Chapter 17: Transformation
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: PlumSauce
Two underage boys accompanied Yun Yingzhi to register his membership information at Yaoming Battle Arena. One of the options on the form mentioned that any esper fighter with real strength had the chance to soar to fame in Yaoming Battle Arena and gain a huge fan base. There was also a question asking whether the registering esper fighter was willing to make his real identity public.
The first people Yun Yingzhi thought of were Madam Yun and General Yun. If he didn’t achieve good results, he felt his parents would think he had embarrassed them on purpose—just like how they never actually managed him but still made it clear he was forbidden from taking the Source Weapon Manufacturing path.
Pressing his lips together, Yun Yingzhi hesitated for a moment, then chose to keep his identity private. Since he chose confidentiality, he was allowed to create a new nickname. Yun Yingzhi tried several usernames, but each one was already taken. He grew a little irritated and finally registered a random name: The Mighty Little White Bunny. It went through instantly.
By the time he realized what he had done, the staff member was already explaining the rules of Yaoming Battle Arena. Weapons on the battlefield had no eyes for mercy. Before every match began, all fighters in the queue would receive a notification email and had to sign a liability waiver before they were allowed to fight.
Once everything was ready, Yun Yingzhi and the two minors formed a team together.
Their team name: Dominate Yaoming.
Yun Yingzhi found the name a bit embarrassing, but after thinking about how young the two were, he immediately understood. Who hadn’t gone through a phase with delusions of grandeur when they were young?
The three of them queued for a 3v3 match. While waiting, they introduced themselves to one another.
Vast said, “My second form is a bear. I’m a limited esper—able to control the ground within range, create earthen spikes and walls, both offensive and defensive.”
Clear said, “My second form is a snow fox, also a limited esper. I’ve awakened four types of abilities so far, all for offense—single and group. I haven’t yet awakened any defensive or support abilities.”
Yun Yingzhi asked curiously, “What about your source weapons?”
“I’m already amazing. Why would I need a source weapon?” Clear said proudly.
“My source weapon mainly manipulates my esper abilities,” Vast added. “It can generate a small gravitational field, but it only delays the opponent by less than 0.1 seconds. Honestly, it feels like a waste of source energy.”
That was the reality for most source weapons nowadays. Unless one managed to buy a weapon that truly matched his abilities, it usually consumed more source energy than it was worth. Both minors were level three espers, close to advancing to level four.
Yun Yingzhi thought, As expected of minors—their levels are still low. Looks like they’ll have to cling to my strong, level-five thighs.
Behind his mask, his face grew a little smug, and small flowers bloomed faintly around him—his whole presence radiating happiness. Seeing how obviously pleased Yun Yingzhi looked, Vast and Clear assumed he must have realized how strong they were and was thrilled to have found such reliable teammates.
Lifting his chin beneath his own mask, Clear said, “We’ve told you about ourselves. Now tell us about you.”
Imitating Clear, Yun Yingzhi tilted his chin slightly upward and said, “I’m a level-five esper fighter.”
At nineteen, a level-five esper was nothing special within the Ten Great Military Academies, but across the entire Loos Empire, that level of strength was already impressive. The two minors stared at him in shock—they never would’ve guessed he was a level-five esper fighter.
So looks really could be deceiving?
Feeling proud, Yun Yingzhi continued, “My source weapon is fire-type. It includes group attacks, single-target strikes, and…” He began eagerly listing off all the offensive skills built into his weapon.
Though it was only a Level 5 source weapon, Yun Yingzhi had designed it specifically for his own weaker abilities. It covered both close-range and area attacks, though it lacked any defensive or support functions. During his years as a student, almost no one had the heart to hurt a soft little bunny, so when he designed his weapon, he never even considered defense or support.
The two minors listened carefully, waiting for him to get to the key part… but as they kept waiting, something started to feel off.
Seeing that Yun Yingzhi was still going on about his weapon skills, Clear finally asked, “Wait, big brother—what about your abilities?”
Yun Yingzhi, who hadn’t awakened his abilities yet, froze.
Vast followed up, “Yeah, you’ve been talking about the skills in your source weapon, but what’s your actual esper ability?”
Yun Yingzhi was silent. Could he really admit in front of two kids that he hadn’t awakened his abilities yet? How humiliating! Yun Yingzhi tried to salvage his pride. After thinking for a moment, he remembered the strange attributes that came with his second form. Compared to his human form, his second form had incredible strength.
