That voice descended like sweet rain from the heavens, and those tortured souls, on the brink of collapse, finally heard a sliver of hope. They surged toward the first floor, as if that level held the very gate to freedom.

Peizhe and his clones stood stunned, watching the direction of the exodus. Having received no command, they remained rooted to the spot, making no move to pursue.

The fleeing masses finally let out a breath they hadn't realized they were holding. They assumed the mastermind was playing a game of hide-and-seek, granting them a few precious minutes to escape. Survival came first; contemplation could wait.

In truth, they were oblivious that the mastermind wasn't deliberately pausing for a game, but was embroiled in an internal conflict.

Inside the surveillance center at that moment were Rynar, Iria, and Kalu.

Rynar’s legs turned to water upon seeing Peizhe, who had completely lost all sense of self. The reason was simple: Rynar himself had administered the injection of the toxin.

He had never imagined that such a minuscule needle could unleash such terrifying power.

The pharmaceuticals developed by the Fia family were truly abominable.

However, Kalu had no time to spare for Rynar, who was currently trembling in the corner. His gaze upon Iria was sharp with accusation: "What in the blazes is going on here?"

Iria forced a semblance of calm, walking gently toward him and resting her head against his chest. She murmured softly, "That man may be fond of me, but I feel nothing for him. I promise you, there is nothing between him and me."

Kalu’s forehead was veined with rising anger. His pivotal question wasn't about her affections for Peizhe, but the fundamental reason she had engineered so many variant clones.

All this time, Kalu had believed Iria to be a docile, submissive little lamb. Yet today, he suddenly realized she wasn't a lamb at all—she was a great crocodile, capable of swallowing everything around her at any moment.

He had underestimated her profoundly!

Kalu couldn't help but recall the moment he awoke a few days prior.

At the time, he’d simply assumed he’d been drunk and slept in late. But when he checked the time upon waking, he found four days had vanished! Furthermore, after waking, he noticed Iria’s movements had become highly clandestine.

His title as the Commander of the Interstellar Federation was not for nothing; a deep suspicion formed that both this lockdown and his own blackout were tied to her. Gazing into Iria’s simple, gentle eyes, a chill crawled up his spine. Fortunately, he had perfected an expressionless face, suppressing the shock within mere seconds, and offered a smile as tender as flowing water. "I am merely curious. Hasn't the facility been sealed? How exactly were your variants created?"

Iria offered a slight smile, her crimson lips parting just enough. "Actually, only one is the real Peizhe. The others are personnel from this very location. I used cellular modification technology to make their faces look like Peizhe’s, simply to frighten them."

Creating the original Peizhe was difficult.

But altering someone’s appearance to match Peizhe using only cellular modification technology was not hard. After the modification, a few injections of the toxin, and the task could be completed in the hospital on the first floor.

Kalu’s heart leaped again.

Such recklessness—more ruthless than Bai Lanxue, more extreme than Red Hair!

It was then he realized that the most terrifying woman in the galaxy was not Bai Lanxue, not Red Hair, nor even Queen Fia, but the woman standing before him, smiling sweetly.

The thought of sharing a bed with her henceforth made his stomach churn.

Iria snuggled into his embrace, pouting sweetly. "Don't be angry, darling. I truly didn't want things to turn out this way."

Kalu instinctively wanted to push her away, but upon catching the coldness in her eyes, he abruptly changed his intention. Instead of pushing, he pulled her closer, squeezing her cheek playfully. "It’s fine, I’ll take responsibility for everything. Whatever my woman wants to do, she does. No one can stop her."

No matter what, they were now bound together on the same sinking ship; it was fortunate they weren't enemies.

—Kalu made a firm resolution in his mind: he could use Iria in the future to deal with Bai Lanxue and the President of the Interstellar Federation, perhaps even the Unified Command itself.

Iria was delighted by his acquiescence, leaning shyly into his embrace. "Then let us direct their actions. Let’s kill as many as possible. If they die here, the Legion will descend into chaos, making our own ascent much easier."

Heroes emerge from troubled times.

To become a hero, one first requires chaos.

This was the turbulent era Iria desired.

Of course, her ambition wasn't merely to be a hero, but to claim the mantle of Queen Fia, perhaps even the Queen of the Stars!

Kalu chuckled. "Everything is as you wish. I have no objection."

Iria happily rose onto her toes and planted a kiss on Kalu's cheek. "That’s wonderful! There is something I need your help with."

Kalu replied, "Tell me. As long as I can manage it."

Iria extended a finger, pointing to one of the screens in the monitoring interface. On that screen was Queen Fia and her cousin. The cousin seemed unable to walk, staggering along. Queen Fia could still move, but her hair was disheveled, her clothes were a mess, and she looked utterly haggard, clearly having endured significant trouble.

Iria’s eyes lifted high at the corners, the slight touch of crimson at the edges making her appear even more coldly beautiful. "Help me kill Queen Fia."

