As someone who values appearances, Miao Te never thought it was embarrassing to take an extra glance at good-looking people.
However, it was just a couple of extra glances to satisfy his admiration for beauty, nothing more.
He never imagined that one day, he would find himself so entranced by someone that he would lose focus altogether.
By the time the dazed youth, staring in awe at the handsome face so close to him, finally snapped out of his trance, he had already been carried quite a distance by Taylor.
…Miao Te suddenly felt he could relate to those emperors who lost their thrones for the sake of beauty.
Why would he even bother with court affairs if he were an emperor and had such beauty in his harem?
Gazing at a beautiful face every day and feeling overjoyed—that’s what matters!
…
….
…..
Wait a minute, this beauty… is a man.
The teenager, finally returning to reality, vigorously shook his head, trying to clear away all the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
When he looked up, he saw that the Major General carrying him had a large patch of bloodstains on his left shoulder. The once white shirt had been soaked in blood, turning crimson and nearly staining his entire chest. The blood was still spreading slowly outward.
Miao Te jolted awake.
He struggled a bit and jumped down to the ground, and when he lowered his head, he noticed that his clothes were also stained with blood. Instinctively, his gaze shifted to Taylor’s left arm, which had just been holding him.
The bandages wrapped around the young Major General’s left arm were completely soaked through with blood. The recent intense activity had caused the wounds to reopen, and now, blood was steadily seeping out, trickling down his arm.
Drip, drip—several drops of fresh blood fell to the ground from the pale fingertips.
The young Major General’s entire left side, from shoulder to hand, was almost completely drenched in blood. The stark contrast between the blood and the exposed, snow-white skin where his sleeve had been torn left Miao Te momentarily stunned.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Startled by the gruesome sight, Miao Te blurted out without thinking.
In his rush and frustration, Miao Te completely forgot about maintaining his well-behaved image in front of his golden ticket.
“You’re hurt this badly and you’re not even going to treat it?!”
He was still carrying him as if losing more blood wasn’t enough!
The usually calm and obedient teen suddenly spouting curses caught the dark-haired Major General off guard, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
Following Miao Te’s gaze, he looked down at his left arm, which was nearly drenched in blood.
Was the little guy angry because of this?
“It’s nothing,” he said, expressionless, lowering his hand and continuing to walk forward, allowing drops of blood to fall behind him as he went.
Miao Te, completely stunned by the scene, quickly caught up. Watching the blood drip along the way made his heart race with dread.
“No, no, no—this is definitely not ‘nothing’—you at least need to stop the bleeding—”
“There’s no way to do that here.”
With just a few casual words, Taylor left Miao Te speechless.
The cuts on Taylor’s arm, even if they had split open again, would only result in some extra bleeding—not life-threatening.
The real problem was the wound on his left shoulder, where a laser bullet had pierced through. The blood from that wound wouldn’t stop flowing, and bandaging it wouldn’t help. It required professional medical equipment to stop the bleeding, which is why Taylor didn’t even bother to try—he just let the blood keep flowing.
He never wasted his efforts on anything futile.
“…”
Miao Te followed behind, watching as the Major General walked, blood dripping steadily from his arm.
Seeing the blood continuously fall, Miao Te’s face twisted in worry and distress, clearly conflicted.
Taylor glanced out of the corner of his eye at the little guy’s expression. The way he was staring anxiously at his arm, his face filled with concern, somehow lightened Taylor’s mood just a little—a rare occurrence since they’d been on the run.
“Not scared?”
“Huh?”
“The blood.”
“…”
Oh, right. Now that he thought about it, just a while ago, seeing that half-mangled, bloody corpse had made him so nauseous that his mind was filled with images of blood, leaving him dizzy, nauseated, and on the verge of throwing up at the mere sight of it…
But just now, as he walked along, he’d been staring at the Major General’s equally bloody arm the whole time, and yet, he didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
Could it be that even blood can be considered beautiful or ugly?
Was it because the face was good-looking, so even the blood seemed nicer than regular people’s?
That doesn’t make any sense!
…No, no, no. The real issue now is—can he really afford to keep losing this much blood?
After letting his mind wander for a while, the teenager grew anxious again.
No matter how strong or capable this man was, he was still flesh and blood. Excessive blood loss could still kill him.
As he thought this, he couldn’t resist reaching out to grab that blood-soaked hand. Even though he knew he couldn’t help, he just felt that holding onto that hand might somehow make things a little better for the other person.
It was like when he had been in pain, lying in a hospital bed. Just having his parents hold his hand had always made him feel a little better.
The moment his hand was grasped, the Major General’s blood-stained fingers twitched slightly.
He didn’t turn around, still looking straight ahead. The expression on his handsome face remained calm and unchanged, except for a barely noticeable flutter of his long eyelashes.
The blood running down his arm quickly stained the hand of the teenager holding him, turning it just as red as his arm.
***
Taylor and Miao Te walked through a space that resembled a massive metal box. The walls on all sides were made of silver-white metal, and even the pillars supporting the roof gleamed with a metallic sheen.