After a brief silence, Yun Yingzhi said guiltily, “Strength.”
Clear and Vast froze, their eyes full of confusion as they stared at him.
Yun Yingzhi added, “That’s right. My ability is strength. I’m… really strong.”
The air went awkwardly quiet.
After a pause, Vast asked, “So… you’re just really strong?”
Behind his mask, Yun Yingzhi’s expression fell as he seriously thought about it. Besides the physical strength of his second form, what else made him special? He could eat a lot—did that count?
People often said he was “unfairly cute”—so cute that it distracted fur enthusiasts from fighting and made them just want to pet and cuddle the bunny. Did that count?
When Yun Yingzhi didn’t answer, the two of them immediately understood.
Clear said, “No wonder you rely on your source weapon to fight.”
“I’m a level-five fighter!” Yun Yingzhi said with extra emphasis.
As they spoke, their personal terminals buzzed with notifications. Their 3v3 queue had been matched, and they needed to sign the liability waivers to begin. After each signed his name, they followed the system’s assigned match number toward the waiting room.
On the way there, as if something just occurred to him, Clear looked at Yun Yingzhi and asked, “By the way, should I call you Mighty or Bunny?”
For a brief moment, Yun Yingzhi deeply regretted registering under the name The Mighty Little White Bunny.
Their first match was about to start, so it was too late to change it now. “Just call me Brother MIghty?” he suggested.
“Oh, Mighty,” Clear said.
Yun Yingzhi, “…”
Before Yun Yingzhi could correct him, Clear continued, “Earlier you told us about your abilities and source weapon. What’s your second form?”
“Yeah, what is it?” Vast echoed.
Beneath his little white bunny mask, Yun Yingzhi’s lips pressed into a thin line. He stayed silent for a long time, unable to bring himself to say the word rabbit.
Seeing his reaction, Clear’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No way, Mighty—don’t tell me your second form is a rabbit?”
Yun Yingzhi remained silent. He quickened his pace toward the waiting room, deliberately changing the subject along the way.
His two teammates followed, still pressing him for an answer.
Vast asked, “Mighty, why won’t you tell us what your second form is?”
Clear added, “It really is a rabbit, isn’t it?”
“It can’t be, right? I’ve never heard of an esper soldier with a rabbit or hamster second form coming to fight in Yaoming Battle Arena.”
Yun Yingzhi’s chest tightened. He really wanted to refute them… but couldn’t. After all, the world was full of surprises. There truly were some esper fighters whose weak-looking second forms had awakened extremely powerful abilities—but they all shared one thing in common. Because their second forms were small and weak, they almost never transformed in public battles.
Most of the time, their second forms actually limited their combat potential. That was why it was so rare to see cute, soft, delicate-looking second forms in Yaoming Battle Arena. By contrast, Yun Yingzhi’s second form was an oddity. Though it looked like a gentle, fluffy little white bunny, its physical strength, agility, and overall combat stats far surpassed his human form.
From the very beginning, Yun Yingzhi had already decided—he came to Yaoming Battle Arena to fight with his source weapon. Just like those who hid their weak second forms, he planned to keep his own hidden as well. He figured nothing unexpected would happen.
The so-called “unexpected” situation was this—only when he needed tremendous strength in battle would he have to transform into his second form. If there was no such need, then of course there was no reason to transform. With that thought in mind, Yun Yingzhi firmly refused to tell the two minors what his second form was.
He also deeply regretted registering that random nickname. Now he was stuck with it for a whole year, and it felt downright miserable.
About ten minutes remained before the battle was scheduled to start when the passageway connecting the waiting room to the battlefield opened. Yun Yingzhi and the two minors entered the passage together and stepped onto the battle platform.
He looked around. Even though this was just a regular rookie 3v3 match, Yaoming Battle Arena was exactly as the rumors said—no matter the time, there were always spectators in the stands. Yun Yingzhi swept his gaze briefly across the crowd, then turned to look at the opponents standing on the opposite side of the stage.
Two males and one female—all looked under twenty, probably students as well, and maybe even minors themselves.
Kids sneaking out in the middle of the night to fool around should all be reported, Yun Yingzhi thought sternly.
The opposing trio stared at Yun Yingzhi’s team with open disdain.
