FT DR Chapter 148: Procrastination Saves the World

Chapter 148: Procrastination Saves the World

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Wu Chenghe abruptly woke up, finding his consciousness had already exited the reaper’s mental world. He hadn’t been harvested, just feeling a bit mentally drained, similar to the feeling of mental overload before.

Opening his eyes, his vision was blurry, but he could faintly make out that he was lying in a familiar room. It wasn’t the Special Warfare Team’s assault ship, nor the flagship “Tianzhu,” but rather the bedroom at Fort Prime where he and Jin Xuan stayed.

“He’s awake!” exclaimed the medical officer excitedly. “General, Captain, he’s awake!”

Rapid footsteps, Jin Xuan rushed over. He held Wu Chenghe’s hand tightly. “Wu Chenghe! Wu Chenghe, can you hear me? Look at me, I’m Jin Xuan!”

Wu Chenghe struggled to move his eyeballs, finally faintly seeing Jin Xuan’s silhouette. He tried to speak, but his body was so weak that even his lips couldn’t move. He could only respond to him through mental communication, “I hear you. I’m fine. I’m still alive, not harvested.”

“God! That’s great!” Jin Xuan’s voice was hoarse and trembling. “You’re still here, you’re still alive…” His voice choked slightly towards the end.

Wu Chenghe also felt a myriad of emotions. After a brief rest and a sip of water, he could finally speak. “What happened to me? How did we come back?”

Jin Xuan sat by the bed, not letting go of his hand as if afraid he would vanish. He repeatedly rubbed his palm while telling him what had happened in the past few days.

That day, they encountered the reaper on the Beta Frontline. Guides established a mental barrier to protect sentinels, narrowly avoiding being completely consumed. Later, Wu Chenghe charged into the light cluster to attack the opponent alone. At first, Jin Xuan could still sense his mental cloud, but gradually, he couldn’t feel it anymore. It seemed like he entered a state similar to “meditation,” with his body reacting to external stimuli, but his consciousness immersed in another world, completely unable to communicate.

After he entered this “meditative” state, the reaper’s attacks gradually diminished and eventually disappeared entirely. No one knew what had happened, whether the reaper had been eliminated by him or had just temporarily left. For safety, they brought him back to the Alpha Frontline.

He had been in this “meditative” state for seven days. The medical officer was unsure if he was still alive or had become like the harvested sentinels of the Voyager Army. Therefore, they used life support systems to sustain his metabolism and suggested Jin Xuan to extract the child from his belly earlier.

Performing childbirth surgery in this state would undoubtedly cause serious harm to the mother, but the medical officer believed that once Wu Chenghe died, Jin Xuan would also leave. It was better to extract the child first, at least to save one life.

Upon hearing this suggestion, Jin Xuan, who was usually calm, went mad for the first time. He almost shot the medical officer and ordered him to do everything possible to sustain Wu Chenghe’s life, without considering the child. Jin Xuan firmly believed that his guide was still alive, just fighting the reaper in some unseen space. Once victorious, he would return.

Everyone thought Jin Xuan was just unable to accept reality. To prevent him from losing his mind and doing something terrible, the deputy fleet commander reported his situation to the strict orders, and the strict orders reported to Jin Zhe. Now, Jin Zhe was already on his way to Fortress No. 1.

“I knew you’d wake up!” Jin Xuan nervously squeezed and rubbed his fingers, “I knew you wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Wu Chenghe hadn’t realized that his communication with the reaper had lasted for seven days. Thinking about how Jin Xuan had been facing him, a conscious vegetable, for seven days, he could imagine the inner turmoil. He mustered his strength and gently squeezed Jin Xuan’s hand in return, saying, “Thanks to the little Pea.”

“Huh?” Jin Xuan was surprised. “Him? What happened to him?”

Wu Chenghe then recounted everything he had seen and heard in the reaper’s mental world to Jin Xuan in detail. “They won’t stop. They’ll keep harvesting until the consciousness clouds of all sentinels and guides are taken into their mental world. If it weren’t for the little Pea, I would have been harvested this time too.”

