Chapter 114: A Two-Pronged Approach

Li Yu half-closed his eyes as several Dark Star soldiers dragged him deeper into the ship. The main ship's interior was just like its exterior, a tapestry of interwoven red and black, and the metal corridor appeared incredibly gloomy.

Being escorted by two Scarlet Commanders, Kalash and Pachis, was a level of prestige unmatched by anyone else.

"You captured him right after His Excellency Dark Star left. When His Excellency hears this news, he will definitely be thrilled."

"However... clashing with the Star Glory Empire this early doesn't quite align with His Excellency Dark Star's plans."

Pachis's voice was processed through his helmet, rendering it completely devoid of emotion.

The arrogance he had displayed that day at Bauhaus's Showcase was entirely absent.

Perhaps it was because, in his eyes, Bauhaus was nothing more than a little snake he could casually crush and mold at will.

Kalash knew very well that Pachis was merely a pawn inserted by the Star Glory Empire.

The only reason His Excellency Dark Star kept him around and occasionally sent him out on missions was simply to put the Star Glory Empire at ease.

Pachis paused slightly and did not reply... Dark Star already found him an eyesore. If not for his background, he would have been sent to keep Glazed Star company a long time ago.

He still believed that the missing Glazed Star had already been eliminated by Dark Star.

Dark Star remained thoroughly preoccupied with this guy named Li Yu. He had always been curious about him, unable to understand what had exactly happened to his own state back then.

To figure this out, Dark Star would not hesitate even if it meant coming into conflict with the Star Glory Empire.

After all... that was a method capable of bypassing a Mental Barrier entirely.

The scarlet mechanical door slowly opened after clearing various verifications. Beyond it lay a winding red corridor. At regular intervals along the corridor stood pure black alloy doors, each fitted with a small viewing window.

These were all solitary prison cells. Walking past a few of the small windows, one could see the imprisoned creatures inside. Some wore numb expressions, while others roared incessantly, belonging to a variety of different races.

Most of the cells appeared empty, but they were not unoccupied; the creatures inside were simply huddled in the blind spots away from the windows.

Reaching an empty cell deep within, Li Yu was shoved inside by the Dark Star soldiers behind him. The interior was quite clean.

Aside from a tiny ventilation shaft and a floor drain, there were no other facilities to be found.

"Keep a close eye on him. Report any unusual behavior to me immediately!" Kalash ordered.

"Yes, sir!" the Dark Star soldiers acknowledged the command.

"He is already wearing a gene inhibitor. What kind of trouble could he possibly stir up?" Pachis shook his head, staring at Li Yu in the cell.

"Managing to escape from His Excellency Dark Star once was already incredibly lucky. Does he really think he can pull it off a second time?"

Kalash frowned, highly dissatisfied with Pachis's remark. Wasn't this a thinly veiled insult toward His Excellency Dark Star?

"It never hurts to be careful..." Kalash did not want to waste words on Pachis. He not only left behind several dedicated guards but also instructed the surveillance personnel to pay extra attention.

"Lucky kid, do you still remember me?" Pachis stood outside the cell, his cold, mechanized voice broadcasting from beneath his helmet.

Li Yu kept his head down, obscuring his expression. His entire body was covered in dried blood, making it seem as though he had sustained heavy injuries.

Hearing this, Li Yu slightly raised his head, his voice lazy and drawling. "First, my name isn't lucky kid. Second, I don't remember you at all. Third, tell Dark Star to come see me."

He leaned against the wall, his messy hair covering most of his face. Only through the gaps in his hair could one catch a glimpse of his somewhat hazy eyes.

His attitude was so utterly arrogant, it was as if the person locked in the cell wasn't Li Yu, but the ones standing outside.

Hearing this made Kalash feel exceptionally irritable. Why was his reaction completely different from when he was first captured? It bizarrely felt like the guy had just accomplished a mission.

'Was he captured on purpose?'

This absurd guess surfaced in his mind. Raising his smart terminal, he sent a single word to the informant who had just provided the intel: "There?"

"???"

Three question marks popped up in the message box.

'Was that person not Li Yu in disguise? An accomplice?'

Kalash couldn't figure it out. He felt like he had overlooked something crucial, but the target was already in the cell and wearing a C-Class Gene Inhibitor.

That device was meant for C-Class Lifeforms. He didn't know that Li Yu was already a C-Class Lifeform; he had only made an exception and used a C-Class Gene Inhibitor on him because of an ominous feeling in his gut.

It would suppress the target's gene chain activity, effectively weakening their strength by nearly eighty percent.

All of Li Yu's belongings had been confiscated. He currently had nothing on him. No matter how uneasy Kalash felt, he couldn't possibly guess what Li Yu was plotting.

While Kalash was having a frantic brainstorming session on the sidelines, Pachis wasn't about to indulge the prisoner. Sneering, he opened the cell door, intent on teaching Li Yu a harsh lesson.

"Stop!" Kalash blocked Pachis. "His Excellency Dark Star ordered that Li Yu can only be dealt with after he returns."

"I'm just going to teach him a lesson!" Pachis was extremely displeased. "Have you ever seen such an arrogant prisoner?"