Kalu said gravely, "Are you certain?"

Iria nodded. "I am certain. Help me send the command to Peizhe."

Kalu countered, "It’s just one command; why not send it yourself?"

Iria’s back stiffened for a fleeting moment, then she turned her face away, grinding her teeth. "Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs. She won't kill me herself, but she constantly strangles my throat, preventing me from acting. I will not kill her with my own hands either!"

Kalu nodded, activated the voice system, and commanded the variants: "Kill the woman in red clothing."

All remaining variants, including Peizhe, rushed toward the crowd once more...

Iria slowly sank into her chair, watching the hotel revert into a slaughterhouse, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips.

Red Hair reached the first floor and found many people already gathered there, all looking lost and uncertain where to go. Iria dragged Lan Li into the medical bay, pulled the metal plate from his back, and pushed him into a med-pod for treatment.

Many other injured people were crowding into the medical bay, their faces still etched with shock. Seeing Red Hair so composed, one of them couldn't help but ask, "This is too brutal. Who is trying to kill us all?"

Red Hair turned her head and realized the speaker was Queen Fia.

By the time Red Hair was known as Blood Concubine, Queen Fia had already ascended the throne. Red Hair roughly estimated the Queen to be at least sixty years old. Come to think of it, Queen Fia was one of her enemies.

However, settling old scores now seemed profoundly indecent.

Queen Fia looked utterly wretched: her makeup was smeared, her dress rumpled, her high heels askew, her hair loose, her feet blistered, and she walked with a limp.

Red Hair uncharitably thought about laughing, but she refrained from taking advantage of the situation.

Most of the Legion's top leaders had dwelled too long at the apex of the pyramid. They had forgotten what suffering felt like, and more so, the sensation of being relentlessly hunted. If lives weren't at stake, Red Hair genuinely felt this was an excellent opportunity for the brass to experience life firsthand.

Just then, someone shouted from outside the door: "Damn it, they’re coming down after us!"

Red Hair saw the danger immediately. She quickly transferred Lan Li’s med-pod, activated its shield, and dragged him away. As she ran, she called out to the crowd, "This way! There’s a secret passage!"

The others were making a desperate final stand. Hearing this, they followed Red Hair, true or not, choosing flight over fighting.

Red Hair had spent a day on Sublevel One, so she knew the area well. The crowd grew somewhat calmer as dozens of people streamed behind her. However, no one dared to turn back to confront Peizhe.

This led to a direct consequence: the pursuers followed them down too.

Those who ran slowly were simply targets for the blows.

Lan Li, dragged by Red Hair, couldn't avoid running. He grumbled, "If we could kill Peizhe, we wouldn't have to run."

Red Hair shot him a sidelong glance. "Do you even have the strength to kill anyone right now?"

Lan Li wisely fell silent.

Feeling like a burden was utterly frustrating.

The press of bodies behind her made things difficult for Red Hair too. She pulled Lan Li toward the secret passage, determined to reach the small door, activate her mech, and leave. As for the others, she couldn't manage them anymore.

But because she was leading and knew the route, the people behind her, unsure where else to hide, tracked her all the way into the secret passage.

The proximity sensors in the entire sublevel lit up, flooding the area with light and illuminating the panic on everyone's faces.

The Legion leaders who had once chatted and laughed in the assembly hall now resembled a pack of stray dogs.

They were too preoccupied with saving their own lives to notice how utterly undignified others looked.

Reaching the small door, just as Red Hair was about to press the activation key, her peripheral vision caught sight of an even smaller button next to it—one to deploy a metal panel. She guessed it was similar to the silver-glass panels in the sublevel lobby, designed to block the pursuers behind them, so she pressed that one as well.

Boom—

The entire hotel shuddered.

Red Hair threw herself down over Lan Li. Was this an earthquake?

This was a space station; where would an earthquake come from?

There was only one explanation: the space station, or the Korai Hotel itself, was under attack!

Misfortune never comes alone; Red Hair felt like complaining but held back. Simply getting out alive would be a massive accomplishment.

She pulled out two mech space-keys, shoving one into Lan Li’s hand. As she got up, preparing to engage her own, she saw the sight before her and let out a sharp cry of alarm.

Few things in this era could startle Red Hair.

Lan Li, since meeting her, had never seen her display panic or distress.

Pinned beneath her, hearing her sudden outcry, he knew something terrible was happening. He flipped over, sat up, and positioned himself between her and whatever threat loomed, ready to shield her.

However, the moment he sat up, he too gasped involuntarily.

The metal barrier sealing off the hotel was slowly rising!

From their vantage point on Sublevel One, they could see the bright light streaming in from outside.

They were free!

Forgetting everything else, he threw his arms around Red Hair. "We're free!"

The people behind them heard the commotion and looked up. Seeing the brightly lit space station, and the high-end, magnificent warships gliding into the docking bay like a flowing river, tears streamed down their faces.

This time, it was a true return to the daylight!