First Interstellar Guide Chapter 42: Who is the Mole?

Chapter 42: Who is the Mole?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

The mission this time took place in the most remote area of the Southern Galaxy, in the Dorado Constellation. It required two quantum leaps through space and interstellar travel for a duration of 8 hours, arriving only at 4 p.m.

The starship ran smoothly on the cosmic route, but as time passed, boredom naturally set in. Tang Ce scanned the seats and noticed many people dozing off. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Since there’s nothing to do, why not stretch our muscles a bit?”

Everyone immediately perked up! Sentinels were all physically evolved, with abilities like strength, speed, agility, and jumping skills surpassing those of ordinary humans by tens of times. While they might not be as mentally adept as guides, when it came to physical combat, no one would back down.

The major legions often held internal sparring activities, and during military school, sparring and competitions were as common as meals. Tang Ce, this rookie, dared to challenge the veterans? Everyone was eager to put him in his place. People were enthusiastic and ready, with fists clenched and spirits high, even Mohr and Yu Ran were drawn into the excitement.

Lu Zexuan calmly said, “Sparring is fine. I’ll be the referee. Stop when someone’s hurt. It’s an immediate loss.” He glanced at Tang Ce and added, “Since it’s your proposal, you go first. Let’s have a melee.”

“Alright!” Tang Ce nodded and grinned at Hummingbird. “Sister, want to go first?”

Lin Fengyao raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

With that, she swiftly attacked, leveraging her agile body’s advantage and launching herself like the wind.

—Combat class, the mandatory course for all sentinels. Guides spoke with mental energy; sentinels, of course, spoke with fists. Two sentinels rolled up their sleeves and engaged in close combat in the training ground’s center. Their spirit bodies also entered combat mode, glaring at each other.

Lin Fengyao, despite being a girl, was agile and nimble, and her movements were swift and graceful. Fighting against a tall sentinel like Tang Ce, she didn’t fall behind. She was a reconnaissance officer in the Eagle Special Forces, and her spirit body, Hummingbird, was extremely fast, with every punch as quick as lightning. Tang Ce could only barely dodge.

One relied on speed and agility, the other on skill and strength. They fought for over a minute, with cheers occasionally erupting from the onlookers.

“Good!” 

“Take him down!” 

“Come on, Sister Bird!”

The veterans naturally sided with the familiar Hummingbird, cheering her on. However, Hummingbird’s short-term combat capability was strong, adept at quickly subduing opponents. But over time, her stamina would falter. After a few exchanges, Hummingbird gradually fell behind. Lin Fengyao, straightforward as she was, withdrew her spirit body and chuckled, “I concede. Didn’t expect you, a rookie, to be quite skilled in combat.”

Tang Ce smirked, “Not bad. I was in the top three of the combat competition among this year’s graduates.”

Many praised, “Oh, impressive!” 

“Come on, let me learn from you.”

—Being in the top three of the combat competition was also listed on his resume. The Marshal gave him a fabricated identity: a young sentinel who often failed in academic classes but excelled in practical ones, muscular, simple-minded, and eager for battle.

This persona was quite different from Tang Ce himself, but firstly, a “hot-blooded warrior” and “simple-minded” sentinel was easier to portray without raising suspicion. Secondly, Tang Ce’s combat prowess was recognized in the Starlight Legion. If he encountered any danger, he wouldn’t need to hide his strength. At this moment, he appeared as a “brave rookie unafraid of challenges”, but in reality, he was observing everyone’s reactions.

The second to appear was Chameleon, a fascinating character who often disappeared mid-fight, blending seamlessly with the surroundings. Sometimes, he’d suddenly match the color of the floor, lying down and playing hide-and-seek with Tang Ce.

Tang Ce’s lizard could also change color to blend with the surroundings. The two engaged in a performance of “disappearing intermittently” close combat, appearing to others as if two transparent beings were fighting. This time, Tang Ce “narrowly won”, managing to grab the chameleon’s tail. “Nowhere to run!”

The chameleon wailed in defeat.

After defeating two formidable opponents in a row, Tang Ce felt extremely proud and emboldened—clearly, he knew that the fastest way to integrate into the sentinel team was through showcasing strength. Among sentinels, strength was revered. Moreover, his persona allowed him to engage in such mindless actions without arousing suspicion.

As expected, those who sparred with him showed much friendlier attitudes towards him.