The vast metal chamber was empty, and with the silver-white metal floor beneath them, each footstep echoed sharply in the hollow space. The reverberation made their footsteps sound unnervingly loud in the emptiness.
Faint traces of water remained on the metal floor, and even on the walls, as if this place had recently been flooded.
The entire space was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight. Despite appearing like a sealed-off chamber, it wasn’t dry at all—in fact, the air was slightly humid.
Moreover, the sealed space was enormous. After descending from the ruined portal that had been placed at the highest point, they walked for a full ten minutes before finally reaching the end.
Taylor glanced around before walking over to a massive protruding panel in the corner. He raised his right hand, and the miniature map projected on the back of his hand began to spin, forming a small symbol.
The symbol reassembled itself into a series of tiny encrypted characters, which were then projected onto the panel.
The next second, what had appeared to be just another part of the wall suddenly lit up and opened automatically in front of Taylor.
A light yellow shuttle, several meters wide and dozens of meters tall, appeared in front of them. Its tail was anchored to the floor, and its nose was pointed toward an overhead black hole, just the right size to accommodate the shuttle. Faintly, the edges of the tracks inside the hole could be seen.
The shuttle stood upright on the ground, with its belly open, revealing a cramped interior cabin.
Finally, they had found it.
Miao Te let out a sigh of relief.
Once they boarded this shuttle, they could return to the Ishtar.
He happily thought this to himself, but when he turned his head, what he saw was the Major General beside him, frowning deeply.
“Is something wrong?”
“…It’s a lifeboat shuttle.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
Miao Te had recently come across some information about this type of shuttle.
These lifeboat shuttles were designed to automatically close as soon as someone entered and immediately activate their escape function.
Since they were on the run anyway, this type of shuttle seemed to suit their situation perfectly, didn’t it?
“…”
Taylor remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, his voice low and tinged with a hint of hoarseness.
“Single-person use.”
“…”
The teenager opened his mouth but was at a loss for words for a long time.
It was clear that the Major General’s subordinates had only managed to prepare this single-person shuttle for him in such a short time, and they certainly hadn’t anticipated Taylor bringing along another person.
The black-haired Major General stared at the shuttle, his brows furrowed deeply.
This shuttle could only accommodate one person. While it was technically possible to squeeze in two, the increased weight would cause the fuel and propulsion to be insufficient for it to break free from the planet’s gravity and enter space.
Therefore, using the shuttle together was absolutely out of the question. They would have to come up with another plan.
A soft drip echoed as a drop of water landed on the metal floor and the teenager’s cheek, making him flinch from the cold.
“Is it raining?”
He raised his hand and saw droplets steadily falling into his palm. Miao Te was puzzled.
Aren’t we underground? And in a sealed, metal box-like space? How could there be rain?
He looked up and saw the metal ceiling, damp and glistening, with water droplets continuously falling from it.
“Our location has been discovered.”
Taylor’s voice suddenly came from beside him, startling Miao Te, who was still staring in confusion at the ceiling.
“Huh? Discovered? How do you know?”
“This is an underground water reservoir.” Taylor had also noticed the falling droplets, his eyes narrowing as he coldly explained, “The water system has been activated.”
Mia Star was a planet where most of the surface was desert, meaning water was extremely scarce.
Exactly. Beneath every city on Mia Star, countless massive metal water reservoirs had been constructed to generate water through particle reactions and supply it to the cities.
Taylor looked up. The humidity in the metal chamber had already reached its limit, causing the walls to become slick and damp. Water was now streaming down the metal surfaces, beginning to pool on the floor.
“A reservoir… so this place is going to flood soon?”
Miao Te nervously glanced around.
As the humidity increased, more and more water droplets fell from the ceiling, growing in size and frequency, until the entire space felt like it was raining inside.
The water on the silver-white metal floor was rising at a visible rate, and Miao Te quickly saw it cover the tops of his feet.
“W-What do we do?”
Miao Te started to panic, instinctively looking toward the only person he could rely on in this situation.
No matter the circumstances, Major General Taylor was the most dependable person, someone who could always be relied on—there was nothing this man couldn’t handle.
This belief had already taken deep root in the teenager’s mind.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have jumped without hesitation when the Major General had told him to, even though the ground below was swarming with enemies.
As long as he followed the Major General’s instructions, everything would be fine.
He had always believed that.
So, in moments of confusion, he instinctively and almost unconsciously turned his gaze toward the man who, in his mind, was as strong as a god.
He saw the young Major General standing at the shuttle’s hatch, one hand braced against the door frame.
The man’s soaked black hair clung wetly to his handsome face, the damp darkness making the pale skin of his cheek appear even more unnaturally white.
Miao Te noticed the man’s breathing was slightly more labored than usual, and his left arm, hanging at his side, was drenched in blood. Blood mixed with water dripped steadily from his pale fingertips, like beads falling from a broken string…
…En.
