Bai Chunian traced a silver-white arc at dawn, landing on the ocean surface.
His hair was pure white, eyes fully transformed to the dark blue sapphire of the white lion prototype. Fingernails elongated into sharp claws, approaching a beast’s form. Only his teeth were restrained by the muzzle, preventing him from opening his jaw.
Though the muzzle appeared to be made of hydrodynamic steel, it was not formed from seawater. It had absorbed the blood from Eris’s severed arm, darkening from blue to black.
With the king’s shackle on his body, the sea was no longer inert. It recognized Bai Chunian as sent by the Sea God’s will. The surface hardened beneath him, supporting his weight as if it were ice.
Bai Chunian had known, at least partially, about losing control after collapsing in M Harbor. Others simply pretended ignorance, or hid the truth to avoid adding pressure. Either way, he felt grateful to still walk in the sunlight.
As for Lan Bo evolving to a mature form in such a short time, Bai Chunian had his suspicions. They simply chose not to speak of it.
The energy within a Divine Messenger was so immense that Bai Chunian often felt fear. Originally, the lab had overlooked him, choosing Lightning Phantom instead. Yet Bai Chunian survived, sustained by the sliver of life Lan Bo had given him. Few understood the true extent of a Divine Messenger’s power.
During missions, Bai Chunian usually stayed in command, rarely acting himself. Besides hiding his abilities, unintentional energy overflow could trigger higher-level differentiation abilities with unpredictable consequences. Born as a special operations weapon, he carried a latent instinct for killing. He had never enjoyed the thrill of unrestrained combat—once enraged, he could not guarantee control.
Nyx lowered his gaze to Lan Bo. “There are too many people who think they’re clever in this world. Truly clever ones are rare. The foolish live in illusions; everything they see is stupid, allowing them to live peacefully. Since you stand with humans, prepare to be destroyed by their ignorance.”
Lan Bo’s cold eyes met his. “The actions of gods are not for ants to judge. I stand for no one. Watching humans destroy themselves, watching you walk into the abyss—that is my joy in living.”
Eris shook his arms in the water. His forearm, severed by Bai Chunian’s claws, regrew, though his sleeve was ruined beyond repair.
“My clothes…” Eris picked up the discarded sleeve, slipped it on, and crudely stitched the tear with cursed gold thread.
He glanced back at the puppet master on the helicopter. Nyx’s gaze never left Bai Chunian, watching every move, offering no attention to him.
Eris clenched his fists, seawater slipping through his fingers.
Bai Chunian gave him no respite. Leaping high above the water, he pounced, claws slicing into Eris’s shoulders.
Eris gripped Bai Chunian’s wrists, pinned beneath him. The two forces collided, stirring a furious maelstrom.
A cursed gold thread extended from Eris’s wrist, coiling around Bai Chunian’s hand.
Eris smirked cruelly. “Come, tear me apart.”
The thread transmitted equal damage to its connected target. If Bai Chunian struck, he and Eris would be shredded together beneath the white lion’s claws.
But Bai Chunian had already unleashed his power, and it could not be withdrawn at will. As he neared annihilation with the curse user, the chain connected to the muzzle suddenly tightened.
The muzzle, extending from the nose to jaw and down the neck, formed a slipknot with the chain. As it pulled taut, Bai Chunian felt his neck constricted, curbing his overflow of strength.
Like a wild beast told “no” by its trainer, he paused, ears drooping, and fell into the water.
Lan Bo, underwater, had tightened the chain in his hand. Bai Chunian sank back, face up, into Lan Bo’s waiting grasp.
His cold-blue tail transformed into fiery gold, scales glittering. The companion ability gained from the HD reagent consumed minimal gland energy. Though two uses required a cooldown period, it would automatically select the optimal release timing through his sixth sense, no deliberate control necessary.
From the distance came the sound of approaching rotor blades. An IOA-marked helicopter appeared on the horizon.
A softly glowing feather drifted from the sky, landing on Bai Chunian’s head. The cursed gold thread connected to his wrist immediately vanished.
The helicopter drew near. Xiao Xun rested his sniper on the sling, closing his left eye to peer through the scope at Eris. The two—Eris and Bai Chunian—were close together, but once Lan Bo dragged Bai Chunian into the water, the target was fully exposed. Coldly, Xiao Xun squeezed the trigger, and a sniper round struck the back of Eris’s head.
The shot also marked him with the M2 ability “Hunt Lock,” sharing his position with teammates.
Stray bullets tore through Eris’s body. Exhausted, he sank into the churning sea, half-closing his eyes toward the puppet master. His outstretched hand vanished beneath the waves.
Lu Yan piloted a helicopter while Bi Lanxing’s voice came through the comm: “Cover them. Use the tracking rounds—take down the enemy chopper.”
“Got it!” Lu Yan expertly flipped several switches. The hatch beneath the armed helicopter opened, and a targeting cannon aimed at the smoking chopper piloted by the puppet master. The aircraft clearly could not withstand another explosion.
A crisp, clear tone rang through the wind as the cannon struck an iridescent barrier, detonating prematurely. The deafening blast induced momentary vertigo among nearby personnel, and the shockwave churned the sea into waves.