One of the boys sneered, “Heh, it’s just a match. What’s the point of hiding your faces—what, got something to be ashamed of?”
Yun Yingzhi frowned. As a student who had snuck out from the academy in the middle of the night, he did, in fact, have something to be ashamed of.
But unlike Yun Yingzhi, who had a mild temper, Clear immediately exploded. Hands on his hips, Clear shouted angrily, “You’re the ones who should be ashamed! Your whole family should be ashamed!”
As the adult of the group, Yun Yingzhi felt he ought to be the team’s steady core. He quickly held Clear back and said, “Clear, calm down—they’re doing it on purpose!”
Clear blinked at him in confusion.
Yun Yingzhi explained, “It’s just part of their battle tactics. They’re trying to mess with our mindset before the fight!”
One of the opponent boys spat to the side and scoffed, “Please. You three look so weak we don’t even need to mess with your mindset.”
Yun Yingzhi patted Clear’s shoulder and said, “They said they’re not ashamed? Fine—let’s record their faces and report them to the Imperial Star academies tonight, one by one.”
Clear and Vast, “…”
The opposing trio, “…”
For a moment, not just Yun Yingzhi’s teammates but even their opponents—and the referee standing between them—were all dumbstruck. The referee had worked at Yaoming Battle Arena for years, and this was the first time he’d ever heard anyone threaten to report the other team before a match even began.
Clear and Vast’s eyes lit up, gazing at Yun Yingzhi with newfound admiration. Meanwhile, the opposing trio were fuming.
Before the match had even officially started, one of them charged toward Yun Yingzhi’s team, shouting, “Let’s rip off their hats and masks and see if they’re fit to be seen!”
Yun Yingzhi froze for a second, then instinctively clutched his hat and mask tighter—looking, ironically, like someone who really had something to hide. The match hadn’t even started yet, and the tension between the two teams was already thick enough to snap.
A wall of earth suddenly rose, blocking the path of the charging opponent. Vast had created the defensive wall to stop the attacker’s advance, but before either side could make the first strike, the referee intervened and halted all six of them.
“Please calm down, all fighters,” the referee said firmly. “The battle hasn’t started yet.”
At that moment, Yun Yingzhi and the two minors did something perfectly synchronized—they all adjusted their hats at the same time, revealing three pairs of glaring eyes fixed on the opposing team. They looked utterly childish.
The three opponents glowered back, their expressions fierce and hostile.
The referee once again told both teams’ fighters to calm down, then gave them another round of introductions. He said, “The battle hasn’t even started, and both rookie teams are already full of hostility toward each other. Now, let’s see what kind of show these little—”
All six people on the stage, who had been glaring daggers at one another, turned their eyes toward the referee in unison. The referee realized he had said the wrong thing but kept a straight face as he corrected himself, “—these two mighty teams of warriors will bring us a truly spectacular fight!”
As soon as his words fell, both teams—already full of pent-up anger—rushed out at the same time. Among the various elemental espers, Yun Yingzhi was most attuned to the fire element, so the source weapon he created for himself was fire-type.
Almost simultaneously, Yun Yingzhi and Clear both activated their abilities. Yun Yingzhi used the fire-based area attack abilities within his source weapon—Sea of Flames—while Clear used the ice-based area attack ability—Blizzard.
Then, the two teammates’ abilities collided. The higher-level fire element melted the blizzard into a torrential downpour, and all attack energy instantly dissipated. Clear turned to Yun Yingzhi with a look that could kill.
Yun Yingzhi didn’t think he had done anything wrong. He lifted his chin proudly and said, “I’m higher level than you. I’m stronger!”
Following his words, two enemy esper fighters closed in on their group of three, while another enemy esper made long range attacks. That esper’s power was special—a space restriction ability. Under his ability, all the flames of the Sea of Flames were dragged into his confined space, entering a vacuum zone where they were automatically extinguished.
At the same time, the two enemy esper fighters targeted the three-man team’s most aggressive members, Yun Yingzhi and Clear. As a military academy student, Yun Yingzhi was exceptionally agile. He leapt to dodge the man’s attack, then launched a single-target counterattack of his own—Flame Strike.
However, the enemy’s space restriction abilities completely suppressed the fire abilities contained within Yun Yingzhi’s source weapon. It had nothing to do with level—any fire abilities entering that confined space would be completely smothered.
