FT DR Chapter 69: The True Face of a Scumbag

Chapter 69: The True Face of a Scumbag

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

After several instances of curvature acceleration, the “Quadrant” fleet finally arrived at Gabriel Military Harbor. Awakening from deep-sea hibernation, Wu Chenghe found himself lying in a strange room, surrounded by gray-white soft walls, rounded furniture without sharp edges, and a large bed underneath him, exceptionally soft and comfortable.

The lighting in the room was very soft, obviously not natural light. Wu Chenghe got up and walked around the four walls, finding no windows but a door. He gently pushed it open, revealing a spacious circular hall outside, about two to three hundred square meters in size, with a circular swimming pool in the middle, surrounded by beach chairs and umbrellas. The dome-shaped ceiling of the hall was very high and wide, with a spherical light source in the center that could simulate sunlight. Breezes occasionally blew, causing the metal decorative balls hanging from the edges of the umbrellas to tinkle softly.

Every so often around the hall, there was a small door. Wu Chenghe opened them one by one, finding a media room, a holographic gaming room, and a study, where the books and materials he brought from Aston were neatly arranged on shelves. The nearest room to the bedroom was empty, with irregular round holes covering the walls, their purpose unclear.

Overall, it resembled a well-equipped luxury residence, but with only him as the occupant. Wu Chenghe explored every corner of the rooms but found no door leading to the outside.

Where am I? What day is it today? What time is it now?

No one could answer his questions. He had to find all the answers himself. Wu Chenghe sat down on a beach chair by the swimming pool, and as the light on the dome slowly brightened, casting bright sunlight, he looked up at the semi-transparent canopy of the umbrella and slowly closed his eyes.

He should be in Gabriel now. It took seven to ten standard days to travel from Planet Dunkirk to Gabriel Military Harbor with curvature propulsion, given the current technology. The “Quadrant” fleet was a military vessel, so it should be deployed within seven days. Adding the day spent in the near-space Military Harbor of Planet Dunkirk, he had been under soft detention for eight to nine days.

He didn’t know why Hannibal had detained him, nor why he had disrupted his circadian rhythm. But since Hannibal knew he was a guide, he wouldn’t put him in danger. So, this place was either a military restricted area or a private estate. The former was more likely because escaping would be more difficult.

After thinking for a while, Wu Chenghe opened his eyes and pulled down a small metal ball decoration from the edge of the umbrella. He tied it to a thin string, making a simple pendulum, and measured the gravity acceleration here using his heartbeat. After doing this about ten times, he confirmed that the gravity acceleration here was less than 9.8.

Gabriel Military Harbor resembled a short, thick cement tube, with the inner wall being the living area called the “inner ring” and the outer wall being the military area called the “outer ring.” To adapt to human life, the gravity acceleration in the inner ring always simulated 9.8 of Planet Dunkirk, while in the outer ring, due to being in the buffer zone between the inner ring and space, this value was slightly reduced to help the rotating soldiers adapt.

Wu Chenghe hung the metal ball back on the umbrella. He could now basically confirm that he was locked in the military area of the outer ring, where the gravity acceleration was smaller than that of the entire Gabriel. As for the specific location, he couldn’t determine. He had seen the map of this place in his elective classes at the school before, but it was limited to the training area.

His limbs were slightly numb, a result of the stiffness caused by deep-sea hibernation. Wu Chenghe sat on the beach chair for a while, then stood up, undressed, and went into the water, swimming slowly in the small pool to move his limbs. Since waking up this time, his body temperature had remained around 38 degrees Celsius, but the tendency to sleep had improved somewhat, feeling less drowsy, though his joints felt a bit sore.

This should be growing pains. At the last moment of adolescence, his quantum beast was about to complete its metamorphosis, from pupa to butterfly. Consequently, his body had started to grow wildly, especially his arms and legs. Even in hibernation, he could feel the cracking sound of stretching.

Coming out of the pool, Wu Chenghe lay back on the beach chair to rest. He saw faint wrinkles on his elbows and knees, a result of rapid bone growth. In just over a month, he had grown too fast, from 1.7 meters to 1.74 meters directly, putting a bit of strain on his skin and muscles.

After lying down for a while, feeling hungry, he changed his clothes and went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat. The storage cabinets were filled with nutrient ingredients, all of his favorite flavors, and the refrigerator contained various fruits, as well as milk and blueberry juice, among others. Hannibal was very familiar with his lifestyle habits.

