FT DR Chapter 9: Super Intimate Non-Mainstream Skills 

Chapter 9: Super Intimate Non-Mainstream Skills 

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

It was pitch black outside. Wu Chenghe had grabbed a nutrient bar to fill his stomach, took a shower, and lay on the large bed playing with his personal terminal. Following the system’s guidance, he joined an interactive group called “Grade 10 Basic School,” which was somewhat reminiscent of WeChat from a millennium ago. Inside, there was a large group of his future classmates.

The group’s bulletin board was plastered with many posters advertising performances by some well-known artists from the Federation who were soon to come to Gabriel. Despite the waning military power of the Federation these days, they still far surpassed the Voyager Army in the realms of culture and arts, especially in the teenage circle. Many of their idols, whether male, female, or gender-neutral, mostly hailed from the capital of the Federation—Planet Dunkirk.

The most popular figure in the posters was still that “emo” idol King. Rumor had it that this guy was actually the younger brother of the Federation’s president (Wu Chenghe couldn’t help but admire the president’s open-mindedness). He had an enormous fanbase, and even the Voyager Army’s chief teenage idol, Marlow—yes, Wu Chenghe’s current younger brother—could only bow down before him.

Where there were people, there were disputes, and where there were brainless fans, there was bound to be drama. The message board was filled with several hot threads, mostly clashes between King and Marlow’s fans. The arguments were intense, covering everything from looks to physique to intelligence, even comparing private parts, reminiscent of the “sweet and salty war” on Weibo. Wu Chenghe found it all quite entertaining.

But these two indeed had the capital to stir up drama—one was the president’s brother, and the other was the son of the commander-in-chief. It wouldn’t be fitting for the world’s situation if they didn’t clash at least once!

Wu Chenghe lay on the bed, imagining scenarios of “love and hate,” “tortured romance,” and “noble and powerful families,” then drifted off to sleep contentedly.

In a hazy state, he found himself back in the jungle, surrounded by towering trees that cast deep shadows. The egg was still nestled in its grassy nest, motionless, emitting a faint, soft light like a light orange bulb.

Wu Chenghe decided to name it “Little Bulb.”

For two consecutive days, he found himself in the same dream. It felt eerie, but as long as Little Bulb was there, he felt remarkably calm and relaxed. He shifted in his dream, drifting off peacefully.

At some point, there was a knock on the door. Wu Chenghe was a light sleeper; he woke up immediately, opened his eyes, and saw the sensor light slowly brightening.

“Sorry for waking you up,” Hannibal said, wearing his uniform, with a military cap tucked under his arm and a briefcase in his hand, looking like he had just finished work.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Wu Chenghe relaxed, “I didn’t know you were staying here tonight. I thought you went home.”

“Well, I was supposed to, but I thought since you just arrived in Gabriel, you might feel lonely and need company.” Hannibal hung his cap on the coat rack, took off his uniform jacket to reveal a light gray shirt underneath. His physique was impressive, the shirt accentuating his form.

Wu Chenghe had no envy for his adoptive father’s physique. He said, “No, I’m not a child.”

“Oh? Then what are you, a little adult?” Hannibal smiled, ruffled his hair, and said, “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“It’s because I went to bed early.” Wu Chenghe glanced at the time; it was only two in the morning. For a sentinel, sleeping two hours later wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“Go to sleep; I’m going to take a shower,” Hannibal said. 

Wu Chenghe lay back down, realizing there was only one bedroom in this apartment. He squirmed over to make space for him. Just as he was about to settle back in, he was startled—why was there an egg on the bedside table?! Little Bulb… right? Damn, it really was! Wu Chenghe looked carefully, dumbfounded—it was round, chubby, pinkish, and emitted a faint orange glow. Who else could it be?

Wu Chenghe stared in astonishment at the egg on the bedside table. This was the first time he had seen it in reality. So, was this absurd thing, as big as a ping-pong ball, really his quantum beast? God! What kind of setup did you embed in my genetic code back then?

Before he could come to terms with the cruel reality of “my cute pet is dumb and cute,” a shadow suddenly flashed past the window. Then, Hannibal’s black-and-chestnut eagle swooped in through the wall, its black wings stirring up a cold wind!

Quantum beasts usually followed their owners, as high-dimensional creatures were not hindered by the three-dimensional grid. Wu Chenghe was startled by its sudden appearance, instinctively sat up to protect Little Bulb, but then realized—it was gone!

More accurately, it didn’t disappear but turned completely transparent, sticking to the bedside table like a small bubble. If Wu Chenghe hadn’t known it was there, he wouldn’t have noticed its presence.

I forgot it had the transparent gradient ability! Wu Chenghe breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, he noticed the black-and-chestnut eagle perched on the chandelier, its golden eagle eyes looking in his direction, either searching for Little Bulb or observing him.