Yun Yingzhi frowned slightly. For a brief moment, his thoughts drifted—to Yun Yinghui. Yun Yinghui was fighting on the front lines. The Zerg legions followed the Zerg Emperor’s commands without fear of death, including self-destructing…
That made Yun Yingzhi think. Just like his fire was extinguished by the space restriction abilities, then perhaps… If he could create a source weapon with space restriction abilities, one that wasn’t limited by level, could that help Yun Yinghui? What he wanted was a space restriction ability that could sever the Zerg Emperor’s psychic link to his troops—a sealing barrier.
Yun Yingzhi thought that as long as he had the idea, such a source weapon shouldn’t be too difficult to make. Normally, the effectiveness of a source weapon depended on compatibility. For example, compared to other elemental types, the fire-based source weapon suited him best, allowing him to bring out its esper’s full potential.
One of the greatest features of source weapons was that while compatibility was ideal, even without it, it could still function—though with significantly reduced power. Even so, if power wasn’t the goal, then what if an entire unit of esper soldiers used source weapons capable of blocking the Zerg Emperor’s psychic waves? Wouldn’t that greatly aid Yun Yinghui?
Yun Yingzhi’s heart was pounding with excitement. From the moment he began studying source weapon manufacturing, he had wanted to give back to Yun Yinghui. He always wanted to do something for him. But Yun Yinghui, nine years older, had graduated as Fansa Academy’s top student, joined the military early, and built his own team. He didn’t need Yun Yingzhi’s help for anything.
At that moment, Yun Yingzhi finally realized—he could still help his brother after all. Before, he had only thought about helping Yun Yinghui personally. But now, after suddenly thinking of the space restriction ability for a source weapon, he realized he could help in far more ways. Right now, he couldn’t yet craft a personalized source weapon just for Yun Yinghui—but he could make them for Yun Yinghui’s teammates.
The space restriction ability was only one of many abilities that could be embedded in a source weapon. He could include many others as well. Typically, esper fighters graduating from military academies were level six and above. Most soldiers ranged from level one to six, and those above level six could enter special combat squads.
Yun Yingzhi didn’t know much about Yun Yinghui’s teammates, but no matter how strong they were, not all of them could be level eight or higher, right? There had to be plenty of level five and six espers among them.
Yun Yingzhi felt a surge of joy. For the first time in years, he felt like he could finally be a little brother who truly helped his elder brother. Little blossoms of joy seemed to burst all around him—he was so, so happy.
And then…
He was happy—right until tragedy struck.
At his ear came Clear’s voice, shouting, “Mighty! Move, quick!”
Yun Yingzhi’s pupils contracted sharply. He saw an enemy esper fighter—a man—charging at him at terrifying speed, his fist already swinging forward. Even worse, from every direction along the sloped terrain that had just been reshaped, enormous gravity spheres, each seemingly weighing thousands of pounds, rolled toward him.
Yun Yingzhi’s eyelids twitched violently. In less than a heartbeat—almost by instinct—his body reacted faster than his brain could process. Before everyone’s eyes, he transformed from human form into his second form.
In an instant, a small white rabbit appeared on the battle stage.
Gasps erupted from the audience stands. Someone shouted, “What a cute little white rabbit!”
At the same time, the arena’s cameras zoomed in on him. The projection screens all around the arena filled with close-ups of the delicate-looking little rabbit.
Yes—up to this moment, everyone thought the little white rabbit was fragile. Then they saw it. The same “fragile” rabbit launched himself at the enemy esper fighter, his tiny body latching onto the man. The gravity spheres still thundered toward them. The instant the rabbit clung to the esper fighter, that man also transformed into his second form—his appearance that of a lion, but with two pairs of wings.
The flying lion flapped his wings, trying to lift off—
And everyone saw what happened next. It all took place in a split second. When the footage played back in slow motion, the audience could hardly believe what they were seeing. They couldn’t understand how the little rabbit had done it. At that moment, the small white rabbit’s tiny paws hugged the flying lion. Compared to the creature’s massive frame, the rabbit looked impossibly small, almost pitifully so.
Yet that tiny creature lifted the flying lion—
No. More accurately, he hoisted him.
The image was surreal. The audience felt that it shouldn’t be possible, yet it was. The rabbit jumped while carrying the lion, and slammed him hard toward one of the rolling gravity spheres. The flying lion struggled fiercely, body twisting as he tried to resist, but something seemed to hold him down—he couldn’t fight it. He was forced down, crashing atop the gravity sphere.