Wu Chenghe prepared a composite nutrient meal and sat alone at the bar to eat it. He didn’t know until when Hannibal intended to keep him locked up, or what the other person planned to do with him. He could only wait, wait for Hannibal’s next move, or for someone to come and get him out.

Time passed in a confused manner, and Wu Chenghe didn’t know how long he had been here. When he felt tired, he slept; when he woke up, he played games, swam, or went to the kitchen to find food… With no reference to time, he tried to regulate his behavior as much as possible, maintaining a fixed amount of exercise and eating, so that his circadian rhythm could be somewhat normal.

Even so, after a while, he began to feel uncomfortable. His consciousness seemed to become unstable, sometimes boiling and churning like boiling water for no reason, making him restless. And his cocoon also became particularly restless, as if something inside was constantly trying to break out.

One day, after reading his textbooks for a while, he lay down on the bed. Just as he was dozing off, he suddenly felt a fluctuation in his consciousness and woke up abruptly, finding someone standing at the head of the bed.

Seeing the black-and-chestnut eagle on the person’s shoulder, Wu Chenghe knew who it was, so he silently sat up. As he moved, the lights in the room gradually brightened. He didn’t speak, just looked at Hannibal with a slightly questioning gaze — if pretending to be obedient had any use on the Quadrant, it probably had no meaning now. Hannibal had kept him locked up for so long; it would be abnormal for him to remain calm.

Hannibal’s eyes were deep, and as usual, he reached out to pat Wu Chenghe’s head. Wu Chenghe moved back slightly, his voice hoarse as he asked, “Where am I? Why am I locked up?”

Hannibal’s hand touched nothing but air as he withdrew it after a moment and sat down on the chair by the bed, saying, “This is a special hospital. There’s something wrong with your body, and you need a quiet environment to recuperate.”

If this was a hospital, then hell must have frozen over! Wu Chenghe sneered inwardly, saying, “I’m fine, nothing’s wrong. I’ve listened to you and dropped out of school to return to Gabriel. Why are you still keeping me locked up?”

“Hmm, you’re not being good.” Hannibal’s lips curled slightly, his tone gentle yet authoritative. “I’ve isolated you for your own good, Charlie. You should understand.”

Wu Chenghe’s heart pounded, “What do you mean?”

Hannibal looked deeply into his eyes, suddenly smiling and shaking his head. “Charlie, you shouldn’t lie to me.” Wu Chenghe fell silent. He sighed and said, “Do you know how dangerous it is for a guide to stay at Aston University?”

This was the first time Hannibal openly acknowledged knowing his secret. Wu Chenghe felt a moment of suffocation, then took a deep breath and asked, “When did you find out?”

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s not important. What’s important is that you understand, in this world, only I can protect you.”

Wu Chenghe’s brain raced quickly. All signs indicated that Hannibal should have known his identity since his first arrival on Gabriel, or even earlier. But why didn’t he alert the authorities or turn him in? For many days, Wu Chenghe had often thought about this question. He had a vague guess in his heart, but it was too terrifying, and he dared not believe it.

As Hannibal looked at his uncertain gaze, he leaned forward, grabbed Wu Chenghe’s left hand, and his tone became unusually gentle and kind. “Charlie, you don’t need to be afraid. I won’t send you to the guide school, and I won’t let you lose your freedom.”

His hand was warm, but for some reason, it felt slightly sweaty, clammy. When Wu Chenghe touched his fingers, it felt like being entwined by a sticky snake, making his heart tighten. He quickly withdrew his hand and asked, “Why?”

“Because I love you.” Hannibal said in a near husky voice. “I’m your father, Charlie. You’re a part of me, and I love you as much as I love myself. If you lose your freedom, I lose a part of my life, do you understand?”

Wu Chenghe understood every word he said, but when they were strung together, they seemed to emit some kind of evil aura, making him shudder.

Unable to help himself, Wu Chenghe trembled. Hannibal gently sat on the edge of the bed, stretched out his arm to grab the headboard, and enveloped him in his arms, saying softly, “Charlie, in this world, only Dad can protect you. I brought you back from Aston to protect you, okay?”