“Thank goodness for that. Little Three is truly lucky. I won’t spank him in the future.” Jin Xuan sighed heavily. After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Are the consciousness clouds of those harvested sentinels still alive?”

Wu Chenghe pondered for a moment before replying, “I don’t know if that counts as being alive. I could sense their consciousness clouds slightly fluctuating in the reaper’s mental world, but it seems they lack autonomous consciousness… Maybe the reapers used some special method to ‘preserve’ them. They said they would take these seeds back, extract and merge them. I guess if they die, they can’t be used anymore.”

“If we defeat the reapers, will those consciousness clouds be released? Can they return to their bodies after being released?” Jin Xuan continued to inquire.

Wu Chenghe hadn’t considered this question at all and hesitated, “Maybe… But how do we defeat the reapers? To be honest, I thought it was good enough to save the remaining people.”

“We’ll find a way.” Jin Xuan furrowed his brow, but there was no look of despair in his eyes. After a pause, he asked, “How many reapers are there in this universe?”

“Ten,” Wu Chenghe replied. The reapers had no secrets or deceptions, and he had sensed a lot of information about the mother universe in the reaper’s mental world. “Tens of thousands of years ago, the leader of the mother universe launched half of our race to sow seeds in various parallel universes. But because the scope was so broad, each group didn’t have many people. This group is considered relatively large, with only ten of them. The ones attacking the Beta Frontline are one of them, and there are nine others in other regions of the galaxy.”

“Yes, we’ve received some messages from other star regions in the past two days. Reapers have appeared elsewhere too. It’s just that casualties aren’t as high as on the Beta Frontline because sentinels aren’t as concentrated. If there are only ten reapers, there’s still room for maneuver. With billions of people in humanity and hundreds of millions of sentinels, based on their previous harvesting speed, it will take a long time to harvest them all.”

“Well, that’s true,” Wu Chenghe thought. He had been horrified before because the Beta Frontline had lost tens of thousands of people in just two days. If all sentinels and guides were counted together, it would still take the reapers quite a while to harvest them all. But… what was the point? Without a way to completely defeat the reapers, whether one died sooner or later didn’t matter.

“With this time buffer, we can plan a lot of things,” Jin Xuan noticed his question and explained, “Although the reapers are powerful, there are so few of them. Since guides can confront them, we should quickly gather all the guides of humanity to think of a solution. Maybe we can defeat them.”

Wu Chenghe recalled the fear he felt when confronting the reapers, shivering involuntarily. Compared to the “ancestors” of the mother universe, they, the “seeds,” were like ants, unable to shake the towering tree. Although there were nearly twenty thousand guides registered in the entire federation, even if these twenty thousand people were gathered together, they probably wouldn’t be able to kill those ten reapers.

Moreover, there were not only these ten reapers. Once they found that humanity couldn’t defeat them, wouldn’t they seek help from the mother universe? By then, countless reapers would come to this universe through the “channels.” How would humanity face them?

Feeling heavy-hearted, Wu Chenghe fell silent. Jin Xuan said, “Jin Zhe is rushing from Dunkirk Capital. He’s bringing the military’s weapon research experts. Do you remember the ‘severance’ device? Its predecessor was a high-dimensional weapon. Now, whether it’s useful or not, we have to try it first.”

“The ‘severance’ device?” Wu Chenghe’s eyes lit up. With just manpower, they couldn’t defeat the reapers, but with weapons, it was different. If they could swiftly kill those ten reapers and prevent them from seeking help from the mother universe, humanity would at least have several years of peace. Even if the mother universe found that this batch of reapers had disappeared one day and sent others, humanity could still deal with them, annihilating them one by one.

“Yes, the ‘severance’ device. But what Jin Zhe is bringing this time isn’t it, but its predecessor, a prototype of a dimensional weapon developed by the military.” Jin Xuan said, “Jin Zhe started acting as soon as he received the first wave of messages. He’ll arrive here in a few days. There’s also Dean Mu. He heard that you had a close encounter with the reapers, lost consciousness, and was very anxious. He’s coming with Jin Zhe to see you.”

