Chapter 188: Extra 3 – The Future
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Lin Xu was frozen in place, unable to move until Heinrich stepped forward and peeled Yuanxiao off his face, freeing him.
“Thank you…” Lin Xu panted heavily, still shaken as he gently pinched Yuanxiao’s tail. Yuanxiao happily wagged his tail along with Lin Xu’s hand, “Papa, papa!”
Heinrich gave Lin Xu a helpless smile. Heinrich had accompanied Lin Xu throughout this inspection trip mainly to help take care of the two mischievous little dragons. Another reason was that he didn’t have much else to do now.
Since Lin Xu had taken office as the chief governor, to maintain a balance of power and prevent dictatorship, Heinrich, as his mate, couldn’t continue to hold actual military authority—at least not while Lin Xu was in office.
He was invited to be a member of the Federal Military Council, granted the rank of General, and kept command of the Victoria, but without leading troops. So Heinrich simply stayed by Lin Xu’s side to look after the kids. Sitting off to the side, Zhou Pingbo tapped on the table. “You two, pay attention to me.”
Lin Xu cleared his throat awkwardly and walked over with Heinrich. This time, Heinrich came to see Zhou Pingbo because of Yuanxiao.
After discovering that Yuanxiao could transform into a mermaid, Lin Xu and Heinrich started wondering if the little dragon could become human. After all, the lifestyles of humans, dragons, and mermaids were completely different, so they had to start considering Yuanxiao’s education.
“The results are out,” Zhou Pingbo told them.
“So soon?” Lin Xu was surprised.
Zhou Pingbo smiled. “You blew up all the Zerg; what else do you want me to do? I’m bored out of my mind. I have all the time in the world to help check the little dragon.”
“I remember you signed contracts with some private companies to collaborate on civilian bionic mechas,” Lin Xu said.
Zhou Pingbo nodded. “The Federation has loosened restrictions on private mecha design and manufacturing. They’re starting research, but funding will take some time. Enough about that—let’s look at the genetic test results. Yuanxiao should be able to turn human, as long as he has enough energy and the willingness to do so.”
“Is that so?”
Lin Xu glanced at the silly black-and-white little dragon flapping his wings joyfully and felt worried.
“Papa?” Yuanxiao stopped in front of Lin Xu, tilting his head, his big round blue eyes filled with both joy and curiosity. Seeing Lin Xu didn’t respond, Yuanxiao threw himself onto Lin Xu’s shoulder and rubbed frantically, “Papa, papa, papa!”
Heinrich took out a few sea crystals and fed them to Yuanxiao, telling him not to bother Lin Xu so much. Yuanxiao’s eyes lit up. He hugged the sea crystals and flew over to where Christa was. Heinrich smoothed out the wrinkles on Lin Xu’s clothes. Christa’s body was still very weak, and she lay softly on the table like a spilled blueberry pudding. Yuanxiao sat beside her, folded his wings, and brought the sea crystals to Christa’s mouth.
“Ying!” Yuanxiao called out.
“Ying…” Christa weakly replied, struggling to open her eyes.
“Ah—” Yuanxiao opened his mouth wide and made a sound, then held the sea crystals to Christa’s mouth as if trying to teach her.
Christa went, “Ying wu—ah.”
The little blue dragon opened his mouth and bit off a small piece of the sea crystal. Yuanxiao flapped his wings, took the sea crystal back, bit off a big chunk, and then offered it again to Christa, signaling her to take another bite.
“Ah wu—” Christa finally opened her mouth wide.
Time flowed like a broken glacier, and eighteen years later, Yuanxiao Volans had grown into a handsome young man—no longer flapping his wings and smacking Lin Xu’s face.
But that didn’t stop a bunch of little dragons from lunging at him the moment he opened the door, smearing their faces all over his, clutching his neck, arms, and chest.
“Papa, dada, I’m back… ah!”