Through the dissipating smoke appeared a figure bathed in golden and sapphire light, floating gracefully. Behind him, teal-colored wings fluttered gently. His body, unshielded by clothing, gleamed translucent white, feminine and stunning.
From the base of his spine extended a tail of peacock feathers in gold, green, and blue, quivering in full display. A circular, star-studded rainbow halo enveloped him.
The shimmering barrier absorbed 70% of the missile’s explosive energy before shattering, sending fragments of the clouded rainbow back with equal force.
His J1 ability, “Rainbow Garment,” could absorb 70% of incoming damage and convert it into explosive fragments to rebound.
Chi Shenggu, awakening from slumber, took the brunt of the strike. However, due to residual instability from insufficient cultivation time, he was unstable. After using the J1 ability once, he folded his tail feathers and closed his eyelids, falling back into sleep.
Still, it bought enough time for the puppet master and his allies.
Emperor Crocodile caught Chi Shenggu as it floated down like a feather. Nyx piloted the helicopter away, his left hand extending a slender puppet line to pull Eris—riddled with bullet wounds—from the water, spiraling him safely away from the battlefield.
“Hope you’re as lucky next time,” Nyx’s voice lingered in the air as the helicopter left the engagement zone.
Through the comms, the Storm Unit delivered good news. Captain He reported that the experimental subject Demonic Cicada had been captured alive, and the Thunder Aid squad had reached Bernar Pharmaceuticals.
Bi Lanxing relayed a message for Bai Chunian: “The HD reagent has been destroyed. The puppet master’s team escaped with only one experimental subject still in cultivation.”
Dr. Charles of the Thunder Aid team communicated with Han Xingqian, reporting: “Several survivors and illegal human experiment victims were found in the basement of the inner factory building. I’ve documented them with photos.”
“Is Chu injured?” Lu Yan asked, lowering the rope ladder to pull Lan Bo and Bai Chunian aboard. But Lan Bo, holding Bai Chunian by his collar, dove back into the water. With a flick of his tail, they vanished.
Bai Chunian was still conscious, though tired. He enjoyed being carried by Lan Bo, so he said nothing, experiencing the sensation of riding a high-speed underwater cable car.
Lan Bo brought him to a small circular island, with only a single coconut tree. It was less an island than a floating reef, drifting from some unknown tropical region. Only Lan Bo could locate it.
Gently placing Bai Chunian ashore, Lan Bo buried him in the warm, dry sand.
“I want you to hold me,” Bai Chunian said, extending a hand.
Lan Bo lay beside him. “I’m cold—you’ll freeze if I hold you.”
Bai Chunian rolled out of the sand and wrapped himself around Lan Bo’s waist. “I don’t mind the cold.”
“Good.” Lan Bo sat on the sand, lowering his gaze to him, hands at the back of his neck to undo the muzzle chain.
“Not yet,” Bai Chunian said hoarsely, eyes closed. “I like it.”
“Is that so?” Lan Bo held the chain in his palm. “If I tighten it, it will hurt.”
“I don’t care.”
Lan Bo embraced him gently, releasing calming pheromones to heal his damaged glands. His palm rested on Bai Chunian’s nape, soothing.
Bai Chunian lay sideways on Lan Bo’s curved tail, eyelids heavy but forcing them open.
“Randi,” Lan Bo spoke unusually seriously, “though we’re married and kiss often, you probably don’t notice—I’m the one pursuing you right now.”
“Huh?” Bai Chunian’s ears perked, a sharp-toothed smile spreading. “What are you saying? You have no idea how important you are to me.”
“You don’t want to do AI with me.”
“…I do. I think about it day and night.”
“Because you revere me inside, you can’t cross me. That’s what made me fall for you at first, but now it troubles me,” Lan Bo said, shaking his head, genuinely distressed.
“I don’t know,” Bai Chunian replied, sitting up. Taller than Lan Bo, broad-shouldered and muscular, he crouched before him like a tamed big cat, his white furred ears flicking up and down.
“I often find you beautiful. Every time I want to touch more, I fear dirtying you. Whenever such thoughts arise, guilt overwhelms me.”
“Now it’s fine.” Lan Bo lifted his chin. “I want to give you more.”
Bai Chunian hesitated.
“If I think you’re in pain, I’ll tighten the chain,” Lan Bo said, holding the thin leash connected to Bai Chunian’s muzzle collar. “Good children deserve rewards. This is yours—not a demand, not for reproduction, not for anything else.”
Bai Chunian, partially transformed into a white lion, was physically reinforced but retained all his white-lion traits. He pressed onto Lan Bo, hands on the sand, knees on the ground, towering yet worshipful, gazing down at Lan Bo. The posture was not oppressive, but reverent.
He entered Lan Bo with reverence. Because of the restraining force of the muzzle, the barbed growth below had softened and drawn in somewhat.
Lan Bo reclined half-lying beneath a coconut tree, one hand resting on the back of Bai Chunian’s neck, rubbing his heated gland as he guided him on what to do next.
“You’re so good.” Lan Bo stroked his hair, lightly pinching his snow-white, fluffy ears.
Bai Chunian lowered his head close to Lan Bo’s ear and let out a sticky, drawn-out sound: “Meow.”