“Oh, okay.” Wu Chenghe felt that the president’s presence at the frontline might be a bit dangerous at this time, but humanity’s survival had reached a critical juncture. As the president, leading by example could reassure the citizens. He said, “That’s good. I also want to consult Dean about some mental attack issues. He’s much stronger than me.”

“By the way, we shouldn’t call him Dean anymore.” Jin Xuan said, “He has resigned. Now he’s the Federation’s First Mate. In the future, either call him Big Sis or Big Bro.”

Wu Chenghe stared at him for a long time and said, “Let’s just continue calling him Dean. I’m used to it.” Calling him Big Sis was too nauseating, and calling him Big Bro… messed up the hierarchy too much.

Jin Xuan thought for a moment and realized the same problem. He waved his hand and said, “Then let’s continue calling him Dean… So, what about the little Pea now? Should we take him out or keep him?”

This was indeed a problem, and Wu Chenghe hesitated. Keeping the little Pea in his belly was like keeping a talisman, but the fetus was already too big. His body probably couldn’t handle it if he continued to carry it… After thinking for a while, he said, “Let’s keep him. I can hold on for a while longer. The reapers are acting so quickly. Our decisive battle with them isn’t too far away. With this child, I’ll have a better chance against them.”

“But what about your body…”

“I’ll be fine.” Wu Chenghe comforted Jin Xuan. “The longest recorded male pregnancy is 248 days. The little Pea is only 165 days old, and I can use some drugs to slow down his development as much as possible.” 

Of course, the result of that case with 248 days was permanent loss of fertility and multiple organ complications. But as a doctor, he knew enough about it. There was no need to tell Jin Xuan.

Jin Xuan, not being familiar with medicine, believed him when he spoke confidently. He said, “Okay then, keep him, but you have to consult with the flight doctor to ensure the safety of both of you.”

“Don’t worry, I know what to do.” Wu Chenghe said calmly. As a soldier at this time, as the main force guide against the reapers, his first consideration should be combat effectiveness, not himself and the child. Without defeating the reapers, not to mention him and his little Pea, even Jin Zhe, Mu, Zhuang Zhuang, Tata… they would all die.

A few days later, the presidential fleet quietly arrived at Fortress No. 1, and Wu Chenghe also recovered under the care of the flight doctor. Thanks to the Icarus Butterfly’s excellent self-repair and upgrading abilities, not only did he not suffer any sequelae, but his mental power also improved significantly, becoming even stronger than before.

“I’m relieved to see you’re okay.” Jin Zhe looked very haggard, obviously under a lot of pressure from the reapers. “Mu heard that you lost consciousness and was so worried he almost sprouted wings and flew over.”

Mu silently rubbed his temples, indicating his disagreement with Jin Zhe’s vulgar description. He said to Wu Chenghe, “You can rest assured. We’ve sent the children to Sienna. She and other free guides will take care of them.”

Wu Chenghe breathed a sigh of relief. Sienna’s place could be said to be the safest place in the entire federation now. Those attack-oriented guides who weren’t sent to the frontline were all there, under her protection. “That’s the best. Thank you.”

Mu smiled and shook his head. Jin Zhe said, “The situation is urgent. Let’s talk about business first. After we deal with the reapers, there’ll be plenty of time for chit-chat.” With that, he opened his personal terminal and projected a holographic map of the galaxy. He illuminated ten red dots in it and said, “I’ve read all the reports you’ve submitted. All ten reapers have been located. They’re harvesting sentinels at a rate of tens of thousands per day, especially here, the Beta Frontline, where the losses are the greatest. I plan to send an official letter to Hannibal today, suggesting that the Voyager Army and the Federation cooperate to resist the reapers.”

