ABST Chapter 5

The news that Lan Xia had become Algiers’ teacher and would stay with Dawn quickly spread to others.

 

Jin Daike was the most delighted, seemingly because their relationship had become closer, the little girl’s natural character showed through somewhat.

 

Lan Xia himself wasn’t particularly skilled in medical research, but he also allowed Jin Daike to follow Algiers in calling him teacher.

 

The others couldn’t help but show joy.

 

An S-level mental power evolver joining Dawn was their greatest support and protection at this stage.

 

However, they still called him Mr. Lan Xia, not daring to overstep.

 

After a brief rest, everyone quickly packed their belongings and, after passing through several sectors, headed northwest.

 

With the Imperial Capital as the center, the north was where Federation control was strongest. The northwest was impoverished, with the largest distribution of anti-Federation forces of various sizes, frequent warfare, and proximity to the First Army’s garrison, often resulting in small-scale conflicts with military districts.

 

Logically, it wasn’t suitable for Dawn to venture into now.

 

But undoubtedly, the more chaotic the place, the more fertile soil it could provide for growth. The northwest, where sin, hope, and chaos coexisted, would become the place where Dawn would take root.

 

_____

 

The uproar caused by the B6 sector bombardment on StarNet had already died down under military control.

 

Gong Du had long since returned to the First Army base, staying there for over a day without any intention of departing for the Imperial Capital.

 

“Admiral, the administrative office has been sending me messages urging you to return to the Imperial Capital quickly,” Kang Quan couldn’t help but remind him when delivering documents.

 

Gong Du: “What’s the rush?”

 

“What business could the Imperial Capital possibly have now? Nothing more than those old men fearing I’m building up military power, wanting me to return so they can nag at me. Annoying.”

 

“Just reply to them that First Army affairs are busy, and I’ll return after handling them.”

 

Kang Quan had no choice but to say: “Yes.”

 

Gong Du: “That young master from the previously eliminated anti-Federation organization Suto who escaped—have you found him?”

 

“Our people discovered traces of him in Northwest Silicon Blue City,” Kang Quan paused. “Admiral, the young master of Suto is only a teenager. With the Suto organization destroyed, he alone can’t amount to much.”

 

“From a comprehensive interests perspective, he’s not worth our great efforts to find.”

 

“No, you’re wrong.”

 

Gong Du’s lips curved slightly.

 

The Suto anti-Federation organization, before being eliminated, was an extremely troublesome enemy for the Federation, not only because of their numbers, but because the Suto’s old leader was an S-level mental power evolver.

 

Previously, the entire Federation had only two S-level evolvers: Elansno and old leader Suto, with the latter viewed as the ideal leader for anti-Federation organizations, attracting countless followers to Suto.

 

Unfortunately, the sudden death of Suto’s leader was lamentable.

 

“The Suto matter was clearly the Second Army’s responsibility, yet they left me to worry about the cleanup. Wright is as useless as always.”

 

The Admiral casually opened a document. “Adjutant, you only know the leader of Suto was an S-level evolver, but do you know that from the perspective of genetic mental power resonance, evolution can potentially be inherited by the next generation?”

 

Kang Quan’s pupils contracted.

 

If the young master of Suto was just a teenager, he naturally couldn’t stir up much trouble. But if he was a potential S-level evolver, he would definitely be a major future threat to the Federation.

 

He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation: “Admiral, should I report this matter?”

 

Gong Du: “Report to whom?”

 

“Silicon Blue City is within my First Army’s jurisdiction. Even if reported, wouldn’t I still be the one handling it?”

 

He stood up, his deep purple eyes curving slightly, in quite a good mood as he put on black gloves, covering the gun calluses on his right fingertips and tiger’s mouth, rubbing them lightly.

 

“Come with me to Silicon Blue City. Don’t make a fuss—I have a premonition we’ll encounter something interesting there.”

