Chapter 99: Zhou Yunchen, I Can’t See

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

In the next instant, the snow leopard stretched his front legs with all his strength, landing on a falling boulder! He leveraged it to propel himself again, shooting like a meteor toward the next descending stone. The snow leopard seemed to run through the air as if stepping on clouds, dodging deadly falling debris, weaving through choking, tear-inducing dust, heading straight into the blinding sunlight that seared the eyes.

The howling wind seemed to come from the endless horizon, rushing toward the void, carrying with it the falling stones that crashed like the apocalypse upon the ground.

As the snow leopard cleared the test pit area, he rolled twice, rough gravel scraping across Lu Yao’s coat and the metal mecha armor, sparking fleeting flashes.

A massive star hung at the horizon, its scorching light roasting the plains below. The heat instantly drove away the underground chill. In the rolling chaos, Lu Yao’s gaze pierced the heat waves in the distance, spotting numerous black specks racing toward them. The previous explosion hadn’t killed all the pirates. Some had survived and were now in terrain vehicles, engines flaring, taking off to pursue Lu Yao.

“Run! Faster!” Lu Yao shouted hoarsely. The snow leopard flipped upright and immediately sprinted toward the mountains at the edge of the plain.

This barren planet offered no cover. Only by reaching the mountains could they avoid the pirates. But the jagged peaks stretched far away, shrouded by heat and dust, like a mirage almost impossible to reach.

Zhou Yunchen had previously studied the terrain scans of the planet. He knew the mountains were ahead, reachable in two hours at full speed—if they could evade the pursuing pirates. The undercarriages of the distant vehicles glowed red from engine heat, burning the sand below, clouds of dust swirling. Lu Yao held tightly onto the snow leopard. “Faster, faster.”

The snow leopard accelerated, metal claws sparking against the ground, heavy breaths heating the mecha to scorching temperatures, a living arrow shot across the plain. Lu Yao glanced back at the collapsing underground base, biting his lip as he pressed the detonator again.

Boom—Boom—

The underground trembled like rolling thunder. Gravel jumped from the ground. The explosions grew louder, clearer, and several pursuing terrain vehicles suddenly skidded, losing control. The aircraft above tried to lift off but were thrown off balance by the shifting air currents.

For a moment, the underground thunder ceased. Wind howled violently, followed by sudden flames shooting skyward. The ground cracked and began to collapse. The vehicles sped as fast as they could, but the roaring, darkened earth swallowed them into dust and shadows.

The pilots thought they could escape, but the explosions’ heat and fire disrupted airflow. The chaotic currents pulled the aircraft downward like invisible tentacles, sending them spiraling into the blazing abyss below. The flames grew stronger, tearing through air and smoke, pushing the earth’s cracks ever farther.

The hum and tremors reached the snow leopard’s feet. He accelerated, but the fissures and the raging fire chased him relentlessly, snapping at his metal-clad tail. Lu Yao could feel the scorching flames licking his cheeks. Fire and heat nearly consumed him. His battered, exhausted body had never felt so acutely alive, and in the inferno, he felt himself transported back to his most powerless, helpless moments.

Blood everywhere. Run. Faster. Escape.

Everything man-made was being devoured by the earth. Fiery red flames erupted from the cracked plains, explosions sending dust and heat into the endless sky, vivid and shocking under the blue heavens.

Lu Yao didn’t know when he had lost consciousness. When he woke, darkness surrounded him. Startled, he bounced upright.

“Lu Yao! Lu Yao, it’s okay, we’re safe now.” A familiar voice and a familiar embrace reached him. 

His hoarse voice trembled. “Zhou Yunchen… I can’t see.”

Zhou Yunchen paused. Lu Yao thought he was figuring out how to calm him, then heard him say, “I can’t see either. We didn’t turn on any lights.”

Lu Yao froze. After a rustling sound, Zhou Yunchen seemed to retrieve something from his embrace. A faint glow appeared, illuminating Zhou Yunchen’s tired but determined face. Torque noticed the light too, lifting its head sleepily. “Meow?”

“This is a cave I found. It’s been four hours past sunset; temperatures are below zero. I’m using the micro-mecha’s power to keep you warm. To save energy, I didn’t turn on the lights,” Zhou Yunchen explained.

Lu Yao’s lashes twitched as he noticed the stars through the cave entrance, forming a dreamlike scene. “No need to save. Even after using some energy for explosives, the mecha still has plenty. Turn up the heat a bit more.”