Someone joked, “Aren’t you all embarrassed? Can’t defeat a rookie?”

The two who lost admitted, “Didn’t expect him to be so good!” “We were careless!”

The atmosphere within the Eagle Special Forces was actually quite good on a daily basis. After all, everyone was comrades who had experienced life and death together. In critical moments, having skilled teammates could save lives. So, they didn’t reject skilled newcomers but rather disliked those who lagged behind.

Lu Zexuan glanced at Yu Ran and noticed Yu Ran was watching Tang Ce attentively, his eyes full of admiration.

Lu Zexuan felt uncomfortable and walked quietly to Yu Ran’s side, asking, “What do you think of Tang Ce?”

Yu Ran honestly replied, “He’s quite handsome and skilled.”

Lu Zexuan was dumbfounded. Suddenly, a strange sourness surged in his heart. White Eagle flapped its wings uncomfortably, muttering in Lu Zexuan’s mind, “The little fox has been eyeing that smelly lizard all along. What’s so handsome about a lizard? I can fly! That lizard is so ugly, and only knows how to crawl on the ground.”

Lu Zexuan remained silent, frowning as he looked at the scene inside the arena.

The atmosphere at the combat scene grew even more intense. After Tang Ce defeated two opponents in a row, he was taken down by the crocodile sentinel, whose spirit body was an aggressive one. Tang Ce’s stamina was running low, and winning again would raise suspicions.

At that moment, Yu Ran suddenly turned and walked out—he headed to the adjacent refreshment room.

Tang Ce discreetly observed the people around him. When Yu Ran left, several people’s gazes followed him. Let’s set aside Lu Zexuan; Hummingbird was still sneakily observing Yu Ran. Additionally, Mohr, being close to Yu Ran, turned his head to glance when Yu Ran left. Another person was Deputy Captain Xiong.

Deputy Captain Xiong hadn’t participated in the fights, standing aside with a smile, watching the matches. However, when Yu Ran left, he cast a sidelong glance at Yu Ran’s figure—subtle and unnoticed, but Tang Ce keenly caught it.

At this moment, as the new recruits who joined the Special Forces with Tang Ce were sparring in the arena, the fierce Tiger and Crocodile were entangled in intense combat. 99% of people’s attention was on the scene. These few people paying attention to Yu Ran were very suspicious.

After a while, Yu Ran returned, holding a tray with several cups of water he had just fetched from the refreshment room. Yu Ran handed out cups to those who had just finished their fights, saying, “If anyone’s thirsty, have some water.”

Tang Ce didn’t hesitate to pick up a cup and gulp it down. Hummingbird, Chameleon, and other sentinels who had sweated also took the cups and drank, thanking Yu Ran.

Yu Ran picked up a cup from the tray and handed it to Lu Zexuan, saying, “Major Lu, would you like some water?”

White Eagle excitedly exclaimed in Lu Zexuan’s mind, “He remembered to pour you water even though you didn’t fight! You must be special to him!”

Lu Zexuan’s sour mood seemed to lighten a bit as he took the cup and drank it down.

…Wait, why did it taste a bit sweet? Was something added to it? Lu Zexuan turned to look at Yu Ran, meeting Yu Ran’s clear eyes and sincere smile. He didn’t suspect anything and finished the water in one go.

In the corner, someone glanced at Lu Zexuan out of the corner of their eye. After seeing Lu Zexuan drink the water, that person quietly withdrew their gaze. Little did they know, Tang Ce had noticed everything.

This internal combat competition within the Eagle Special Forces was quite enjoyable for everyone. In the end, the defending champion was won by Zhao Quan, one of the twins.

Zhao Feng and Zhao Quan were both A+ sentinels, much stronger than A-grade sentinels. Having fought under General Lu for many years, they had rich combat experience. Zhao Feng defeated five opponents in a row, and then Zhao Quan, relying on his physical advantage, defeated his older brother.

Zhao Feng grumbled, “In a one-on-one fight, you can never beat me!”

Zhao Quan smirked, “That’s why I won with skill, letting you go first, and I just reap the benefits.”

Lu Zexuan clapped his hands to signal everyone to stop and said, “Alright, take a break and get ready for lunch. You’ve expended a lot of energy. Let’s all go rest and recover.”

The starship would arrive at the Dorado Constellation at 4 p.m. After a restful lunch, they could immediately begin their mission upon arrival.