I can’t see it, and it can’t see me… In the blink of an eye, Wu Chenghe controlled his gaze and movements, casually glancing past the black-and-chestnut eagle, reaching forward a few inches, picking up the glass of water next to Little Bulb, taking a sip, and then putting it back.

“What’s wrong?” Hannibal came out of the bathroom, wearing a towel around his waist, water dripping from his hair, looking a bit rushed. He glanced around vigilantly, his gaze stopping on the black-and-chestnut eagle. The eagle, in tune with his consciousness, spread its wings, circled above his head, and landed on his shoulder, shaking its feathers in frustration, but its golden eyes continued to look around.

“What?” Wu Chenghe ignored the black-and-chestnut eagle’s presence and asked inexplicably, “What’s wrong?”

“I heard strange noises.” Hannibal brightened the light, his eagle-like gaze sweeping left and right, then walked to the bed to carefully observe his complexion, and then touched his forehead, “Are you feeling unwell? Fever, ringing in the ears, or swollen eyes?”

Wu Chenghe’s heart trembled; he was describing the symptoms of guide estrus—fever, sensitivity, heightened senses… But why would he ask him this?

“No, not at all.” Wu Chenghe tried to control his voice, trying to hypnotize himself into thinking nothing had happened, he hadn’t seen anything, and said blankly, “I just had some water.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Hannibal seemed relieved, but also a bit disappointed, saying, “Go to sleep; I’m just too sensitive. Sentinels have very sensitive senses; I always hear strange things.” With that, he walked to the bathroom. The black-and-chestnut eagle, which had been perched on his shoulder, silently flew up, circled above Wu Chenghe’s head, and disappeared through the wall.

Wu Chenghe turned off the light, got into bed, closed his eyes to sleep, but his mind churned like molten lava—why did Hannibal ask him that? Did he suspect him of being a guide? Why? He had managed to reach seventeen without anyone noticing, indicating that his guide gene was recessive. And he didn’t display obvious guide traits, only showing some inclinations, indicating that he hadn’t experienced estrus yet. In this case, besides himself, no one would know he was a guide!

Why would Hannibal suspect him?

The only possibility was that he had shown abnormal behavior before, and Wu Chenghe had noticed it, then told Hannibal… In that case, if he really awakened one day, how would Hannibal treat him? Send him to the Federation, or help him conceal it? Countless questions swirled in Wu Chenghe’s mind, leaving him unable to sleep, but he dared not show it—Hannibal was a strong sentinel, very likely to notice if something was off, and there was also the black-and-chestnut eagle, which constantly hovered around the villa searching for his quantum beast; he could feel it.

Stiffly lying next to Hannibal pretending to sleep, soon half of his body went numb. Looking at Little Bulb, it remained calm, sticking to the bedside table like a transparent bubble, steady as a rock, seemingly paying no attention to the black-and-chestnut eagle.

The invisibility skill couldn’t be more amazing… Wu Chenghe gradually relaxed, realizing that the transmigration god wasn’t entirely bad to him—though his body was weak, his consciousness seemed fine, and the hypnosis effect was quite good. As for his cute pet, though it was non-mainstream, its concealment ability was extremely strong, perfect for lurking among ordinary people.

So, all he had to hone in the future was acting skills. With this in mind, the pressure didn’t seem too great… As the sky began to brighten, Wu Chenghe finally drifted off to sleep in a daze. However, this was destined to be a sleepless night. Before he could even nap, the door chime rang.

Wu Chenghe groggily opened his eyes; it was only 5:30 in the morning. He connected his personal terminal to the main control system, opened the door prompt, and a holographic projection appeared at the bedside.

It was a tall, beautiful woman with golden hair and blue eyes, high nose and deep-set eyes, looking no older than thirty-five in the eyes of a millennium ago, very young, wearing the black uniform of the Voyager Army, with the rank of Colonel on her shoulder.

“Hannibal? Why did you cancel my access key?” The woman’s expression was cold and arrogant, “Are you afraid I’ll do something to your new son? Don’t be silly, you know I’m not that kind of woman, and I don’t have that kind of time.”

It was Hannibal’s wife, Lilith Lancer!

Wu Chenghe looked at her holographic projection, immediately recalling Snow Aunt’s menacing face, feeling a lump in his throat—Damn it! It was the rhythm of catching an affair in the dead of night, with the husband sleeping out and the wife knocking on the door, wasn’t it?! Please, even an adopted son had dignity; he was just a cheap son, after all!

Hannibal silently sat up, frowning. Lilith said outside the door, “Open the door, Hannibal. I have something to discuss with you. I just came back from the station, and the time difference is all messed up. Please, don’t test my patience!”

“Should I let her in?” Wu Chenghe asked Hannibal.

Hannibal grunted, issued the command to open the door, and said to Wu Chenghe, “Sorry, Lilith is always like this. Maybe there’s something urgent.”

“It’s okay, urgent matters come first.” What else could Wu Chenghe say? He could only get up, get dressed, and prepare to go downstairs to meet the formidable stepmother.