The impact of the little dragons rushing at him was enough to push him right out the door. He stumbled a few steps, lost his footing, and tumbled down the porch steps just as the door slammed shut behind him.
Lin Xu and Heinrich were in the kitchen preparing a meal. He heard Yuanxiao’s voice cut off abruptly and grew curious. Setting down his knife, Lin Xu said, “I’ll go check.”
“Mm,” Heinrich replied, frying dream cow meat over the stove, unable to leave for now. “At this time, he should be home.”
Passing the study, Lin Xu saw Christa sitting on top of the bookshelf, holding two rabbit-cats while reading. “Christa, did you see Yuanxiao?” Christa tilted her head as her pale blue hair fell, and Blackie couldn’t resist reaching out to play with it.
“I heard his voice, and the door opening and closing, but no one came inside.”
“All right.” Lin Xu nodded and walked toward the foyer but still saw no one. How strange. Frowning slightly, Lin Xu stepped forward and opened the door. No one stood there.
But when he looked up, he saw Yuanxiao rolling around on the grass with a group of little dragons. The Cacamorra Plains had just been washed by rain, and rolling in the grass had turned Yuanxiao and his little brothers and sisters into muddy dragons. Lin Xu said sternly, “Yuanxiao Volans, stand up.”
Hearing his papa’s voice, Yuanxiao stiffened and quickly scrambled to his feet, not caring that his uniform was covered in mud. The little dragons were shaken off and bounced like round balls on the ground, chirping and climbing back up on him, treating him like a giant dragon playground.
Yuanxiao snapped to attention, raised his hand to his forehead, and saluted Lin Xu. “Volans reporting to Chief Lin!”
“Get inside.”
Yuanxiao chuckled, his steady black hair and blue eyes seemingly glowing in the sunlight. “Yes, coming right away.”
He stretched out his arms, scooped up all the little dragons, and jogged inside to follow Lin Xu.
“Go clean yourself up,” Lin Xu instructed.
“All right, all right, I’m going.”
“And the little dragons. Take them to bathe, too.”
“No problem,” Yuanxiao answered cheerfully, his shout attracting Heinrich’s attention.
Heinrich looked at Yuanxiao, dirty and silly right after coming home, and for the first time, the usually stern and calm expression on his face cracked a little. “Are you like this at the Federal Military Academy too?”
“Uh, not really, I don’t think so, probably not…” Yuanxiao stammered. Heinrich couldn’t bear it anymore and waved him toward the bathroom. Yuanxiao escaped trouble and slipped away holding the little dragons. At that moment, Christa walked out of the study, and Heinrich called after her, “Does your brother act just as… silly at the Military Academy?”
Christa paused to think. Her skin was pale and cold, almost translucent, revealing purplish veins beneath. Her sharp features had clearly inherited all the cold and distant traits from both Heinrich and Lin Xu.
“Not really,” she said succinctly. Heinrich nodded. Christa was aloof and taciturn but steadier and more reliable than that mischievous Yuanxiao. But then Christa added, “Lately, he’s been hanging out with Adrian, and it seems like they’re planning to switch majors.”
“What major does he want to switch to?” Lin Xu asked. Adrian was in the Command Department, while Yuanxiao was in Mecha Piloting. If they switched majors together, where would they go? Logistics? Mecha Design?
“To Capital Star University’s Ancient Earth Veterinary Medicine,” Christa said. Heinrich rubbed his forehead. What was going on here?
Yuanxiao carried the little dragons to the large bath specially prepared for them at home, big enough to fit all five at once.
He tapped the smart bath button to start filling the tub. When he first put the little dragons into the water, they clung to his hands unwilling to let go, but the warm water soon attracted them. Several of the little dragons happily splashed and played.
Among the five little dragons, there were three boys and two girls. Only two had the usual black-and-white coloring, while the other three sported deep blue, pale pink, and gunmetal-gray scales, some with beautiful flowing patterns like running water.
Zhou Pingbo had helped research the coloration genes of dragon and mermaid offspring and believed this was normal. They might even produce gold or red little dragons.