At the moment of impact, the rabbit released him, his small body springing nimbly upward. In the next second, he landed lightly on the shoulder of a teammate. The enemy esper fighter controlling the gravity spheres froze, halting his ability. The three opponents stared in shock at the tiny white rabbit standing proudly atop his teammate’s shoulder.
Yun Yingzhi had no idea how astonishing his simple actions were. None at all. As a student at a military academy, who were the people around him? Among his peers, the most outstanding of his age was Huai Boshe. A year younger was Yun Yingyao. A few years older stood Yun Yinghui. And in his ears were constant stories about legends like Elvis and Wei Yuanqing.
Compared to them, Yun Yingzhi had always felt small—especially before he had awakened his esper power. Though not an absolute rule, among all espers, the strength-type espers were considered one of the weakest. Yun Yingzhi had long known his second form’s strength was unusual. But that didn’t come from his esper ability—it came purely from the physical power of his second form.
He had compared himself to his classmates before. While his raw strength was greater, theirs wasn’t weak either. So, in his mind, being strong physically had never been something to take pride in. But abnormal was still abnormal. The little white rabbit’s body was just too small. When such a tiny creature displayed overwhelming strength, the visual impact was breathtaking.
Clear stared at Yun Yingzhi and exclaimed, “Bro, you’re amazing!” Can a rabbit really be that strong?
He felt that this little rabbit in their team possessed the raw power to take on a level-five esper fighter head-on.
Yun Yingzhi paused for a moment, then said, “It’s okay.”
His second form made his voice sound especially young and milky-soft—something he couldn’t control. It was exactly why he disliked speaking in that form.
After that first clash, both sides began their second round of battle. Having experienced it once, Yun Yingzhi didn’t hesitate this time. He charged straight toward the enemy. He felt unstoppable!
And honestly, it made sense—he was a military academy student, after all!
Fire and ice opposed each other. Clear knew his abilities would be neutralized by the abilities within Yun Yingzhi’s source weapon, so he decided to play the salted fish1—letting the little white rabbit carry him to victory. Vast, who was an earth-type esper, used his defensive and offensive abilities to support Yun Yingzhi.
By now, Yun Yingzhi was fully in the zone. This battle was the first in his life where he could truly let loose. Other than when he was young, when he’d brawled with Huai Boshe—and been crushed every time—no one had ever fought him seriously. Now, finally, the little white rabbit who had always stayed in the shadows had his moment to shine.
After that first clash, he hadn’t even thought about using his source weapon again. Instead, he bounced around the battlefield, that tiny rabbit body leaping, tackling, and slamming enemy fighters one after another.
Someone in the audience shouted, “What a powerful battle rabbit!”
Yun Yingzhi twitched his long ears, already happy—and now even happier. Then, a gravity sphere rolled toward him. Fueled by the crowd’s energy, Yun Yingzhi’s confidence swelled to its peak. His bright eyes locked onto the incoming sphere. He felt like he could do anything—like he was unstoppable.
He swung his tiny rabbit fist—
Boom!
With a deafening crack, the gravity sphere held together by energy burst apart in an instant. The little white rabbit hopped proudly, looking utterly delighted.
Someone in the stands shouted again, “Battle Rabbit!”
And with that one call, the chant spread. At first, the shouts were scattered and disorganized. But after a few rounds, the crowd’s voices united, their cheers echoing through the entire arena.
In the midst of the roaring chant, Yun Yingzhi couldn’t help but marvel in his heart—No wonder this was Yaoming Battle Arena. If it had been at Fansa Academy, he would have been just a little nobody, but in Yaoming Battle Arena, facing the entire empire, he was a powerhouse!
In about six minutes, the three-person team led by Yun Yingzhi, the little white rabbit, had successfully secured their victory in Yaoming Battle Arena’s 3v3 battle. Perhaps it was because, compared to the other teams’ ferocious beasts and raptors, Yun Yingzhi’s second form was unusually special—one of the appearances most beloved by the brawny fighters who frequented the arena—that the referee’s voice rang out excitedly, “Congratulations to our Cute Little Battle Rabbit team for winning this 3v3 match!”
Following the referee’s announcement, the entire audience erupted in the same cheer.
