[“Warp complete.”] [“Destination: Rust Ring Star System, RX-2 Star.”] [“Route recalculated.”]
In the lounge, following the cold electronic voice, Xavier shook his still somewhat dazed head, and only after his soul settled back into place did he fiercely poke Kane’s web of the thumb, breaking free from his palm, and opening his mouth with a major taunt.
“What are you putting on airs for?”
Still “the world of bandits”—anyone who didn’t know better would think he had conquered this entire star sector.
Kane retorted, “I learned it all from you.”
In terms of putting on airs, no one could compare to this intelligent body who opened his mouth with “this Prince” and whose gaze always looked down on everyone else as slaves.
Xavier glared at him, angrily smoothing out his light hair that had been somewhat disheveled by the warp, the ends of his hair falling over his shoulders to form a winding curve.
Hair smooth and lustrous like moonbeams condensed, telling at a glance that it had been carefully groomed for a long time.
Kane inexplicably felt his hands itch, extending his fingertips to hook the little fellow’s hair, but was quickly dodged by the latter.
Xavier’s action was completely instinctive.
Simply because that tingling sensation seemed to still linger around his waist, and facing the fingers of the culprit, his body’s reaction had made an evasive maneuver first.
Yet after standing still, he realized what he was doing and felt that this made him seem as though he were losing ground, so he pretended nothing had happened and walked forward on his own accord.
“I’m going to find Gu Shen—”
“—Not allowed.”
Kane hooked Xavier’s slender waist from behind using only his index finger, applying a slight bit of force, and the small fellow who was caught could no longer move an inch forward.
His voice carried a faint banter, “Stay by my side. If you want to make a deal, I think this is the most basic condition both sides need to observe.”
The single-minded Gu Shen simply couldn’t control this crafty little fellow, so Kane decided to keep Xavier tethered to his side; he would personally ferret out this little thing’s secrets and motives.
And he would also let him know that attempting to make a deal with a “bandit” only results in being completely devoured, bone and marrow.
Xavier’s waist was tightly encircled, blocking his path, and he angrily lowered his head.
The fingers around his waist carried thick calluses and some old scars, showing that their owner was a person accustomed to combat and slaughter.
Now to add a little more… no, two points! Arrogant, crude, and unrefined.
This bandit leader…
With his back to Kane, Xavier secretly gritted his teeth, swearing that once he recovered his strength, he would definitely blow this guy to smithereens!
Xavier imagined the scene of beating Kane with his fists and kicking the Blood Blade with his feet after returning to his original form several times in his mind before adjusting his expression, turning around, and putting on a condescending demeanor, “Fine, knowing that your mental sea state cannot do without me, this Prince will grudgingly keep you company a little longer.”
Kane observed that there was not only no unhappiness in his eyes, but instead absolute excitement, raised an eyebrow slightly, and after a long while slowly said, “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”
Xavier “hummed” and thereafter paid no heed no matter how Kane teased or bantered, remaining silent.
Until Kane went to train, Xavier secretly glanced over a few times, secretly evaluating the other’s strength.
Only to find that this fellow really had some skills, he irritably turned his head away, failing to notice that at different moments, another person’s probing gaze in the lounge also fell upon him.
The Blood Blade sped forward in the silent space.
Xavier patrolled the central console in the lounge, seeing that Kane did not come to stop him, so he enthusiastically pressed several control buttons, unexpectedly opening the lounge’s concealed portholes.
Looking out through the porthole, the Blood Blade was approaching a star system completely unfamiliar to Xavier.
The dark red light of the star was scattered by interstellar dust clouds, spreading an dark pink halo across the pitch-black space, with an extremely faint grayish-purple at the edges.
The shape of the dust cloud was irregular, like a flower crumpled while in full bloom.
“Due to its galaxy appearance resembling a rose nebula, the Rust Ring Star System is also known as the ‘Evil Flower Rotting on the Border of the Empire’.”
As Xavier was lost in thought, Kane’s low and hoarse voice suddenly came from behind, still carrying a slight pant after physical training.
Too close, Xavier only felt his earlobes slightly itchy, just like the feeling of being scooped into Kane’s palm and having his waist kneaded just now.
Very unfamiliar. Very strange.
He turned back somewhat uncomfortably to look at Kane, asking, “What are we doing here?”
“If you don’t have a destination for now, RX-2 Star will be an interesting starting point.”
Xavier gave a soft “hmm.”
Indeed, when he was negotiating the deal with Kane, he mentioned that the destination would be decided by himself, but in reality Xavier didn’t know where to look for the magic stone, only thinking of leaving first.
He hadn’t expected this bandit leader to see through it.
