Guen

"Faster, faster!"

An ape-like human with red fur anxiously watched a cute boy-like AI on the screen, urging it on.

"Accelerated to near light speed, about to enter the Dark Universe..."

"10..."

"9..."

"Faster, faster!" Ape-man Kolong's eyes held an unspeakable urgency, his forehead covered in glistening beads of sweat.

"Kolong..." Beside the ape-man, a beautiful woman holding a child reached out and grasped Kolong's hand, their fingers tightly intertwined.

"Ina, I'm sorry, I, I," Kolong blamed himself endlessly.

He was a Nord. Among the ape-man race, he wasn't strong. He had only reached Apprentice Level 6 upon adulthood. But Kolong, with his extraordinary talent, had reached Planetary Level 6 in twenty years through his own efforts.

While this wasn't something to be proud of in the grand scheme of the universe.

Kolong was content. Although his talent was considered decent among the Nords, it was still somewhat weak when looking at the entire ape-man race.

Apprentice, Planetary Level, Star Level, Universe Level...

As someone who was only Apprentice Level 6 upon adulthood, he was very satisfied with the results of his hard work.

But he had fallen in love with Ina, an enemy of the Nords, a Kano.

Interracial marriage was common in the universe, but marriage between two enemy races was forbidden. Yet fate played such a cruel trick. He and Ina were deeply in love, inseparable, and even had a child. They had to take a risk, steal a spaceship from their family, and elope.

But this matter was eventually exposed. Brother Baron, who had always taken care of him, personally led the guards to arrest him.

Every member of the guard was a Star Level expert!

Ina tightened her grip on Kolong's hand, nestling in his embrace, "Kolong, look, how soundly he sleeps?"

As danger approached, the baby in the swaddling clothes breathed evenly, completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere, sleeping soundly.

My child.

Kolong gazed at the little one, his eyes filled with determination.

"Ina, I promise, I, and our child, will be alright, we will be alright."

Ina nodded, a smile appearing, "I believe you."

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"Warping in progress, have entered the Dark Universe."

The intelligent voice on the screen broadcasted the information.

The spaceship trembled violently, and the scenery outside the window suddenly turned dim and hazy.

They had entered the Dark Universe.

As long as the speed reached the speed of light, one would enter the Dark Universe, and within the Dark Universe, one could fly faster than light.

"Proceed at maximum speed!" Kolong's face revealed joy as he first commanded the intelligent system.

"It is estimated that it will take 20 seconds to reach a maximum speed of 2.5 times the speed of light. Please be prepared."

"Warning, warning, unknown spaceship detected behind, please issue new instructions."

"Warning, warning, unknown spaceship detected behind, please issue new instructions."

A dark green spaceship appeared on the screen, approaching at a speed faster than Kolong's spaceship.

"It's the clan's guard ship!" Kolong's eyes were about to split.

The clan guard, even the weak Deno, could easily form a guard with Star Level members, and even the captain's strength would be stronger.

But suddenly, the spaceship behind trembled, its speed dropped sharply, and it slowly came to a halt, then was kicked out of the Dark Universe.

The Dark Universe could only be entered above the speed of light, but stationary objects would be kicked out of the Dark Universe and return to the original universe.

It actually stopped!

Kolong couldn't believe it, then exchanged a look with Ina, revealing relaxed smiles. They were truly relaxed now.

Just then, the spaceship vibrated violently, as if it had suffered a fatal blow. The control room continuously emitted "warning" sounds. The spaceship was uncontrollably kicked out of the Dark Universe and returned to the original universe, just as it entered a Wormhole.

"My heavens!"

Kolong and Ina were dumbfounded, hugging each other tightly, shielding their child in between.

Inside the dark green spaceship.

"Bang!"

The leader, a Red-haired ape-man named Baron, smashed his fist onto the control panel in anger.

"Damn it, why did it malfunction now? I was so close to catching up. What are the logistics and maintenance departments even doing? They can't even handle such a small issue. When I get back to the clan, I will definitely file a complaint with them!" Baron's face was ashen.

