ABST Chapter 7

“…It’s nothing.”

 

Lan Xia straightened up, his right hand inconspicuously applying slight pressure. His mental power flashed, and the syringe turned into moonlight-like powder, slowly sprinkling from between his fingers to the ground.

 

“I came out for some fresh air.”

 

His right hand naturally dropped to his side. When Jin Daike looked again, it was completely clean, as if the cold gleam she had seen at her teacher’s fingertips was just an illusion.

 

Jin Daike’s gaze hesitated: “I just saw…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

Lan Xia adjusted his sleeves, the silver cufflinks reflecting a cold light in the moonlight, then looked up and said gently: “What’s wrong?”

 

“…Nothing.”

 

She blinked, unable to say what felt off, so she scratched her head. “Brother noticed you weren’t eating and sent me to find you, to bring you some food.”

 

As she spoke, she handed over the box in her hands.

 

An ordinary clean iron box, but the pastries inside were extraordinary—delicate and soft, with a sweet fragrance.

 

“This is from a famous pastry shop in Silicon Blue City. It’s all for you, teacher.” Jin Daike smiled sweetly, leaning closer to whisper, “Are you hiding because you don’t like barbecue?”

 

Lan Xia was stunned, then smiled and nodded.

 

He did prefer sweets.

 

“Thank you, Daike.”

 

“It’s nothing! So teacher is picky about food too.” The little girl looked as if she would definitely keep it secret, walking away with a smile, her braids swinging in happy arcs behind her.

 

Sweets…

 

Lan Xia looked down. After a moment, he couldn’t resist poking the pastry with his fingertip. Rationally speaking, he couldn’t eat right now. Besides, having just injected nutritional supplements, there was no need to eat.

 

Three seconds later.

 

Lan Xia decisively picked up the smallest piece inside—

 

A pastry crumb.

 

He’d just eat a tiny bit.

 

…

 

Silicon Blue City Central Base.

 

Military medical room.

 

The air was filled with faint medicinal scents and the smell of blood.

 

The base commander tremblingly pushed open the door and personally placed a written confession on the desk.

 

The Admiral’s emotions were unreadable. His military uniform draped over his shoulders, the bloodstained shirt had been changed, and except for his slightly pale lips, he showed no signs of weakness.

 

The commander only glanced once before quickly lowering his head, wiping cold sweat from his forehead: “This subordinate failed in supervision, please punish me, Admiral!”

 

He already cursed that rescued young master Suto to death! And the villains who saved him! To let the Admiral get injured in his Silicon Blue City.

 

When he first heard the news, the Admiral had already been helped in by his adjutant, his chest and half his shoulder covered in blood.

 

The Admiral’s cap brim was pulled very low, and he still wore his mask. He couldn’t see the Admiral’s face, but the icy gaze from his adjutant made his legs go weak, nearly making him kneel.

 

The injured person was Elansno—the embodiment of Federation military power!

 

A remote area commander like him was as insignificant as a sesame seed, unlikely to see such a figure even once in a lifetime.

 

If news of the Admiral being shot in his territory got out, forget his direct superior—even His Majesty Rosh wouldn’t spare him.

 

The more the commander thought about it, the more frightened he became. Combined with Elansno’s continued silence, he actually fell to his knees with a solid thump that made one’s teeth ache.

 

Gong Du came back to his senses, paused, and said to his consciousness: “Sorry, I was distracted just now. Do you have a recording? Play it back for me.”

 

Two or three seconds later.

 

The small light orb said sheepishly: “…I was distracted too.”

 

Gong Du expressed understanding: “The barbecue smelled really good.”

 

Small light orb: “Sigh.”

 

The main body and alter ego shared sensations.

 

The campfire barbecue scene from Lan Xia’s side was perfectly restored in Gong Du’s mind like a holographic projection, forcing the small light orb to watch a late-night food show.

 

After a few jokes, Gong Du gathered his spirits and, looking at the commander who could barely keep kneeling, waved at the nearby soldiers to dismiss them.

 

“Teach him what can be said and what can’t.”

 

The soldier acknowledged: “Yes.”

 

They lifted the commander from the ground. Terrified out of his wits, he cried and wailed as he was quickly dragged out, his voice soon disappearing.

 

Kang Quan: “Admiral, everything here has been taken care of. News of your injury won’t get out.”

