SS 81: I Have A Family With You

Afterwards, they happily cause mischief when cheerful, and when idle, find a planet to rest together, accompanying each other for countless years. (End of main text)

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For three months, Pang Kirates, along with Lizard and the others, swept through the Alliance’s Atavist Welfare Institutes.

He did as Feng Lianzhu instructed, taking away the younger Atavists and leaving the older ones who had their own opinions, if they didn’t want to leave, letting them stay in the Alliance. Feng Lianzhu had made ample preparations; if they still chose not to leave after learning everything, then their choice would be respected.

During these three months, the Alliance and the Empire were fiercely battling across the stars. Initially, they didn’t give way to Pang Kirates and the ship carrying the Atavists, continuing the fight until the Fat Dragon indiscriminately beat them up and snatched many large manned command ships, after which they learned their lesson. In the future, no matter how intense the battle, they would temporarily retreat upon seeing the massive black dragon from afar, waiting for Pang Kirates and his fleet to leave before resuming their fight.

Before leaving the Eimiral star, although Pang Kirates didn’t take any gold coins, he didn’t forget to take his 80 million gold coins. These coins were stored in a warehouse by that prosecutor, and before the Fat Dragon left, he found General Laurie and had him take the coins, swallowing them into the space within his body.

General Laurie and others also took this opportunity to flee Eimiral with the Fat Dragon.

The black dragon’s azure eyes glanced over Laurie and the others’ battleships, secretly opening Feng Lianzhu’s cheat sheet: Laurie will follow you, you can take him, but in exchange for intelligence. Make him get the locations of all the Atavists held in the labs, and we’ll take them all with us.

Not only were there Atavists in the welfare institutes, but there were also special ones like Dolphin 66, Lizard, and Unicorn, who were born unique and taken by the Alliance for research. These Atavists were declared dead from the Atavist gene by the hospital at birth, without even a chance to go to the welfare institutes.

Feng Lianzhu’s policy for these Atavists was to bring them back regardless of their willingness. Psychological issues were to be handled by Lizard and others, who had experience.

The Atavists like Lizard: “……”

What experience did they have? Memorizing essays? Or, should they recite the essays they had written before, full of emotion?

The process was arduous, and it took a long time. The Fat Dragon patiently carried out the rescue, a task he would have likely abandoned on the second planet in the past.

But thinking that this was Feng Lianzhu’s final task before becoming an adult, after which they would no longer have to be apart, Pang Kirates suppressed his desire to throw a tantrum and earnestly swept through each planet.

Three months later, the fleet had grown to an unbelievable size.

The population density of the Alliance planets was not high, with about a billion people per planet. Even so, with 89 planets, there would be hundreds of billions of people. Theoretically, with a 3% birth rate of Atavists, there should be three billion of them.

Yet, after traversing the entire Azure Star System, Kirates’s fleet rescued only over 20 million Atavists. The fleet behind the black dragon turned into gigantic ships, a total of a thousand ships each with a maximum capacity of 30,000 people, following behind Pang Kirates. Over a hundred Atavists, including Lizard and Unicorn, became squadron leaders for ten ships each, with Lizard and Unicorn on the command ship.

Lizard piloted, with other ships following, and Unicorn was responsible for calming the nervous emotions of over a thousand captains.

Initially, no one knew how to pilot the ships; they were all taught hand in hand. The giant dragon only cared about sweeping through, demanding people and supplies, staying in front of the bank’s vault without leaving, neglecting everything else, unlike the ease of following Feng Lianzhu.

Fortunately, Lizard and others were worldly, having prepared from the start. Upon encountering talented Atavists on the planets, they taught them to pilot ships. With long travel times, they finally managed to assemble enough captains over three months.

During these three months, Lizard and others were nearly worked to death. If not for their high-intensity training and experience from underground arenas, they might not have been able to endure.

Exhausted to the point of not bothering to stick out her tongue, the snake woman sighed, “I used to think life was hard, but now I’m grateful for those tough days. Otherwise, how could we endure? Are we supposed to abandon all these Atavists? And there are children, too. I’m so tired. Where’s Wasp? Why is she missing again?”

“She went to take care of the children. She said she has medical experience,” Crocodile said gruffly.

“Medical experience, my foot. She can secrete bee venom and antivenom serum, that’s it,” the snake woman was not pleased, her steering assistant absent without leave every day.

“She said she learned some medical knowledge when she was dissected and modified. Honey can also enhance the children’s resistance,” Bison said. “She’s quite proud, not letting me touch the children, saying I’m too clumsy.”

“She sure can brag. Is that something to be proud of?” the snake woman fumed.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Unicorn gave her a glance, touching his horn on his head with a hint of pride.

After three months of interstellar travel, the emotions of the Atavists were quite unstable, all soothed by his ability. Now, many Atavists looked at his horn with envy.