Feeling the warm breath Hannibal exhaled, Wu Chenghe’s heart grew colder and colder. He couldn’t believe it. Hannibal said… he loved him! Was this “love” as he had imagined?

“As long as you stay by my side, you’ll always be safe. No one can hurt you, whether it’s the guide school or any other sentinel,” Hannibal’s voice was low and bewitching, gentle like spring water from hell. “So don’t leave me, Charlie. Promise Daddy, stay by Daddy’s side for life, and we’ll always be together, okay?”

“…,” Wu Chenghe was so horrified that he couldn’t even speak. He half-opened his mouth, but it took him a long time to find his voice again, incredulously saying, “What are you talking about? You’re my father!”

“Yes, no one is closer to us, both physically and mentally,” Hannibal’s ice-green eyes seemed to become as translucent as jade, but the center of his pupils grew darker. “You are my son. Every cell in your body comes from me. Your body belongs to me! You are a guide, and I am a sentinel. We are compatible, and our consciousness clouds can perfectly resonate with each other.” After a pause, he said affectionately, “Darling, after I’ve marked you, our bond will be even more stable and harmonious.”

What did he say? “Marked”?! Wu Chenghe never expected that his most terrifying speculation would become reality at this moment. He was so shocked that he forgot to blink for a long time before tremblingly saying, “Hannibal, we’re father and son!”

“We’re sentinel and guide,” Hannibal grabbed his chin, lightly pecking his bloodless lips. “Don’t be afraid, Charlie. We’re not ordinary people. We’re the miracles of evolution. Don’t care about those mundane ethics; they’re just twisted rules to shackle ordinary people. You’ve inherited my genes and are as perfect as me. Our union is the purest and most perfect in the world!”

“Shut up!” Wu Chenghe was trembling with anger, and the idea of father-son incest completely crossed his bottom line. He felt dirty even hearing such words, “You madman!” 

With that, he didn’t know where he got the strength, but he grabbed Hannibal’s shoulders and pushed him, causing him to stumble.

“You’re simply unreasonable!” Wu Chenghe got up, standing barefoot on the ground, even his teeth were trembling. “Do you know what you’re saying? You’re my father!”

Hannibal stood up, the once gentle expression on his face now tinged with a hint of menace. He approached step by step, his voice low, “Charlie, I know you may need some time to come to terms with this. I won’t force you today, but don’t take advantage of me. I’m your father, and my tolerance for you is limited. I love you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate you challenging my dignity.” 

His black-and-chestnut eagle circled above his head, swooping down to perch on Wu Chenghe’s shoulder, ruffling its feathers and screeching into his ear, “Stubborn!”

Wu Chenghe’s eardrums shook, and his brain spun. He kept retreating until he hit the wall.

“I don’t want to hear the word ‘madman’ a second time, okay?” Hannibal pinched his chin, pressing him against the corner of the wall. “I like it when you act spoiled to me, but I won’t allow you to curse at me. I’m your father, and I’ll be your man in the future, your sentinel, your master! You’d better behave yourself. I’ll protect you for the rest of your life, make sure you’re worry-free, and everything goes smoothly. Otherwise…” He lowered his head, his nose touching Wu Chenghe’s, and said word by word, “Charlie, I’m very good at punishing disobedient children.”

Wu Chenghe trembled with anger and humiliation. He tried to pry Hannibal’s hand off his chin, but the other person’s strength was too great, almost crushing his jaw. The salty smell spread in his mouth, where his teeth had pierced the tender flesh of his mouth. Wu Chenghe looked at Hannibal’s ferocious eyes without flinching, saying, “You’ll never get away with this!”

“What a stubborn little colt,” Hannibal sneered coldly, leaning down to lick away the trickle of blood from his mouth. “Do you know, you’re so much like me in this state? Seeing you, I see myself. Very good, I love you more and more, Charlie.”

“Get away!” Wu Chenghe growled lowly, lifting his knee and kicking towards Hannibal’s abdomen, seizing the opportunity to break free from his control and run barefoot towards the door.

Because he was much taller than him, Hannibal caught up with him in two strides. The two exchanged a few simple moves at the doorway, but Wu Chenghe was easily subdued. He took a punch to his right cheek, swelling it up, and his hands were pinned behind his back.

