Chapter Fifty-Five: Salvation Amid Despair

Chapter Fifty-Five: Life Finds a Way

The shrill alarm pierced Liu Shaoyu’s ears, and even the densest of fools would realize this was a trap. There was no time to dwell on it; survival was the only priority. Frustration welled up within him—why did trouble always find him the moment he stepped onto these ships? He resolved then and there: never again, under any circumstances, would he board an unfamiliar vessel.

But first, he had to survive.

Though his armor might preserve his nervous system, he couldn’t be certain it would save his life.

Just then, a searing pain flared in Liu Shaoyu’s mind, accompanied by scorching heat. The agony was so intense he collapsed, convulsing on the floor.

“Overclock initiated… system hacking in progress…” The words echoed in his mind, but Liu Shaoyu was nearly unconscious. “Damn it! What the hell is happening?” The pain was so overwhelming, he couldn’t think.

He endured, barely conscious, and seemed to smell the scent of his own brain burning.

“System hacking complete. Self-destruct mode canceled.” Finally, the voice in his mind coincided with the ship’s deathly countdown. The agony in his brain vanished, along with his sense of self.

Outside, the desolate creatures had sensed the danger as soon as the alarm sounded, instinctively withdrawing from the steel beast.

From memory, they knew what humans called an “explosion” might soon occur. Experience taught them that such explosions brought heat and shrapnel that could penetrate their protective skin.

Under their leader’s guidance, the desolate creatures ceased attacking the Monkey and began to retreat. This sight stunned the Monkey, who was still wandering about.

The subsequent alarm made the Monkey suddenly realize the truth. Wait—Liu Shaoyu was still inside!

Without hesitation, the Monkey accelerated, racing towards the spot where Liu Shaoyu had entered the ship.

This was the difference between humans and other creatures: emotion.

Other incapacitated beings still lingered around the ship. Those that withdrew felt no pity for their immobilized kin. Nor did the dying creatures call out to their departing companions. If anything, they pitied the yellow mech’s foolish actions—if pity was an emotion they possessed.

They formed a ring. Should an explosion occur, their positioning would ensure they avoided its effects. Clever, wasn’t it? Yet inside the ring, some of their own remained.

The Monkey had endured such situations many times. Why was it always Liu Shaoyu who ended up in danger? Why was he always the one left outside?

Before him was a closed hatch, a door that might forever separate them. For the second time, the Monkey felt the distance a single door could create.

“4.3”—the ship’s self-destruct voice continued, reminding him how much time remained, counting down his life. Foolish, wasn’t it? His companion was still inside.

“2.1”—only a second left. How long is a second? Not enough for the Monkey to recall his entire life, but luckily he was young; it was just enough. In that fleeting moment, he realized—meeting Liu Shaoyu was his greatest achievement.

“Self-destruct system halted.” Was he hearing things? The ship’s voice sounded almost displeased as it spoke these words.

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If he weren’t wearing his armor, the Monkey would have pinched himself to check if he’d heard correctly.

Nearly half a minute later, the Monkey finally confirmed his ears hadn’t conjured an illusion out of fear.

“Damn it! That scared me to death!” he cursed, trying to steady his nerves.

“Long Ruyuan! If you keep watching from up there, I’ll send your girlfriend the photos of that girl you’ve been seeing!” The Monkey, having escaped death, vented his frustration by activating the comms and shouting.

Long Ruyuan felt aggrieved… What had he done? Weren’t they the ones who told him to keep watch? The ship’s sound insulation was excellent, so he didn’t hear any of it.

When Liu Shaoyu opened his eyes again, he saw a familiar ceiling. Was this—? He sat up, rubbing his blurry eyes. Suddenly, pain surged through his head.

He remembered now… He’d fallen into a trap, the ship had prepared to self-destruct, then a voice sounded in his mind, heat flared, and he collapsed from the pain.

As the pain subsided, Liu Shaoyu looked around… This was his own room. He checked again—no mistake.

“Thomas, what happened?” Liu Shaoyu asked, gently massaging his head. He was sure the voice in his mind belonged to Thomas.

“Upon detecting a potentially catastrophic threat, I overrode the protocols and initiated an overclocking program to take control of the ship and halt the self-destruct.”

...

“When did you get this feature?” Liu Shaoyu’s head was still fuzzy—apparently, the burn had been severe.

“This is a life protection protocol for the computer’s owner. It has existed since the system was first created.”

So he knew little about his own computer. But now wasn’t the time to get bogged down.

“How long have I been out?” This was Liu Shaoyu’s real concern. He felt he hadn’t been unconscious for long; just before, he’d glimpsed the boundless void of space through the window.

“It has been seventy-four hours, thirty-two minutes, and forty-eight seconds since you lost consciousness.” Computers were precise, after all.

Three days… not too bad. Liu Shaoyu sighed inwardly. That meant they’d soon reach the star system where Xin Qingyi’s mission awaited. He’d slept right through the journey.

“But tell me… is my brain fried?” Liu Shaoyu suddenly wondered—he remembered how hot it had been.

“What’s one plus one?”

“Are you insulting my intelligence?”

“Please answer directly.”

“…Two…”

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“Not damaged.”

...

Liu Shaoyu realized arguing with a computer was futile—especially one smarter than himself.

Ignoring Thomas, Liu Shaoyu headed straight for the command room. As he reached the door, he heard the Monkey’s voice.

“See, I told you he’d survive!”

“Where are we?” Liu Shaoyu smiled, hearing genuine concern in the tone.

“We’ve entered the star system. That deep blue planet ahead is our destination.” Long Ruyuan enlarged the starmap. A sapphire-blue planet appeared on the screen.

It looked like a flawless gemstone—pure, deep blue.

“Beautiful,” Liu Shaoyu murmured in awe.

Nature’s rule: the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be. Beauty is often a mask for peril.

“Let’s rest for a bit. We’ll land in five hours.” Liu Shaoyu patted Monkey and Long Ruyuan on the shoulders. He saw exhaustion in their eyes.

The desolate star region was fraught with danger, requiring round-the-clock vigilance.

Liu Shaoyu and Thomas could handle the watch now. After all, he’d just slept for three days. Now that they’d arrived, Liu Shaoyu wasn’t anxious. He wondered how he’d face Xin Qingyi again—what words should he say when they met?

Staring at the deep blue planet ahead, Liu Shaoyu was lost in thought.

Communications? That blue planet was no decorative orb. Unknown interference made it impossible for signals to penetrate. Only after landing could he contact her. Liu Shaoyu felt a sudden sense of relief.

He was grateful for the interference. His feelings were undeniably complicated.

Five hours… not as long as he’d imagined. Preparations complete, at last…

“Prepare for landing.”

A Note to Readers:

First chapter today—please recommend and bookmark! Twenty recommendations and I’ll post another chapter! Leave your comments and let me know I’m not fighting alone!

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