Yes, they didn’t envy him for being close to the appearance of ordinary people, but for his horn that could make someone relax with just a gentle touch on their forehead.

This was recognition for him as a person and for his Atavist feature.

The horn he once wished to break off was now his pride.

The snake woman, remembering Wasp’s proud demeanor while feeding the children honey, bowed her head to hide her smile, whispering, “I used to wonder why I was so miserable, why, as Atavists, they could live in welfare institutes while I had to endure such pain. Now, I think, thankfully, I had those experiences, making me strong, capable of becoming a captain, carrying thirty thousand people across the stars.”

She endured pain but gained the courage and strength to carry the lives of thirty thousand people.

“Do you still want to kill? Looking at those naive Atavists from the welfare institutes, can you still harbor thoughts of harm?” Unicorn asked.

“Maybe a little,” the snake woman pondered, “But it’s very faint. I can feel that, given some time, it will disappear on its own.”

“Feng Lianzhu, truly an impressive person,” Crocodile said in a deep voice.

Indeed, the hatred once thought unforgettable had now flown away to who knows where.

Perhaps some had not let go, some people are naturally prone to dwell on things, their envy overriding, but they are in the minority.

Many from their underground arena had gradually been rescued.

“We can only save ourselves here,” Unicorn touched his chest, saying.

When one’s heart is blocked, apart from boldly carving out one’s own path, no one else can do it.

“Roar!!!” A dragon’s roar came from outside. In the vacuum of space where sound does not travel, it was unknown how Kirates managed to let every spaceship hear his voice.

“We are approaching the primitive star. The fleet will land in ten minutes,” Lizard’s voice came through the communicator.

“He’s finally acting properly,” the snake woman rolled her eyes, maneuvering the spaceship to follow Lizard in landing.

Their spaceship carried not only people but also materials demanded from the Alliance. The Alliance, engaged in battle with the Empire, was reluctant to provide so much, but power speaks, and Pang Kirates forcefully obtained a year’s worth of food and building materials for over twenty million people, as well as energy for spaceship travel, arriving at the primitive star after many difficulties.

The initial construction was tough, everyone over sixteen had to work, gradually clearing and expanding land to establish their nation.

What Feng Lianzhu and Pang Kirates could do for them was limited to trading for materials, which at most could support 3-10 years; the rest would depend on the efforts of the Atavists themselves.

After landing, it took a long time for over twenty million people to disembark. The primitive star lacked an interstellar port; they barely landed in a desert area, the sight of barrenness chilling their hearts.

Then, everyone saw a person standing firmly atop a mech in mid-air, a fluffy white tail waving in the wind.

He spoke into a megaphone, “Welcome to the primitive star. I am delighted to have so many Atavists here, full of confidence, believing they can build a nation for Atavists with their own hands. I firmly believe that every person standing here today will be able to proudly tell the newly grown Atavists ten years from now, ‘This bustling city has my sweat in it.'”

His words ignited the Atavists’ passion, especially because he could proudly stand atop the mech, unafraid of the biting cold wind at high altitudes. Who else had such courage, such boldness?

We are weak, our planet is backward. But we are free, standing under the blue sky, breathing the wind of freedom.

“Founding a nation, founding a nation, founding a nation!” Countless Atavists, their emotions stirred by Feng Lianzhu, raised their hands and shouted.

The collective cry of tens of millions rivaled even the roar of Pang Kirates.

The clamor breaking through the heavens declared the establishment of the Atavist’s independent nation on this day.

In the Golden Coin Mountain Amusement Park of “Voyage through the Void,” Feng Lianzhu felt a slight tremor in his body as he issued blessing coins to the newlyweds.

【Congratulations to host Feng Lianzhu for completing the final task, merging the five elements, henceforth freeing yourself from the game’s constraints. You may now travel to any world you wish, as long as you pay enough points.】

【Congratulations to shared hosts Feng Lianzhu and Pang Kirates for completing all tasks, seizing the inevitable in a sea of chance.】

【Task issuing program closed, points acquisition channels closed, 90% of system functions shut down, only the points mall remains open, awaiting the host’s completion of point exchanges before the full shutdown of all functions.】

“System?” Feng Lianzhu inquired within his mind, but received no response.

The answering function had also been shut down.

Feng Lianzhu looked at his hands, feeling an indescribable sensation rising from the bottom of his heart. At this moment, he seemed to hear the shouting of the Atavists from planet 419 of the Azure Star System, those unified cries of spirits he had freed by his own hands, granting him freedom as well.

Body, spirit, soul; his body and spirit were given by Pang Kirates, but his soul had grown bit by bit through completing tasks, finally merging completely with the faith of the Atavists into a complete life form.

A breeze swirled around Feng Lianzhu, as if congratulating him.

If only a dragon were also here to celebrate with him, Feng Lianzhu thought. Just then, he heard a roar from the sky: “Roar!!!!”