Yun Yingzhi, the little white rabbit, felt a lump in his chest. “Battle Rabbit” was one thing, but the “Cute Little Battle Rabbit” team? What was that even supposed to mean?
Amid Yun Yingzhi’s complicated feelings, his two teammates moved quickly, whisking him away. On the way, some spectators recognized Yun Yingzhi. Instinctively, one reached out to pet him, but Clear’s quick reflexes helped him dodge the hand.
They brought the little white rabbit into the restroom.
The restroom bustled with people coming and going, and almost everyone instinctively glanced at the little white rabbit. From time to time, someone would say, “Look, that’s the little cute rabbit we’ve heard about!”
Yun Yingzhi’s face fell. He ducked into a stall, changed back into human form, checked to make sure his clothes were intact and that his mask and hat were still on, before stepping back out.
The three regrouped.
Clear’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yun Yingzhi. “Bunny, you’re amazing!”
Yun Yingzhi froze for a moment. He had been called Mighty just moments ago—how had it suddenly become Bunny?
Even so, Yun Yingzhi didn’t correct Clear. He lifted his chin slightly. “See how powerful I am?”
Vast said, “So, should we line up for the second match?”
Yun Yingzhi nodded. He hadn’t had enough; he wanted to keep fighting.
As the team captain, Vast continued applying for the next match. Before the second battle began, Yun Yingzhi thought back to his earlier thoughts during the previous fight: a source weapon with space-restriction abilities that could block communication between the Zerg and the Zerg Emperor. The abilities in the source weapon were formed based on engraved patterns and released for a short time. Earlier, a vague idea had flashed through his mind.
Thinking it over again, Yun Yingzhi realized an important point. He felt he might finally be able to help Yun Yinghui—but perhaps the military already had countless similar source weapons?
Before the second 3v3 match began, Yun Yingzhi decided to send Yun Yinghui a private message. He opened his personal terminal and saw messages from Wei Yuanqing and his three roommates asking where he was. After briefly replying to the four of them, Yun Yingzhi opened the chat with Yun Yinghui and sent a message.
Yun Yingzhi: Brother?
A few seconds later, he received a reply.
Yun Yinghui: Still awake?
Yun Yingzhi glanced at the time—it was just before ten o’clock. He felt a twinge of guilt. Yun Yinghui indulged him in many things, but this didn’t include a little white rabbit skipping class at night to sneak into Yaoming Battle Arena. If Yun Yinghui found out, he’d get scolded just like the other underage boys and girls here.
Not giving Yun Yinghui a chance to check, Yun Yingzhi asked directly: Brother, I’m curious—do you have that kind of source weapon?
He realized his question sounded abrupt and continued typing: A source weapon with space-restriction abilities.
Space abilities were rare, and source weapons using space abilities were relatively uncommon—but not extremely rare. Types like spatial jump, spatial transfer, or teleportation source weapons all fell into the category of space-restriction source weapons. Though the properties were similar, their methods of use differed.
Yun Yingzhi: The kind that can block the connection between the Zerg Emperor and the Zerg troops?
Almost immediately, Yun Yingzhi received a reply from Yun Yinghui.
Yun Yinghui: No.
Yun Yingzhi was stunned. There really wasn’t one? He had been studying with Alvin and had seen all sorts of source weapons. Indeed, he had rarely encountered source weapons with space abilities, but he had assumed it was due to the specialization of the craft.
Thinking carefully, the empire was huge, and there were countless source weapon craftsmen. If he could think of such a weapon, surely others could too. In theory, it made sense. So hearing Yun Yinghui say “no” shocked him. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken. For the first time, he felt he might actually be able to help his brother.
Immediately after, he received another private message from Yun Yinghui.
Yun Yinghui: Zhi Zhi has a lot of ideas.
Yun Yinghui: The Zerg Emperor can give commands to the Zerg troops from a distance. Once received, the troops go berserk, become fearless of death, and can even self-destruct collectively. That’s what makes them so dangerous. A source weapon that severs the connection between the Zerg troops and the Emperor? This is the first time I’ve heard of it.
Yun Yingzhi blinked his big eyes. He thought, Not only will I make Yun Yinghui hear about it for the first time, I will create it for him.
Yun Yinghui: Perhaps in the future, this type of source weapon could appear. That might greatly reduce the pressure on frontline soldiers.
Yun Yingzhi asked: Brother, what level are your teammates?
