First Interstellar Guide Chapter 137: Extra 38: Mohr; Staying Together

Chapter 137: Extra 38: Mohr; Staying Together

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Lu Cheng’an never imagined he would have such a painful experience. It seemed that those terrifying scenes in his dreams were not just nightmares, but had actually happened.

Mutant species? This familiar term, unexpectedly equated with himself? When Lu Cheng’an led the team on missions in the past, he had encountered some mutated sentinels. They would have mental breakdowns, lose their sanity, transform into monstrous beings with human heads and beast bodies, and attack everything around them, even tearing humans apart and devouring them.

When encountering mutants, the federal order was to kill them immediately to prevent them from causing too much destruction, indiscriminate killings, and threatening human safety.

Had he also turned into a mutant? Lu Cheng’an’s whole body stiffened, his face stern. “What happened next? How did you find me?”

Lu Zexuan explained, “Back then, General Xie’s Starlight Legion was ambushed by the Dark Night organization, and more than a hundred soldiers were sacrificed. Her son, Xie Ran, unexpectedly survived. Under the arrangement of the Marshal, Xie Ran became an undercover agent for the military, infiltrating the Dark Night organization…”

Lu Zexuan detailed how he and Ranran met, and how he went undercover in the Dark Night organization, exposing the mastermind behind the scenes. Then, in the contaminated area of Juche, they found the mutated Lu Cheng’an, passed the final test of the Masked Man, and secretly sent Lu Cheng’an to Red Spider Planet.

The story sounded twisted and thrilling.

Lu Cheng’an frowned throughout the whole recounting. It wasn’t until Lu Zexuan finished explaining everything that he finally understood—during these more than six years, the federation had been in turmoil, countless heroes had sacrificed themselves, finally exchanging for today’s rare peace.

The Dark Night organization had been completely wiped out. Under the joint treatment of the President and Xie Ran, he had regained his human consciousness. He became the first sentinel in federal history to recover from being a mutant.

Lu Cheng’an clenched his fists tightly, forcing himself to calm down. He reached out and gently patted Lu Zexuan’s shoulder, saying, “Truly my little brother, this time, you’ve truly made great contributions. Finally, those beasts have been completely dealt with!”

Lu Zexuan’s eyes were stinging. “Brother, if it weren’t for saving me back then, you wouldn’t have been manipulated.”

“You don’t need to blame yourself. Their plans were meticulous. Even without that mission, I would have been controlled by drugs. I didn’t get to take revenge personally, but luckily, you helped me get justice!”

Lu Zexuan knew his older brother had always been magnanimous and wouldn’t dwell on past matters. He had kept it from him at the time because he had just reconstructed his mental landscape and couldn’t bear any more stimulation. Now that he had improved, his psychological resilience wouldn’t be so fragile. Even though he had suffered inhumane torture, Lu Cheng’an wouldn’t be discouraged or sad because of it.

What mattered was the present and the future. Lu Zexuan tightly held his brother’s hand and whispered, “As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters.”

Lu Cheng’an smiled, “I’m truly lucky. To mutate and then return to normal. My case could be written into textbooks, right?”

Lu Zexuan was silent for a moment before continuing, “Brother, we all thought you had sacrificed yourself back then. It wasn’t until recently that I found out Mohr hadn’t forgotten about you all these years, often visiting your grave. In these years when you were gone, he must have had a hard time. And, after we found you, we sent you to Red Spider Planet. At that time, you had already mutated, but Mohr still voluntarily stayed behind to take care of you, cleaning your wounds, and feeding you…”

Lu Cheng’an’s heart ached, whispering, “I know.”

Faced with terrifying and ugly mutants, most people would feel fear and disgust. But Mohr didn’t despise him. On the contrary, he stayed behind patiently to take care of him. In his dreams, the person who had always been gentle by his side… was Mohr.

From the beginning of secret admiration, to the brief companionship later on, and then, six years of separation and longing. What merit or virtue did he, Lu Cheng’an, possess to encounter such a devoted guide?

Thinking of Mohr going alone to visit his grave for these six years, Lu Cheng’an’s heart felt like it was being torn apart. Facing the image of his beloved, what must Mohr be feeling? How sad must he be?

In these six years, although Lu Cheng’an had suffered physical torture, after the mutation, he had no consciousness, his mind was muddled, he didn’t even know who he was, only the instinct to survive was supporting him. He didn’t experience much mental pain. On the contrary, because he had lost consciousness, those memories of being tortured in a cage seemed more like a nightmare.

But Mohr was different. Mohr’s consciousness was very clear. Witnessing the “death” of his beloved with his own eyes, that painful scene was imprinted in his mind. Even the little deer pendant that Lu Cheng’an gave him, he hadn’t taken it off for six years, showing how deep his affection for Lu Cheng’an was…

For more than six years, through over two thousand days and nights, how did he endure it? Lu Cheng’an closed his eyes, his voice hoarse, “Zexuan, you should go back first. Call Mohr in, I have something to say to him.”

“Okay, I’ll come to see you again in a few days.” Lu Zexuan got up and left the ward.

Mohr saw him coming out and hurriedly asked, “How’s your brother?”

Lu Zexuan reassured, “Don’t worry, he has always been optimistic. The experience of becoming a mutant won’t affect him too much.”