“I didn’t expect you to have some skills,” Hannibal said, a hint of anger in his voice as he too received a kick to his calf. He squeezed Wu Chenghe’s wrists and lifted him up from the ground, saying, “It’s been a long time since someone dared to lay a hand on me. I never thought the first one to throw a punch at me would be my own son.”

The angrier Wu Chenghe got, the more silent he became. After being pulled up, he didn’t say a word, only breathing heavily. With his nightshirt’s neckline a bit loose, half of his shoulder was exposed, showing a chest flushed with anger.

Hannibal looked at the delicate skin of his son, so fine that it was almost impossible to see the pores. A tinge of guilt arose in his heart—after all, this was the son he had nurtured for almost half a year, so delicate, so fragile…

But his moment of tenderness was quickly suppressed by reason. Clearly, this stubborn little guy was extremely resistant to the father-son bond. If he continued with his previous approach, it would probably take a lot of effort. With adulthood approaching, he was running out of time. He might need to resort to some drastic measures. As for emotions… once the submission was established, nurturing them would be much easier.

“Shh… don’t move. Let me give you a kiss, and soon you won’t find it hard to accept Daddy.” Hannibal leaned in, gently pressing his knee against his son’s thigh, completely suppressing his fragile resistance with his powerful physique. Lowering his head, he slowly approached his son’s slender neck, his tongue reaching out towards his Adam’s apple…

Wu Chenghe let out a hoarse growl, struggling violently. Beads of sweat dripped from his hair like a fine rain. Hannibal watched the redness at the corners of his eyes, the faint blood stains on his lips, and felt a pang of guilt. This was his son, whom he had cradled in his palm for almost half a year, so delicate, so vulnerable…

But his fleeting sense of compassion was abruptly halted by a searing pain in his consciousness. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his temples felt like they were being pierced by red-hot needles, the pain overwhelming. His limbs instantly went numb, his hand loosened, and he collapsed heavily onto his son.

Almost crushed by his heavy body, Wu Chenghe felt a stifling pressure in his chest, and a faint taste of blood rose in his throat. He had used a mental attack, piercing into Hannibal’s consciousness with his own mental tendrils. Under guidance, his mental power had grown much stronger than half a year ago. Even in the turbulent adolescence, he could barely attack a sentinel much stronger than himself.

Seizing the moment, Wu Chenghe pushed away Hannibal’s heavy body with all his might, scrambling to his feet and running towards a corner of the lobby. He didn’t know where he could run to, not even knowing where the exit was. He could only escape aimlessly, trying to get as far away from Hannibal as possible.

Hannibal was a strong sentinel who had undergone the most rigorous military training for a long time. His defensive thinking ability was top-notch. The reason he fell into Wu Chenghe’s trap was that he didn’t guard against this seemingly weak little son at all. Wu Chenghe’s appearance was too deceptive, and his character had always been mild. Hannibal never expected that his mental strength had reached such a level, and just before his transformation, he could still unleash such a powerful attack!

As the commander of the Voyager Army, Hannibal hadn’t suffered such a big loss in many years. After a sudden dizziness, he quickly regained consciousness. Although his brain was still a bit swollen and his consciousness cloud was slightly injured, none of this affected his combat effectiveness. Instead, it stirred up his strong desire to dominate. He stood up from the beach chair, his tall figure like an evil deity, gazing heavily at the young man across the small swimming pool, unbuttoning his military uniform button by button and tossing it onto the chair.

Underneath the coat, his robust physique was wrapped in a light gray dress shirt, revealing his bulging chest muscles and well-developed deltoids, as if made of steel. He strode around the pool towards Wu Chenghe, neither fast nor slow, but with full pressure. 

Wu Chenghe met his gaze head-on, showing no retreat. At such a moment, any evasion or pleading was useless; there was only resistance! As a man, he would never let another man forcibly take possession of him. As a guide about to undergo transformation, he would never yield to Hannibal’s insane ambition, even if it meant destroying his own consciousness cloud and killing himself!

The father and son circled the pool in silence for a long time. Wu Chenghe stopped, suppressed the surging consciousness cloud, and suddenly launched mental tendrils towards Hannibal, attacking his consciousness cloud! Hannibal’s pupils contracted. He never expected him to initiate an attack actively. He immediately established mental defenses to resist the surging tentacles.

