Gu Qiyin lowered his head slightly. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I have once again failed to find any trace of the young Prince.”
Upon hearing his answer, a look of profound disappointment washed over the Emperor’s face.
He waved a hand dismissively. “It is as I expected. It has been five years, yet I still dream of him often. If only I hadn’t been so stubborn, arguing with him back then… he wouldn’t have felt the need to participate in those human experiments just to prove he was a worthy Prince. Those madmen actually dared to use Broodmother Essence to augment humans!”
Gu Qiyin replied calmly, “Your Majesty, those responsible have been executed. The young Prince is surely blessed; when we apprehended the researchers, we found no evidence of his remains.”
“But why is there still no word?” the Emperor asked sharply. “After all these years, I need a body if he is dead, or a person if he is alive.”
Gu Qiyin produced a report. “Your Majesty, please look. I located the defector Xu Ze and confirmed that the Essence in his possession was the one recently lost by the Zerg, not the original sample from the Academy years ago.”
“Oh?”
“I believe we can use his contacts to see if any researchers from the old project are still at large. We can trace the leads to find out exactly what the Prince endured and where he might be.”
“It seems your plan failed, then,” the Emperor noted. “How did Xu Ze obtain that specific bottle of Essence?”
“He acquired it at a black market exchange on Trash Planet B-25. The person who traded it to him had scrubbed their identity thoroughly.”
“And the Essence itself?”
“Xu Ze traded it away. The Zerg reached it before I could secure it. I deemed it unwise to engage them directly at the time, so I left after dealing with Xu Ze’s affairs,” Gu Qiyin explained.
The Emperor studied him. Gu Qiyin’s breathing, heart rate, and demeanor showed no trace of a lie. Finally, the Emperor nodded. “You did well. We cannot allow relations with the Zerg to deteriorate further. We shall speak no more of the Essence; focus all your efforts on finding the Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Gu Qiyin replied.
The Emperor looked at him with satisfaction. “Ten years ago, finding you at the Mecha League was my stroke of luck.”
Gu Qiyin immediately placed his right hand over his heart. “No, Your Majesty. To be appreciated by you is my greatest honor.”
The Emperor sighed. “To reach the level of the Empire’s only 3S-rank without a noble family to back you… I have seen your talent and hard work. For the Empire and for humanity, please continue your efforts.”
The Emperor stood up and clapped Gu Qiyin on the shoulder in encouragement.
“For the glory of the Empire,” Gu Qiyin said tonelessly.
The Emperor gave him a long, searching look. “As long as you remember that, my General.”
Shen Li was waiting outside the palace. The moment he saw Gu Qiyin, he hurried forward. “General, are you alright?”
Gu Qiyin shook his head. “I’m fine. The Emperor just asked a few simple questions.”
Shen Li breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I was worried he would reprimand you because of the impeachment attempts.”
Gu Qiyin offered a faint smile. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Yes, General. Are you heading to Military Command now?”
“No,” Gu Qiyin said. “I’m going home.”
“Shall I drive you?”
Gu Qiyin stopped him. “No need. I’ll head back on my own.”
Gu Qiyin’s residence was a villa in the heart of the Imperial Capital. After passing the biometric scans, he entered. Only domestic robots were active, maintaining the house.
He disliked the scent of strangers. He didn’t like having other humans in his living space—unless it was a partner. After arriving, he walked through every room until his own mental energy permeated the entire house.
Only then did he settle down to reflect.
“The Emperor… hah.” Gu Qiyin calculated the time. He had been in the Empire for nearly ten years. As the only 3S-rank, he had no attachments, no family, and had even rejected the Emperor’s marriage proposals. If he hadn’t felt that the person he was looking for was still somewhere in the Empire, he might have left long ago.
He touched his chest. “It’s beating restlessly…”
He thought to himself: If it weren’t for that Essence, I would probably be moving Wang Dudu in here right now.
I wonder if that kid is being looked after by the Zerg. Perhaps going with them is better for him than staying with me.
The Sanctuary: Rose Garden
The sunlight was perfect, and a gentle breeze made the morning feel intoxicating.
Cecil’s pale gold hair hung down his back, a small braid held in place by a sapphire ornament. In the light, his hair seemed to shimmer with a faint blue-gold aura. His lashes were long, and his voice was deep and pleasant as he read.
Luo Jia, distracted by Cecil’s sheer beauty, was daydreaming.
“A-choo!” Luo Jia sneezed violently. Who’s talking about me? Olivia? Astra?
Cecil’s brow creased slightly. He reached out to touch Luo Jia’s forehead. “Are you unwell?”
Luo Jia flinched back, looking embarrassed. “Sorry, Teacher Cecil. No… I’m just… just…”
“Just daydreaming, correct?” Cecil, holding a copy of A Brief History of the Zerg, looked at him calmly. “You must pay attention.”
Luo Jia felt like every move he made—every yawn, every blink—was being scrutinized. “Right… sorry.” Under Cecil’s gaze, he lowered his head.
“Now, the next part is vital. It concerns your very life,” Cecil said, tapping the table. “Prince Luo Jia, you must realize you are no longer human. You may undergo Zergification very soon.”
Luo Jia raised a hand. “How soon?”
Cecil shook his head. “I cannot be certain. It is different for every Mother. It could be today, or many years from now.”
Luo Jia: “…”
Wait, he noticed a detail. “Every Mother? How many Mothers have there been?”
“You really haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” Cecil noted. “Since we arrived in this star sector ten Star Eras ago, there have been six, including you. The last Mother appeared three Star Eras ago. Initially, a Mother existed in every Era, but then… complications arose, leading to a gap of three Eras without one.”
“Where did the previous Mothers go?” Luo Jia asked. Theoretically, a Mother should live a long time.
Cecil answered simply: “They returned to the embrace of the Life Pool.”
“…” Luo Jia hadn’t expected such a grim answer. “So what happens next? Why is my life in danger?”
“Good, fear has finally caught your attention,” Cecil said. “Ten years ago, a bottle of Essence was lost during the war and remains missing. Recently, a second bottle was lost—the one inside you. However,” Cecil’s voice turned cold, “the Essence is incomplete. Therefore, when you evolve, there is a high probability of failure.