First Interstellar Guide Chapter 122: Extra 23: Parallel World; Hand in Hand

Chapter 122: Extra 23: Parallel World; Hand in Hand

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Xie Ran and Lu Zexuan searched for a way to leave the desolate planet. Meanwhile, near the Triangulum constellation cosmic wormhole, Federal Marshal Qin Xiao and Eagle Legion Commander General Lu Tingyu personally arrived at the scene with their respective escort teams.

When news spread that Xie Ran and Lu Zexuan had fallen into the cosmic wormhole, both the Marshal and General Lu were frantic.

With a mournful expression, Lu Tingyu looked at General Xie Xi. “Zexuan and Xie Ran are only 19 years old. I refuse to believe they’re dead. General Xie, have you thoroughly searched for their spacecraft? Perhaps, there’s still a chance for the two kids?”

General Xie Xi’s expression turned grim as she clenched her fists. “I’ve had people search meticulously in the vicinity, but we found no wreckage of any spacecraft. It’s highly likely that their ship was torn apart by the currents after being sucked into the cosmic wormhole.”

Qin Xiao spoke softly, “General Lu, I’m sorry. Your son was sucked into the wormhole because he was trying to save my grandson, Ranran.”

Lu Tingyu waved his hand dismissively. “There’s no need to apologize; this isn’t your fault.”

Marshal Qin Xiao had ostensibly come to oversee the search operation to “show concern for his subordinates,” but in truth, he was also deeply saddened. Ranran was the grandson he had watched grow up, his most beloved, how could he have died so young?

A heavy atmosphere pervaded the command ship. The thought of two 19-year-old geniuses meeting an early demise brought tears to many elders’ eyes.

After a moment, Qin Xiao calmed down and said, “Since we haven’t found any wreckage of the spacecraft, there’s another possibility—they might still be alive.”

All eyes turned to the Marshal.

Qin Luo whispered, “Are you suggesting that they might have been sucked into another planet through the wormhole? They could still be alive?”

Qin Xiao nodded. “Most wormholes tear apart any ships that fall into them. However, we don’t have precise data on the gravity field inside the Triangulum constellation’s wormhole. So, we can’t rule out the possibility that they’re still alive.”

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope rose in everyone’s hearts. If no bodies were found, perhaps there was still a chance?

General Xie Xi also calmed down and looked at Lu Tingyu. “We can’t send people into the wormhole to investigate, but we can search the nearby star systems around the wormhole. Maybe we’ll find traces of them.”

Lu Tingyu immediately agreed, “Right, continue the search. We need to see them alive or see their bodies!”

Lu Zexuan and Xie Ran were rare S-level talents, both groomed as heirs by the two major Legions. Their lives were of great importance, and no matter the cost, they had to be found.

The two Legion Commanders reached a consensus, and Marshal Qin Xiao immediately assigned tasks. The Starlight Legion reconnaissance camp, the Eagle Special Forces, and the personal guards of the two Generals mobilized collectively to conduct a carpet search of the nearby star systems according to the star chart.

The planets near the Triangulum constellation were undeveloped by the Federation, all unfamiliar worlds. Therefore, the search was not easy. Fortunately, with the cooperation of the two major Legions and the Marshal personally commanding, they quickly combed through the nearby planets.

A week later, the search team finally landed on the Red Spider Planet below the wormhole from another direction. At this moment, Lu Zexuan and Xie Ran were embracing, sleeping on the back of the Spider Queen.

The planet was very peculiar, shrouded in red mist everywhere. But the monitoring devices showed that the oxygen content, temperature, and humidity on the planet were suitable for human survival. Marshal Qin Xiao was delighted, saying, “Everyone, hurry up and follow me. I’ll use the deep-sea jellyfish to make you invisible and try to avoid any possible encounters with alien creatures. Once we find those two kids, we’ll bring them back immediately!”

General Xie Xi and Lu Tingyu led the team personally, donning gas masks and swiftly infiltrating the forest.