A man so powerful, he seemed beyond human—almost godlike.
Yet, no matter how strong, he was still made of flesh and blood.
The teenager thought this as he raised his hand and vigorously rubbed his face.
Their location had already been compromised. Whether or not they drowned here, the pursuers would likely arrive soon.
…And only one person could leave here alive.
***
His vision was starting to blur…
The young Major General stood at the shuttle’s hatch, his right hand braced against the door frame.
His breathing had become labored. Though this body was far stronger than that of an ordinary person, having undergone rigorous training from a young age—nearly reaching the limits of what a human body could endure—it was still, in the end, flesh and blood.
The water dripping from the ceiling poured down on him like rain, soaking him completely. His clothes were drenched, icy, and bone-chilling, the cold seeping deep into his body.
His wet black hair clung to his pale cheeks, and the effects of excessive blood loss were beginning to take hold, leaving his mind slightly hazy.
He leaned against the shuttle’s door frame, taking a deep breath, trying to steady the dizziness in his head.
He had to figure out a way to bring the teenager along with him…
He exhaled slowly, but before he could finish, the air behind him suddenly shifted, as if someone was about to strike.
Under normal circumstances, he could have easily dodged the sudden attack and instantly subdued his assailant.
But now, his body was at its most exhausted, and the slight dizziness from blood loss had slowed his reactions by just a fraction of a second.
He was hit hard by a kick from behind.
The unexpected force sent him stumbling forward, his already unsteady footing causing him to take a few involuntary steps.
Beep!
A sharp sound pierced the air as lights suddenly blazed around them.
The interior of the shuttle instantly lit up, and all of its systems sprang to life.
The young Major General, kicked into the lifeboat shuttle, quickly spun around, but slam—the door shut right in front of him with a sharp snap.
The transparent yet impenetrable inner hatch sealed him off from the teenager outside.
The black-haired, black-eyed teenager who had kicked him inside smiled at him, his dark eyes curving into crescent moons.
Amid the falling water, the teenager’s soaked black hair clung to his face.
At that moment, the young Major General’s pupils dilated slightly.
He stared at the youthful face smiling back at him. Sometimes that teenager’s expression seemed dazed, a little confused, a bit silly even, but when he smiled, it was brighter than anything.
He saw the teenager standing in the water, his soaked clothes clinging tightly to his body, making his figure appear even more delicate.
He saw the teenager’s lips move as if saying something to him with a smile, but he couldn’t hear a thing. All he could see was the teenager smiling and lifting his hand to wave at him.
That lightly waving right hand was covered in blood—his blood, staining it a deep crimson.
That red was seared into the Major General’s dark blue eyes as if it had passed through his pupils and branded itself deep in his mind.
Then the heavy outer hatch came down, severing his line of sight.
And with it, the teenager’s image was completely cut off from his vision.
The shuttle shook violently, spewing gas furiously amidst the roaring noise.
Carrying its sole passenger, it shot upward along the track within the dark tunnel, speeding away into the void.
***
People always said that pulling off something flashy and then running away was exhilarating.
Ha ha.
But pulling it off and then dying—now that’s even more exciting. Want to give it a try?
Miao Te thought to himself in a tone of self-mockery, watching helplessly as the shuttle roared away, its departing pressure spraying him with water.
The confident smile he’d forced himself to maintain crumbled in an instant, and he let out a heavy sigh, looking resigned.
See? I knew I shouldn’t have tempted fate. Look, it worked like a charm.
After the shuttle shot out, the track’s opening sealed itself shut.
This meant that now, this place truly was a completely sealed space—a giant metal box where he was now trapped.
…Maybe there were other exits, but as Miao Te watched the water rise at an alarming rate, already past his knees and creeping up to his thighs, he doubted he’d have the time to find one even if they existed.
Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I promised you that no matter what, I would survive, but I think this is where it ends for me.
Miao Te rubbed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, staring blankly at the water now submerging his legs.
…He wanted to live, but the Major General’s life was more important than his.
He was alone, and if he died, it would only affect him. But that man—he carried the weight of so many lives. Besides, the Major General had saved him so many times, he owed him too many debts to even consider being a burden at this point…
and…
and….
Hahahahahahahahahahaha! !! !!
The teenager leaning against the wall flicked his damp hair, grinned, and could no longer hold back, bursting into loud laughter.
“I can’t believe it! I just managed to kick the Major General’s butt!!!
Ahahahahahahahaha–My life is complete now—who else in the entire universe could claim to have kicked the Major General’s butt with such a badass kick, hahaha!!!”
Oh my gosh, hahaha, I can’t stop laughing!
I kicked the Major General’s butt, hahaha—my life is officially complete, hahaha!
Haha, help me, hahaha, it just feels so amazing, I can’t stop laughing, what should I do, hahaha!
…
Hmm, the Major General’s body is quite resilient there.[T/N: translation: the Major General’s butt is quite bouncy.Lol]
Ahahaha—!
***
Translation by NightOwll
***