Everyone returned to their dormitories. Yu Ran went to the refreshment room, took out a glass bottle from his pocket, and looked at the white “pills” inside, his expression turning cold. He had kept the pills given to him by the Dark Night organization separately. He needed to find a way to hand them over to the Marshal so that the Marshal could arrange for people to study their composition and see if an antidote could be developed. As for the bottle in his hand, it contained substitutes, candies that looked very similar in shape.

Unfortunately, he could only find these candies at the snack shop, and their resemblance to the pills exceeded 95%. Even if the mole saw them, they wouldn’t be able to distinguish between the real and fake.

Yu Ran quickly put the candy into a cup, turned around, and carried it to Lu Zexuan’s room, knocking on the door.

“Come in,” came Lu Zexuan’s voice from inside.

Carrying the cup, Yu Ran walked in. Lu Zexuan had already taken off his outerwear, preparing to rest. Seeing Yu Ran bring water in, he was a little puzzled. Yu Ran whispered, “Major Lu, can I have a word with you privately?”

“Privately!” White Eagle exclaimed excitedly, “He’s going to have a whispered conversation with you! Quickly open up the mental landscape and let the little fox in to play!”

The “whispered conversation” from the guide naturally meant “a conversation in the mental world.”

Although there were soundproofing devices on the starship, there were many A-grade sentinels present. Even if you whispered directly into someone’s ear, it was possible to be overheard. Lu Zexuan nodded and voluntarily removed his mental barriers, and Yu Ran extended his mental tendrils, gently touching Lu Zexuan’s forehead.

Little White Fox arrived at the foot of the snowy mountain and went to play with White Eagle.

Yu Ran’s voice sounded in Lu Zexuan’s mind, “Major Lu, did you notice that the water I handed you was a bit sweet?”

Lu Zexuan paused, saying, “Yes, I did.”

Yu Ran joked, “Then why did you still drink it? Aren’t you afraid I poisoned it?”

Lu Zexuan promptly responded, “Why would I? I trust that you wouldn’t harm me.”

Yu Ran was rendered speechless. Lu Zexuan’s calm trust actually made Yu Ran feel a bit guilty.

Ever since the incident at the Bay Park where he had switched identities, leaving his blood on other guides, causing Lu Zexuan to mistake someone he saw five years ago at the graduation ball for that guide, Lu Zexuan had dispelled his suspicions about Yu Ran and completely believed in the false identity Yu Ran had created.

Lu Zexuan was straightforward; he didn’t suspect people without reason and trusted those he chose to use. Since he brought Yu Ran into the Eagle Special Forces and even took Yu Ran to pay respects to his most respected cousin, he genuinely wanted to believe in Yu Ran and establish a serious relationship with him. So, even if the water Yu Ran gave him tasted a bit off, with so many people around, Lu Zexuan didn’t hesitate to drink it all.

Yu Ran sighed, saying, “Actually, I added a soluble candy to the water I gave you.”

Lu Zexuan asked, “A candy?”

Yu Ran provided a reasonable explanation, saying, “You’ve been giving me sweets all this time, so starting today, I’ll give you two cups of sweet water every day in exchange. Is that okay?”

Giving me sweets and me giving you sweet water? This action seemed very much like something between a couple.

Lu Zexuan’s heart rate increased slightly, and he subconsciously said, “Sure.”

Yu Ran handed him the water and smiled, saying, “Thanks for cooperating, General Lu. Drink up.”

Lu Zexuan took the cup and drank it, seeming a bit embarrassed.

Yu Ran looked at the sentinel in front of him who completely trusted him, feeling his heart tremble slightly. Lu Zexuan, do you know that if I were really a spy sent by the Dark Night organization, by drinking this cup of water, you might become my puppet? Why is this silly White Eagle not even a bit cautious? Doesn’t he know that foxes are the best at deception?

After leaving Lu Zexuan’s room with the empty cup, Yu Ran felt somewhat conflicted. Lu Zexuan trusted him a lot, and he didn’t know why, but it made him feel somewhat happy and guilty at the same time. Anyway, it was the first time he had experienced such complex emotions.

Forget it, there’s no time to think about these things. Next, he had to proceed according to plan. He gave water to Lu Zexuan, mixing the pills in the water; it was the organization’s requirement. That mole, seeing him complying with the instructions, must be very pleased, right?