Kane stood behind Xavier, like a tall wall too difficult to scale, his left hand braced on the central console, right in the way of Xavier’s path to the left, and raised his right hand to tap twice in the empty air in front of the porthole, immediately bringing up a semi-transparent projection screen.
Xavier’s curiosity was completely captured, utterly failing to notice that all his exit paths were intercepted by Kane.
He saw Kane tap the projection screen a few times, bringing up the Rust Ring Star System on the screen, and after zooming in, clicked on one of the planets.
“RX-2 was once a mining star, listed as an F-class waste star due to exhausted resources. With the expansion of the empire’s territory, RX-2 degraded into a border star, instead becoming a hiding place for outlaws driven to desperation after being wanted.
“Many star pirates roaming the border are also accustomed to using it as a transit station and trading point.”
Xavier’s gaze shifted from the projection screen to the scenery outside the porthole.
They were closer to RX-2 as described by Kane, and the naked-eye view of the planet increasingly resembled its appearance on the projection screen.
Viewed from the Blood Blade, RX-2 was a grayish-brown planet with sparse, mottled patches on its surface marking the mined pits of the past.
The atmosphere was thin, and looking through it, one could see continuous deserts across the surface and a dense cluster of irregular points of light.
Kane introduced, “Those are the lights of Floris City, the only light on RX-2, a city composed of exiles, wanted criminals, star pirates, and black-market merchants.”
“Star pirates?” Xavier caught the keyword and curiously asked, “That is to say, your star pirate group also occupies a place here?”
Kane looked down at Xavier, the curiosity in those thin golden pupils not seeming fake; his left hand gently curled, almost touching Xavier’s calf.
“The Blood Blade is not permanently stationed on RX-2; we just frequently pass through here and do some… small business along the way.”
Xavier felt his tone was somewhat off and wanted to ask something else, but Kane’s communicator rang; it was from Grisha.
“Boss, the Blood Blade has arrived at the staging point. A batch of Shadow-series escort ships will still be dispatched as usual to transport goods to RX-2, with me leading the team this time.”
Kane: “Why not find Ryan?”
Grisha: “I hope to handle the ‘cargo’ this time personally. My tide value is currently stable, please rest assured, Boss.”
“As you like,” Kane said indifferently. He understood Grisha’s temperament—loyal, brave, and would never rashly undertake an uncertain venture—”Remember to leave the Shadow Shuttle for me.”
Grisha: “Yes.”
Kane hung up the communicator and raised his left hand, placing it before Xavier.
Xavier stepped right up without hesitation, his bare feet directly treading on Kane’s calloused palm.
Kane’s brow twitched; even knowing the other party was merely an intelligent body, this feeling of being stepped on still felt somewhat subtle.
Yet Xavier was completely oblivious to Kane’s internal monologue. Standing on the other’s palm, his first reaction was to raise his head and observe. Comparing the difference in stature between Kane and Gu Shen, he decided to also go step on the “Boss’s” head.
He first jumped onto Kane’s shoulder, and when he wanted to repeat the trick and leap to the man’s head, he was stopped by the man’s quick reflexes.
Silent eye contact.
Once more hoisted up, Xavier could only muffledly speak: “…Let me go.”
Kane: “I can let you go, but let’s take a step back: you stay obediently on my shoulder and stop constantly challenging my patience.”
Don’t think he didn’t see how this little fellow lorded it over Gu Shen’s head. Trying this trick on his head—well, this little intelligent body dares to dream an electronic dream.
“Oh.”
Seeing that he obediently agreed, Kane then placed him on his left shoulder and strode toward the berths in the stern bay.
A batch of small-sized Shadow-series escort ships were parked there.
The crew responsible for transporting cargo was ready to depart, and there was no lack of members planning to go to Floris City to find some amusement, with combat assault team captain Ryan being one of them.
Seeing Kane coming from afar, Ryan, as the number one fanboy, waved first, “Boss! Boss Kane!”
This familiar voice made Xavier experience a momentary daze; it seemed to be that same person who had been howling at the very beginning. Looking closely, it was indeed a guy full of sinewy muscles, tall and robust like a brown bear.
He commented softly, “So crude.” Like you.
Kane seemed to sense his implication, lifting his right hand as if adjusting the sitting posture of Xavier on his left shoulder, but actually almost knocking Xavier over, making the angered Royal Prince forcefully grab the clothing on Kane’s shoulder.
Ryan, who hurried over, saw Kane constantly reaching out to touch his shoulder, and hurriedly leaned forward fawningly, “Boss, are you itchy? Want me to scratch it for you?”
