The moment his escort arrived, Luo Binhan recognized him. It was the same young man he had seen Jing Huang grabbing by the hair and chewing out when he first boarded the ship.
He didn’t look any different from an ordinary person. His somewhat long hair was a bit feminine for a man, but his features were handsome and sharp. Overall, he reminded Luo Binhan of some popular Japanese male pop star.
The young man rushed up enthusiastically, grabbing Luo Binhan’s hand and shaking it vigorously with the air of a long-lost friend.
"Welcome!" he said, practically glowing. "My name is Momo Luo, and I’m the most junior member here. Welcome to the Silence, Mr. Luo!"
Luo Binhan’s eyes started to ache. He pulled his hand back and said, "You’re not a Mortal, are you, Mr. Mo?"
Momo Luo looked at him in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Your aura is just too bright," Luo Binhan said. "With you around, the skies for miles would be clear, without a single dark cloud in sight."
Before his very eyes, Momo Luo grew even more radiant. His skin was a normal tan color, but his entire body was enveloped in a white glow of unknown origin. Luo Binhan had only ever seen something similar in paintings of gods, buddhas, and Christ.
"I still have much to learn," Momo Luo said with sincere humility. "As a rookie fresh out of school, my dream is to become a Light Guardian who can stand on their own, just like my seniors. I know I have many shortcomings right now, but I’ll definitely keep working hard to become better. I hope you’ll offer me your guidance, Mr. Luo!"
"Oh," said Luo Binhan.
The light around Momo Luo dimmed a little. He looked at Luo Binhan with a sincere smile and an innocent gaze. "You’re of an Intelligent Species, aren’t you, Mr. Luo?"
"I’m a person, sure, but the ’intelligent’ part might be a bit of a stretch," Luo Binhan said politely.
Momo Luo’s gaze grew even more earnest and sincere. In a tone that could almost be described as affectionate, he said, "A long time ago, my ancestors lived lives just like yours, Mr. Luo. Until our primordial sun was destroyed, we were all moving in the same direction... Though that day is still far off, I believe we will one day meet again among the sea of stars."
Luo Binhan was touched by his sincere and straightforward words. He said, almost choking up, "Dude, I really don’t know you."
Momo Luo grabbed his hand again and said eagerly, "Your planet hasn’t been invaded by giant monsters yet, has it, Mr. Luo?"
"Huh?"
"You know, super-massive, natural-disaster-level creatures. You’ll get to know us when you get invaded."
Luo Binhan couldn’t quite figure this guy out. He asked cautiously, "Could you be... an interstellar collaborator?"
Momo Luo blinked, his expression innocent and confused. He asked, "Mr. Luo, what does ’collaborator’ mean?"
"Oh, it’s like when the Imperial Army shows up, and you’re the one who points them to the village."
Momo Luo said happily, "That’s great! Next time a monster appears in your hometown, Mr. Luo, could you be my collaborator?"
Luo Binhan recoiled, waving his hands frantically. "That’s not appropriate, not at all!"
"I’m sure you can do it!" Momo Luo insisted. "I heard that when Mr. Xuanhong’s sub-pod crashed, you were the one who took him in, Mr. Luo. To be able to treat an Alien Race you don’t understand with such kindness, you must be a person filled with inner light, right? If it’s possible, I hope that you, Mr. Luo, will become my Human Form in the future!"
"What’s that?"
"It’s when I let my light enter your body, Mr. Luo, so that the two of us can merge into one."
"No guys!" Luo Binhan said unequivocally.
Momo Luo seemed very disappointed, but he persisted, "Please reconsider, Mr. Luo. Merging with the light is completely painless; in fact, your body will be healed and purified. As long as you become my Human Form, I can change from my mimicked state into a real human, and you, Mr. Luo, can use my power to defend the peace of the universe!"
Although Luo Binhan had no desire to defend the peace of the universe, he couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, "What kind of powers do you have?"
