The enemy vessel’s prow was struck hard, the massive sound erupting in smoke and sparks!
Bran strode into the monitoring room, his gaze fixed on the enemy ship projected across the enormous screen. It was clearly a tough hull; the two salvos of missiles hadn't even pierced the armor. He knew the loadout—if it was a hull built for resistance, they were either relying on short-range, high-yield cannons or deploying drones as the primary assault.
“Launch the drones!” he commanded decisively.
Sure enough, as soon as their drones were deployed, about a dozen more detached from the enemy ship's drone bay, swarming toward them like hornets.
These specific drones were called 'Great Hornets.'
The Great Hornets, as their name implied, were exceptionally ferocious, engaging in a relentless dogfight until either the target was annihilated or they were destroyed themselves. Their own drones, however, were light models with only mediocre combat capabilities.
The situation was turning perilous.
The Captain watched their light drones get swarmed by the Great Hornets, their armor breached within minutes, and his heart sank. He immediately activated the maneuvering thrusters to evade.
Bran frowned slightly, stepping in personally to adjust the turret alignment, targeting the enemy vessel’s most vulnerable point.
But the enemy ship seemed injected with adrenaline, charging straight at them with a desperate intensity.
Bran dared not relax, fighting while accelerating full-speed toward their flank. The instant he fired a shell, a sudden chill shot through him—something felt terribly wrong. True to his apprehension, the next second, the enemy retaliated with a blast aimed precisely where he was maneuvering!
Bang—
The adversary was using a high-velocity cannon—short-range but devastatingly powerful—which nearly punched through his own armor!
Bran felt profoundly frustrated.
He had assumed the enemy was either focused on short-range cannon fire or drone deployment; who knew they were fielding both the high-yield, short-range cannon and the drones as their main offensive!
The enemy commander was clearly a skilled combatant!
Today, their mission was solely to transport Tang Wen to the wormhole, lacking the heavy ordnance necessary for a protracted death match. They were caught completely off guard.
He stated grimly, “We fight and retreat simultaneously. Fall back to the asteroid field to the rear right—we’ll switch to guerrilla tactics!”
Just then, the Captain cried out in sudden terror, “There are dozens of pirate ships emerging from the asteroid field!”
Bran saw the dense swarm of pirate fleet vessels shooting out like arrows on the main screen. He made an instant decision: “Withdraw!”
The Captain immediately initiated the jump sequence.
Five, four, three, two, one!
Just as the enemy ships closed in, Bran’s battleship executed the warp jump, vanishing into the vastness of space at breakneck speed.
The commander on the enemy ship gave a cold smile, his thin lips barely moving: “Pursue!”
Bran watched the enemy ship disappear from the screen and let out a quiet breath. “Captain, jump us back.”
The Captain was bewildered. “Why, sir?” If the enemy ship was still there, they would surely be finished.
Bran explained, “The enemy vessel is definitely gone. We need to return to ensure Mr. Tang Wen and Ziye are safe. If they run into that enemy ship, things will get complicated!”
The Captain acknowledged solemnly, “Understood.”
The battleship swung around in space and prepared to warp back.
They had only just left when the enemy ship arrived.
No vessels were in sight, only the faint glimmer of distant signal lights. The Captain asked, “Vice Commander, should we continue the chase?”
The commander of the enemy ship was revealed to be Lan Li, the Vice Commander of the Angel Legion.
In fact, the person meant to be aboard that battleship was originally An Junlie. However, while briefing personnel before his departure, An Junlie made a fatal error: he told Lan Li about his intended trip to Silver Rune Star with Ziye!
Lan Li, the consummate conspirator, naturally could not allow this to happen. He promptly intercepted An Junlie, punishing him severely: “Those who achieve great things cannot be hampered by sentimentality.”
An Junlie retorted, “This has nothing to do with sentiment.”
Lan Li smiled faintly and sent an internal communication to all key Legion personnel, detaining him. To prevent the Commander from going into a full rage, he decided to check the situation himself.
Everything had proceeded smoothly until they reached the wormhole vicinity.
Unexpectedly, they were intercepted by an unforeseen obstacle right next to the wormhole.
After chasing for so long, they hadn't even seen a shadow of the target.
Lan Li’s mood was exceptionally foul.
He walked up to the screen, staring into the space visible with unnerving clarity—no stars, no nebulae in the field of view. “What location is this?”
The Captain deployed a probe for a deep environmental scan. After a moment, the surroundings displayed on the screen: the wormhole to the right looked like a bottomless abyss. Their battleship was hovering right on the edge; even the slightest deviation would send them plunging into the void!
The Captain’s face paled. “Report, Vice Commander, this is the wormhole located behind Siyatu!”
The wormhole was massive. The Angel Legion’s interstellar routes were established ahead of Siyatu, in the relatively safer sector. What they were currently in was the location most strictly forbidden to approach in interstellar legends!
The journey there had been remarkably calm, and nothing seemed amiss in their visual range. If they hadn’t deployed the probe when they did, he might have driven straight into the abyss.
No wonder this place was listed among the top ten most ferocious locations in the galaxy...
