Shen Jie was held tightly around the waist.
By the French window, Zong Lin lowered his head to kiss his lover’s lips, showing some restraint.
The city below had twinkled like a scattered constellation, a million tiny promises whispered against the velvet night. Embers of warmth had glowed from distant windows, and a silver moon had peeked through wispy clouds, casting a gentle, ethereal glow on the scene.
After a long while, the lingering kiss finally ended. Shen Jie was kissed by him until his body went soft, leaning against Zong Lin’s shoulder, asking, “What’s wrong?”
He felt the instability in Zong Lin’s breath and the almost uncontrollable force when he kissed him.
Zong Lin lifted him and placed him on the sofa, sitting beside him, and turning to look at him. This man, who was always dominant in front of others, now seemed unsure of how to speak. After a moment, he said, “In the next few days, I need to go on a mission.”
“A mission?” Shen Jie asked.
Zong Lin replied, “It’s a mission to hunt down Rank Two ‘Soul’ category alien.”
Shen Jie was responsible for coordinating his suppressor and knew more about his abilities than he did himself. With Zong Lin’s words, he understood roughly what was going on and asked, “Are you planning to advance to Rank One, Lin Ge?”
Zong Lin nodded, “Yes.”
If he lacked strength, he wouldn’t be able to protect Shen Jie.
The Rank One alien disguised himself as Shen Jie, causing Shen Jie to be unjustly suspected by countless people in the city. It was hard to believe there wasn’t some ulterior motive against Shen Jie.
With J Base already destroyed, it was only a matter of time before the remaining human bases were attacked.
To stop this scheme, they needed the power to confront the enemy, and the sooner, the better.
However, advancing to Rank One carried great risks—risks that were not to be underestimated.
And if something were to happen to him, and Shen Jie lost him, who else in the city would protect Shen Jie as he did?
This is a big decision to make.
In the past, Zong Lin rarely considered such things. Just like when he joined the “Guardian Plan” and signed the informed consent form, he knew the risks of corruption and the possibility of death were high, but at that time, he didn’t care.
But now, he had ties. He had to think not only about himself but also about his lover.
Zong Lin hesitated for a moment before saying, “If I can’t come back, you stay here, don’t go out, and don’t pay attention to what others say; if Zhu Wu You has to send you out of the city, go to the outpost where we stayed before, and the members of ‘Dawn’ will come to protect you; if the alien captures you back, then… prioritize your safety first, everything else can be temporarily compromised.”
He rarely spoke such a long passage.
He worried that if things went wrong, Shen Jie would impulsively come to find him or do something foolish. Unfortunately, he was not good with words, so he could only meticulously arrange things for Shen Jie thereafter.
His lover, like a lazy cat, occasionally scratched with claws, but always listened to him.
But this time, Shen Jie just stared at him with dark eyes and then said slowly, word by word, “You won’t die.”
His lips still bore the crimson remnants of their recent kiss, yet his elegantly sculpted face was bathed in moonlight, radiating an almost divine glow.
Zong Lin was taken aback for a moment, then leaned in closer, touching his forehead to Shen Jie’s, and whispered softly, “Hmm. I won’t die. I’ll be back soon.”
Shen Jie rubbed his forehead against Zong Lin’s and said, “Be quicker.”
Zong Lin’s voice was hoarse as he embraced him tightly, stroking his back like comforting a cat, and reassured, “I will.”
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.
Shen Jie leaned against his chest, feeling the familiar breath and warmth enveloping him.
Lf gfwfwyfgfv Ibcu Olc’r obgw ktfc tf kjr Ejcx Ycf.
Ktja kjr qgbyjyis atflg olgra gfji fcmbecafg.
//—-
Lf bqfcfv tlr fsfr ogbw j ibcu riewyfg jcv rjk j kbgiv oliifv klat rwbxf, oijwfr, jcv mbgqrfr. Vwbxf tecu tfjns lc atf jlg, j mbcrajca gfwlcvfg bo gfmfca olgfr. Vmjaafgfv gfwjlcr ijs jmgbrr atf ijcvrmjqf, j rbwyfg afrajwfca ab qjra mbcoilma. Snfc atf rxs rffwfv weafv, j veii gfv tjhf yibaalcu bea atf ereji yief. Ktf ijra tewjc yfjmbc tjv jigfjvs fzalcuelrtfv.
