omegas were from noble families, and the repeated unions of high-level bloodlines formed a strong network of interests.
But Bai Muxing’s appearance shook this alliance.
A wild, S-level omega alone was already rare, not to mention the fact that his matching percentage with four top Alphas was 100%.
This was an unexpectedly delicious, additional little cake.
It was a mouth-watering treat that even the Empire’s top nobility would compete crazily for.
The four Alphas with a 100% match to Bai Muxing were all prestigious and held positions of power.
They engaged in a fierce competition for him, and the battles extended beyond business and politics, forming a massive whirlpool around Bai Muxing.
The four top-quality Alphas chased after him, creating a scenario that sounded like a magical idol drama that would make some Omegas blush and flutter with excitement. His unique status and glands were indeed something to envy.
How wonderful! If he wished, he could marry into the top aristocratic families of the Empire at any time, enjoying the best resources and privileges that society had to offer.
He could live a life that the vast majority of people could only dream of, just by getting married and having children according to the norm.
Everyone envied him, but only Bai Muxing knew how much he wished this transformation had never happened.
The merits he had earned through countless life-and-death situations and his dreams of a simple life all turned into dust, unnoticed and pushed to the corner.
Not that he was overwhelmed by excessive emotional fluctuations. Bai Muxing rarely experienced such intense emotions.
He just felt tired.
……
Of course, not everyone liked him. Some desired him greedily, while others saw him as a thorn in their eyes, wishing he would disappear.
These desires and malicious pursuits intertwined, forming a dense web that enveloped Bai Muxing layer by layer.
On everyone’s faces flowed false sweetness, and behind every seemingly “coincidental” encounter was a carefully planned scheme.
Bai Muxing couldn’t cope with all of this. He was inherently cold, scoring zeros on comprehension-type questions from a young age, and the teachers criticized him publicly, humiliating him for his lack of emotional intelligence.
Give him another hundred years, and he still wouldn’t adapt to this world of scheming and the layered meanings behind every word.
He didn’t have the ambitions of an influential person; he just wanted to find a piece of land and honestly work the fields.
But that wish could never come true now.
Finally, when he was half a month away from his thirtieth birthday, he boarded a small starship scheduled to travel to a tourist planet near the capital star.
He vaguely sensed that something was wrong with this trip, and he knew that once he boarded, there might be no chance to come back.
But what good would coming back do?
In half a month, he would be forcibly matched by the Omega Affairs Association, and one of those four Alphas would likely be his partner.
“…”
Sometimes he couldn’t fathom how things had come to this point.
Although life wasn’t ideal, he had never felt particularly miserable; he could manage and get by.
Returning to the point…
How many people in this world could live their lives completely as they pleased, freely, and leisurely?
Most people, after all, repeatedly weigh and compromise between their inner desires and reality.
But deep down, there was always a voice.
On the feverish nights, during moments of exhaustion after escaping the drama, and in every starless late night.
A faint yet clear voice echoed in Bai Muxing’s heart.
—No, this is not the destination you wanted.
Perhaps even he didn’t quite understand it himself. As the deadline approached, his mind felt somewhat hazy during that period of time. When Bai Muxing finally came to his senses, he had already boarded that tourist starship.
Not entirely surprising, the small starship eventually veered off course. It accidentally entered a jump point, unfortunately getting transported into a region of galactic turbulence.
The signals and power systems of the starship quickly fell into disarray due to the unique magnetic fields of the galactic turbulence. Starting from the stern, the entire starship began to slowly disintegrate.
Through the already cracked porthole resembling a spider’s web, Bai Muxing suddenly saw numerous stars.
It took him a moment to realize that they weren’t stars at all, but rather the shattered hulls of starships crushed by the magnetic fields.
These high-refraction metal fragments floated in the silent space, flickering faintly. Their silver surface occasionally reflected different colors, like numerous dazzling gemstones.
Like precious treasures left behind, like stars falling from the sky.
Bai Muxing remembered a legend.
Legend has it that the galactic turbulence was the graveyard of some alien creatures. The carcasses of these creatures decompose into countless stardust particles, which, over time, coalesce and give birth to new planets. White Muxing wondered if the scattered stardust would look as beautiful as they did during this prolonged process.
In that moment, Bai Muxing suddenly felt that ending everything here wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Amidst the storm of the starship’s disintegration, he took out an old photograph from his pocket.
In this technologically advanced era, very few people carry physical photos like this. But Bai Muxing always carried this one, carefully preserved with special materials to keep it pristine.
It was a photo of him with his parents, a family of three.
At that time, Bai Muxing had just been accepted into the Capital Comprehensive Academy, and his young face looked tender and inexperienced. His parents stood on either side of him, capturing a moment of perfect harmony.
Looking at the photo, memories flooded back to him.
He remembered his parents teaching him to plant Silver Star Grass, and the first time he wrote in his elementary school diary, “My ideal is to cover an entire planet with Silver Star Grass.”
He recalled the day when he decided to drop out of the prestigious medical program at Capital Comprehensive University after his parents were tragically killed by interstellar pirates and decided to reapply for the military academy.
He remembered the glimpse of the massive alien species on the battlefield, realizing that beyond humanity, there were more vast species and worlds.
……
In his final moments, he thought of the farming and ranching planet he had always dreamt of but never reached. He had even named the anticipated planet before retiring from military service; he called it Starry Ranch.
Unfortunately, he had never been able to achieve it.
The porthole shattered completely, and the last remaining air within the starship swiftly dissipated, succumbing to thinness until it vanished altogether, suffocation creeping in.
Bai Muxing released his grip, letting the photo in his hand drift away amidst the shattered fragments of the window, disappearing into the chaotic magnetic fields of the galactic turbulence.
Bai Muxing didn’t activate the escape pod because it would be futile; no escape pod could safely navigate out of the turbulent currents of the galaxy.
Gazing softly at the constellation of shattered debris outside the porthole, he whispered, “Goodbye.”
And thus, at the age of twenty-nine, Bai Muxing died in the midst of the galactic turbulence.
What a terrible end 😭 RIP Bai Muxing (ik he’ll be sent back in time but still) They never deserved you
Well, I’m crying now
What a sad way to go 😔
😢😭
His end moments are so calm.. It’s no doubt saddening, yet so poetic.. Damn I became a fan..
i love this already!!
I like how the story started from his past life directly
Yeah,me too. As we start reading we have some “base” information about our mc
Thts right, tho it’s fun when the mc’s background is showed through fragments throughout the story, but tht happens way too often so this feels new nd I like it
I didn’t think I would be sitting in class crying today 😭
What a well written prologue
sob Let our boy farm!!! ; A ;
wtf he couldn’t fulfill his dream in his first life because of some sh!tty last-minute transformation?? Let the poor dude be!!! At least in his next life, he can live peacefully with his happy in his Starry Ranch and they will raise cattle and crops 😭🤧 Also I definitely find the force marriage system absurd in every ABO interstellar setting, like even if it’s for plot magic bringing mc and ml together or for the empire to immobilize more resource this is just simply inhumane to treat someone like that, forcing them to marry and become a reproduction machine 😡
How this people courted him but never bothered to understand him is beyond me, at least he escaped something terrible. I hope he gets to farm in his next life