Han Sen almost choked. He thought there was something wrong with his ears.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The man sounded like a schoolkid that had just graduated from school. He was a crystallizer with geno armor, and Han Sen thought it was strange that the man was making such a simple request.
âDonât worry. I wonât live there for free. When I have grown accustomed to things, I will pay you back,â the man said.
Han Sen heard him and coughed. He then said, âBrother, that is not the issue. You can stay with us as long as you want; I have plenty of money, so thatâs okay. But I have a question: this place is far away from the Alliance, and there is no easy way home. Can you go through the sanctuary and come back with me that way?â
The man shook his head. âI canât go there. But you can tell me where to head. If you do that, I can fly there with my geno armor.â
âOkay, but might you get into trouble?â Han Sen sounded worried.
He was an elite that could destroy planets. The barrens wouldnât kill him, but if he started a fight in the Alliance, who knew what terrible things might occur in the fallout
The man smiled and said, âDonât worry; Iâm a soldier. I have principles. And due to humans being quite close to crystallizers, I wouldnât think of harming you guys.â
âThat isnât what I meant. I mean, why donât you wait here so I can get you an identity. I can come and pick you up, too. How does that sound?â Han Sen told him.
âOkay.â The man nodded, and he seemed to be in a pleasant mood.
âWhat is your name?â Han Sen asked.
âMy name is Stay Up Late,â the man said naturally.
âStay Up Late?â Han Sen was rather confused by this. He couldnât tell if the man was joking or not.
Stay Up Lateâs temper was still okay, so Han Sen wished to ask more of him. He asked, âDid the crystallizers create the sanctuary? And what is its purpose?â
Stay Up Late shook his head. âHalf-and-half. The sanctuary already existed. We just made use of it. It was supposed to be a place we could fall back to, but now it is our last hope.â
âWhat does that mean?â Han Sen asked, not understanding.
Stay Up Late said, âThe galaxy is a lot more complicated than you think. The galaxy is a part of the sanctuary, so weâre still inside it If you exit the actual sanctuary...â
The man stopped talking, and this tease made Han Senâs heart jump in his chest He asked, âWhat will happen?â
âYou can see the result. Look at what happened to us, the crystallizers.â Stay Up Late looked glum.
Han Senâs face went slack. âYou mean, there are even stronger races in existence? Something beyond the capabilities of the crystallizers?â
Stay Up Late had a wry smile, and he said, âDid you ever think about why the sanctuary is called sanctuary?â
Han Senâs face pal. Someone had researched this question before, but the answer was inconclusive. It could have been anything.
The theory that was most agreed upon said that the sanctuary worked to contain the most powerful creatures, and in doing so, ensured the safety of the galaxy.
But now, it seemed as if the creatures inside the sanctuary were actually being protected from something outside of it. And that applied to humans, too.
Han Sen asked a few more questions, but the man got annoyed. He said to Han Sen, âThink of it like this: the sanctuaries are kindergarten.â
Han Sen froze. It took him a while to understand what he meant, but when Han Sen asked something further, the man claimed he did not know. But Han Sen thought thereâd be plenty of time to ask him questions in the future, and heâd learn all there was to know from him eventually.
âI soaked inside the geno fluid for far too long, but it doesnât seem as if it is working anymore. If it was working, it could purify your body through a process known as Godâs Baptism.â Stay Up Late sighed, looking at the tank.
âYou said humans are a small tribe of crystallizers. What does that mean?â Han Sen was not interested in geno fluid, so he asked this instead.
Stay Up Late shook his head and did not answer. He just pointed at the path and said, âYou go back now and come pick me up.â
Han Sen knew he wouldnât get the answers he wanted right now, so he did as the man said and returned to the Martial Hall.
After going back, Han Sen had no time to do anything else. He purchased an Alliance citizenship forgery and bought a house on another planet for the man.
He didnât dare keep Stay Up Late near him, since Han Sen knew that he wouldnât be able to beat the man until he reached the Fifth Sanctuary. The thought of having him stay in Han Senâs house was like sleeping with a ticking time bomb by his side.
Han Sen didnât think Stay Up Late was a bad person, but he knew he should take precautions. He didnât buy a house on his own planet for the man.
When everything was prepared, Han Sen flew the beetle to pick him up. The beetle had a built-in map, which was good, because he might not have been able to find the man if he had to rely upon the navigation capabilities of an Alliance ship.
Han Sen flew the beetle to Stay Up Late, picked him up, and returned to the Allianceâs inhabited space. Han placed the man in his new house and stayed with him for a few days to get him settled and show him how to live an ordinary life.
When Han Sen found an excuse to leave the planet and return to Han Manor, Stay Up Late was there waiting for him.
âWhy are you here?â Han Sen looked at him coldly.
âDonât worry, Iâm not hostile. If I wanted to murder, no human in existence could stop me, right?â Stay Up Late smiled.
âWhat is that supposed to mean?â Han Sen asked, putting out his hand.
âMy mission is to protect the Main Control Room and the first Son of God. I have to observe you, so allow me to live with you,â Stay Up Late said.
âWhy do you have to watch me?â Han Sen asked.
âI am looking for a qualifier,â Stay Up Late answered.
âWhat qualifier?â Han Senâs heart jumped. The diary he had found mentioned something similar to that. The diary must have been written by a crystallizer also in search of a qualifier.
It seemed like this qualifier was something important to the crystallizers.
âIt means what it means,â Stay Up Late said nonchalantly.
There was nothing Han Sen could do, though. He couldnât beat the man, so he had no choice but to take the man home with him.