No—or maybe not yet.
The world bled into a hazy horizon, a desolate expanse that stretched towards a solitary giant. A colossal tree, its trunk impossibly thick, pierced the heavens. But the true wonder lay cradled in its emerald embrace. Atop the tree’s vast canopy, a glimmer of defiance against the dying world. A city, impossibly small from his vantage point, teemed with life. He recognized some fragile small figures. They were humans.
The towering trunk shielded them from the majority of the invading aliens. Moreover, a formidable guardian was sitting under the tree, asleep.
That was a Rank One alien.
A pure white hue intruded into his world.
Humans and aliens, in his eyes, were no different. He had no interest in consuming these things.
More precisely, due to a childhood experience, the only thing he had never consumed among all things was humans.
But this pure white color, amidst his blood-red world, was extremely conspicuous, making it impossible for him to ignore.
He couldn’t help but move closer, wanting to see more clearly.
However, as soon as he approached, the guardian woke up and opened his eyes.
A visage of sculpted bone, devoid of imperfection, encased the guardian’s face. Pale hair, spun from moonlight itself, cascaded down their back like a frozen waterfall. Their eyes, twin rubies forged in the heart of a dying star, burned with a crimson fire that defied warmth. Not the tepid glow of mortal flames, but the cold, majestic radiance of a celestial inferno.
Vast bone wings unfurled, blotting out the sky, as a pale spear pointed towards him from afar.
White… would it taste good?
He hesitated.
Such a beautiful white color, eating it would seem a bit of a waste.
He thought again.
As he pondered, his body was pierced by the long spear.
...Ah.
His shell was gigantic and ethereal. At this moment, what was pierced was the tangible part used for movement inside the shell, and also the core of the shell.
Though tangible, its essence was still ethereal, and the penetration did not cause any real injury. That was why he didn’t pay much attention.
The opponent seemed to know this. He took advantage of the opportunity to ignite his soul power, trapping him with this shell.
The power almost surpassed Rank One, and he couldn’t break free for a moment.
The enormous bone wings flapped, cutting through the sky, entering the void, and swiftly speeding away from this world.
He was tightly embraced, surrounded by swirling chaos in the void.
Since he manifested his true form during his growth phase, no one had dared to approach him like this.
As he felt the intrusion, the warmth of the other’s body transmitted to him.
He felt… warmth.
It was a sensation he hadn’t experienced since his childhood.
—-//
Shen Jie leaned against Zong Lin’s chest, while Zong Lin held him close.
The two didn’t speak, but sometimes words weren’t needed; they flowed endlessly within the heartbeat and pulse of their bodies.
Until Zong Lin’s phone rang. The person on the other end said, “Captain Zong, the team for this operation has been assembled.” “Logistics department sent a notice, the plane will take off in ten minutes, please be ready.”
—-
The city’s airstrip.
Several large fighter jets were already prepared, parked on the runway.
“C Base is under a combined attack by the aliens, and the defense line is on the verge of collapse. Our mission this time is to provide support and repel the aliens.”
Zong Lin, dressed in black combat gear, strides quickly toward the No. 1 fighter jet.
The decision to rescue C Base was made by the city. With J Base already destroyed, C Base was not far to the southeast of the city. Once the defense line wad breached by the aliens, the aliens from across the sea would be able to advance directly.
And most importantly, the body of that “Soul” Rank Two alien, as predicted by Zhu Wu You, was also there.
Only he and a few other city officials know about this. That “Soul” Rank Two alien was extremely adept at mental manipulation, and its infiltration had reached various levels within the city. Even the whereabouts of the “Dawn” internal team member Qi Xiu Yun, who had been infected and controlled, remained unknown.
Therefore, the purpose had to not be exposed, allowing the other party to prepare in advance or even escape.
Zong Lin boards the plane, where all the “Dawn” team members were already assembled. He noticed a familiar figure and couldn’t help but be surprised.
A tall, pale young man dressed in the same black combat gear as him, with deep green eyes lowered, was standing there adjusting his gloves.