At this point, it was meaningless to consider the grudges between the Federation and the Voyager Army. The reapers’ targets were all of humanity. Jin Xuan nodded, “I agree. If we let the Voyager Army ignore it, one day the reapers on the Beta Frontline will cross the Zhi Fu Chain Nebula and strike at the Alpha Frontline.”

“Before sending the letter, we need to discuss a preliminary cooperation plan.” Jin Zhe said, “Now is not the time to play bureaucratic games. We’re losing people every minute. Instead of arguing with Hannibal back and forth, it’s better for us to come up with an offensive plan first and make him cooperate with us.” It wasn’t that he looked down on Hannibal. It was just that the two sides were unequal in terms of science and technology. The Voyager Army was good at fighting, but in terms of medicine, weapons, and even art, their foundation was quite weak compared to the Federation.

“I wonder if the Voyager Army has guides like Wu Chenghe who have had close encounters with the reapers.” Mu said, “At this time, the more information we have, the better. After all, the Voyager Army is a heavily affected area, and many people have faced the reapers directly.”

“No, I didn’t sense any traces of communication between it and other guides in the mental world of that reaper. I should be the first one.” Wu Chenghe said affirmatively.

Jin Zhe nodded and said, “In any case, all guides need to cooperate without borders. This is something that must be confirmed. I don’t think Hannibal will object. From the video you decoded, it seems that the Voyager Army also has guides who have fought against the reapers. He should already know that guides are the only ones who can confront the reapers.”

“However…” Wu Chenghe hesitated, “Forgive me for being blunt, even if all nearly twenty thousand guides in the entire galaxy unite, I’m afraid they still wouldn’t stand a chance against those ten reapers.”

“What if we take them down one by one? Twenty thousand against one reaper?” Jin Zhe asked. Wu Chenghe shook his head, “That’s not possible. There’s a mental resonance between the reapers. If we concentrate all our strength to kill one, it will definitely alert the others. When the other nine unite, we stand no chance.”

Jin Zhe fell silent, his thick black eyebrows forming a profound “川” character. Wu Chenghe didn’t want to dampen his confidence but had to tell him the truth, “And even if we could eliminate them all, there’s still the Mother Universe. When they feel the task is impossible, they will surely call for help from their companions in the Mother Universe. When a large number of reapers come, we’re done for. They are truly too powerful, beyond what we can imagine.”

“What if we use dimensional weapons?” Jin Xuan interjected, “If dimensional weapons work, we can annihilate them completely in one fell swoop, without worrying about resonance or calls for help.”

“Yes, I brought the prototype, but it hasn’t undergone field tests yet because we lack experimental subjects,” Jin Zhe said. “So its effectiveness in the higher dimensional space can only be inferred from theoretical data. Military scientists believe it can induce a ‘stasis’ effect for a period, rendering the reapers unconscious and immobilized.”

A glimmer of hope rose in Wu Chenghe’s heart. “For how long?”

“A few minutes, or perhaps tens of minutes,” Jin Zhe said. “There are too many uncertainties; scientists can’t provide precise data.”

“How many prototypes do we have?” Jin Xuan asked.

“Just one,” Jin Zhe regretfully shrugged. “You know, this project has been discontinued for many years. It’s already remarkable that we could hastily produce one prototype. The military is speeding up research, but I doubt they’ll make any breakthroughs in the short term.”

Indeed, advancing such cutting-edge research theoretically requires the dedication of several generations of scientists. This is a natural law; human subjective will cannot change it. Wu Chenghe felt heavy-hearted, silent. Jin Xuan gripped the armrest of his seat, frowning at the ten flickering dots on the stellar map, murmuring, “Only one prototype, but there are ten reapers. A slight move can change the whole game. If we kill one, the other nine will join forces, and they might even notify the Mother Universe…”

“The only way now is to gather them, activate the dimensional weapon to immobilize them, and then annihilate them in one fell swoop,” Jin Zhe thought for a long time, saying, “We should cooperate with Hannibal, gather all human guides, perhaps powerful consciousness waves can attract the ten reapers together.”

