The moment Yan Junyu realized that Qi Ze had mysteriously vanished, his nerves had never been more taut. He knew Qi Ze better than anyone else; he was aware that Qi Ze would never abandon his work without a word. Qi Ze was indeed a visitor from another realm, and it was true that he didn't have much affection for the Empire. However, his passion for crafting and his sense of responsibility towards his profession were unwaveringly devout.
In the warehouse, there were Tianzhu and Ghost-Faced Spider, both in need of repair. There was no way he would leave them unfinished. The most plausible explanation was that he had been kidnapped! But who could sneak into the heavily fortified military compound without a trace? Despite being just an artificer, Qi Ze had plenty of means to defend himself. Without overwhelming power, it would be impossible to take him away effortlessly.
Yan Junyu wracked his brain but couldn't find any suspicious candidates, which only made him more anxious. He dispatched troops to search everywhere. No matter how vast the world or deep the universe, he was determined to find Qi Ze. That night, he suddenly felt an intense pang in his heart, as if he had lost something incredibly important. But the sensation disappeared in an instant, leaving him with a lump in his throat, unable to shake it off.
He sat drenched in sweat in the cockpit, almost causing his mech to plummet from the sky due to distraction. This reminded him of the day of the joint military exercise when his mech, Kaiyang, came under attack. Back then, he still had his most crucial pillar of support, but now he felt directionless, like a helpless child.
He aimlessly drifted through space, staring at the stars beneath his feet and the nebulae in the distance. He deeply regretted not having Qi Ze's abilities, which allowed him to pinpoint his location even across hundreds or thousands of light-years. They were always apart, reunited, and then apart again. No matter how carefully they cherished their time together, they struggled to stay united.
Yan Junyu's eyes slowly welled up with tears, but he dared not succumb to the overwhelming fear. As he gathered his strength to continue searching, numerous spatial debris came hurtling from all directions, shredding the mech he was piloting to pieces without harming him in the slightest.
The appearance of these fragments was like a key unlocking his thoughts, immediately revealing how Qi Ze had been taken away. Just as he was about to release vines, he reined himself in and was effortlessly sucked into a dimensional space. In his last conscious moment, he felt not anxiety or terror, but relief. Nothing could bring news of Qi Ze faster than going straight into the lion's den.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself sitting in a chair, his limbs bound by glowing circles formed by some kind of energy body, preventing him from moving or using his abilities. Mu Ran, who had been standing nearby for quite some time, said, "There's no point struggling; you can't escape. If you cooperate with Dr. Kulun, he promised me he won't kill you, and he'll take you to live in a Second-Class Civilization. We can start anew there, everything will be better than it is now."
"Was Qi Ze captured by you? Where is he?" Yan Junyu was solely concerned with this question.
Mu Ran didn't answer but pressed a button beside him. After seeing Qi Ze's memories, he finally understood why Yan Junyu had suddenly changed his attitude. It turned out that on Planet Neptune, he had already died at the hands of Mu Feixing, and it was Qi Ze who saved him at all costs. Losing to Qi Ze wasn't unjustified at all.
But he remained unsatisfied, knowing full well the place Qi Ze held in this man's heart. For Qi Ze to treat him that way, he would willingly risk his own life. If he mentioned now that Qi Ze was dead, he wouldn't survive alone either.
Mu Ran dodged the question and nodded to Dr. Kulun, who hurried over. "The subject has awakened; you can begin."
"Oh, another beauty!" Dr. Kulun exclaimed exaggeratedly. "You're more handsome, taller, and stronger than how Qi Ze remembered you! Is this a benefit of dying and coming back to life? How about I let you try it again?"
"Doctor, you promised you wouldn't kill him!" Mu Ran said anxiously.
"Killing him and then reviving him doesn't count as breaking my promise, does it?" Dr. Kulun meticulously put on sterile gloves.
Yan Junyu asked with bloodshot eyes, "Did you extract Xiao Ze's memories?" Making such a judgment wasn't difficult. Qi Ze, being such a secretive individual, would never reveal these matters to his enemies. The more he was coerced, the more fiercely he would resist. But Dr. Kulun knew all this, and considering his attire, there was little left to guess.
"Where is he? Let me see him, and I'll fully cooperate with your experiment." In the direst moment, Yan Junyu unexpectedly calmed down.
"Sorry, I can't grant that request, because Qi Ze is already..."
Dr. Kulun's words were abruptly interrupted by Mu Ran. "Doctor, please proceed with the experiment quickly."
"What happened to him?" Yan Junyu clenched his fists tightly.
