Barren Star – Chapter 26
by Little PandaBetter not to wake up.
Although they decided to go to the abandoned prison, when to go and how to go still needed careful consideration. Ning Buyi didn’t want to put herself in a dangerous situation. Originally, she planned to send a small robot to scout, but under Hua Zhuoyu’s suggestion, Ning Buyi changed her mind and called out Hei Rui of the Insect Race from the flower field to carry out the mission. After all, before becoming a hardworking bee, Hei Rui was a scout for the Insect Race.
“I will register Monasha and the others as residents of the Barren Star, what do you think?” After careful consideration, Ning Buyi brought up the matter of “residents” with Hua Zhuoyu.
Hua Zhuoyu looked at Ning Buyi in surprise, and after pondering for a while said: “As long as it’s not reported to the Da Xia’s household registration system, it’s fine.” The boundaries between Beast Race, Insect Race, and Human Race were clear, and races would not cross. If expelled, they would directly become unregistered [illegal residents], and couldn’t be accepted as citizens by other civilizations.
Ning Buyi quickly said: “It won’t be reported, it’s Barren Star’s own system.”
Hua Zhuoyu smiled: “You are the planet owner, make your own decision.”
Hearing Hua Zhuoyu say this, Ning Buyi felt relieved, as her actions didn’t violate Da Xia’s laws. After uploading Monasha, Jack Ray and others’ information, she saw that the Mountain Sea Atlas’s resident module had four more names, clicking in showed their basic information, with loyalty being the top item, all values showing one hundred percent. Ning Buyi felt her connection with Monasha and the others strengthen, manifested in being more skillful when using “dominion” on them.
Outside the base, the spaceship hovered.
These past few days Hua Zhuoyu hadn’t come out, and they couldn’t enter the base, only able to communicate through light brains.
Zhao Qiuyu focused entirely on studying plants after returning, while Ning Mo was busy dealing with Barren Star and Ning family matters. He Chao was quite idle, he wanted to tour the base like Zhao Qiuyu, but unfortunately his request was rejected by Ning Buyi—Ning Buyi had principles and didn’t want to earn money from the disliked He Chao.
“Are we just going to wait here?” He Chao paced back and forth in the cabin, unable to calm his mind.
“Didn’t they say there was a mission?” Zhao Qiuyu glanced at He Chao, saying with a skin smile but not flesh smile [insincere], “A little insect scout went over there, if there’s really something going on, we won’t have peace. After that matter is resolved, we can probably send little Feng Jiu back to Beast Star.” Her temper was bad, and when meeting with He Chao, it was like lighting a powder keg.
He Chao got angry thinking about Monasha’s group: “I don’t understand why the base would shelter Insect Race members, when they clearly attacked Zhuoyu.”
Zhao Qiuyu shrugged, saying perfunctorily: “Who knows?” The Insect Race in the base had been tamed, doing work that others deeply envied. When touring the base, for a moment Zhao Qiuyu wanted to take their place, rather than carefully staying at the edge of the field, afraid that one careless move would get her head blown off by cannon fire.
He Chao felt he had no common language with Zhao Qiuyu, their positions differed on many things. His gaze circled around, finally settling on Ning Mo, but unfortunately Ning Mo was as quiet as her name suggested [Mo means silent], and couldn’t possibly be on his side. Compared to Zhao Qiuyu’s sharp words, the frustration from “knowing nothing when asked” wasn’t any less.
Hei Rui only flew back at dusk the next day.
The setting sun fell in the west, the entire sky interwoven with light and dark, like flames burning in the deep blue, and when the fierce flames burned out, only smoke-ash-like emptiness remained.
Hei Rui transformed into human form, reported the reconnaissance news, then stood nervously, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the flower field.
Ning Buyi and Hua Zhuoyu stood face to face, in the long silence, even the air seemed to grow cold. Until Ning Buyi spoke: “Twenty-three people, including two mecha warriors, dark pollution level unknown.” What was actually troublesome wasn’t the “mecha warriors,” but their identity—space pirates! The abandoned prison had become a hideout for space pirates trafficking humans!
“Barren Star is no longer suitable for living, those left behind are guards, abandoned by the pirate group,” Hua Zhuoyu pondered for a moment, turned to Hei Rui, and said, “Besides humans, did you see Beast Race members?”
Hei Rui nodded: “Couldn’t see their original form, but their aura was very domineering, should be from a major tribe of Beast Star.” Those weren’t ordinary civilians, Hei Rui was afraid of being discovered, didn’t dare get too close. He thought for a while, then said, “The two sides aren’t working together.”
Ning Buyi heard some explosive implications in Hei Rui’s words, with space pirates and Beast Race members falling to Barren Star, their discord was a good thing for them.
Barren Prison.
The night was like a huge beast, silently swallowing heaven and earth into its belly. Cold, harsh winds blew past the ruins’ low walls and window frames, making spine-chilling howling sounds. The light was as small as beans [very dim], faintly illuminating a red brick cottage with half of it collapsed.
