Why is it him again?

At the‌⁠‍​‌⁠​‍‍‌​‍‍​‌‌‍‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠ top floor of the Holy Relic White Tower, the urgent meeting with His Holiness the Pope was interrupted.

Because Leinster sent back news, reporting that he had been attacked by the Zergs and the military base had been exposed. Zhou Jiuya was currently leading a large force straight toward it and the base was in crisis.

Thus, this emergency meeting began hastily and ended just as quickly. Only a few people were allowed to stay and the rest were dismissed.

Following the crowd, He Zhun exited the hall. Just as the doors closed, he lifted his gaze slightly and glanced at the familiar figure in the projection. Due to the intense battle, the signal was poor, and Leinster’s figure appeared pixelated and blurry.

Was it really just a coincidence?

He Zhun had a keen sense for people’s emotions, and in that fleeting moment, he was certain—the Pope had sentenced him to death. Yet, at the very same time, Leinster’s situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.

He took a risky move.

But with this, everyone would remember the name He Zhun.

“I’d only vaguely heard rumors about a Beta with extraordinary technical skills, someone who had even caught the favor of two Archbishops. Today, I finally saw it for myself.”

“I heard he hasn’t been in the Stigmata Research Institute for long. Just a few months, right? And he’s already standing beside Mr. Bernard?”

“Hah, that Beta is ambitious. He may have made a name for himself in front of His Holiness today, but who knows how much longer he’ll live…”

“……”

The young man closed his eyes, paying no attention to the countless strange and burning gazes around him, nor to the hushed conversations. He simply waited at the door until the crowd had completely dispersed.

One reason was that Bernard and his trusted assistant had also been asked to stay inside.

The other was that he was waiting for Cecilia.

With the military base in crisis, if the Pope were to send reinforcements, that person would undoubtedly be Cecilia—because Mandela would never leave the Holy Relic White Tower.

Through over a decade of investigation, He Zhun had discovered that ever since the Zergs invaded and Earth fell—forcing the Illusory God Church to relocate to Holy Dew Planet—the Church had been in decline.

The powerful individuals cultivated by the Illusory God Church during the Alliance era had either been killed by the Huo Chao, perished in the Zerg swarms, or were gradually lost in the Empire’s century-long war.

Now, there were very few people the Pope could truly trust—people who were both capable and loyal.

This was also why He Zhun had been certain that, even if Leinster failed his mission on Winter Day Planet, the Pope wouldn’t kill him.

—Ten minutes later, the doors of the hall opened.

Cecilia stepped out first. When she saw He Zhun, her serious expression instantly relaxed, and she approached.

“It’s been a long time, Xiao Zhun~”

“Lady Lia.”

The young man obediently lowered his head.

Cecilia reached out and casually stroked his face, like she was petting a favored pet.

“That little stunt just now was very impressive. Even Lia was moved.”

She leaned in, her soft chest nearly touching against He Zhun, as if she was going to kiss him. But in the end, her alluring red lips stopped just a breath away.

Cecilia stared at him for a few seconds and said softly,

“But next time you try to be clever like that—even Leinster won’t be able to save you, even if he bets his life on it.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean, Lady Lia.”

He Zhun averted his gaze, his voice calm.

“You seemed to be in quite a hurry just now, so I won’t dare hold you up. Besides, Mr. Bernard should be coming out soon.”

Cecilia followed his line of sight and saw the elderly man being wheeled out by his assistant.

“Heh… you reminded me,” she said with a smirk. “That bastard Leinster got beaten up pretty badly. Looks like I’ll have to take a trip.”

She lightly patted He Zhun’s cheek, a hint of grievance in her tone.

“Lia is truly envious… Xiao Zhun is always so lucky.”

He Zhun pressed his lips together as he watched the seductive woman walk away.

…Lucky?

Was it really luck?

How could that be possible?

Luck had never been on his side.

The fact that his entire family had died, leaving only him alive—that wasn’t luck. It was because his father had thrown himself forward, swerving the knife that was meant to pierce He Zhun’s heart. It was because he had dragged his own torn abdomen across twenty-seven meters of blood-soaked ground to reach the medical pod.

He Zhun closed his eyes.

As for earlier, he knew Leinster had deliberately saved him.

But that wasn’t luck either.

At least, most of it was due to his own efforts.

Back then, after he hid Jiang Ci, He Zhun had gone straight to Leinster. With barely any time and no safe way to bind the man to him—let alone infiltrate his mind—he had used an Omega pheromone simulator, to make Leinster, who was seriously injured and on the run, go into rut, in order to establish an intimate physical relationship with him.

—And that was only the beginning.

He Zhun quickly collected all the information about this man, while gradually breaking through his psychological defenses. He tried every possible way to uncover Leinster’s past, digging out his hidden psychological weaknesses, and then broke them down one by one.

