Just From His Sitting Posture, You Could Tell How Terrifyingly Strong He Was

The real world, Station 13, eight in the evening.

'First!'

'A new week, a new beginning!'

'Protect the best Stellaris in the whole world!'

After a full week of agonizing anticipation, the fifth episode of "Stellaris Prequel: Embers" finally aired amid the expectations of countless fans.

After the buildup of the previous four episodes, however, viewers no longer held as much hostility toward Chen Kong, the formerly miserable protagonist of the series.

After all, in the fourth episode, Chen Kong had proven his worth as a "weakling" through his own actions.

He had completely turned around the previously one-sided public opinion against him.

And with Chen Kong, the sole sore spot of the first four episodes, gone—

"Stellaris Prequel: Embers," already a high-budget, heavily promoted production, naturally stirred up quite a wave of popularity on Station 13.

Its fan count rose with the tide.

The fifth episode picked up right after the Final Assessment.

The story opened with the protagonist, Chen Kong, being "locked" inside a Healing Pod after suffering severe injuries during the Final Assessment.

Seeing Chen Kong naked on the screen, his entire body covered in all kinds of instruments, the scrolling comments showed no sympathy whatsoever. Instead, they laughed like animals.

'What Healing Pod? This is clearly a giant fish tank!'

'So pale!'

'Doctor, please move aside. You're blocking the important spot.'

Amid the teasing comments, the Ember doctor began introducing Chen Kong's condition on his own.

He said quite a lot, but it could all be summed up in a few words: it was nothing serious; he would wake up in a few days.

And really, even without the doctor saying any of that, the viewers knew there was no way anything could happen to Chen Kong.

If Chen Kong could actually die from this, how would the rest of the show even continue?

Surely it wouldn't turn into a Starborn story without a protagonist?

If that really happened, it would be... wonderful!

Although a small portion of viewers dearly hoped Chen Kong would remain "locked" in the Healing Pod forever and never be released again—

The production team clearly had no intention of granting that wish.

Very soon, the anime's perspective shifted to the legs of an unnamed male doctor in the treatment room, following him as he walked.

As the unnamed doctor passed by Chen Kong's Healing Pod—

The scene abruptly switched from the treatment room to the Ember Organization's conference room.

Then, the focus of the shot changed from the male doctor to Yun Meng as she entered the conference room, creating a perfect transition.

The moment those black-stockinged, jade-like feet stepped onto the screen, the attitude of the scrolling comments took a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

'Slurp, slurp! Top-tier goods, premium stock!'

'In accordance with porridge etiquette, in accordance with porridge etiquette!'

'I told you this was a gourmet anime!'

Amid the frenzy of the comments, the camera slowly traveled upward along Yun Meng's black stockings.

That clever camera language immediately made some viewers before their screens breathe faster.

Even their bodies at their computers bent into "shrimp-stick shapes" without the slightest regard for dignity, as if they wanted to press their eyes right into the screen.

But to their disappointment, "Stellaris Prequel: Embers," which was marketed as suitable for ages twelve and up, ultimately did not show the adults-only content they had imagined.

When the camera finally stopped at Yun Meng's knees—

It tilted, then settled into an upward angle aimed at the eleven Starborn gathered around the nearby conference table.

Under the dim lights of the conference room, these people were still young.

Yet their faces, half-hidden and half-revealed amid crisscrossing light and shadow, still gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression.

At the far end of the conference table, a seated figure stood in stark contrast to the Starborn standing around him.

Tiandao sat alone in the seat of honor, leaning back against a high-backed chair with his arms crossed and one leg casually over the other, his expression relaxed.

It was the standard "Navy Admiral" sitting posture.

And this frozen frame seemed as though the production team was deliberately using its unique visual language to tell everyone—

The ten Starborn standing there existed only to highlight Tiandao, the king among them.

After all, only a king needed not bow to anyone.

'Wow! Just from his sitting posture, you can tell how terrifyingly strong this man is.'

'Isn't he really the protagonist?'

'That sitting posture is so cool! Hax Tian, you bastard.'

As the saying went, no one could stay handsome for more than three seconds.

Before the viewers could recover from Tiandao's domineering posture—

Yun Meng, passing by his side, immediately gave the back of his head a light smack.

"You could at least put on an act. You have no sense of propriety at all."

"Sister Yun, my injuries haven't healed yet. I can't move around recklessly."

"Do whatever you want. I can't be bothered to manage you."

Watching Tiandao go from kingly bearing one second to clutching his head and making excuses the next—

The scrolling comments burst into laughter.

If it had been someone else smacking Tiandao—

That hit might very well have ruined the imposing composition the production team had painstakingly created for him.

But when the one hitting him was Yun Meng, the result was completely different.

Because through Tiandao's earlier flashback, the viewers had already understood that while she and Tiandao were not biological siblings, they were closer than real brother and sister.

Thus, an older sister scolding her younger brother would not damage Tiandao's image as a powerhouse in the viewers' minds. Instead, it gave them an inexplicable sense of warmth.

'Hahaha, Yun Meng—the woman who naturally counters Tiandao.'

'Tiandao: Sis, there are a lot of people here. Leave me some dignity.'

'I'm so jealous that Tiandao gets hit by Sister Yun like that. I want an older sister like that to hit me too.'

'The commenter above, forget it. Best wishes.'

Seeing Tiandao being completely kept in check by Yun Meng—

The viewers not only felt no sympathy, but gleefully kicked him while he was down.

Some viewers with particularly unusual XP seemed to have awakened hidden traits, frantically saying they wanted to take Tiandao's place and be hit instead.

It perfectly illustrated the diversity of humankind.

After the barrage of comments had their fun, Doctor began explaining why he had gathered them there—and why he had kept Tiandao behind alone.

He took out the two Star Source Cubes for Tiandao to choose from.

One was The Visionary, and the other was Vector Control.

And just as the viewers expected, even with Doctor's persuasion, Tiandao still domineeringly chose Vector Control in the end.

"Whether it suits me or not isn't for others to decide."

"The Visionary, a shadow that can only ever hide behind others, doesn't suit the character of Tiandao Siming."

"Either Tiandao Siming does nothing, or if I do it, I'll be the strongest."

"So, Doctor, I think this Vector Control suits me just fine."

As Tiandao absorbed Vector Control's Star Source into his body—

The fifth episode of "Stellaris Prequel: Embers" had already passed its halfway point.

After a brief black-screen transition, the fifth episode returned to the protagonist Chen Kong in the treatment room.

Only this time, it was already the third day after the Final Assessment.