Chapter 92: An Illegitimate Child?

Mavi was wrapped in a black robe. Since he was quite small, he barely drew any attention.

His mouth was stuffed tightly. His green skin was pale, and his eyes were filled with panic and dread. He had no idea what was happening.

He had been attacked out of nowhere, and with a nerve gas on the level of The Fallen - Revelry, no less. Wasn't that a bit of an overreaction?

The Fallen series of nerve gas had a ceiling high enough to affect even B-Tier Lifeforms, provided the concentration was dense enough, of course.

But there was no need to use it on a bunch of marauders like them, right? 'Could it be a vanguard from the Star Glory Empire?' he thought. 'Sent here to gather intelligence?'

Among the enemies of the Black Skull, as far as he knew, none were this wealthy and extravagant.

Li Yu continuously adjusted his posture. After turning a corner, his facial features underwent subtle changes, and his outer clothing had vanished at some point.

Along the way, he had cycled through at least a dozen different appearances and repeatedly used bluffing phrases like, "Come out, I see you."

He made absolutely sure no one was tracking him. In truth, he was being overly cautious; after all, the caliber of these marauders was not exactly high.

He was the closest marauder to the warehouse. The others did not dare approach rashly, especially since they could still faintly hear bouts of lung-tearing laughter echoing from behind the building.

"Could it be The Fallen - Revelry? There aren't many nerve gases that make you laugh to death," one marauder muttered, fiddling with his smart terminal and rapidly typing something into it.

The Black Skull's recycling warehouse had been completely wiped out in one go. There was no telling how massive a storm this would cause.

"That stuff is a forbidden nerve gas. Who is ruthless enough to have such a deep grudge against the Black Skull?" another marauder exclaimed in shock.

"You just slaughtered an entire passenger spaceship yesterday, and you're calling someone else ruthless? You must be joking."

"Fair point."

At the entrance, the Manatee-Person stared at some of the "treasures" scattered on the ground, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes.

To avoid getting trapped inside the warehouse, Li Yu had ignored those "treasures." Most of them were not worth much anyway, and scooping them up would have wasted precious time.

...

Thud!

Li Yu tossed Mavi onto the ground, immediately eliciting a series of muffled groans of pain.

Mo Duo looked up at him with a hint of confusion. Her complexion had grown much rosier, and her large eyes held an inquisitive gleam.

"It's Mavi," Li Yu explained casually. Hiding in the corner, Li Ping instantly shivered, the terror on his face intensifying.

"Where is Hunter?" Li Yu asked, sweeping his gaze around the area but failing to spot the man.

"He was a little worried about you... so he followed," Mo Duo explained.

"He was probably afraid I would run off without him," Li Yu sneered.

Not far away, a bald head was bobbing toward them.

"Scram!" Hunter cursed, kicking aside an Interstellar Human with a dazed expression. The addict wore a sickly smile on his face, having clearly inhaled something illicit.

Filled with disgust, Hunter walked over while muttering curses the whole way. When he saw that Li Yu had returned even earlier than he did, he immediately let out a sheepish laugh, giving a thumbs up and praising, "Badass!"

"Heh." Li Yu was noncommittal. He nudged Mavi with his foot. "Grab him. We're heading to the spaceship."

'I am a dignified Captain of the Cruiser from the Augu, a Radiant Star Legion of the Star Glory Empire. Back in the day, I was someone who could annihilate a planet with the push of a button!'

'Even Commander Augustus sought my military counsel on multiple occasions!'

'And now you're treating me like a lackey?'

Hunter felt indignant in his heart. His anger fueled his audacity as he shouted, "Understood!"

"What are you yelling so loudly for?" Li Yu shot him a sideways glance, sounding thoroughly unamused.

"What about him?" Mo Duo asked, looking at the timid and cowering Li Ping in the corner.

"Him?" Li Yu and Hunter turned their gazes over simultaneously, causing Li Ping to become even more terrified.

"Don't kill me... Please don't kill me..." Li Ping trembled all over, his words stuttering out. "Spare... Spare my life. I have young ones above me... and old ones below me... Wait, no..."

"Kill him, kill him!" a discordant voice chimed in. Not far away, an Interstellar Human was lying on the ground shouting, drool pouring from his mouth as his entire body twitched uncontrollably. Several small transparent syringes lay scattered beside him.

"..."

"You won't survive," Li Yu said, shaking his head. Before he could even finish, Li Ping prostrated himself on the ground in panic. "You don't need to kill me! Just knock me out and sell me as a slave! There's no need to end my life!"

"What I mean is... even if I let you go, you still won't survive." Li Yu paused before continuing, "When I went to kill those people just now, I used your face. Quite a few marauders saw it."

"The Black Skull will never let you off."

Li Ping instantly felt a dark cloud envelop him as despair flooded his heart. A string of vicious curses rose in his throat, but he didn't dare voice them out loud.

"You... You..." he mumbled a few times before gritting his teeth. "You could take me with you..."

"Take you with me?" Li Yu raised an eyebrow, meeting Li Ping's expectant gaze as he asked, "Why should I?"

"Because..." Li Ping stammered, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Because I can do anything! I can pilot spaceships, serve tea, pour water... just treat me like a slave!"

Hunter's eyes immediately lit up. 'Someone can finally replace me... Wait... spit... I'm not a slave either!'