 

Young master of Suto, Shou Bing, the third protagonist, future representative of Dawn’s combat power, a talented youth with distinguished military achievements—

 

He wondered what kind of pitiful state he was in now.

 

Without delay, a low-key airship slowly departed from the First Army base.

 

In his consciousness.

 

The small light orb pondered for a moment: “If I remember correctly, you don’t have any scenes in this part, right?”

 

The confrontation between Elansno and the protagonist group wouldn’t officially begin until three years later, when the protagonist group had grown to a certain level and possessed the ability to contend with the Federation.

 

The protagonists in their current juvenile stage, facing Elansno this ultimate weapon, would definitely face a dimensional crushing.

 

“People grow rapidly through pain and despair.”

 

Gong Du said calmly: “I’m helping him in advance.”

 

Small light orb: “…”

 

It glanced at Gong Du’s churning soul sea.

 

Having stayed in this guy’s consciousness for so long, it naturally knew what this kind of fluctuation meant—

 

Excitement.

 

Gong Du was still making excuses for himself: “Besides, it’s not just me—Lan Xia is also helping them.”

 

*Splash.*

 

The small light orb was knocked off balance by the even more excited soul sea.

 

It barely managed to steady its small black glasses frame, falling into deep speechlessness.

 

Gong Du: “I…”

 

The small light orb wiped the spray from its face: “Stop!”

 

Gong Du obediently: “Oh.”

 

Unfortunately, he hadn’t finished speaking yet.

 

Rather than saying he was confronting the protagonist group early, it would be better to say he was creating the ‘first’ meeting with Lan Xia.

 

He reached out, gently touching the mask on his face, smiling slightly.

 

Let the original script of brothers meeting without recognizing each other begin in Silicon Blue City.

 

How exciting.

 

Brother.

 

Two days later.

 

Silicon Blue City.

 

A thin teenager wrapped in a black cloak silently avoided the patrolling guards on the road, hurrying toward the abandoned district.

 

Once through the abandoned district, he could leave Silicon Blue City.

 

Shou Bing tightened his cloak, lowering his head further.

 

The abandoned district was an area of old houses left uninhabited after Silicon Blue City residents had collectively moved to the inner ring.

 

No one usually came to this area, and no one bothered to repair houses where no one lived. Mottled wall paint had been gnawed off by skinny rats.

 

Cracked pipes in the walls were dripping water drop by drop. The accumulated sewage on the ground reflected the gray, heavy sky like a square stone pressing heavily on one’s heart.

 

Apart from this, there were no other sounds—almost complete silence.

 

*Drip. Drip-drip.*

 

The water drops seemed to quicken.

 

But Shou Bing walked slower and slower, his thin fingers gripping the edge of his cloak, the hair on his back gradually rising.

 

Suddenly, his steps stopped abruptly as he looked up toward the abandoned electrical tower ten meters away, his pupils contracting sharply—

 

High above.

 

Elansno slightly lowered his military cap, lightly sliding two fingers across the brim. His purple pupils flashed as he smiled: “Oh my, Adjutant, we’ve been discovered.”

 

Kang Quan stood an arm’s length behind him and nodded upon hearing this: “Indeed very perceptive.”

 

Shou Bing turned and ran.

 

His thin figure moved with surprising speed.

 

“The fun of catching mice~”

 

Elansno smiled, leaping down from the electrical tower. His black military cloak billowed dramatically in the fierce wind, silver hair like cold ice blades cutting sharp arcs through the air.

 

The moment before his hard military boots touched the sewage on the ground, magnificent golden mental power instantly burst from his body. Elansno’s form moved so fast it nearly became an afterimage.

 

*Bang!*

 

He kicked Shou Bing against the filthy wall, giving no chance to catch his breath. Like a shadow, his ice-cold military boot pressed down hard on the teenager’s thin back.

 

Elansno never underestimated enemies because of their weakness—this kick used full force.