 

The First Army guarded the Northwest Sector borders. If news of the Admiral’s injury in Silicon Blue City spread, who knows how many assassinations it would attract.

 

Gong Du hummed in acknowledgment and stood up: “Return to base.”

 

The warship departed Silicon Blue City punctually a few minutes later.

 

Though news of the Admiral’s injury had to be completely suppressed, there was no need to hide it from the military doctor at the First Army base responsible for treating the Admiral.

 

S-level mental power evolvers were hailed as ‘living weapons.’

 

But no matter how strong a ‘living weapon’ was, it was still a normal flesh and blood body that could get sick, die, and whose wounds wouldn’t heal out of thin air.

 

Kane was Admiral Elansno’s dedicated military doctor in the First Army. He had been by the Admiral’s side treating wounds since the Admiral was fourteen.

 

At that time, the Federation was in chaos, anti-Federation organizations rose up in anger over the burning of the Hall of Divine Mercy, yet Emperor Rosh, as if joking, granted military command to a fourteen-year-old boy.

 

No one believed a teenager—who could even be called a child—could turn the tide, until the Admiral achieved great victory in his first battle, his uniform stained with blood, standing on the wreckage of warships and planting the Federation flag on the enemy leader’s skull.

 

From then on, word spread that Elansno was an S-level mental power evolver. Victory after victory, using ruthless methods to quickly reverse the Federation’s disadvantage, those purple eyes became the nightmare of countless people.

 

After Kane finished treating Elansno’s gunshot wound, he left his office carrying his medical kit. Before he had taken many steps, he encountered Kang Quan returning from handling official business.

 

Kang Quan stopped and inquired: “Has the Admiral’s injury improved?”

 

Kane answered truthfully: “That bullet was crudely made. When it passed through his shoulder, it caused a minor explosion at the Admiral’s bones and meridians, leaving source iron ore slag radiation residue. For the next few days, the Admiral will experience continuous high fever, loss of appetite, weakness in limbs, and other symptoms. Be careful not to let him overexert himself, and keep his emotions stable.”

 

“Alright, I understand.”

 

Seeing that Kang Quan had listened seriously, Kane felt relieved. When he had examined the Admiral earlier, he had given similar instructions, but the Admiral’s absent-minded appearance clearly showed he hadn’t listened.

 

With Kang Quan watching over him, things would be much better.

 

When Kang Quan entered Elansno’s office carrying documents, he looked around but couldn’t find anyone. He was slightly stunned: “Admiral?”

 

…

 

The sound of running water in the washroom stopped.

 

The layout here followed standard military specifications.

 

The only difference was that there was no mirror in front of the washbasin in Elansno’s room.

 

The mask he had never removed in front of others was placed on the counter.

 

Elansno’s face was wet with water droplets, moisture silently flowing down his jawline. His upper body was bare, his left shoulder wrapped in heavy bandages that extended downward, tied in a neat knot at his waist. His silver-white long hair covered most of the large and small scars on his back.

 

This was the body of an adult man, with beautifully defined muscle lines. The mottled scars bore the honor of blood and gunpowder, as well as countless people’s curses and contempt.

 

He stood in front of the washbasin, the smooth gray iron wall in front reflecting his blurred silhouette, his features unclear.

 

Those purple eyes and the mask never removed in front of outsiders seemed to have become this Federation Admiral’s distinguishing features. No one knew what the face under the mask looked like—

 

Including himself.

 

The wound on his shoulder ached faintly. Elansno thought again of the person who had snatched Shou Bing from his hands.

 

Those misty light golden eyes were a very special color.

 

In that moment when they were extremely close, that feeling… was somewhat painful, but not the kind of pain from a bullet passing through his shoulder.

 

He couldn’t describe it.

 

Elansno reached out toward his shadow on the cold wall in front of him, but stopped abruptly just before touching the outline of his face.

 

His breathing suddenly became rapid, his fingers began to tremble lightly. After a standoff of two or three seconds, he suddenly withdrew his fingertips and pressed them against his throbbing temples.

 

After a long while.

 

Elansno put on the military uniform draped nearby, splashed his forehead and eye corners with cold water to cool his slightly burning skin, and after finishing his preparations, put on his mask, hiding his abnormally pale complexion.

 

The shallow bewilderment in those purple eyes from earlier was like an illusion of seeing flowers through fog.