A black dragon large enough to cover the entire Golden Coin Mountain Amusement Park hovered above, its deep blue eyes filled with Feng Lianzhu’s reflection.

Countless players who came to witness the event were stunned; they knew the boss of Golden Coin Mountain Amusement Park was a level ∞+1 dragon, but they never imagined the dragon to be this formidable.

Facing this dragon head-on, even being pulled into Golden Coin Mountain, Sword to the Skies, was a true man, not losing face at all!

Feng Lianzhu showed his softest smile to the Fat Dragon, opening his arms, waiting for him to fly down.

However, Pang Kirates did not land but instead used a voice that could reach the entire game to say, “Humans, I, Pang Kirates, thank you for the joy you have brought me during this time and for creating the most important person to me.”

Feng Lianzhu was slightly taken aback; he had never taught Pang Kirates to say these words. This was something the Fat Dragon wanted to say himself.

“This time in the game, it seems to have caused you some trouble. To all those who have helped me, brought me joy, and helped me grow, in the name of Kirates, I gift you a small token.”

The black dragon spread its wings, and countless golden lights traveled through the internet cables into the bodies of many players, including all members of Phoenix Arrival, Sword to the Skies, Lingyun Jiuxiao, and countless others who had crossed paths with Pang Kirates in the game (excluding the Panlong faction and Soaring Three Thousand Miles). They felt a warmth in their bodies, as if they were undergoing some changes at this moment.

In the office of the “Voyage through the Void” planning team, a member working overtime exclaimed, quickly checking themselves in a mirror, then suddenly shouted, “Ah!!!!”

“What’s all the noise about!” a colleague, irritable from overwork, barked.

“My hair, my hair!” the person pointed at their head excitedly, “It’s grown back! Huh? Yours too, it’s grown back, has everyone’s…?”

The planning team members stood up one after another, checking their heads with mirrors. The team leader, the bespectacled man, even removed his wig to see a head full of thick hair.

The planning team’s office erupted in a chorus of screams and cries as everyone grasped their heads in overwhelmed joy.

At that moment, it was as if their bodies were filled with strength, making them capable of working overtime for three days and three nights without issue!

Kirates’s life energy, at this very moment, was transmitted through the internet to every person who had shown kindness to Pang Kirates. Perhaps the effects were not as visible for some as they were for the planning team members, but in time, they would surely realize the true value of what they had received.

Feng Lianzhu looked at the Fat Dragon, smiled in relief, and flew up to stand beside him.

If the mountain wouldn’t come to him, he would go to the mountain.

“I’ve come to pick you up, to go home,” Pang Kirates said, his front claws nervously rubbing against each other. “Will you come with me?”

The usually domineering him was now apprehensive, realizing that Feng Lianzhu originally belonged to the game world and might not wish to venture into the interstellar realm. He had spent 20,000 points to open the channel between the game and the interstellar world, returning to the game world to find Feng Lianzhu.

“Where is home?” Feng Lianzhu asked.

The Fat Dragon was momentarily stumped. Indeed, where was home? The primitive star? But that was not home, merely the place of birth. Kirates’s home was the entire universe; any planet could be conquered.

To have a home and yet not have one.

Feng Lianzhu touched the somewhat desolate nose of the Fat Dragon and left a kiss on that big snout, softly saying, “For me, home is where you are.”

The Fat Dragon’s eyes lit up: “Me too!”

“First, take me to the interstellar world to see how those Atavists are doing. We have to look after them, and we also need to plant bamboos on the primitive star,” Feng Lianzhu said as he landed on the Fat Dragon’s back.

“Coming to the game world requires points, but luckily, we still have quite a few left. We can come and play whenever we want, and here’s your Golden Coin Mountain Amusement Park,” Feng Lianzhu said.

“Roar!!!!” The Fat Dragon, delighted, flicked his tail up.

He glanced at the stunned crowd below and, carrying Feng Lianzhu, entered the void.

The future held an Atavist planet, the game world’s Golden Coin Mountain, bamboo they would plant on every planet, and the real-world Golden Coin Mountain Feng Lianzhu promised to Pang Kirates.

Their future was not lonely.

Oh, and there was a Green Dragon teacher to introduce to Pang Kirates one day; who knows what sparks would fly between them.

Feng Lianzhu lay on Pang Kirates’s back, thinking happily.

There was so much to look forward to. The knowledge he had acquired and the Fat Dragon’s power, what changes would they bring to both worlds?

It didn’t matter. What mattered was that these changes were all traces left by him and Pang Kirates, each and every one a memory.

In the future, whenever they felt like it, they’d cause a little chaos or find a planet to rest together on, guarding each other through countless years.

—End of Main Text—

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Author’s Note:

The main text has ended. Tomorrow, I’ll update the extra story, love you all~

Stay tuned for my new ancient fantasy romance “The Demon Lord Also Wants to Know,” starting December 19th. For details, please check my column~