The communicator buzzed insistently in his ear. Han Xingqian had called him multiple times over this period; only now did Lan Bo notice.
He had long discarded the device, wearing it solely to hear Bai Chunian’s voice. Whatever others said meant nothing to him.
Han Xingqian’s hoarse voice came through: “Xiao Bai, how are you?”
Lan Bo lifted an eyelid, humming meaningfully: “Xiao Bai… quite the affectionate greeting.”
Bai Chunian quickly turned off the communicator to prevent Han Xingqian from overhearing, grabbing Lan Bo’s jaw and shaking him. “He’s an alpha—wake up.”
Lan Bo propped himself on his thin fins, lifting slightly to show Bai Chunian what lay beneath: “Alpha is sufficient.”
Bai Chunian looped his arms around the young, French-looking merman, whispering guidance: “Han Ge is nice. Don’t cause trouble.”
Lan Bo used his fingertips to ice Bai Chunian’s reddened eyelids. “So strict outside, yet so cute in private.”
Bai Chunian cleared his throat, masking his voice to sound normal: “I’m much better now.”
Han Xingqian said, “During your absence, I received the President’s third-phase mission—requiring us to assist in eliminating all Red-throats within M Port.”
Bai Chunian wasn’t entirely surprised but asked anyway: “This is the President’s order?”
Though IOA had always wanted to wipe out the Red-throats, the President had deemed the timing premature. The recent Dali Sai Palace terrorist attack had forced a full rupture.
Han Xingqian: “Yes. I’m only relaying the message. You lead the team—confirm acceptance of the third-phase mission with the President.”
“I’ll confirm.” Bai Chunian felt a bit more at ease. He had feared losing the President’s trust after one mission failure.
From an observer’s standpoint, Han Xingqian understood that the President’s decision not only signaled IOA’s anti-terror stance publicly but also provided Bai Chunian with a firm support—declaring that he was officially authorized by IOA to act.
The President’s trust in Xiao Bai exceeded Han Xingqian’s expectations. He relied on Bai Chunian and had complete confidence in him.
As a doctor, Han Xingqian knew Bai Chunian’s temperament well—enough to judge he could maintain his composure and, by influencing other experimentals, even temper Lan Bo’s wild instincts.
But this trust stemmed from Han Xingqian’s confidence in his medical skills and continuous observation of the experimentals. What, then, was the President’s basis for trusting him?
Could there really be familial love without blood, and trust without reason, in this world?
Bai Chunian: “Understood. Meet at the previously agreed location in ten minutes.”
Still, he had lingering doubts about what had happened while he was unconscious. “During the time I was out, did I… do anything?”
Lan Bo’s calm expression shifted subtly. He raised an eyebrow at Bai Chunian, fingertips curling slightly in his palm.
The ability of annihilation could twist and compress any lifeform of a lower differentiation level into a glass orb. Once shattered, the orb—and the life within—was destroyed, and everyone would forget it, losing all interest in seeking it.
Although Bai Chunian had unconsciously produced many glass orbs while asleep, Lan Bo had consumed them all. He even had Domino collect those that had fallen into the valley—none were missed. Thus, in Han Xingqian’s memory, there should be no impression of Bai Chunian committing mass murder.
As expected, Han Xingqian responded: “After you passed out, Lan Bo took you away. We couldn’t keep up. Later, a butterfly omega came asking about your whereabouts, then went to find you. Did you see him?”
Lan Bo relaxed his clenched fingers.
Bai Chunian glanced at the spot where Domino had been; he was gone.
“Yes, I saw him. He’s not here now.”
Bai Chunian looked at the miniature display on his wrist and sent the location.
Rising to leave, Lan Bo wrapped his tail around his knees and looked up at him.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Chunian bent to support himself on his knees.
“Too tired… can’t walk.”
Bai Chunian had no choice but to carry him, moving out of the valley.
Lan Bo’s tail coiled around him, neck pressed close, letting him bear his weight. Despite enjoying seeing Randi’s vulnerable side, he didn’t want him appearing weak before others.
The six of them regrouped at the jeep. Though they had no memory of the mass annihilation, the memory of the train cargo explosion and the death of all white lion cubs lingered.
Even now, Luyan held one cub carefully—Han Xingqian had said it might survive. Luyan cradled it the whole way, refusing to let go despite Bilangxing’s urgings.
Bai Chunian set Lan Bo down and crouched to touch the small white lion in Luyan’s arms. It was tiny; its eyes hadn’t opened, its breathing barely perceptible.
“It’s beyond help… when it passes, find a proper place to bury it,” Bai Chunian said, placing his hand lightly on its head.
Luyan collapsed to the ground, wailing hysterically, face red, anguish written plainly.
Bai Chunian couldn’t describe the complex emotion swelling in his chest, a faint sense of recognition spreading quietly.
He pursed his lips, offering comfort: “Why cry? There’ll be more of this in the future. If you’re scared, don’t do this job—go back to school.”
“Go away!” Luyan sobbed, shoving Bai Chunian’s hand away.
“I’m the operations commander. This mistake is mine—I didn’t locate the detonator. Back at headquarters, I’ll submit a self-critique and accept any penalty. Sorry, everyone.” Bai Chunian pulled a handkerchief from his pocket for Bilangxing. “Here, wipe his nose.”