 

…

 

Gong Du pushed open the door and said to Kang Quan, who had been waiting for a while: “Is everything handled?”

 

Kang Quan paused: “Yes, we’ve begun the pursuit as you ordered. Class A arrest warrant.”

 

An arrest warrant meant capturing but not harming—compared to the Admiral’s previous methods, this could be called gentle, especially considering they were pursuing the two people who had injured the Admiral and young master Suto.

 

“I see.”

 

The documents he brought were all placed on the desk—matters that didn’t fall within an adjutant’s authority to approve. Gong Du opened them one by one to review.

 

Kang Quan carefully observed the Admiral’s expression, his gaze falling on the other’s somewhat pale lips. Remembering what Dr. Kane had said, he reminded: “Admiral, you should rest more these few days.”

 

“There’s no need.”

 

Gong Du took a sip of the coffee beside him, the bitter taste blooming on his tongue.

 

Suddenly, he paused, tapped the rim of his cup with his fingertip, and without warning looked up at Kang Quan: “Change today’s lunch to barbecue.”

 

Kang Quan: ?

 

Without thinking, he replied: “Absolutely not! Your stomach hasn’t healed yet.”

 

Gong Du: “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

 

“You’re injured and forbidden from eating any greasy or heavily flavored foods.”

 

“Adjutant!”

 

Kang Quan remained unmoved: “You can skip the meal replacement candy and return to normal eating, but barbecue is absolutely not allowed.”

 

Gong Du: “…”

 

Stubborn.

 

After a moment of standoff, the light brain on Gong Du’s wrist suddenly flashed. He raised his hand to look, his expression becoming slightly focused.

 

It was a transmission from Emperor Rosh.

 

Gong Du: Here it comes, exam supervisor. Let us applaud for the grand drama about to unfold.

 

The small light orb in his consciousness very cooperatively applauded for three seconds.

 

…

 

The moment he received the communication, all of Elansno’s casualness disappeared completely.

 

He immediately stood up, connected the call, performed a military salute, and said respectfully: “Your Majesty.”

 

Kang Quan hadn’t expected Emperor Rosh to suddenly transmit either, and quickly saluted behind Elansno.

 

Emperor Rosh’s figure appeared in the void. He looked Elansno over, and after a moment, a gentle, magnanimous smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: “Elansno, are First Army affairs very busy?”

 

Elansno: “They’re mostly handled now.”

 

“In that case, hurry to the Imperial Capital. The administrative office has issued countless decrees urging your return. If you don’t come back soon, they’ll start suspecting you have treasonous intentions.” Emperor Rosh’s tone was gentle, his smile deepening.

 

“Elansno is forever loyal to Your Majesty!” The Admiral knelt on one knee without hesitation. “The administrative office has always been at odds with me. I thought this summons back was like previous times—to listen to their nonsense. I didn’t realize it was Your Majesty’s command.”

 

“Since it’s Your Majesty’s command, Elansno will depart immediately.”

 

Emperor Rosh didn’t say much more, only: “Then come to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible.”

 

“Yes!”

 

After the communication was cut off, Elansno turned and walked out, giving stern orders: “Prepare the warship, we’re going to the Imperial Capital—”

 

Sharp pain suddenly pierced his brain again. The Admiral’s body temperature was higher than usual due to wound inflammation. His dark purple pupils unfocused for a moment, and his body swayed slightly as he stood up.

 

“…!” Kang Quan instinctively reacted, quickly supporting him. Having been an adjutant for so many years, his attentiveness was second only to Dr. Kane’s. He immediately extended the back of his hand to touch Elansno’s forehead—

 

Burning hot.

 

Due to their close proximity, he also caught a faint scent of blood.

 

Yet the person in terrible physical condition had no self-awareness, only standing straight again. Kang Quan could feel how tense the muscles in Elansno’s arm were beneath his palm.

 

One of an adjutant’s duties was to care for the Admiral. Kang Quan spoke: “You’re not suitable right now to…”

 

His voice cut off abruptly.

 

He met a pair of emotionless dark purple eyes, extremely cold.

 

Elansno gradually brushed off his support, his fingers already resting on the holster at his waist, saying coldly and slowly: “I said, prepare the warship. Immediately.”

 

Cold and obsessive like a machine executing orders, yet with extremely unstable violence suppressed in his eyes—Elansno had become utterly unfamiliar in an instant.

 

**

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