They traversed through layers of mist and finally reached the depths of the red fog. However, the scene before them left everyone stunned—

In front of them lay a massive spider, its eyes blood-red, its leg armor sharp and sturdy, its back covered in thick fur, looking extremely terrifying.

Since Marshal Qin had issued instructions that this operation was primarily a search and not to waste time engaging with alien creatures, and since everyone was in stealth mode, the spider didn’t detect them. Instead of launching an attack on the spider, they observed it cautiously.

However, at the next moment, General Xie Xi suddenly clenched her fists. “Ranran is up there!”

She had seen Xie Ran on the spider’s back. At this moment, Xie Ran was lying in Lu Zexuan’s arms, eyes closed, either asleep or unconscious.

Almost simultaneously, General Lu Tingyu also saw his son.

Thinking that the two were being controlled by the creature, Lu Tingyu immediately drew his electromagnetic sword. His shoulders spread golden wings, and he leaped into the air, fiercely slashing down towards the spider!

Although Lu Zexuan was asleep, his sharp ears picked up the commotion instantly. Upon opening his eyes, he saw a familiar man flying into the air, his sword poised to strike the Spider Queen aggressively. In an instant, Lu Zexuan reflexively drew out his electromagnetic sword and blocked it in front of the Spider Queen—

Both sentinels were extremely fast. There was a loud clang as their swords collided, sparking brightly.

Lu Tingyu hadn’t expected his son to block the strike. Believing him to be under the creature’s control, he shouted, “Lu Zexuan, snap out of it!”

Lu Zexuan hurriedly explained, “Dad, you’ve misunderstood. This spider is our friend; don’t hurt her!”

Xie Ran was also awakened and, seeing the worried look on General Xie Xi’s face, he immediately stood up. “Mom? What are you doing here?” Turning to face Lu Tingyu and General Lu, who were at an impasse, he said, “General Lu, hold off for now. The Spider Queen means no harm to us and even saved us.”

Lu Tingyu and General Xie exchanged a glance, momentarily at a loss.

Xie Ran continued, “She’s the leader of the spiders here, a highly intelligent creature. Do we have any guides here? They can communicate with her and understand her intentions.”

Several high-level guides hesitantly extended their mental tendrils and indeed sensed the Spider Queen’s mental energy.

“General, Xie Ran is right. She’s protecting Xie Ran.”

Lu Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his sword, and looked at his son with concern. “Are you both okay?”

Lu Zexuan replied, “We’re fine. We were sucked into the wormhole and ended up here. Dad, how did you and General Xie come here?”

Lu Tingyu exclaimed excitedly, “Not only me and General Xie, even the Marshal came. We conducted a comprehensive search of all the planets in the Triangulum constellation for a week and finally found you two. Thankfully, you’re both alive!”

Xie Ran jumped down from the Spider Queen’s back and approached his mother. “Mom, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Xie Ran rubbed his hair and said, “Stop talking nonsense. It’s enough that you’re alive.”

Not far away, Qin Xiao and Qin Luo, who were commanding on the starship, also received the signal and immediately rushed over. Qin Luo saw his son standing there safe and sound, tears welled up in his eyes uncontrollably. He gently hugged Xie Ran and choked, “Ranran, you’re alive… It’s really great.”

Xie Ran hugged him back and whispered, “Dad, I was really lucky this time.”

Lu Tingyu also hugged his son tightly and laughed, “You little rascal, I knew you wouldn’t give up that easily!”

The joy of surviving the disaster made Marshal Qin Xiao’s eyes red. He walked over and patted both of them on the shoulder. The exhaustion of the past few days made his voice hoarse, but there was joy in his eyes. “You’ve escaped a great disaster. I heard that it was this Spider Queen who saved you?”

Xie Ran replied, “Yes, Marshal. She helped us heal our injuries, and our wounds have all healed.”