The light around Momo Luo suddenly became blindingly bright. He sincerely puffed out his chest, raised his head, and crossed his fisted hands over it. "Through the call of light, you can manifest my true form, Mr. Luo. Once you’re using my body, soaring to the heavens or delving into the earth is no problem at all! If I go all out, I can fly continuously for seventy-two hours in a space of absolute darkness with no light."
Luo Binhan went, "Hmm."
"I can lift a small island from your hometown! If there’s an asteroid impact, I can fly over immediately and move it away! And if that’s not enough, I can also fire my unique life-beam. I’m not as good as my seniors, but I have absolutely no problem shattering small meteorites!"
Luo Binhan went "Hmm" again.
Momo Luo placed his fisted hands on his hips and nodded with an air of righteous integrity.
"Although the summoning only lasts for three minutes on average... that’s more than enough time to resolve any danger!"
"Hmm... Huh?"
Luo Binhan suddenly snapped back to reality. With a calm expression, he sized up the young man before him from head to toe, and then from toe to head again.
"Eh? Mr. Luo?"
"It’s nothing, just looking," Luo Binhan said. "Your hometown is pretty far away, right, Mr. Mo? So, are you homesick?"
Momo Luo got a nostalgic look on his face. He said with a sigh, "It’s true. When I was in school, I couldn’t wait to graduate and become an official, recognized Guardian. It was only after I got out that I realized the job isn’t that simple. Maybe I’m just too clumsy, so I can’t handle things as effortlessly as my seniors..."
"Nonsense," said Luo Binhan. "Don’t be discouraged, I think you’re doing great. It’s mainly that your seniors were lucky. They all had little monsters to fight right after they graduated. Life’s easy when you’ve got a guaranteed placement, isn’t it?"
"Haha, that was a long time ago, Mr. Luo," Momo Luo said. "Nowadays, the civilizations of the Pan-Intelligent Species are mostly under the unified supervision of the Alliance. We aren’t allowed to go on duty if we haven’t passed our post-graduation internship period."
"I get it, I get it. Too many college grads these days, not enough little monsters to go around."
"It’s not that there aren’t enough... It’s that I’m too weak," Momo Luo said, embarrassed. "They should still be in great need of help on the Star River Front Line right now, but I’m not mature enough. My mentor thinks that at my current stage, I can only train behind the Alliance’s lines. I’ve been studying for so long, yet I still can’t contribute my strength to the cause of peace. It’s truly shameful to admit."
Luo Binhan was moved to pieces. He grabbed Momo Luo’s shoulders and said, "Buddy, just go back to the M78 Nebula! Stop torturing me!"
Momo Luo grabbed his hands back with concern. "Are you not feeling well, Mr. Luo? If you have some sort of illness, you’ll be cured immediately if you become my Human Form!"
"No need, no need," Luo Binhan said. "And I’m not just being humble, but how is a rich kid like me supposed to save the peace of the universe? You should really find someone more qualified, Mr. Mo—I think Yaliriga would be a great choice."
Momo Luo said seriously, "Lady Yalei’s attributes aren’t very compatible with mine. Mr. Luo, in principle, I should choose an Adaptable from within the Pan-Intelligent Species to be my Human Form. This is out of consideration for the Adaptable’s health, and it is also a tradition of our Eternal Light realm."
"That’s racial discrimination!" Luo Binhan accused, his heart aching with indignation.
Momo Luo’s eyes widened. "We respect the right of all races and civilizations to coexist and develop equally. However, under the current objective conditions of the universe, the Pan-intelligent civilizations, represented by the Fire Thieves, are the leading force for cosmic peace. The Pan-Intelligent Species have been our closest comrades-in-arms since ancient times. The choice of a Human Form must take into account not only personal inclination, but also the course of history..."
"Okay, okay," Luo Binhan said, waving his hand dismissively. "Any more of this and it’ll have to be redacted."
"So, are you willing to be my Human Form?" Momo Luo asked excitedly.
"No guys," Luo Binhan said, still as firm as ever.