During Lin Xu’s twelve years as chief governor, he was too busy to hatch more eggs. But six years ago, once the human interstellar federation’s systems were running smoothly, Lin Xu felt there was no longer a need for him to hold supreme power, so he stepped down and abolished the governor system entirely.
Though the federation tried to retain him, he accepted only an honorary advisor title and occasionally gave suggestions. With a more relaxed life, Lin Xu left planet P666 and returned to Endymion, bought the entire Cacamorra Plains, and expanded the old house to live in.
Heinrich resumed commanding troops, restored the Abyss Fleet’s name, and after Capricciosa left Crescent District for the Red Moon System, took over Crescent District’s command.
Since he no longer undertook patrol missions, Heinrich could live on Endymion after work. Lin Xu started laying eggs again, one after another. Heinrich initially worried about his health, but Lin Xu was enthusiastic and said it was fine, so the eggs kept coming.
After Yuanxiao’s seventh younger sister was born, Lin Xu’s eyes sparkled as he gently touched the little dragon’s soft, deep blue flowing patterned scales. Heinrich suddenly realized Lin Xu might have developed a fetish for collecting patterns and colors.
Sure enough, Lin Xu wanted an eighth little dragon of some unknown color. Heinrich panicked inside but stayed calm on the surface, repeatedly advising Lin Xu. He even stopped at the most critical moment in bed to talk about it, which made Lin Xu grab and bite him in frustration. Eventually, Lin Xu angrily gave up on his collecting obsession and swallowed some sweet, warm chocolate.
Heinrich silently endured Lin Xu’s sharp teeth. If they kept having more, they really wouldn’t be able to raise them all. Yuanxiao hadn’t yet acquired a whole rainbow squad of little brothers and sisters.
The little dragons could bathe themselves and wouldn’t drown. After playing with them for a while, Yuanxiao dashed to the adjacent bathroom when Lin Xu called him to dinner. He activated the quick-clean mode to take a shower, then changed into clean clothes. Afterward, he helped the little dragons out of the bath, dried them off, and took them all to the dining room.
No sooner had he asked about the taste of the food than his stomach started growling loudly. After settling the little dragons in their seats to nibble on sea crystals, he quickly came to the table. The roasted dream cow meat was irresistibly fragrant.
Lin Xu watched Yuanxiao devour his meal ravenously, then glanced at Christa, who ate calmly and normally. He felt puzzled — he remembered the Military Academy received sufficient funding every year, so food costs shouldn’t be a problem.
“Yuanxiao, I heard you want to study Ancient Earth Veterinary Medicine,” Heinrich asked at that moment.
Yuanxiao choked a bit, swallowed his food, then answered innocently, “I have been thinking about it. I came back this time to discuss it with you all. I think it’s enough for our family to have Christa carry on the family legacy and reputation. I’m not like her. I want to do something different.”
Christa also studied at the Federal Military Academy. Because she had insufficient energy early on while still in her egg and had suffered strong radiation exposure, Christa’s body was somewhat fragile. She resembled a delicate, icy lotus flower — occasionally suffering headaches and coughs that required her to use inhalers. At the Military Academy, some considered her an easy target and bullied her. A classmate once worriedly asked Yuanxiao, “Aren’t you going to help your sister?”
Yuanxiao replied, “No need.”
The classmate gave him a sideways glance, watching Yuanxiao’s indifferent expression, and thinking of his family background, imagined a dozen dramatic wealthy sibling rivalry stories. Then, several painful cries came from nearby.
The classmate looked on in disbelief — Christa had single-handedly beaten up a group of alpha Military Academy students. After the fight, she coughed a few times in the wind, her cheeks flushed red, appearing unusually gentle. Looking at the bruised and battered alphas on the ground, well… definitely fragile.
The fight video was uploaded to the Military Academy forum, which exploded with cries: “Goddess, marry me!”
“Goddess, fight me one-on-one!”