Qin Xiao turned around, bowed to the large spider in front of him, and communicated through his telepathic tendrils, “Thank you very much for taking care of the two children during this time. I’m going to take them back now, and if there’s a chance, they will come to see you again in the future.”

The Spider Queen said gently, “You’re welcome. I’m also very happy to know Ranran.”

Reluctantly bidding farewell to the Spider Queen, Xie Ran and Lu Zexuan exchanged glances, not saying much to each other, and followed their respective parents back to the Eagle and Starlight starships.

Seeing Xie Ran return, the soldiers of the Starlight Legion were all very happy, coming over excitedly to inquire about his well-being.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, Xie Ran’s mother suddenly said, “Ranran, come with me.”

Qin Luo noticed that his wife’s expression was not right and followed. Marshal Qin Xiao naturally didn’t want to fall behind, so the whole family gathered in the command room. Xie Ran then closed the door and looked at Xie Ran, saying, “When we found you just now, you were with Lu Zexuan… Weren’t you too intimate?”

Qin Luo and Qin Xiao did not see that scene. Hearing this, Qin Luo smiled and explained to his son, “Ranran and Zexuan have been good friends since childhood. This time, they went through hardships together, so it’s normal for their relationship to be closer, right?”

Xie Xi frowned, “He was sleeping in Lu Zexuan’s arms and holding Lu Zexuan’s hand tightly. Do you think that’s normal?”

Qin Luo paused. That didn’t sound normal!

Qin Xiao looked surprised and glanced at Xie Ran, saying helplessly, “Ranran, you’re a guide, and he’s a sentinel. Although you two have been good friends since childhood, you should still pay attention to boundaries when you’re together. Don’t you understand this? Don’t let your mother misunderstand.”

Xie Ran said, “It’s not a misunderstanding.” Before the elders could react, Xie Ran said straightforwardly, “I’ve already marked him.”

The three of them were shocked!

Speaking of this matter, Xie Ran didn’t feel embarrassed at all, but rather calmly said, “Actually, Lu Zexuan and I have liked each other for a long time. When I fell into the wormhole that day, he was sucked in to save me. After landing on Red Spider Planet, we encountered an attack from a vine monster. In order to protect me, he overused his energy and almost went berserk. At a critical moment, I awakened the Nine-Tailed Fox and killed the monster…” Up to this point, Xie Ran was telling the truth. But then, he changed the subject, “Unexpectedly, I suddenly had a fever. At that time, we didn’t have any medication to control the fever, and I liked him, so I forced him to mark me.”

The three elders were speechless.

Xie Ran looked up at his parents and grandfather, sincerely saying, “It was my initiative. He only marked me to help me. This matter was caused by me. There’s no need to blame Lu Zexuan.”

Xie Ran’s mother was speechless, her son took the initiative? So, was Lu Zexuan the victim?

Qin Luo looked at his son thoughtfully, somewhat skeptical. With Ranran’s bold and whimsical personality, it made sense that he would let Lu Zexuan mark him when faced with a fever, but he felt that things weren’t that simple?

Qin Xiao looked more like he was heartbroken, feeling like his cherished cabbage had been eaten after being sent to the door, “Ranran, do you… sigh! Do you know that after a bonding, the sentinel and guide are bound together?”

Xie Ran said seriously, “I know. I will be responsible for Zexuan.”

The three of them were left speechless.

Xie Ran held his temples, not knowing what to do with her son.

Qin Luo gently embraced his wife’s shoulder and softly comforted her, “Back then, I concealed my identity just to be with you. Ranran is somewhat like me in this regard. Actually, it’s not a big deal. Since they both like each other and have marked each other, we can find a way to deal with the rule that heirs of legions cannot marry.”

After a moment of silence, Xie Xi, recalling her and Qin Luo’s past experiences, softened her heart and said, “Since the deed is done, let’s go talk to General Lu and figure out a solution together.”

Xie Ran smiled, “Thank you, Mom and Dad. I knew you would support my decision.”