Zhou Yunchen complied. The micro-mecha, set into a football shape, had been placed on Lu Yao’s abdomen for warmth. Lu Yao switched it to heater mode, putting it on the floor to warm both of them and light the area. Torque shuffled closer to the warmth.

“What’s the situation now?” Lu Yao asked. Zhou Yunchen silently removed a nutrition vial for him, but Lu Yao, feeling unwell, only took a few sips before covering it back up.

“You’re still injured. I’ll apply medicine first,” Zhou Yunchen said.

Lu Yao pressed his lips together and nodded, but it wasn’t until Zhou Yunchen began slowly pulling off his jacket that the pain finally overtook the extreme tension in his mind, shooting up to his head and making him let out a muffled groan.

Zhou Yunchen knew Lu Yao must be in intense pain. During the explosion, countless fragments had struck his back, leaving numerous wounds, and the high heat had burned many of them, fusing skin and clothing together. They didn’t have spare anesthetics or painkillers, so Lu Yao could only sweat and endure it.

Zhou Yunchen’s chest ached as he forced his voice steady: “Yaoyao, most of your injuries are on your back. Turn over, I’ll help you take off your jacket and shirt.”

Lu Yao bit his lip silently and rolled over. Facing the quiet deep space beyond the cave, wind howled outside. Inside, the micro-mecha ball silently emitted light. In the darkness, the only sounds were the tearing of fabric and the careful separation of wounds from clothing. The sharper the sound, the more Lu Yao felt the pain, forcing himself to focus on the stars outside.

Zhou Yunchen carefully unbuttoned Lu Yao’s shirt, helping him remove it, then meticulously cleaned the wounds and applied medication. Fortunately, this was a lifeless planet; there were no harmful bacteria or viruses, so infection was unlikely. After applying the healing ointment and gel, the wounds would scab over in a day or two.

“We’re now in the mid-section of the mountains. I checked the high ground: the underground base was completely destroyed, but as we expected, their starships survived,” Zhou Yunchen said while applying medicine.

Even without defensive fields, the ships’ outer armor, designed to withstand meteor impacts, had endured the explosion. How many pirates survived that sudden blast was another question entirely.

“They’ve started searching, but they’ll have to regroup first, so they won’t find us immediately.”

“As long as we can contact Zhao Minghe before they reach us…”

“That’s the problem,” Zhou Yunchen said helplessly. “They’ve activated global communications tracking. Any attempt to send a signal will reveal our location. We can’t reach Zhao Minghe immediately. We have two options: either find our way into space ourselves, or wait for military rescue.

“Right now, we have nothing. The first option is impossible; we have to wait for rescue. Before I left, I arranged with Zhao Minghe that if we hadn’t sent a message within a month, he’d deploy troops directly. As long as we survive the pirate search for this month, then…”

“Wait,” Lu Yao interrupted suddenly. Zhou Yunchen thought he was worried a month was too long, but Lu Yao stopped after one word. Just when Zhou Yunchen thought he wouldn’t continue, Lu Yao said, “I recognize the stars outside… that’s the Apple Constellation and the Southern Gate Constellation?”

Zhou Yunchen looked and saw countless stars scattered like tiny diamonds in a roughly rectangular formation. “Yes, that’s them.”

Lu Yao spun around, grabbed Zhou Yunchen’s hand, eyes lighting with an indescribable glow. “This is the Unnamed Star Region, planet B13?!”

“Yes, this is B13.” Zhou Yunchen didn’t understand why Lu Yao was so excited. He simply worried that his finger had pressed too hard on the wound when Lu Yao turned. But Lu Yao didn’t seem to feel the pain at all.

“What’s the matter? Is there a problem with B13?”

“No, no problem. This is a good place.” Lu Yao’s excitement was almost overflowing.

“Why?”

“I’ve been thinking—the underground lab we were in before doesn’t match the style or level of pirate construction. But if this is planet B13, then that lab was probably leftover tech from an earlier era. B13 has many such old labs.”

Zhou Yunchen asked sharply, “You think we can hide in those remnants?”

“The Federation Intelligence Bureau cleared most of the labs and tech bases after finding me, but one leftover base still had a hidden defense system that the military never discovered. I stayed there for a while, and some of my belongings are still inside. We won’t be found by pirates there, and maybe we can find a way into space.”

“Is it far?”

“Not too far. I remember the star maps from B13. If we cross this mountain and follow the stars for about two hundred kilometers, we’ll reach that leftover base.”

 

 

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