Wu Chenghe hesitated before nodding, saying, “I think it’s possible. It’s difficult for one reaper to harvest with twenty thousand guides. Maybe they’ll initiate resonance cooperation.”

“Wait a minute,” Mu suddenly spoke up. 

The three turned to him simultaneously. Mu sat cross-legged on the sofa, slender fingers tapping his knee. “Suggestion.”

Wu Chenghe’s mind stirred, suddenly realizing something. Mu saw his thoughts from his gaze and smiled approvingly, saying, “Since we and the reapers are of the same kind, capable of empathizing through the spiritual realm, can’t we assume that all our conscious activities can affect them?”

“I believe so,” Wu Chenghe said. “They can read my memories, and I can also see theirs. When I’m angry, they will preemptively sense my attack, and I can also sense weaknesses in their spiritual realm.”

“Then we can suggest to them. Suggestions are safer and easier than outright killing,” Mu stood up, a hint of excitement breaking through his usually calm demeanor. “The preliminary plan remains unchanged. We’ll unite with Hannibal, have twenty thousand guides use consciousness waves to attract the ten reapers together, then activate the dimensional weapon to induce them into a temporary state of stasis. During this time, we’ll implant the suggestion in them that ‘there are no seeds here,’ and then they’ll leave our universe on their own.”

This idea was truly outlandish and fantastical. After Mu finished speaking, everyone fell into silence, unable to speak out in favor or against it. Jin Zhe and Jin Xuan were both sentinels; they could accept suggestions but couldn’t cast them, so they couldn’t ascertain if suggestions would work on the reapers. Though Wu Chenghe often used suggestions on others, he lacked confidence in being able to impose his suggestions on such powerful entities as the reapers.

“Alright, theoretically, this method is feasible,” Jin Zhe finally broke the silence. “Now, the specific issue is, who will cast the suggestions? Whose consciousness is powerful enough to simultaneously suggest to ten reapers?”

“It’s not about who will cast it, but all the guides together,” Mu argued. “There are many guides with suggestive abilities, like Icarus butterfly guides, oakleaf butterfly guides, and light butterfly guides. Chameleon and orchid mantis guides, with training, can also become excellent suggesters. There are also other non-mimetic guides; although their suggestive abilities aren’t as strong, with twenty thousand of them together, casting the same suggestion, the power is still considerable.”

“Yes,” Wu Chenghe agreed. “If the dimensional weapon works as experts say, immobilizing the reapers temporarily, then their consciousness worlds will be like open vaults, and we can concentrate our efforts to suggest their weaknesses. Remember what I said, those flickering stars, their spiritual realms aren’t a solid block, but have plates and cracks between them, and those cracks are their weaknesses!”

Silence fell again, the four individuals each digesting and contemplating this outrageous plan, weighing its potentialities and impossibilities. A quarter of an hour later, they simultaneously raised their heads, looking at each other.

“I support this plan,” Jin Zhe was the first to speak. “It’s currently the safest and most feasible plan we can think of.”

“Yes,” Wu Chenghe nodded. “If the suggestions work, then we can say we’ve solved the problem once and for all, without having to worry about the reapers’ return. It’s better than killing them.”

“What if they come back later?” Jin Xuan, always thinking ahead, voiced his concern. “This time, we suggest to them ‘there are no seeds here,’ but maybe later they’ll come back to check.”

“That would be thousands of years later,” Wu Chenghe said. “From the last seeding to this harvesting, tens of thousands of years have passed.”

“True,” Jin Xuan sighed. “By the time they think of ‘taking a walk in the field’ again, humans might have evolved into species even stronger than them in the higher dimensional space.”

He painted such a vivid picture, instantly lightening the previously solemn atmosphere, even causing Mu to crack a smile. Jin Xuan continued in jest, “They really have procrastination issues.”

What’s with the procrastination issues… Wu Chenghe and Mu simultaneously facepalmed. 

Only Jin Zhe followed his quirky brother’s lead, sighing, “Yeah, procrastination saves the world!”

 

 

 

 

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