Beyond his body, He Zhun employed countless other subtle methods, eroding Leinster’s defenses step by step without leaving a trace. Leinster was aware of it. From the very beginning, he had sensed it, resisted it—and even nearly killed He Zhun.

Yet, He Zhun had still reached this point.

Because he, too, had invested an immense amount into this man—including feelings, though not love.

He Zhun persisted in this process for thirteen years.

Now, Leinster had completely adapted to his presence, tolerating him to an extreme degree and even developing an uncontrollable obsession. This allowed He Zhun to both provoke and quickly pacify the furious alpha while extracting what he needed from him within a certain range.

He Zhun couldn’t say whether Leinster truly loved him. There were far too many layers of interests, deception, and concealment between them.

But one thing He Zhun was certain of—Leinster could not live without him now.

Cecilia had been frighteningly accurate—He Zhun was the poppy flower she had described, and Leinster was already addicted.

So his survival just now hadn’t been mere luck. At least a significant part of it was due to thirteen years of effort.

He Zhun never denied his own ruthlessness. A man who should have died long ago had no need for vulgar notions of kindness.

“—He Zhun!”

It was Bernard’s assistant, Wiese, calling him in a cold, detached tone, no different from before, as if He Zhun’s amazing performance in front of the Pope just now did not exist at all.

“Come back. There’s an urgent mission.”

He Zhun paused for a second before quickly catching up.

“Understood.”

<hr>

Ten minutes later, He Zhun entered the laboratory—where he saw Huo Chao.

Or rather, Huo Chao’s clone.

Rationally, every believer knew it was just an experimental subject—a lifeless, thoughtless shell. Yet, when faced with a being that bore an exact resemblance to the Son of God himself, most couldn’t help but feel a chill of unease.

He Zhun, however, felt nothing.

By the time he was born, Huo Chao had already been dead for over two hundred years. After his initial curiosity faded, he could view the clone as nothing more than a test subject.

“Begin neural fluid injection immediately and proceed with synchronization adjustments. In half an hour, it must accompany Lady Cecilia to the military base for reinforcement.”

“Half an hour?”

Several core researchers looked up in shock, their faces troubled.

“That’s impossible!”

Read at Mizushi Novels

Visit Mizushi Novels

But this order made him frown.

Support the original translation

Read on Mizushi Novels

And now they were sending it to the battlefield?

Don't scrape

Don't copy

As for combat ability?

Read at Mizushi Novels

Swish—

The laboratory doors slid open.

Visit Mizushi Novels

Support the original translation

The Archbishop’s gaze swept across the room, her voice chilling.

Read on Mizushi Novels

Don't scrape

This urgent?

Don't copy

Read at Mizushi Novels

And just as He Zhun suspected—Leinster was not doing well.

Visit Mizushi Novels

Support the original translation

“Goddamn it!”

Read on Mizushi Novels

If not for He Zhun!

If not for that little fox pulling another reckless stunt, running off to play games in front of the Pope again…

“Fuck!!!”

Don't scrape

“I swear, when I get back this time, I’m going to—”

Don't copy

Read at Mizushi Novels

Leinster shot a cold glare at the subordinate.

Visit Mizushi Novels

BOOM—!!

A violent tremor shook the battleship.

Support the original translation

Read on Mizushi Novels

“Where was the aircraft carrier attacked?!”

Don't scrape

Don't copy

The second-in-command frantically tried to get answers, but the control room quickly descended into chaos.

Read at Mizushi Novels

Visit Mizushi Novels

A cold, bone-deep sensation—one that sent an uncontrollable shiver down his spine.

At that moment, the sealed control room door emitted a faint buzz—a barely perceptible sound in the noisy environment, yet Leinster felt it. A slight tremor followed, almost imperceptible.

Support the original translation

But Leinster didn’t respond.

Read on Mizushi Novels

Don't scrape

At first, just a trickle.

Don't copy

Read at Mizushi Novels

The entire control room fell into stunned silence.

Visit Mizushi Novels

Crack!

A faint snapping sound.

Support the original translation

Read on Mizushi Novels

The man had strange, colorful robes draped over him, had black hair, and heterochromatic eyes.

Don't scrape

Don't copy

The eerie, handsome young man raised his gaze.

Read at Mizushi Novels

Visit Mizushi Novels

Huo Xianfeng’s lips curved upward.

Support the original translation

Read on Mizushi Novels

Without thinking, he drew his weapon almost reflexively.

CLANG!

Don't scrape

In that moment, Leinster no longer saw Huo Xianfeng as Huo Chao.

Don't copy

Read at Mizushi Novels

It finally hit him.

Huo Xianfeng wasn’t looking at him as an enemy.

Or even a rival at all.

This was not the same man he had encountered before.

He looked at Leinster the way one looks at an insignificant creature that could be crushed at will.

Indifference, contempt, and cruelty.

Leinster had never seen anything like this in the Son of God before.

At that moment, every cell in his body screamed—

“RUN! RUN NOW!!!”