Meanwhile, in the Eagle Legion, Lu Tingyu was interrogating his son, “Your father isn’t blind! When I flew up, I saw you holding Xie Ran so tightly, with your fingers intertwined… Tell me! What’s going on?”

Lu Zexuan calmly replied, “After we were swept to Red Spider Planet, I experienced my first bonding fever and forcibly marked Ranran. It was my mistake, not his.”

Lu Tingyu was dumbfounded, “You little rascal, what did you say? You forcibly marked General Xie’s son?”

Lu Zexuan explained, “Without medication, a sentinel’s bonding fever cannot be controlled. I already liked Ranran a lot, and at that moment, I couldn’t control my emotions. Moreover, Ranran also liked me in return and didn’t refuse, so we marked each other.”

Lu Tingyu was exasperated, “You… you really…”

Lu Zexuan continued, “I will take responsibility for this. I’ve already made up my mind about Ranran. I hope you won’t oppose us being together.”

Lu Tingyu was at a loss for words. Should he go apologize to General Xie for his son’s outrageous behavior?

The next day, the Starlight Legion and the Eagle Legion returned to the capital star. Upon hearing that Xie Ran and Lu Zexuan had survived the ordeal, their relatives, friends, and soldiers of the legions were overjoyed. However, Generals Xie and Lu wore grim expressions, as both of them were caught off guard by their sons’ actions.

That evening, Lu Tingyu went to the Xie residence with gifts. Almost at the same time, General Xie was preparing to visit the Lu family. As a result, before she could leave, General Lu arrived first. Lu Tingyu politely said, “General Xie, you must be aware of what happened with the two children, right? I’m truly sorry. I failed to discipline Zexuan properly and caused you trouble.”

General Xie replied politely, “Oh, not at all. It’s just that our RanRan is too willful, and Zexuan was trying to save him. Ahem, as long as the two children are alive, nothing else matters. I hope you don’t mind, General Lu.”

Lu Tingyu was taken aback. Was it really that easy to talk to him?

Qin Luo overheard their conversation and chuckled silently on the side.

In the living room, General Xie and Lu Tingyu discussed their next steps. Both “in-laws” believed that their sons had acted on their own initiative, and the atmosphere between them was extremely harmonious. After all, the heirs of the legions couldn’t marry each other, so they would have to jointly face any opposition to their children’s relationship.

Qin Luo found Xie Ran in the study on the second floor, gently smiled as he ruffled his son’s hair, and said, “You deliberately told your mother it was your decision to protect Lu Zexuan, right?”

Caught by his father, Xie Ran wasn’t surprised and said calmly, “Explaining it like that would make Mom more accepting.”

In fact, nobody was at a loss in this matter since both parties were willing. When Lu Zexuan suddenly experienced the bonding fever, he intended to avoid Xie Ran, but it was Xie Ran who hugged him, allowing him to mark him. Although Xie Ran was the one marked, he was quite proactive…

Qin Luo sighed lightly, “I can see that you really like Lu Zexuan and don’t want him to suffer, so you took responsibility.”

Xie Ran said, “I believe he would also take responsibility in front of the elders, which is why General Lu came to discuss countermeasures with Mom. When it comes to emotions, both parties should face them together. Just like you and Mom, who faced strong opposition from both sides’ parents at first, but eventually, they agreed, didn’t they?”

Qin Luo was taken aback for a moment, then smiled faintly, “You’re right. You truly are my son.”

Back then, to be with Xie Xi, Qin Luo had the determination to make sacrifices, even to live the rest of his life without revealing his identity. Now, Xie Ran, like his father, was resolute and firm in love, showing great responsibility. He would do everything to protect the one he loved.

Lu Zexuan was indeed fortunate to be defended by Ranran in this way.

Although deeply reluctant in their hearts, Qin Luo and his wife had to support their son’s decision. He gently patted Xie Ran’s shoulder and softly said, “Ranran, we don’t really care about the opinions of the outside world. As parents, all we want is for you to be happy and fulfilled in life. If Lu Zexuan is truly your choice, Dad will do everything to help you.”