Dr. Kulun paid no heed to Mu Ran's anxiety. He always acted according to his own whims, finding pleasure in inflicting pain on others. Yan Junyu was his experimental subject, and if he could incite his emotions, driving him to madness, the data obtained would be richer and more comprehensive.
With this thought, he called out, "Dear Mu, would you let him see Qi Ze? How could I bear to refuse the request of a little boy?"
Mu Feixing's hologram appeared in the lab, tapping lightly on the computer beside him, smiling. "I'll let you see each other, but please prepare yourself mentally."
What kind of mental preparation? Yan Junyu stared intently at the computer screen, not daring to delve too deep into his thoughts. The scene transitioned from darkness to light, showing a young man bound to a wide, flat operating table. His eyes were closed, seemingly in a state of unconsciousness. Dr. Kulun, a tall man, Mu Yang, Mu Ran, and Mu Feixing surrounded him, observing him with cold gazes.
He opened his eyes, barely having time to understand his situation before being fitted with a helmet, hooked up to cables, and having his memories extracted. Just as Yan Junyu had guessed, the more he was threatened, the more fiercely he resisted. In fact, he chose to self-destruct to end it all.
A massive explosion erupted, knocking over the people and equipment around him. After the smoke cleared, only ashes remained on the ground, which the tall man treated as trash and disposed of. He stored the young man's bones in a dimensional space, perhaps to throw them away somewhere, or perhaps to hide them forever from the light of day.
His most beloved person had vanished from this world. Yan Junyu's eyes reddened, his face wet with tears, but he bit his teeth tightly, refusing to let out a pained roar. Once the video ended, he stared at the computer screen for a long time, asking in a hoarse voice, "Where is the person who took Xiao Ze's remains?"
He raised his head, his sharp gaze slicing through everyone. But the person he sought the most was not here, adding another layer of pain.
"You want Qi Ze's ashes back?" Dr. Kulun said with a smile. "Kirkbo is capturing the third experimental subject for me; he'll be back soon. But I must tell you the truthâhe doesn't like storing too much garbage in his dimensional space. He might throw it away along the way. Well, I've fulfilled your wish; now it's your turn to cooperate with me."
"Thrown away..." Yan Junyu laughed in a low, hoarse voice. The precious young man he treasured had been thrown away like trash? This statement was like a fuse, igniting the anger and grief he had been suppressing. He easily snapped the restraining glow circle, emerging from his cage. The Gu inside him spun wildly, unleashing surging power.
Countless vines sprouted from behind him, their leaves like blades, flowers like throats, bristling with poisonous thorns. In an instant, they destroyed the entire laboratory. If Dr. Kulun hadn't been prepared and promptly activated a protective barrier while retreating outside, he might have been pierced by these venomous vines.
But Mu Ran wasn't so fortunate. A vine pierced his heart, draining his body in half a second, leaving him as ashes on the ground. Before death, he wore an expression of shock, his eyes gazing at Yan Junyu with a mix of deep love and unwillingness.
But Yan Junyu wouldn't care about his thoughts, not even sparing him a glance. He shook off the ashes from the vine and stepped to the protective barrier, beginning a continuous assault on the same point. His originally black eyes had transformed into vertical pupils of dark green, devoid of any human emotion, filled only with intense murderous intent that chilled the heart.
He raised his hands, pressing them against the protective barrier. More vines sprouted from his palms, snarling and writhing, charging forward aggressively. He was no longer human but a ferocious beast.
Mu Feixing watched him in horror, speechless for a long time. Dr. Kulun, however, asked ecstatically, "Didn't Mu take away your thunderfire ability? How do you possess a wood-type ability, and such a powerful one at that? Oh, my God! This is truly a miracle! In a Third-Class Civilization plane, I've discovered an absolute impossible-to-exist 5S-level ability user! Where is Kirkbo? He should have witnessed this with his own eyes; it's too amazing!"
"I want this body!" Mu Feixing, finally regaining his senses, said ardently.
"Dear Mu, this body isn't for you. I have a hunch that he'll be one of my most valuable experimental subjects." Dr. Kulun glanced at him contemptuously.
Mu Feixing wanted to say more but, considering his situation, chose to compromise. Once he mastered the method of resurrection, he could swap bodies as many times as he wished. In a Second-Class plane, he wouldn't lack resources.
These two conversed nonchalantly, never considering that Yan Junyu could shatter the protective barrier. Instead of focusing on Dr. Kulun, Yan Junyu followed the guidance of The Gu, arriving in front of a row of cabinets. He shattered the cabinet doors, scooped out all the reagents, and poured them into a three-liter glass container.
"What is he doing?" Mu Feixing asked.