Kane’s movement of poking Xavier froze, and a soft chuckle from Xavier reached his ears. His expression sank, and a cold gaze swept over Ryan, “Shut up.”
Having said that, he seized the opportunity to stroke Xavier’s head again and walked toward the Shadow Shuttle without looking back.
Ryan was inexplicably cursed at, staring at the Boss’s hurried back, only to realize that the Boss actually had a little doll hanging on his shoulder? And even gently stroked the little doll’s head???
Ryan: ?!
Ryan immediately yelled out, “Big Sis Grisha! Big Sis Grish…”
Before his voice finished, Ryan’s head was duang knocked by a fist. He grimaced and turned back to meet Grisha’s cold face.
“What are you shouting for?”
Ryan rubbed his head, “Big Sis Grisha, I just saw the Boss carrying a little doll. Does the Boss like raising these things just like you do? I never would have thought… Hey, I swore to become a man just like the Boss. Looks like I have to raise one too. Big Sis, can you gift me a doll?”
“That’s an intelligent body.”
Grisha expressionlessly looked at his stupid-looking face and couldn’t help kicking him again.
“Scram.”
Xavier boarded the familiar Shadow Shuttle with Kane. He angrily tidied up his ruffled beautiful silver hair, and only after the Shadow Shuttle took off did he spare time to glance at the panoramic screen.
As one of the escort ships, the Shadow Series warship’s biggest advantages were high speed and strong maneuverability.
Before long, they would be able to land.
The screen already clearly displayed the full view of Floris City. Located in the northern hemisphere of RX-2, this city was brightly lit even in the middle of the night.
The city was distributed in concentric circles, with high-rise buildings in the central area, moderately tall and short buildings in the next circle, and densely packed shantytowns on the very edge.
This batch of escort ships dispatched by the Blood Blade uniformly landed at Port No. 1 at the junction of Floris Central District and the Second District.
The port guard in the port control room was still dozing off, mechanically allocating docking channels with his hands.
As the transit station for the largest unseen trade among border stars, Floris saw many small warships docking every day, something he was long used to.
However, why were so many warships coming down all at once? Yawning, he clicked open the monitoring feed, his wandering gaze moving to the emblem on the bow of these incoming guest ships.
Fire, a thorn sword… an upside-down thorn sword!
His eyes widened instantly.
“The Blood Blade Star Pirate Group, the ‘Tyrant’ has arrived!”
Kane Valentian, the man called the “Star-Skeleton Tyrant”!
The man who had once been so decisive in slaughtering that all wanted criminals were terrified into hiding on border garbage stars to eke out a living, later transforming into the leader of the strongest star pirate group.
This man, ranking first on the empire’s wanted list, now controlled the economic lifeline of the entire Floris City and was someone who must never be neglected!
The port guard leaped up, hurriedly reporting the arrival of the “Tyrant” to his own boss.
Messages spread rapidly like electric current along the comprehensive communication network. The moment Kane stepped onto the surface of RX-2 with Xavier, the entire Floris City trembled.
It was a sense of excitement mixed with greed and fear.
The landmark of the Floris Central District was a reconstructed 180-story “Rust Iron Ring” building, black glass curtain walls rising from the desert, with holographic billboards on the roof shining all night, projecting huge, flowing patterns against the dark sky.
Sometimes it was a weapon advertisement, sometimes an auction preview, sometimes a carnival after a casino tycoon squandered a fortune.
In short, these were all short-term usage rights purchased by others at a heavy cost.
Following Kane into RX-2, Xavier watched the interesting alchemy products of the interstellar era, his gaze especially attracted by frame after frame of unfamiliar weapons on the sky screen.
As he was contemplating whether he should also buy some for his collection, suddenly fire filled the sky, roaring flames incinerating those high-end weapons previously crowned with various titles as easily as garbage.
In the end, only a downward-hanging thorn sword remained, occupying half the sky with an imposing posture.
A welcoming ceremony that could be called fawning.
Xavier looked at that familiar pattern, falling into a rare daze, before finally turning his head to question Kane: “You still said you have nothing to do with this place???”
Kane wore a half-smile, his gray-blue irises reflecting the flames of the sky screen.
“I said, I’m just doing a bit of small business.”
This place was a place of exile for outlaws, a carnival for sinners. It obeyed no imperial laws, disregarded the commandments of the Holy See, and even less disciplined itself with worldly morals.
In a world of the jungle, fists always determine the right to speak.
And Kane Valentian, the “Star-Skeleton Tyrant” of the Blood Blade Star Pirate Group, was precisely the undisputed king of this city of sin nourished by slaughter and blood—depended on, envied, revered, as well as avoided, envied, and feared.
—The most severe “Father”.