I Also Believe a Miracle Will Happen

Wuma Xiu raised his head. As a god, his eyesight was naturally far beyond that of an ordinary person. His gaze pierced the atmosphere, the clouds, and the fierce winds, reaching the void beyond the planet.

He saw the things clearly.

The Zerg.

A vast black mass, like a tide surging out of the abyss, densely covered a sizable portion of the Star Region.

Countless compound eyes glimmered greedily in the darkness.

There were so many of them, an unstoppable torrent sweeping toward this tiny planet.

In recent years, the race had become known throughout the interstellar expanse for its immense reproductive capacity and near-mad destructive power.

Even ants could gnaw an elephant to death if there were enough of them.

And these were the Zerg, possessed of tremendous destructive power.

Every one of them was a natural-born killing machine. They knew no exhaustion or fear of death, only devouring and destruction.

The Zerg would devour everything they saw. When they were starving, they could gnaw houses and stones on the ground completely clean, and even strip three layers off the ground itself.

To them, mere flesh and blood was nothing more than a moving pastry.

Just then, a large screen appeared in the sky above Canghai Star, broadcasting the situation outside the planet.

Canghai Star's emergency systems had been fully activated.

Squadron after squadron of warships lifted off hurriedly from the spaceport, trailing long plumes of flame as they raced into the sky.

But everyone knew it was no use.

Canghai Star was just a small, remote planet, its weapons and equipment as outdated as antiques from a bygone era.

Even the Star Guard stationed there was pitifully small.

On an ordinary day, they could barely handle a few interstellar pirate ships.

Against this all-encompassing Zerg tide, their resistance probably wouldn't even amount to a drop in the bucket.

"We're done for! The Zerg are here! Run, everyone!"

"Isn't the border guarded by a large contingent of the Federation's elite troops? How could the Zerg possibly have made it this far?"

"What's the use of talking about that now? Those bugs will eat everyone! Run—"

The people around Wuma Xiu erupted into chaos.

Everyone scattered like headless flies, shoving and trampling one another as they fled.

Fear spread through the crowd like a plague.

But where could they run?

Almost none of the Starfolk here could afford a spaceship.

And by now, the interstellar train had already left, packed with people who had heard the news earlier.

Wuma Xiu stood where he was as the surging crowd fled past him, yet not one person bumped into him. He was like a silent rock in a rushing river; the current flowed around him of its own accord, without so much as a drop splashing onto him.

He looked up at the sky, his gaze passing beyond the ascending warships and the turbulent boundary of the atmosphere.

It settled on a spot in the void behind the Zerg tide.

Something seemed to be flying this way from there.

Wuma Xiu drew back the foot he had just lifted and planted himself firmly where he stood once more.

"Then I'll watch for now."

The corners of his mouth curved upward, as though he had seen something interesting about to unfold.

Canghai Star's alarms still echoed overhead, one after another, like the mournful cries of a dying bird.

The streets were already more than half empty.

As Wuma Xiu passed a street corner, he was surprised to see that a Star Cup shop was still open.

Warm yellow light spilled through its floor-to-ceiling windows.

Inside, everything was neat and orderly.

The tables and chairs had been wiped spotless.

On the worktop behind the counter, fruit purees and Starlight fruit pieces were arranged by type, even their labels all facing the same direction.

A man stood behind the counter, methodically making a Star Cup: scooping ice, pouring puree, sealing the cup, and wiping its sides. He performed every step with meticulous care, as if the world in upheaval outside had nothing to do with him.

Interesting.

Wuma Xiu pushed open the shop door.

The wind chimes hanging above the door rang out crisply, sounding particularly conspicuous in the overly quiet shop.

"Hello. I'll have a Star Cup."

With that, he walked straight to a seat by the window, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

Normally, this street was one of the busiest places on Canghai Star.

The line at this Star Cup shop would stretch around the corner.

But now there were only two people in the entire shop.

More precisely, one person and one god.

The man turned around.

The moment he saw Wuma Xiu, undisguised surprise appeared on his face.

Sun Qing had clearly not expected anyone to push open his shop door, sit down, and order a Star Cup at a time when everyone was scrambling to escape.

The surprise remained on his face for only an instant.

Thanks to his excellent professionalism, Sun Qing quickly composed himself.

His hands were faster than his expression.

Before Wuma Xiu had even settled into his seat, those slender hands were already moving.

For the ice, he picked the most intact pieces with the fewest cracks from the ice bin. For the puree, he took a spoonful each of three or four varieties, then added a little something extra. Before sealing the cup, he added an extra handful of Starlight fruit pieces and sprinkled another layer of finely crushed, silvery shimmering sugar on top.

Finally, he sealed the lid and wiped the cup spotless with a paper napkin, not even missing the tiny beads of water around the rim.

Sun Qing carried the Star Cup out from behind the counter, presented it to Wuma Xiu with both hands, and bowed slightly.

"Honored guest, please enjoy."

The Star Cup could indeed be called "luxurious."

The cup was transparent, displaying the distinct layers of color inside.

At the very bottom was deep purple Starlight fruit puree.

In the middle was milky-white cream.

At the top was a clear, bubbling iced drink.

Countless star-shaped fruit pieces floated at the boundary between the cream and the iced drink.

It was as though a small piece of the galaxy had truly been sealed inside the cup.

A silver straw stood in the cup, with a tiny star ornament on its tip.

Wuma Xiu took the cup, his fingertips touching the thin film of condensation on its side, cool and real.

"Thank you."

Those two simple words made Sun Qing tremble slightly all over, and then he smiled.

He studied Wuma Xiu curiously.

The young man gave him a sense of great nobility.

So noble that having him taste a Star Cup Sun Qing had made was an immense honor.

Wuma Xiu took a sip through the straw.

Cool bubbles burst on his tongue, the sweetness of the fruit puree mingling with the richness of the cream.

The Starlight fruit pieces had a slight springiness when he bit into them.

He took another sip, but his gaze fell on the man.

"The Zerg are coming," Wuma Xiu said suddenly. "Everyone's running. Aren't you going to run?"

Sun Qing seemed not to have expected the guest to ask him a question.

He paused, then smiled and shook his head.

"I don't have a spaceship, and the interstellar train left long ago. I can't escape."

Sun Qing turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling window.

On the large screen in the sky, the densely packed Zerg in the distance were closing in on the planet.

"Given that, I'd rather wait here."

"I was born on this planet. Even if I die, I want to die here. Besides, what if a miracle happens?"

The miracle was clearly something Sun Qing used to deceive himself.

Even he didn't believe it, but what else could he do now?

Wuma Xiu held the straw between his teeth and looked up at the sky.

"I also believe a miracle will happen."