"Probably trying to destroy my things to vent his anger?" Dr. Kulun wasn't the least bit distressed about those reagents.
Unlike Qi Ze, who could discern the components of materials, Yan Junyu only knew that The Gu needed these substances. That was enough. As long as he could obtain greater power to break through the protective barrier and kill everyone, he was willing to pay any price, even if it meant turning into a monster or a demon.
He dumped all the reagents in at once, watching them mix together and bubble. The glass container began to melt, proving the corrosive and toxic nature of the liquid. The Gu stirred, urging him to absorb it quickly. It wouldn't comprehend the immense sorrow of its host; its single-minded obsession was to become even more powerful. This was precisely what Yan Junyu needed most. Only with sufficient power could he protect someone like Qi Ze, something he should have realized long ago.
Several vines eagerly plunged into the glass container, rapidly draining the poison. Their stems visibly thickened, then with a burst of energy, shattered the protective barrier, lunging toward Dr. Kulun.
For some reason, Dr. Kulun, who could have activated another protective barrier, stood still, his eyes flashing with excitement. Suddenly, a giant scorpion appeared before him, blocking all attacks while he retreated a few steps, leaning against the door.
Mu Feixing, being a hologram, wasn't afraid of physical attacks but still hastily hid in a corner. Countless vines wrapped around the scorpion, binding it into a ball. The flowers at the tips attempted to bite through its carapace and pierce the flesh, but failed repeatedly. The scorpion raised its pincers and effortlessly sliced the tough vines in two. It remained unharmed, neither drained nor bearing any wounds.
"I didn't expect your vines to also have a poison attribute," Dr. Kulun said cheerfully. "I haven't encountered someone with the same attribute as me for a long time. Fight well; don't disappoint me."
Yan Junyu sent a portion of the vines to attack him, all of which were intercepted by the scorpion. It probed its tail stinger into the thickest vine, its pincers opening and closing, making a piercing sound. Dr. Kulun had complete confidence in his symbiotic beast. With the same poison attribute, during combat, the side with the stronger toxicity would always prevail, while the weaker one would become nourishment, absorbed by the victor.
To nurture this symbiotic beast, Dr. Kulun spent considerable effort. Unfortunately, individuals with the same attribute were extremely rare, so he could only cultivate some subpar ones himself. Encountering this toxic vine was a pleasant surprise, so he unhesitatingly released his symbiotic beast to feast.
Even that crude concoction of mixed reagents attracted the vines, indicating that their toxicity was far weaker than that of the symbiotic beast. Thus, he never believed he would lose. And the outcome matched his expectations. After being stung by the venomous needle, the vine wilted, gradually approaching death. Its dark green stem started to turn purple from the tip. Yan Junyu's skin surface also swelled with blue veins, his pupils dilated, and the blood drained from his face, clearly on the verge of collapse. Had it not been for the last vine supporting him, he might have fallen instantly.
He panted heavily, his face twisted with intense unwillingness and anger, but ultimately couldn't withstand death's grip, slowly lowering his head. Dr. Kulun approached him, lifting a vine, sighing, "No wonder you could transcend the limitations of planes and gain such formidable power. This is a magic plant with enormous potential. If you could domesticate it as a symbiotic beast instead of controlling it with abilities, you would be even stronger. What a pity. You people from lower planes simply don't deserve good things because you have no idea how to utilize them properly." He then looked at the scorpion and ordered, "Cooper, eat it."
However, in the next moment, that limp, lifeless vine swiftly sprouted blade-like leaves and fang-like flowers, piercing fiercely into Dr. Kulun's left chest. This transformation occurred in the blink of an eye, but both Dr. Kulun and the scorpion reacted immediately. One retreated to dodge, while the other advanced to block. Ultimately, Dr. Kulun stumbled to the ground nearby, his neatly combed hair in disarray, revealing a hint of dishevelment. Meanwhile, his symbiotic beast was ensnared by the vines, which effortlessly cracked its carapace and sucked out its flesh.
The scorpion launched a frenzied counterattack, continuously injecting venom from its tail stinger, yet it failed to kill the vines. Instead, it made them denser, thicker, and stronger.
Yan Junyu, supported by a single vine, lifted his head, revealing his already recovered, beautiful face. His dark green vertical pupils were now overlaid with a layer of dark purple iris, looking exceedingly eerie. The vines behind him charged toward Dr. Kulun in unison, attempting to crush him into pieces.
At the critical juncture, Mu Feixing activated the sturdiest protective barrier, isolating this terrifying beast. The scorpion rapidly became shriveled and brittle, crumbling to ashes with a light stir from the vines.