Mohr finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Cheng’an’s optimistic attitude was indeed the same as before. He never dwelled on past events or let his experiences hold him back. He always faced everything positively, full of vitality, welcoming tomorrow.

“I’ll go back now. My brother is looking for you,” Lu Zexuan said.

Mohr nodded and entered the room.

When Lu Cheng’an saw him, his gaze suddenly became complicated.

Mohr lowered his head and whispered, “I didn’t mean to hide it from you. At that time, you had just reconstructed your mental landscape. We were worried that you would be stimulated again and lose control of your transformation, so we changed the time to make you think you had only been unconscious for a few days…”

Before he could finish, Lu Cheng’an suddenly reached out and pulled him into his arms. With Lu Cheng’an’s low and gentle voice in his ear, Mohr felt a surge of emotion. “I’m sorry for these years… You must have had a hard time.”

Hearing these words, Mohr’s eyes suddenly stung with tears. For six years, through over two thousand days and nights, he had never forgotten Lu Cheng’an. At first, it was indeed very painful. Every thought of that person would cut like a knife, keeping him awake at night. But later, he gradually got used to life without Lu Cheng’an, treating him as a spiritual support…

Now, being embraced by the person he longed for again, Mohr’s once cold heart seemed to be warmed up again. Shaking his head, he whispered, “It wasn’t hard. I… I just missed you so much.”

Lu Cheng’an tightened his embrace.

In these years, Lu Zexuan had been consumed by guilt, while Mohr had been in agonizing longing. Lu Cheng’an’s departure had left his closest people unable to let go for six whole years. Fortunately, he was given a chance by fate to stand before his family and loved one again.

Gently stroking Mohr’s soft hair, Lu Cheng’an said softly, “I’m sorry for not keeping the promise I made to you… I said I would spend every birthday with you, but unfortunately, for these six years, I haven’t been by your side.”

Choking up, Mohr said, “I’ve never blamed you. You don’t need to apologize to me.”

When he went to rescue Lu Zexuan back then, he had just done what a soldier and an elder brother should do. Being manipulated and framed, losing control in a mutation, falling into the embrace of monsters, none of it was his fault. On the contrary, Mohr felt even more heartache for the torment Lu Cheng’an had endured over the years.

The two embraced tightly in the ward, listening to each other’s heartbeats clearly. Six years later, many people and things had changed, but when they hugged each other, their love and attachment to each other, the uncontrollable intense heartbeat, was still the same as before.

Their purest feelings from their youth had not disappeared with the passage of time.

Lu Cheng’an whispered, “Those terrible things are all in the past… Let’s start over, okay?”

Mohr gently nodded, “Okay.”

Lu Cheng’an smiled and took off Mohr’s glasses. Mohr’s vision blurred for a moment, his heart skipped a beat. Before he could say anything, familiar lips landed on his.

When they were together before, every time Lu Cheng’an wanted to kiss him, he would take off Mohr’s glasses in advance because the glasses were in the way and would affect their closeness. Lu Cheng’an surprisingly remembered this habit.

Mohr gently closed his eyes and hugged the man in front of him tightly. It was wonderful. This time it wasn’t a dream. The person he had been longing for had really come back.

***

One month later, Lu Cheng’an fully recovered and officially completed the discharge procedures. Lu Zexuan personally came to pick up his elder brother.

Lu Cheng’an called for Mohr to come along. Mohr initially didn’t want to, but Lu Cheng’an said, “Six years ago, during the New Year, you came home with me as a comrade to have our reunion dinner. This time, I want to formally introduce you to my family… as my partner. How about it?”

Faced with Lu Cheng’an’s smile, Mohr couldn’t refuse.

On the way back, Lu Cheng’an kept looking out the window. Six years had passed, and the changes in the capital were significant. Many streets and buildings made Lu Cheng’an feel unfamiliar. However, upon returning to the Lu family’s estate in the suburbs, Lu Cheng’an found that it had hardly changed at all. His room even remained exactly the same.

It seemed that his family had been missing him, wanting to preserve traces of his existence even though he had “sacrificed”.

Lu Zexuan led his elder brother and Mohr to the living room. Lu Tingyu immediately came forward and gave him a big hug, “Congratulations on your recovery!”

Lu Cheng’an whispered, “Uncle, I’m back.”

Lu Tingyu patted his shoulder firmly, his voice slightly choked, “It’s good that you’re back. You being alive is truly wonderful.”

Jiao Shuo noticed Mohr holding a pile of things and said hurriedly, “Mohr, why so polite? Bringing gifts too?”

Mohr blushed slightly, “Teacher, I…”

Lu Cheng’an proactively put his arm around Mohr’s shoulder and introduced with a smile, “Aunt, Mohr is my boyfriend. I brought him here today for a formal meeting with you.”

Jiao Shuo and Lu Tingyu exchanged a glance. Mohr and Lu Cheng’an’s relationship was no longer a secret. Over the years, Mohr had often visited the cemetery to pay respects. Now that the two could reunite, as elders, they were also very happy.

Lu Tingyu accepted Mohr’s gift with a smile and said, “Alright, Mohr, come sit down.”

As Jiao Shuo and Mohr chatted in the living room, Lu Tingyu suddenly took the two brothers to the study on the second floor, saying, “I have something to tell you both.”