But he couldn’t move.

Even Huo Xianfeng hadn’t moved.

He hadn’t even lifted a finger.

He was simply standing there.

Yet Leinster still couldn’t move.

Because that monstrous tail was firmly pressing against his blade.

The sheer force alone had rendered him completely immobile.

“…Why did you send a squad to their deaths on purpose? And even deliberately exposed their positions?”

Huo Xianfeng approached Leinster, his tone genuinely puzzled.

“Are you actually that idiot, or are you just Huo Chao’s idiot undercover agent?”

Leinster: “……”

…So no matter how he answered, he was a fool, huh?

At that moment, one of the nearby believers snapped out of it and raised his gun to fire.

SWOOSH—!

Leinster felt a sudden lightness in his chest.

And in his peripheral vision, he saw that black mechanical tail lash out.

A single sweep. A violent spray of blood.

And in an instant—

Several bodies crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

What… what the hell was that?

Some kind of new mechanical prosthetic weapon?

Leinster saw the crack on the blade of his sword. It had only been a light, casual strike, yet his SS-class mecha scimitar body was instantly cracked.

—What terrifying offensive power.

At that moment, Huo Xianfeng finished off the last of the obstacles and turned his gaze back toward Leinster. The moment he did, Leinster abruptly retreated and slammed the emergency escape pod button.

Trying to run?

Huo Xianfeng raised an eyebrow and swiftly ran after him, but right then, an alarm blared inside the control room:

Alert! Alert! Aircraft carrier self-destruct sequence activated. Countdown: 30 seconds!
Alert! Alert! Aircraft carrier self-destruct sequence activated. Countdown: 29 seconds!

Huo Xianfeng’s expression went cold. There were still many mecha warships from the First Legion and swarms of Zerg units surrounding the aircraft carrier. He immediately shouted:

“Forbidden Abyss—!”

Boom!

From the outside, the belly of the massive aircraft carrier suddenly exploded, and a towering black steel giant burst through the wreckage.

It lingered beneath the aircraft carrier for only 0.1 seconds, then pressed both hands against the massive hull and, amidst countless assembling warships, launched into the sky with a thunderous roar.

Zhou Jiuya only needed a single glance to realize the danger. He roared,
“All units, fall back immediately!”

At the same time, Wan Jiang went full throttle and charged forward to keep up.

The self-destruct power of an aircraft carrier wasn’t something to underestimate. Even an SSS mecha like Forbidden Abyss might struggle to endure it. Zhou Jiuya didn’t hesitate—he cranked his energy output valve to maximum.

Seconds later, at the exact moment the carrier exploded, two colossal black mechas simultaneously unfolded an unprecedentedly large defensive barrier.

The world held its breath in silence.

Then, in that suffocating stillness, a massive shockwave erupted outward in every direction, crashing against the curved surface of the shields, bursting into blinding balls of light that surged skyward.

Where the barrier once shimmered like calm water, it now surged like a tsunami.

Boom!

The energy shield shattered instantly. Blazing shockwaves surged upward, forming dazzling aurora-like mirages across the sky.

Just then, a massive tear ripped open in the side of the sky.

The Church’s reinforcements had arrived.

Cecilia had come ready for battle, but she never expected to run straight into an aircraft carrier self-destruct—especially one of their own.

Her eyes darkened.

Leinster… Things had gotten this bad already?

At this moment, Huo Xianfeng glanced at them, suddenly turned over and pressed down Wan Jiang, and suddenly changed the angle of the defense shield.

As a result, the energy aftermath of the aircraft carrier’s self-explosion, which had not yet dissipated, rushed straight towards the reinforcements.

Cecilia’s pupils contracted and the tidal wave of energy was reflected in her eyes like a dam breaking.

“Immediately—”

She didn’t even finish her command before she was swallowed whole.

Boom!

The lead ship of the reinforcements was flipped over on impact. Dozens of escape pods scattered like fireworks, plummeting through the sky.

Huo Xianfeng chuckled coldly and was prepared to pursue the remnants, when something caught his attention. He jerked his head around and saw a familiar silver aircraft rapidly approaching. In an instant, it transformed into a towering humanoid mecha, very cool.

— It was Bai Ze!

“Jiang Ci!”

The King, who was in the courtship period, immediately turned around to look for his wife.

Countless people witnessed Jinyuan toss Wan Jiang aside like a ragdoll and charge headlong toward Bai Ze. But at the last moment, Bai Ze dodged and instead dove downward.

“Huo Xianfeng, wait!”

— His brother was about to fall to his death!!

“Huh?”

Then Huo Xianfeng heard a familiar name:

“He Zhun!”

He looked over—and sure enough, amid the many falling, shattered escape pods, he spotted a familiar figure. And it looked like if he didn’t save him, he might really fall to his death.

“Tch.”

Huo Xianfeng clicked his tongue and curled his lip.

Hmph. Let him splatter to his death.