“Damn it, when will they come to get us out of this hellhole?!”
“Quiet, haven’t you noticed you’re getting more and more agitated?”
“Without medicine to suppress the dark pollution, what can I do? I said we should have followed those bugs from Imperial Star, who cares about the cargo!”
“Why are you crying? I’ll kick you to death!”
“If that dog hadn’t destroyed the protective shield, we wouldn’t be struggling like this.”
“Lower your voice, they’re next door.”
…
Angry roars, heavy breathing, and whimpering cries mixed together in one place, almost without pause.
Under the light, a pale hand was holding a syringe, pouring medicine into the mouth of an unconscious person on the ground.
The unconscious person made a few unconscious groans, their eyelids trembling slightly.
“Ling Shu, you’re always so reckless.” The soft sigh was quickly covered by shouting from nearby, Feng Yi pulled the thin blanket covering her body closer, the worry between her brows growing deeper.
She had chased after Ling Shu, and halfway met the notorious Flowing Sand space pirate gang—the same group that kidnapped Feng Xuan. During the battle, their spaceship was completely destroyed, she transformed into her original form and used her special abilities to force-land on the nearest planet. The luck wasn’t good, it was a barren star without official presence. The communicator and light brain were damaged during landing, unable to connect with personal chips. Beast Star probably received news about her and Ling Shu’s disappearance, but finding them among countless stars would be like finding a needle in the ocean.
However, luck wasn’t completely bad, she hadn’t expected to find traces of life, though unfortunately it was a group of space pirates, leaving no room for communication. The current situation was that the two mecha warriors there were wary of her and Ling Shu, trying every means to contact their pirate gang. If the pirate gang arrived, it would definitely be a huge threat, but it also represented an opportunity, so she didn’t stop their actions. However, seeing their frantic state, it seemed there was no hope.
“The dark pollution is gradually intensifying, afraid we’ll turn into beasts here,” Feng Yi gave a bitter smile, speaking softly. Her mental and physical state couldn’t support using special abilities a second time. As for Ling Shu—during the fight with the pirates, her body was exposed to cosmic dark pollution, the level of dark pollution inside her far exceeded her own, otherwise she wouldn’t have fallen into such a long sleep.
Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the house.
Feng Yi’s eyes sharpened, a fierce look appearing between her brows, she shouted loudly: “Who is it?!”
A shadow moved outside the window, a middle-aged man with unkempt beard and sunken eye sockets opened his mouth, revealing teeth gleaming with silver light. His eyes flickered, with a hawk-like nose and thin lips, his appearance was sleazy and cunning. He was still wary of Feng Yi, didn’t dare cross the window, just lowered his voice saying: “We can cooperate.”
Feng Yi gave a cold laugh: “What? The pirate gang won’t send a ship to pick you up?”
A flash of viciousness passed through the middle-aged man’s eyes, he rubbed his hands, hunching and shrinking his neck, talking to himself: “Barren Star originally belonged to the Ning family, they withdrew, but the base should still be there, maybe we can find something good inside.” Previously they were counting on the pirate gang to pick them up, that’s why they stayed hidden and wouldn’t go out, but now that side had turned on them, directly kicking them out, escaping with those bastards’ help was impossible.
Feng Yi sneered: “If it’s just a barren base, why don’t you dare go yourselves? Is cooperation necessary?”
The middle-aged man gave a dark laugh: “Recently they detected signal fluctuations, there might be robot guards stationed there.” With another option available, only a fool would risk going there, they as pirates couldn’t operate in the open.
Feng Yi cast a meaningful glance at the middle-aged man, asking: “What about those people you captured?” Space pirates didn’t just smuggle contraband, many innocent people were caught and treated as cargo.
A cold light flickered in the middle-aged man’s eyes: “Can’t sell them for a good price anymore, what’s the use of keeping them?” Ordinary people were corrupted by dark pollution more quickly, possibly becoming monsters in just a few days.
Feng Yi despised these pirates who had abandoned civilized order, she took a deep breath, and said sternly: “Get out!”
The middle-aged man’s face showed some indifference and anger, but he forcefully held it back, rustling away.
Feng Yi glanced at the weak light, lowered her head to gaze at Ling Shu’s pale face, remaining silent for a long time.
The sound of whips came from outside, but Feng Yi didn’t pay attention, she forcefully suppressed the anger floating deep in her heart, sitting still like a Buddha.
She could barely protect herself now, how could she sympathize with other pitiful people? If only Ling Shu would wake up.
Just as she was thinking this, a warning rose in Feng Yi’s heart, her eyelids trembled, and with lightning speed she retreated backward, the thin blanket covering her was thrown off, and in a piercing sound, was torn in half.
What she raised her head to meet was a pair of blood-red eyes, pupils almost narrowed into vertical lines, chillingly terrifying.
“Wrong, better not to wake up,” Feng Yi stared straight at Ling Shu, thinking silently.
TFTC! o7
Thanks for the chapter!