"Captain, are we still pursuing?" someone asked in a low voice.

"Pursue?" Baron glared at him. "With what? Hurry up and call for a clan dispatched spaceship to rendezvous with us. Besides, he's just a Planetary Level fellow. We'll make up an excuse when we get back, say they crashed, and the clan won't hold it against us."

"Yes."

Baron watched his subordinates busy themselves, then a faint smile crept onto his face. "Kolong, this is all I can do to help you."

Planetary Level, stealing a spaceship?

And managing to escape pursuit?

How is that possible.

"En'er is going for the Jungle Trial today, and you're not even a little nervous," Ina glared fiercely at Kolong, who was still practicing martial arts in the courtyard, clearly displeased.

Kolong shook his head. "With both of us teaching him, En'er can definitely do it. Trust him."

Twenty years ago, their spaceship accidentally entered a wormhole. The distance this wormhole spanned was astonishing, taking them from one High-level Universe Nation to another.

This was not a distance an ordinary wormhole could cover.

Although Kolong and Ina knew this, they kept silent about it, especially since the wormhole disappeared quickly.

They simply settled on a Life Planet near the wormhole, as their energy was insufficient for long-distance travel anyway.

Who knew that although this planet was a Natural Planet, it was inhabited by many life forms. The various Factions formed by these life forms held a Jungle Trial every five years. Those who passed the trial could obtain higher status and more advanced cultivation methods.

"Moreover, although this planet has developed well, its strongest cultivators are already Star Level, and there are five of them! But those Planetary Level cultivators, who have never left their planet or gone to space, how can they compare to us? With both of us teaching him, are you afraid En'er can't pass?"

Kolong asked.

Ina also relaxed slightly. Both husband and wife were Planetary Level cultivators. One was Planetary Level 6, and the other was Planetary Level 3.

Guen, their child, had been deliberately nurtured since birth and was now Tier 7 Apprentice. Naturally, he was not bad, but as a mother, she couldn't help but worry.

As the two were discussing, a Red-haired man walked out of the house and said loudly, "Father, Mother, I heard everything. Don't worry, I will definitely bring back first place from this Jungle Trial for you to see."

The Red-haired man was, of course, Guen.

His father, Kolong, was a Nord, with all his hair being red.

His mother was a Kano, naturally possessing a light green Diamond pattern on her forehead.

Guen inherited some of their traits: red hair, a light green-white Diamond pattern on his forehead, a sturdy build, and a pair of bright, piercing eyes that constantly scanned his surroundings, as if he wanted to fight someone at any moment.

This was the influence of the ape-like, combative genes.

"I don't want you to get first place, I just want you to safely pass the trial and come back," Ina said sternly.

"Got it, got it, Father, Mother, I'm leaving now." Guen said with a grin. He walked outside the courtyard gate and jumped onto a beast that looked like a wild boar. This was a unique Horned Boar Beast on this planet. Although its combat power wasn't strong and its speed wasn't very fast, its endurance was astonishing. It could run for a day and a night before showing slight fatigue, making it the most popular mount.

Watching Guen ride away and disappear into the mountain forest, Ina sighed repeatedly.

Guen, unaware of his mother's worries, rode through the mountain forest, breathing in the fresh air, and felt invigorated.

"I don't know why Mom and Dad chose to settle alone in the mountain forest instead of moving to town. Every time I have to spend half an hour crossing this forest. Fortunately, the ferocious beasts here have already been cleared out, leaving only ordinary beasts. Otherwise, it would take me even longer to get to town."

Ferocious beasts, like human cultivators, possessed power beyond the mortal realm.

They were robust, immensely strong, and excelled in speed and reaction. Even human cultivators could easily fall prey to the claws of ferocious beasts.

"For this Jungle Trial, I heard there are even top-tier Tier 9 Ferocious Beasts, the Green-eyed Purple Wolf Lion and the Six-headed Poison Python. These are all renowned ferocious beasts. If I can kill one during this trial, I'm sure I can win first place."

At the thought, Guen's blood began to boil, and he wished he could fly to town immediately.