Indeed, the vines' toxicity wasn't strong enough, but Dr. Kulun never expected that their most terrifying aspect lay not in their special attributes, but in their monstrous evolution speedâthe principle of "growing stronger in the face of adversity."
But it was too late for regrets. Dr. Kulun could only frantically pound on the protective barrier, threatening, "You ate my symbiotic beast! Damn! Damn! Damn! I'll destroy you, destroy the entire Black Eye Galaxy!" Gradually, his curses grew weak and feeble, his body curled on the ground, drenched in cold sweat.
Once a symbiotic beast dies, its owner suffers excruciating agony akin to heart-wrenching erosion, and their realm plummets drastically. Even an ability user from a lower plane, no, even a child armed with a knife, could easily kill him. Seeing that this protective barrier couldn't withstand the vines' impact and was cracking, he decisively pressed the red button on his smartbrain.
With a loud rumble, the laboratory, treated as scrap, was directly ejected from the warship. This was the ultimate protective measure set up by Dr. Kulun. If he encountered an unkillable experimental subject, he would activate it. But he never thought he would be forced to this point. Today, in a lower plane, he experienced such torment and humiliation.
He lost his meticulously nurtured symbiotic beast and his strength, which was worse than death for him!
"Kirkbo, I order you to return immediately, immediately!" An intense sense of unease followed. He feared others discovering his predicament and immediately called his confidant.
Mu Feixing, after watching the laboratory drift further away and seeing the weakened Dr. Kulun, revealed a look of lingering fear. But then, his eyes radiated with manic zeal, his desire for Yan Junyu reaching its peak. He didn't care about Mu Ran's death, even forgetting the person's existence. Instead, he quickly composed a secret message, instructing Mu Yang to locate Yan Junyu at all costs.
He was also a scientist. How could he overlook the potential of that vine? Its evolution speed was unparalleled!
After entering space, the protective barrier dissipated due to depleted energy, exposing Yan Junyu to vacuum and zero gravity. He was destined to survive no more than half a month. But he didn't seek rescue, remaining motionless in mid-air, as if he had lost all hope. However, he soon adjusted his posture, standing upright, and opened his emotionless, beast-like eyes, carefully observing his surroundings.
As long as his enemy lived and Qi Ze's remains weren't retrieved, how could he abandon his life?
After draining the scorpion, The Gu changed from dark green to a greenish-purple color, emitting a more powerful aura than before. This was the only thing Yan Junyu was satisfied with. He extended a slender vine to coil around nearby asteroids or space debris, using the counterforce to slowly fly toward the nearest navigation route. As long as a starship passed by, he could be rescuedâ
Qi Ze and Cassio were trapped in the villa, unable to leave. In terms of combat strength, Qi Ze was no match for those monsters, and Cassio was a nutritious delicacy for them. If not for the isolation array working, he would have been gnawed down to the bone.
Initially, Cassio didn't believe in the array's effectiveness. He ventured out on his own but returned dejectedly, followed by a string of drooling, fat monsters fattened by his emitted abilities. Higher-level monsters possessed intelligence and knew there was a dark ability user nearby, often coming to wander around, making it impossible for them to move.
"The water and food are almost gone. What should we do?" Cassio inadvertently tapped his smartbrain but shut it down immediately. At present, the military and spatial ability users were searching for him. One party was overt, while the other operated covertly. If he contacted the military for rescue, the spatial ability users would arrive swiftly. With his strength, countless lives wouldn't be enough to fill the void. This was the last thing Cassio wanted to see.
He pulled out the energy stone from his smartbrain to prevent the military from forcibly activating the positioning system to track him down, then sighed deeply.
Qi Ze concentrated on cultivating his Lifebound Gu, noticing Cassio idling around and said, "Come here, input as much dark ability as you can into it."
"Is the bottle mouth this big? Won't it run away?" Cassio felt a chill down his spine.
"No, this is a specially designed container." Qi Ze put on his robe and walked out, but Cassio stopped him. "Wait, where are you going alone? It's too dangerous outside!"
"Just focus on inputting abilities; don't worry about anything else. When it grows stronger, we can leave. You need to hurry." With that, the youth disappeared from sight.
Cassio had no choice but to press his hands against the belly of the jar, continuously pouring in abilities. Then, he watched in horror as the insect extended tentacles, greedily absorbing venom and black gas. It grew very fast, growing from the size of a coin to that of a soccer ball in just one day, able to emit squeaks and squawks, which was terrifying. Regardless of how grotesque its appearance, Cassio didn't believe it could become strong enough to defeat those monsters.
Something even mechs and artillery couldn't handle, relying on this blob of flesh? Impossible!