 

Shou Bing spat out a mouthful of blood, struggling fiercely, his whole body trembling. Yet his voice was as weak as a kitten’s, filled with ultimate humiliation: “Let… let go of me!”

 

“Let go of you for what?”

 

Elansno bent down slightly: “You can really run. Do you know how hard we’ve been looking for you?”

 

Kang Quan wasn’t an evolver, but had strong physical abilities and excelled at combat and military training. He quickly caught up, his breathing not even slightly disturbed.

 

He stood behind Elansno, glanced at the dirty teenager on the ground, then looked away without emotion: “Admiral, bring him back or…?”

 

“No rush.”

 

Dead would be boring—alive was more fun.

 

Gong Du thought that protagonists in hot-blooded stories turning the tables after setbacks was indeed satisfying, but as the villain bullying the protagonist, at this moment he genuinely felt—

 

Even more satisfying.

 

Seeming to notice the teenager he was stepping on could barely breathe, Elansno mercifully moved his foot from Shou Bing’s back.

 

Almost the moment he moved away, Shou Bing began desperately crawling outward, the teenager’s eyes nearly bloodshot.

 

He… couldn’t die.

 

He absolutely couldn’t die.

 

The cloak’s hood was pulled off, and a slightly cool finger pressed against his forehead. Shou Bing froze, meeting a pair of dark purple eyes that smiled lightly.

 

Elansno crouched in front of the teenager.

 

“How pitiful.”

 

He said.

 

“Not even as dignified as a stray dog.”

 

He watched the teenager’s changing expression with interest, speculating: “Not resisting? Could I have guessed wrong—you’re not a mental power evolver? Or perhaps—

 

Are you in the breaking mirror period?”

 

Breaking mirror period—a term exclusive to mental power evolvers.

 

Prospective evolvers in this period were extremely dangerous. One step forward meant becoming superior to others; one step back meant complete destruction.

 

Unfortunately, even if many people’s brain domains showed mental power fluctuations, they might not successfully break through the breaking mirror period, spending their entire lives stuck in limbo.

 

The higher the mental power evolution level, the longer the breaking mirror period.

 

Someone like Elansno, who broke through at fourteen to become an S-level evolver, was recorded in Federation history as the first case ever.

 

After Elansno finished speaking, Shou Bing showed no reaction. Just as he was getting bored, the teenager crawling on the ground suddenly erupted!

 

A cold dagger emerged from under the cloak, striking swift and precise toward Elansno’s neck. Without caring whether it hit, he used the momentum to run forward with his last breath.

 

“Admiral!”

 

Kang Quan’s body reacted faster than his thoughts. He tried to reach out and pull Elansno back, but only caught an afterimage.

 

He was slightly stunned.

 

Then quickly turned around.

 

Five meters away.

 

Elansno held Shou Bing by the neck with one hand, lifting him in the air. The teenager’s face was purple-red, the dagger had long fallen to the ground. He struggled desperately, slapping at the hand that gripped his life.

 

“Let… let go!”

 

“—Get lost!”

 

The teenager gritted his teeth, veins bulging.

 

Unwillingness, anger, grief, hatred, and even in this situation, the bright eyes that refused to give up on survival—brilliant like dazzling fireworks that shouldn’t exist in this dark corner.

 

Burning like a flame.

 

Never to be extinguished.

 

Never to be completely killed.

 

…

 

The cool fingers around the teenager’s neck paused.

 

Elansno saw himself clearly in those eyes.

 

He was smiling, no different from usual.

 

But for a moment, he inexplicably felt strange to himself, as if he shouldn’t be this casually indifferent about taking others’ lives.

 

Elansno’s mind suddenly stung with pain. The sensation lasted about two or three seconds. When it disappeared, his eyes instantly turned cold.

 

Looking into Shou Bing’s eyes again, he suddenly felt extremely disgusted.

 

He didn’t want to see light existing in those eyes.

 

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Author’s Note:

 

Master Gong: This kid’s eyes are really bright, let me pluck them out for lighting (not)

 

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