“Sis, I want your little whip, sob sob!”
Yuanxiao feigned a sigh, shaking his head. Christa’s health was indeed poor, but only in comparison to the universe’s dragons; humans couldn’t compare to her. Putting aside the memories, after hearing Yuanxiao’s confession, Lin Xu looked him in the eye. “Carry on the family legacy? Maintain the reputation? Is that your idea?”
Yuanxiao felt a chill run down his spine under the gaze. “Uh… yes.”
Lin Xu held his gaze steady and said seriously, “Heinrich and I don’t have a career to inherit, nor a reputation to uphold. We have many children, but it’s not to build a powerful noble family.”
“Of course, if you…” Lin Xu glanced toward Christa and the round little dragons, “are hungry for money and power, the family certainly has the means to help, but I hope you each go and do what you want, without chasing after wealth and influence.”
“After all, the deeper the roots in the fame and fortune arena, the easier the corruption. That’s not what I want to see.”
Yuanxiao felt a little dizzy. “So, I can go pet roly-polies… uh, I mean, study Ancient Earth Veterinary Medicine?”
Heinrich asked, “The Golden Cross defense line will soon be rotating personnel to Ancient Earth. Do you want to go?”
The Ancient Earth route had been gradually developed over the last decade or so. Because of the long distance and high travel costs, the civilian development area was still limited. Personnel going to ancient Earth mainly conducted scientific research, and the Federation sent a group of soldiers every few years on rotation duty.
“Ah!” Yuanxiao felt tempted. He actually quite liked piloting mechas but also loved petting all kinds of furry animals. “I… I need to ask Adrian what he thinks.”
After finishing his meal, Yuanxiao ran out to contact Adrian. Christa remained at the table. Lin Xu guessed she had something to say.
“Papa, is everything you just said really final?”
“Hmm,” Lin Xu understood the implication behind his little girl’s words. “What do you want?”
“The expedition fleet will set sail in three months. I want to join,” Christa said, her gaze cold but resolute. It was clear she had made up her mind about her path forward. Lin Xu knew Christa’s personality well, but he was still a little surprised by her request.
After the founding of the Human Federation, the territory only had minor regional unrest, requiring little military force, and the Military Academy had once fallen into decline.
It wasn’t until Lin Xu stepped down as chief governor that the Federation Council passed a motion to venture further into the unknown universe and expand human territory. Military power revived, and joining the expedition fleet became a primary way to earn military merit.
Within the Federation, there were anti-war advocates who saw the expedition as an act of violence and unnecessary, while supporters believed humans have always harbored a yearning for the stars and the unknown—a yearning etched into their souls. The expedition was not aggression but exploration. Lin Xu remained neutral on the matter. He glanced at Heinrich.
Heinrich met Lin Xu’s questioning look and stared seriously at Christa. “Are you sure? The expedition route is long and dangerous, and there’s no guarantee of success.”
“I know it’s an adventure. I’ve made up my mind.”
“Good,” Heinrich pressed his lips together. “You need to finish all your remaining studies within three months and graduate in the top three of your class. Then, I will arrange for you to join the expedition forces.”
“I understand.”
After dinner, Christa returned to her room to pack. She would leave for the Federation Military Academy tomorrow. Lin Xu watched the empty hallway and sighed for no reason. He grabbed a pink little dragon and poked their soft belly, making the little one, just done eating sea crystals, hiccup repeatedly.
“Heinrich, where do you think these little guys will want to go when they grow up?”
“I don’t know.” Heinrich’s hand stroked Lin Xu’s long hair. “Do you want to go to Haven to see the comet shower?”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.” Heinrich pinched Lin Xu’s ear again. “Yuanxiao is back. He can take care of the kids.”
“Good idea.” Lin Xu leaned back into Heinrich’s embrace. Heinrich felt a sweet fragrance envelop him once more. “We’ll leave tonight, just in time to send Christa back to the Federation Military Academy.”
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