The two minds collided in high-dimensional space, emitting silent spatial fluctuations. The black-and-chestnut eagle screamed miserably, swept by the aftermath of the mental attack. Its wings stiffened instantly, and it fell straight down from mid-air, plunging into the swimming pool. It struggled desperately on the water surface for several times before barely flying up, but for a while, it couldn’t land on Hannibal’s shoulder and could only flap around his feet.

Wu Chenghe’s chest surged with blood, and his head throbbed as if it were about to explode. There was a clear “crack” from the cocoon on his ear, as if it had cracked, and a warm air flow slowly leaked out from the crack.

Hannibal’s face also turned pale. It was the first time he had encountered such a suicidal mental attack. Despite his extensive experience on the battlefield, he was still shaken slightly. His consciousness cloud trembled uneasily, almost unable to calm his frightened quantum beast.

Both were injured, but Hannibal was much more experienced in battle and much stronger physically. Before Wu Chenghe could gather his strength again, he had already restored his combat effectiveness. This time, he showed no mercy. His robust body was like a fired cannonball. With a slight bow, he leaped over half of the swimming pool and tackled Wu Chenghe to the ground.

Wu Chenghe’s back hit the ground, but since the floor was flexible, it didn’t hurt. However, he immediately felt a great force choking his throat—Hannibal’s claw-like right hand grabbed his throat, precisely controlling the force, leaving only a slight breath for him to breathe.

The intense feeling of suffocation made Wu Chenghe dizzy. His consciousness cloud, which had just formed, could not be used at all. He struggled futilely for a few times, and then was half-dragged, half-carried by Hannibal to the room next to the bedroom and thrown in.

The door was locked, and Wu Chenghe fell to the ground. Just as he was about to get up, he suddenly felt a high-frequency sound wave emanating from the numerous small holes around him, piercing his skull with intense pain, almost causing his brain to burst out of his ears.

He screamed in agony and fell to the ground, his consciousness cloud disturbed by the strange noise, resonating and forming tiny whirlpools, tossing him upside down, unable to distinguish up from down, left from right, only able to roll on the ground.

A few minutes later, Wu Chenghe couldn’t hold back and vomited. After vomiting everything, even the gastric juice, he curled up on the ground as if his tendons had been drawn out, twitching.

The door opened, Yin Bos disappeared, and Wu Chenghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes, but his eyeballs had turned into thin threads. In his distorted vision, he saw Hannibal’s feet approaching him, then his collar was grabbed and pulled up by him.

“Don’t think I won’t deal with you.” Hannibal wiped away the vomit from Wu Chenghe’s mouth with his thumb and warned, “I’ve said it before, I like obedient children.”

Wu Chenghe was exhausted, his consciousness cloud in chaos. He weakly propped himself up with his elbow on the ground, shaking his head laboriously, then weakly said, “You… you will go to hell.”

“And you will accompany me.” A cruel satisfaction suddenly rose in Hannibal’s heart. “We are father and son, destined to be together. My sins will be yours.”

Wu Chenghe had no strength to resist, only silence.

At that moment, Hannibal’s left palm suddenly trembled. He frowned slightly. He had instructed Yuna not to let anyone disturb him before he came. Was something important happening outside? Hannibal hesitated for a moment before answering the call.

“Commander.” Yuna’s voice was still formal but tinged with a hint of unease. “Lady Lilith is looking for you.”

Lilith? Wasn’t her fleet on an expedition? According to the plan, she wouldn’t be back for another four months. Hannibal’s heart sank. “When did she come back?”

“Half an hour ago,” Yuna said, “Not only her, but General Lancer is also on his way to Gabriel and will arrive at the port within a few hours.”

“What happened?” Hannibal let go of Wu Chenghe and glanced at him suspiciously, instinctively feeling that something was amiss.

“It’s about the terrorist attack on Black Pearl Spaceport,” Yuna said, “The NTU task force has identified the culprit within the First and Second Army, and the President personally issued an investigation order, requesting your and General Lancer’s assistance. NTU agents are waiting for you in the reception room.”

“I’ll be back soon.” Hannibal hung up the line, bent down to pick up Wu Chenghe, but encountered strong resistance. He intended to establish a temporary mark first, but Wu Chenghe had just vomited, sweating and bleeding all over, rolling in half-digested food. He didn’t look appetizing at all.

Forget it, he couldn’t escape anyway. Hannibal frowned, leaving his son behind, and hurried away.

 

 

 

 

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