"He can only be dealt with when His Excellency Dark Star returns..." Kalash remained resolute. He feared Pachis would deliberately use this excuse to kill Li Yu.

After all, with Dark Star holding Li Yu, they might use him to extort a hefty sum from the Star Glory Empire. For Pachis, killing him outright would save a lot of trouble.

"Kalash, are you deliberately targeting me?!" Pachis confronted him.

"Otherwise, why don't we let His Excellency Dark Star decide?" Kalash brought out Dark Star as a shield once again.

Pachis snorted coldly and turned to leave without another word.

The cell door closed. Kalash and Li Yu's gazes met in midair for a split second before being cut off by the thick alloy metal.

"Interesting..." Li Yu muttered. This Kalash seemed to be a smart guy.

He awkwardly shifted his arms. His body was growing increasingly weak. The gene inhibitor on his wrists felt as heavy as a mountain, making it completely impossible to break free.

Its surface was completely smooth, lacking any keyholes or similar mechanisms.

Given his current condition, forcing it open by himself was impossible. He could only rely on external force, but his clothes were in tatters, and he had left his portable compressed space back on the spaceship long ago.

However... Li Yu wasn't worried about this at all. After all, he had a cheat.

He lay on the floor, chest down, looking as if he had fallen asleep on his stomach. Suddenly, a purple chest plate materialized over his chest.

"Commander... Purple Sniper reporting for duty..."

Purple Sniper, originating from the System, could naturally be stored within the System Space. And as for the System Space... absolutely no one could find where it was.

...

On the other side, within the main ship of the Starlight Fleet, the Starlight General stood at the command console, closely monitoring the construction of the Stargate.

The vicinity of No Man's Land was completely locked down. With zero spaceships in sight, the Stargate's construction proceeded in utter silence.

"Your Excellency, a directive just arrived from the Imperial Command. The transfer of the Titan Ruins is to be handled by the imperial transport team arriving today..."

A staff member suddenly received the directive along with its supplementary data, including the mission designation and confirmation codes, and quickly reported it.

"Hmm? So suddenly?" The Starlight General was a bit puzzled, as he hadn't received any prior notice.

"The directive states it was a request from the Imperial Research Institute..."

"Those people..." A flash of apprehension crossed the Starlight General's face. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I understand. Prepare for the handover."

He didn't harbor any suspicions, as this was a direct order from Command.

At this moment... outside the imperial fleet, three soldiers clad in silver-white uniforms slowly approached. Their chests bore purple star emblems, and the man leading them strode forward with his head held high.

He was followed by a man and a woman. The woman had a slender figure, looking uniquely charming in her imperial uniform. Her black eyes were as deep and cold as an icy pool. Both followers were entirely expressionless.

"Halt!" The patrol soldiers of the Starlight main ship blocked the trio. Because the three were wearing imperial transport uniforms, the guards weren't hostile, merely conducting a routine inquiry. "What is your business here?"

"Executing a classified mission..." Hunter remained expressionless, his tone freezing cold.

"Classified miss—" The patrol captain was somewhat confused. Before he could finish, Hunter barked sharply, "What are you muttering about? Shouldn't you be verifying this with your superiors right now?"

"Where did you graduate from? Who was your instructor? Were you not taught standard protocol?"

This severe reprimand left the other party completely stunned. The captain instinctively felt a wave of fear and didn't dare say another word, hurrying to verify with his superiors.

"The mission code is—," Hunter added.

"Code verified... mission confirmed... let them in..." the superior's order came through, prompting the captain to hastily step aside.

"The Empire's soldiers are getting worse with each generation..." Hunter snorted coldly, walking right past them.

The patrolmen broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn't until Hunter was far away that they dared to whisper among themselves.

"Who is that guy... How does he have such an intimidating presence? I felt like I was facing our own captain..."

"Yeah, I didn't even dare to breathe just now... He must have been a real big shot in the past."

"What are you mumbling about? Get back to your patrol!" the captain scolded, bottling up a stomach full of frustration. Watching Hunter's retreating figure, he muttered to himself, 'No matter how impressive he used to be, he's still just a lowly logistics transporter now...'

Hunter's true identity was known only to the Empire's High Echelon; these rank-and-file soldiers had no clue.

His eyes grew somewhat distant, as if reminiscing about something, until the hatch to the Starlight main ship hissed open... The three of them slightly narrowed their eyes and marched straight in.

A few people were already waiting for them. They were all mid-level officers of the fleet; naturally, it wouldn't be the Starlight General personally handling their mission handover.

"Vulture Squad, here for the mission handover," Hunter stated blankly, though his gaze subtly shifted.

"We have been informed. Please follow us..." The leader was not wearing a helmet. Clad in Empire - Silver Falcon Armor, he had a distinct scar at the corner of his eye.

Staring at Hunter, he also blanked out for a brief moment. The scar by his eye began to twitch, wriggling like a centipede.

However, he quickly suppressed it, acting as if nothing had happened, and turned around to lead the way.

Mo Duo keenly detected the emotional shifts in both men.

Hunter's smart terminal vibrated slightly. He glanced down at it but showed no reaction, simply continuing forward.