"I don't need that. This bald guy can do all of it just fine," Li Yu said, pointing at Hunter.

Hunter: "??"

"I... I... I..." Li Ping's teeth chattered. "I'll definitely be of value to you if you keep me alive..."

"He's hiding something," Mo Duo said, her crimson pupils flashing. Her cold, clear voice made Li Ping feel as if he were plunging into the abyss.

"Young man..." Li Yu stepped forward, casting a shadow over Li Ping. He looked down at the desperate youth. "I'm not a bloodthirsty person, but I also despise being lied to."

Hunter thought back to the warehouse littered with corpses, and his expression turned incredibly bizarre.

Li Ping jerked upright and hurriedly confessed, "I am the illegitimate son of Fossi, the third-largest director of the Kamon Aerospace Corporation..."

"Huh?" Li Yu found this answer somewhat unexpected. An illegitimate child?

"Are you... sure?" Li Yu asked with a suspicious look.

Since he had already spilled the beans, Li Ping simply let it all out. "Fossi's genetic disease is beyond a cure, and his lifespan is nearing its end. That's exactly why I was forced out and exiled to this place."

"You have inheritance rights?" Li Yu instantly understood the underlying implication of Li Ping's words.

"I do..." Li Ping nodded with difficulty.

"Haha!" Li Yu burst into laughter and pulled Li Ping up from the ground. "My friend, the floor is cold. Stand up, let's talk properly."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? I have the utmost sympathy for illegitimate children... Come, let's leave this wretched place together..."

Li Yu's attitude became remarkably enthusiastic. He stripped the clothes off the addict who had just been screaming "kill him" and tossed them to Li Ping to wear.

Li Ping felt absolutely no joy at Li Yu's sudden shift in attitude, managing only a slightly bitter smile. The moment he revealed his identity, he had already prepared himself to be manipulated and controlled.

But... at least he had managed to keep his life. The group of four set off cheerfully toward Dock No. 13.

...

Inside one of the Black Skull's interstellar bars, deafening interstellar heavy metal music reverberated through the air. On the metal stage, Cat-Eared Girls and mature Bunny-Eared Women danced passionately to the beat. The clothes on their bodies were already pitifully sparse to begin with, and as Star Coins rained down upon them, they shed even more.

The place was incredibly chaotic. A massive crowd of marauders partied excitedly; these were men who lived with their heads tied to their belts, and seizing the day for pleasure was their sole creed.

Go out and pull off a heist, play hard for a few days, and head back out when the money dried up—this was the true life of a marauder.

In a private room on the second floor, Baal's massive frame was seated on a custom-made sofa. Several Cat-Eared Girls surrounded him, sticking out their crimson tongues to lick his skin.

Their slender yet powerful tails wrapped around various parts of Baal's body, drawing comfortable groans from his lips.

"That damn Goblin. How could such a lowly race be placed on equal footing with me..." Baal was still muttering curses.

The two of them jointly managed the Pale Land division of the Black Skull. On peaceful days, he could maintain a forced cordiality, but now that something had gone wrong, his racial prejudice reared its ugly head.

The Cat-Eared Girls naturally didn't dare reply, focusing entirely on their work. Baal's enormous bulk required several people just to service him properly.

These Cat-Eared Girls didn't come cheap, especially in the No Man's Land System, where their prices were doubled. But Baal was a boss of the Black Skull, so he could easily afford it.

"Boss... we have a problem!" With a loud crash, the room door was kicked open. A marauder rushed in, panting heavily, his eyes filled with terror.

"Do you have any fucking idea what I'm doing right now?" Baal roared in anger.

"Boss... something terrible happened... The warehouse... the warehouse was wiped out in one go! Lord Mavi is missing, and the other marauders are currently looting our supplies!" the subordinate explained hurriedly.

He knew that if he didn't explain things clearly, Baal would absolutely crush his skull barehanded.

"What!?" Baal bolted upright in shock, his huge body violently springing up. The several cat girls clinging to him were sent flying, crashing against the wall with pained whimpers.

Buzz!

Right at that moment, his smart terminal buzzed. A black skull insignia appeared on the screen, and a flash of dread washed over his face.

"Everyone, get out!" he barked.

"Boss... it's total chaos over at the warehouse..." the marauder tried to say more, but he was forced back by Baal's chilling glare. The cat girls also stumbled out of the room, not daring to utter another word.

Only when the door shut securely did Baal answer the call.

"Boss..." his voice was low, as if afraid of disturbing the person on the other end.

"What happened..." It was a hoarse voice that revealed no emotion, yet an icy chill poured directly into Baal's ear.

"I'm... not entirely sure myself..." Baal said through gritted teeth. The warehouse was destroyed, and Mavi was missing. He absolutely could not let this be pinned on him, or there was no telling how the boss would torture him.

'Mavi is missing anyway. I just need to push all the blame onto him...'

"What are you doing right now..." the hoarse voice asked after a moment of silence.

"I..." Baal glanced around at the mess in the room—a massive amount of alcohol... gourmet food, and someone's discarded underwear...

"I'm tracking down those two guys who kidnapped the Imperial Noble..."

"Put that on hold for now... Go deal with the situation at the warehouse... Don't let the others treat us like a joke..." the person ordered.

"Yes!"

Baal let out a long sigh of relief. He should have successfully fooled him for now.