Yun Yinghui: Why are you asking suddenly?
Yun Yingzhi: I’ve studied making source weapons for a long time. I’ve always wanted to make one for you, but I never had the chance. I realized I can’t make one for you yet, but I could make them for your teammates!
Yun Yinghui: Zhi Zhi, you’ve never given me one. Should I be jealous?
Yun Yingzhi’s whole body seemed to bloom with little flowers. He loved any form of expressing love. He typed again: Brother! Zhi Zhi loves you!
Yun Yinghui: Good Zhi Zhi. Brother loves you too.
At that moment, their minds synced perfectly, remembering things from the distant past. Back then, Yun Yingzhi was too young to understand much. He craved his parents’ love and would constantly call Yun Yinghui “Dad” and “Mom,” each time following it with “Zhi Zhi loves Dad,” “Zhi Zhi loves Mom!”
Young Yun Yingzhi never demanded a reply, but… He would look at Yun Yinghui with big, watery eyes, pitiful and expectant. Then Yun Yinghui would be forced to reply with “Dad loves Zhi Zhi” or “Mom loves Zhi Zhi.”
Of course, Yun Yinghui tried to resist. When little Yun Yingzhi said “Zhi Zhi loves Mom,” he would reply, “Brother loves Zhi Zhi.” That was acceptable too. Yet the tiny body would wobble like a noodle and collapse to the ground, sometimes transforming into the small second form and curling up, looking utterly pitiful. Anyone watching would feel their heart break.
So Yun Yinghui would endure the embarrassment and, testing the waters, say “Mom loves Zhi Zhi.” Instantly, little Yun Yingzhi who was lying on the ground would spring back up, bursting with tiny happy bubbles and vitality. Those years, the scariest thing for Yun Yinghui was hearing little Yun Yingzhi say, “Zhi Zhi loves Mom.”
Humans adapt quickly. Over those years, Yun Yinghui had been trained to respond reflexively.
Just like now—when Yun Yingzhi typed, “Zhi Zhi loves Brother,” Yun Yinghui immediately envisioned the scene of the fragile little body collapsing if he didn’t respond, and he replied without hesitation. His little brother was far too delicate.
Yun Yingzhi: Brother, I want to make source weapons for your teammates because Zhi Zhi loves you! Your teammates are strong—they can protect you!
Before Yun Yinghui could reply, Yun Yingzhi typed again: I will grow faster, and in a few years, I’ll be able to make a perfectly tailored source weapon for you!
Yun Yinghui replied: Good.
Yun Yingzhi: I can’t make a suitable source weapon for you yet, but I think I can make one for your teammates. Brother, tell me their levels!
This time, Yun Yinghui answered. Just as Yun Yingzhi expected, Yun Yinghui was a level 9 esper soldier, with two teammates of the same level, and several level 7 and 8 teammates. The team was strong overall, with quite a few level 5 and 6 esper soldiers as well.
Yun Yingzhi clenched his fists. He wished he could run to the workshop immediately and start making source weapons for Yun Yinghui’s teammates.
Oh. There were still two serious problems.
The biggest difficulty in making source weapons for Yun Yinghui’s teammates was, first, that he needed to figure out a space-restriction engraving pattern capable of blocking the Zerg Emperor’s psychic transmissions. And second…
Well, that was the more practical problem. Every single source weapon required money to create—and he had none.
Yun Yingzhi stared at the chat history with Yun Yinghui. There’s no way I can just tell him now that I don’t have money and need him to transfer me some first, he thought. He couldn’t do that. He was already an adult; he had to find a way to solve this himself. He needed to figure out how to make money.
While Yun Yingzhi was lost in thought, Vast said, “The lineup for the second match is out.”
Yun Yingzhi perked up, sent a quick “Good night” to Yun Yinghui, and then opened his messages.
As usual, after signing the pre-battle agreement with Yaoming Battle Arena, he walked toward the waiting room with his two teammates. About ten minutes later, the passage from the waiting room to the battlefield opened, and the three walked out, side by side.
Even though Yun Yingzhi had only fought once in Yaoming Battle Arena, the stands for what was technically his second match were already almost full. When Yun Yingzhi and his two teammates appeared in the glass corridor leading down to the arena, a huge crowd erupted in cheers. The words “Cute Little Battle Rabbit” echoed through the sky.
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