As one of the most experienced Captains in the Angel Domain, the thought that he had nearly met his end here caused cold sweat to bead on his forehead.
Lan Li patted his shoulder. “Rest for a moment. We leave in three minutes.”
At that instant, a small silhouette appeared on the screen, drawing Lan Li’s attention. He reached out and gently pulled the image on the screen, magnifying it—it was unmistakably a battleship.
Lan Li showed mild surprise. “The Dada?”
The Dada was specifically commissioned to transport prisoners to Silver Rune Star, rumored to travel along secret routes. He hadn’t expected them to accidentally stumble near the passage today.
A smile touched Lan Li’s lips as he ordered their vessel to follow, maintaining a safe distance.
The Dada did not warp. It cruised at full speed along the rim of the wormhole, executing sharp 120-degree turns, occasionally circling down layers around the vortex, sometimes passing through layers of invisible mist...
Rynar was experiencing the most unusual day of the last forty years.
Bai Lanxue had told him, “You will be the Chief Designer of the Interstellar Federation sooner or later.”
Although the official documentation hadn't arrived yet, the chorus of congratulations was practically deafening. Even Nisa Pi, the interstellar supermodel he had pursued fruitlessly for so long, had consented to roll around with him several times.
In that moment, he felt as if he were living in paradise.
He had achieved fame; he hadn't quite reached the pinnacle of the domain, but it was within grasp; and he had women at his side—he had achieved it all!
He was deliriously happy!
Terms like sheer elation, joyous spectacle, public delight, and universal celebration were perhaps an understatement for his feelings.
Indeed, just as someone had said, if Tang Wen simply went far away, everything would belong to him!
He was ecstatically coupling with Nisa Pi, the haze of wanton pleasure still lingering, when Bai Lanxue’s official announcement slammed down.
He expected the appointment letter for the Chief Designer of the Interstellar Federation; instead, it was...
Rynar scrambled out of bed in disbelief and sprinted toward his government office. Along the way, everyone stared at him strangely. He glanced down and realized he was wearing a woman's blouse!
It was Nisa Pi’s.
Last night, this sequined garment had been parading down the runway, draped around its owner’s ample bust and slender waist... He didn't have time to process anything else. He waylaid Bai Lanxue outside the conference room, demanding furiously, “Why did this happen?”
The blouse was slightly too tight, failing to conceal his robust physique, and the exposed skin was marred by bite marks, hickeys, and red welts. He had rushed out in such a hurry that his hair was a mess; at first glance, he looked completely unhinged.
Bai Lanxue’s expression was blank, as if she didn't know him. “Is this how you address me?”
Rynar was boiling with rage, having no patience for idle talk. “Tell me, why!”
A cruel smile touched the corners of Bai Lanxue’s lips. “Take responsibility for the mess you made.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Rynar yelled out, “Didn’t you tell me to do this?”
Scornful laughter echoed from the crowd: “Are you mad or just an idiot.”
Amidst the flow of people, he was shoved to the floor.
Bystanders passed by without sparing him a glance, as if he no longer existed.
He staggered up from the ground in a daze and happened to see a familiar colleague approaching. He rushed to stop him and asked, “What’s going on?”
The colleague didn’t even look at him, turning and walking away.
Rynar stared at his hands in horror, then touched his face, shouting in the lobby, “Can’t you see me? Can’t you hear me speak?”
Bai Lanxue glanced at him from inside the conference room and calmly instructed, “He’s gone mad, just throw him out.”
Security personnel approached, pinned him under one arm, and tossed him outside.
They showed no mercy. He crashed onto the ground, lying there in pain for a long time before he could get up.
Thinking it must be a hallucination, he ran home.
At home, Nisa Pi was packing. Seeing him enter, she quickly yanked the clothes off his body, grumbling angrily, “I wondered why I couldn’t find it. You actually wore it. Do you know how much this dress costs? A full hundred thousand!”
She stuffed the items into her suitcase and dragged it toward the door.
Rynar grabbed her hand. “Where are you going?”
Nisa Pi sneered, “You useless man, where I go is none of your concern.”
Rynar clung to her leg. “Don’t you dare leave!”
Nisa Pi kicked him aside onto the floor, dragging her suitcase out with heavy thuds.
Rynar sat on the floor for a long time before regaining his senses. He felt overwhelmed by pain and desperately needed someone to comfort him. He opened his comm, dialing the number of his best friend.
No answer.
He dialed the second; his friend coldly replied, “Don’t call me again!”
The third number rang, “Sorry, you have reached a wrong number.”
The fourth...
Rynar was in despair!
He ran a hand through his hair, thinking hard, until he finally remembered one person: his wife, whom he had abandoned long ago.
Even though they hadn't been together for a long time, she would surely understand him; he was certain of it.
The house was protected by an infrared scan. He approached the door, and the automatic scanner confirmed his identity before granting entry.
Once inside, he heard a strange sound.
Or rather, a painfully familiar sound.
The sound he had heard night after night, pressing his wife down beneath him.
But...
Who was in his house now?
He burst in, and in that instant, he nearly went insane!
His wife was cheating on him!
-RS