Xie Ran tightly hugged his father, who had always cherished him since childhood, and said, “Thank you, Dad.”

Having parents as gentle and accepting as you is the luckiest thing for me.

***

A month later, the military suddenly announced that General Lu Tingyu’s son, Lu Zexuan, would leave the Eagle Legion, and General Xie Shi’s son, Xie Ran, would also leave the Starlight Legion. The two would join forces to establish a special task force directly under the command of the Marshal, responsible for reconnaissance of extraterrestrial creatures.

This was the best solution personally approved by Marshal Qin Xiao after discussions between the elders of both sides.

In this way, Lu Zexuan and Xie Ran’s marriage would not be considered an alliance between the two major legions. The task force they belonged to would be independent of the major legions. Of course, discerning individuals could see that this was a deliberate match-making effort by the elders. Despite opposition from the outside world, Generals Xie Xi and Lu Tingyu united to quickly suppress all dissenting voices.

The “no marriage between heirs of legions” was just an unspoken rule, not written into federal law. Since the two young people had given up their positions as heirs of the legions, the other Generals of the two legions had nothing to say.

When President Harrison learned of the news, it was already too late. Lu Zexuan and Xie Ran’s independent task force had already been approved by the military conference, and even the starships were almost ready.

Looking at the information handed to him by the reconnaissance department, President Harrison sighed, “These two young people were born on the same day of the same month of the same year, grew up together, and faced hardships together on Red Spider Planet. They marked each other and even befriended an extraterrestrial leader. The parents of both sides had no choice but to request the Marshal to allow the two to establish a task force independently to counter the opposition to the ‘no marriage between legions’ rule… They truly have good intentions.”

Zhu Tianyi asked in a low voice, “Your Excellency President, is there still a need to investigate this matter further?”

President Harrison smiled and shook his head, “No need. I have high hopes for these young people. Let them set off with their new task force. Perhaps, there will be even greater achievements in the future.”

***

Inside the starship manufacturing plant. After being separated for a month, Lu Zexuan and Xie Ran coincidentally ran towards each other and stopped in front of each other.

Lu Zexuan said, “I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. Your parents don’t oppose us being together and even fully support us?”

Xie Ran smiled and said, “Because I told them that I voluntarily marked you and that I’m responsible for you.”

Lu Zexuan’s heart warmed, and he hugged Xie Ran tightly. “Ranran, you are too good to me.”

Xie Ran joked, “I used to bully you a lot when we were kids, so I have to treat you better now.”

Lu Zexuan gently ruffled his hair and asked, “Do you remember the starship model you gave me when we were kids?”

Xie Ran replied, “Of course, I do. That was something we built together.”

Lu Zexuan took out the starship model from behind him. After many years, the starship they built together at the age of 6 was still well-preserved, shiny and new, as if it had just been bought. It showed how much Lu Zexuan cherished it.

Xie Ran gently touched the parts of the starship, scenes of them building it together in their childhood flashed before his eyes. Unknowingly, they had walked side by side for so many years.

Lu Zexuan said, “When you gave me the model back then, you said that one day I would have my own starship. That wish is about to come true now—look, that is our starship.”

Lu Zexuan looked back at the starship manufacturing plant, where a brand new starship was about to be completed today. It was a small starship tailored for their new task force by special funding from the Marshal. Its hull was colored in the red and white of the legion’s emblem and boasted the fastest speed in the entire universe.

Following his gaze, Xie Ran smiled and said, “We built model starships together when we were kids, and now, we have our own starship.”

Lu Zexuan tightly held his hand and said, “From now on, we will walk this path together.”

Xie Ran nodded, “Yes.”

In this world, they were born together, grew up together. Living peacefully with their parents and spending the rest of their lives with their loved ones was the greatest happiness.