It was Su Shiyu.
Zong Lin furrowed his brow. Why would this savior not stay safely in the city and instead follow them on the rescue mission? Wasn’t he afraid of any accidents?
Su Shiyu sensed his gaze and turned his head to look at him, curling his lips.
However, his demeanor was gloomy, and even when he smiled, it didn’t look like a genuine smile.
He strode forward with long legs and approached him, saying, “Captain Zong, hello. For this rescue mission, I will serve as the temporary healer for ‘Dawn’.”
“The original healer of ‘Dawn’ was Qi Xiu Yun. Now that Qi Xiu Yun was missing, according to the city’s practice, the eradication team needed to have temporary members to fill in during missions.
But Zong Lin never expected that the one sent by the city was Su Shi Yu.
Although Shen Jie mentioned that he wasn’t very familiar with Su Shiyu, Zong Lin couldn’t completely forget the scene where him and Shen Jie were close during treatment at the outpost station, and his own lover showed no guard against him.
Zong Lin pursed his lips and said, ‘This mission is very dangerous. Who approved your temporary membership application? If you’re unwilling, I can arrange someone else to coordinate right away.’
Su Shiyu shook his head and said, ‘I applied voluntarily.’
Zong Lin furrowed his brow even deeper. ‘Who approved it for you?’
Su Shiyu replied, ‘The Observation Center.’
The Observation Center, which meant it was approved by Zhu Wu You.
But why would Zhu Wu You let the savior take risks?
Su Shiyu said, “Although Captain Zong mentioned that the mission is dangerous, I think staying by Captain Zong’s side might be safer. Wasn’t it because of Captain Zong’s presence during the attack in the bunker by the aliens that I emerged unscathed? This time, hearing that Captain Zong’s team is short-staffed, it’s a perfect opportunity for me to repay the favor.”
“Besides,” Su Shiyu stared at him, implying something, “Captain Zong should be aware of my abilities. When necessary, I might be able to lend you a hand.”
Lend him a hand.
Zong Lin understood Zhu Wu You’s implication. He was supposed to protect Su Shiyu, and if he encountered any problems during his promotion, he could try to utilize Su Shiyu’s abilities for suppression.
Moreover, Shen Jie was currently in the city. If that Rank One alien wanted to do something to Shen Jie, temporarily separating the savior and Shen Jie would also serve as a temporary protection for Su Shiyu.
Zong Lin stopped questioning and sat down at his seat. Chen Jiahua sat next to him.
Su Shiyu took Qi Xiu Yun’s seat, sitting on their left by the aisle, and took out his phone to play games.
From Zong Lin’s perspective, he inadvertently saw the game interface— the same rhythm game his lover often played.
“… ” even games were the same; perhaps they were indeed friends?
Zong Lin quietly opened his phone, deciding to try playing the game as well.
Soon, accompanied by the roaring of the engines, the plane took off.
—-
Shen Jie stood by the window, watching the fleet of fighter jets fly into the sky and disappear into the night.
He stretched out his palm, and the extended red thread pulled in a bird that had been peeping outside the window for a while.
Wu Yan folded its wings and stood on the ground, respectfully reporting that the alien core had been delivered to its destination as instructed.
Shen Jie nodded, then casually crushed it.
Hmm… he is indeed feeling a bit hungry again.
— However, since the power previously entrusted to Wu Yan’s avatar had been consumed and the impostor knew he had been discovered, he probably wouldn’t place his power on Wu Yan’s avatar anymore …
Hmm?
A red light emerged from the bird’s corpse, chubby and swaying, floating over to his palm.
This time, the candy was a bit bigger than before.
Shen Jie held the candy in his hand, thinking lightly. Then, he threw the candy into his mouth.
Hmm, delicious.
these “candies” looks like they’re wetting his appetite… probably baits?
This first encounter is interesting. Is this just before they came to this world, or maybe earlier?
Wait I’m so confused about their first meeting? Did he meet Zong Lin in his original form before becoming Shen Jie somehow?
Zhong Lin is not yet Rank One but when thry met he’s Rank One?🤔 Is that happened in the book or when they met?
they met