Xiao Xun still maintained wariness toward Lan Bo and Bai Chunian. Knowing Bai Chunian’s acute perception, he focused only on monitoring Lan Bo and noted his feeding indicators had disappeared, replaced by metrics similar to Bai Chunian’s:
Level: 8
Lan Bo’s aura now differed completely from before. Xiao Xun kept his sniper rifle close, glancing at Han Xingqian and Lan Bo, wary of the two experimentals in the operative team. He was unsure of their intentions, though they had rescued him from the Gland Hunters and freed him from the Lingti family. Bai Chunian had requested IOA shelter him and assigned him a skilled sniper instructor—despite IOA normally rejecting trainees from impure backgrounds like Lingti.
Though Bai Chunian often teased, he had never caused real harm.
The butterfly omega’s words had been extreme, but looking from another perspective, they were not wrong: humans had created them, used them, feared them, and even hated them.
They returned along the same route. Bilangxing drove, tracking the Red-throat members.
Along the way, a reptilian operative sent Bai Chunian an encrypted file requiring a four-digit code. Though unfamiliar with computers, Bai Chunian’s insight into others’ minds led him to enter “9100,” successfully unlocking it.
He showed the file to Han Xingqian. It contained:
Special Operations Weapon No. 211: Golden Thread Worm
Status: M2-level Omega in cultivation period
Appearance: An experimental omega altered from a human; eyes metallic like a spider; mimicry level 1/10
Gland prototype: Darwin spider
Differentiation abilities:
- J1 Ability: “Pharaoh’s Cocoon”—single-target ability. Uses gentle winds to transmit silk, wrapping all targets within 25 meters into human-shaped cocoons. Airtight; paralysis prevents struggle, causing asphyxiation.
- M2 Ability: “Dual Thought Silk”—control ability, manipulates the movements of cocooned targets.
Companion abilities:
- Wall-walking: moves on any material without angle restrictions.
- Neural paralysis: contact with its silk immobilizes the target.
- Distraction control: multitasking control.
Bai Chunian muttered: “Wow… so many companion abilities.”
The reptilian operative added two lines in red text:
【Although the Golden Thread Worm is still in its cultivation period, its strength has already reached the level of a Level 7 mature body. This is due to the AK-74 rifle it wields, which is connected via spider silk to an M2-level Alpha gland. The compatibility between it and that gland is 100%, achieving perfect soul unification and inheriting all abilities from that gland.】
【This is an extremely dangerous experimental subject. It poses no benefit to us or to humanity. You’d best eliminate it before it reaches full maturity.】
Bai Chunian did not shy away from the information the reptilian operative sent. Han Xingqian read it and asked, “Who is this person?”
“Remember the ATWL exam being tampered with?” Bai Chunian shrugged. “I was involved throughout that exam. It was orchestrated by a reptilian Omega. Now, he’s built an organization called SOW Firewall—Special Operations Weapon. This group has gathered numerous experimentals who escaped from research facilities. I still don’t know their true number, but it’s definitely substantial. There’s a Black Panther Alpha I know, code 91011, alias ‘Demon Envoy.’ He’s very powerful.”
“The doctor we rescued from Enxi Hospital before, Lin Deng, is very likely their leader.”
“I’ll report the details back to headquarters,” Bai Chunian said.
They circled the valley from another route. Bai Chunian had memorized the map of M Port thoroughly and planned a route so that if the Red-throats tried to escape, there would be a predictable path.
Just as they were about to take a shortcut through dense forest, Bai Chunian’s communicator received a special access request.
The communicators issued for missions were heat-encrypted and immune to external interference; only newly authorized communications from headquarters could request access.
Bai Chunian accepted the request. Through the noise of helicopter rotors came a deep Alpha voice:
“Old Bai, heard the mission failed? Agents can’t be relied on.”
“Captain He?” Bai Chunian rubbed his ear, confirming the voice. Connecting meant IOA had requested PBB military base support.
He So-called wore PBB stormtrooper riot gear, sunglasses in place, one hand gripping the helicopter rim, a cigar in his mouth: “Look up. The guys are here to save you.”
Two armored helicopters marked with PBB insignia hovered, dropping rope ladders as two squads of stormtrooper special forces descended. The He family brothers were among them.
He So-called approached Bai Chunian with a submachine gun, rapping his shoulder: “Brother, looks like you finally got your day. Agents—make sure you know your intel and cover your tracks. This enemy is well-equipped and highly trained. Can you handle it? Step aside.”
“Ah, new faces too.” He So-called rubbed the calluses of his wide hands over Luyan’s rabbit ears, tugged Xiao Xun’s dog tail: “So many Omegas on your team—what can they do?”
In high spirits, he finally avenged the pranks Bai Chunian played during the ATWL exam.
Bai Chunian grabbed the gun barrel: “Keep your hands off my trainees.”
He So-called glanced at the captain’s epaulets on his shoulders, puffed his cigar, smiling: “Do you know who this terror attack has drawn? PBB Stormtroopers and the Wild Shark Corps majors, the international prison warden, even your IOA President. Several big names are in M Port now. Rumor has it there are many experimentals concentrated here—they’ll be fighting over them soon.”
Bai Chunian remained calm, his Adam’s apple moving slightly. He exchanged a silent glance with Lan Bo.