Everyone, No Harm Done

Time passed, like married life—always faster and faster.

Yan Huan lay face-down on the ground, bruised and swollen, with a few teeth knocked out.

"Silver Wolf, do you think we went a bit too hard?" Kafka's lazy voice drifted from the front lines.

"Too hard? Not at all."

Silver Wolf shrugged indifferently, firing a light cannon to clear out the Voidrangers. "He's not dead, so it doesn't affect the plan."

Kafka nodded, a seductive smile curling at the corner of her lips. "True."

Though on the Herta Space Station, you couldn't tell day from night without a watch, the fatigue in his body told Yan Huan they'd been at it for a very, very long time.

Throughout it all, the Star Rail Express crew never showed up to help.

And Yan Huan?

He'd lost track of how long he'd been lying there.

"Was it really worth all this just for a bathroom break?"

Back then, those two women had charged straight in and beaten him black and blue.

Their strikes, honestly... sigh.

No sense of restraint.

Holding his swollen face, Yan Huan sat up and surveyed the situation outside.

The Voidrangers that had once filled the galaxy were now nearly all wiped out.

Just then, an electronic chime rang in Yan Huan's mind.

Congratulations, Host, on completing your slacking-off. Novice Reward is now being distributed.

"Huh?" It's already done?

With a flicker of confusion, a warm current surged into Yan Huan's body, flowing through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

In an instant, a flood of Taixu Martial Arts memories filled his mind.

"Sss..."

The sheer volume of information made his head throb.

The next moment, the Stellaron inside him began to tremble violently!

"Boom...!!"

The dim space of his consciousness was suddenly illuminated by the Stellaron's radiance.

A surging power, tangible as substance, coursed through Yan Huan's body.

Inside the Containment Section, Yan Huan's battered face visibly healed at an astonishing rate.

Seeing this, Silver Wolf, the closest to him, froze for a moment.

"Huh? His swelling's gone down? When did that happen?"

As she voiced her doubt, Kafka flashed to her side and grabbed her wrist.

"Alright, Silver Wolf, we're just about done cleaning up. The Star Rail Express crew is already on their way—it's time for us to go."

Her enchanting gaze shifted to Yan Huan, still sitting on the ground.

"We'll meet again someday. Our paths will cross once more."

After a long while.

A bell-like voice rang in Yan Huan's ears: "Hehehe, wake up, or I'll have to give you mouth-to-mouth!"

Yan Huan: "..."

March 7th blinked. She'd clearly seen his eyelids twitch—why wasn't he waking up?

"Dan Heng, what's going on?"

Dan Heng crouched beside March 7th and shook his head. "Not sure. Let's just wait."

Yan Huan: "..."

March 7th and Dan Heng discussed the battle for a while longer, dropping the topic of mouth-to-mouth.

Eventually.

The young man lying on the ground suddenly snapped his eyes open, indignant. "Why? Why not give that magical mouth-to-mouth a try?"

For a moment, silence fell over the scene.

March 7th: "..."

Yan Huan: "Actually, I think mouth-to-mouth is a scientifically proven treatment method. It—"

"Slap—!!"

With the crisp sound of the slap, Yan Huan instantly fell silent.

It was just that his face was a bit red and swollen.

So much so that when the three of them left the Containment Section and met Himeko, Teacher Himeko asked in confusion:

"What happened to this gentleman's face? Why is it so flushed?"

March 7th put her hands on her hips and said crossly:

"Heh, a Voidranger licked him."

Dan Heng: "..."

Yan Huan stood to the side without speaking, just staring intently at Himeko, sizing her up.

At that moment, Himeko also noticed Yan Huan's gaze and gave him a polite smile.

"Hello, I'm Himeko. How should I address you?"

A gentle voice came through.

Yan Huan felt a bit dazed.

That one sentence seemed to take him back to a long time ago.

To a warship named the Hyperion.

"Hello? Is something wrong?" Himeko asked with concern.

She noticed that this young man had seemed a little strange from the moment he saw her.

It felt as if he recognized her.

Yan Huan snapped back to reality and extended his hand to Himeko: "Former captain of the Hyperion. Teacher Himeko can call me Yan Huan. I've long admired your reputation from afar."

Himeko paused for a moment, then returned a polite smile and shook Yan Huan's hand symbolically:

"Hyperion—that's the name of a warship, isn't it? It sounds nice. But as for admiring me, where does that come from?"

Today should have been their first meeting.

March 7th: "Tch, he just likes to spout nonsense. I think there's something wrong with his mental state."

Just then, Dan Heng walked over and explained to Himeko:

"This Mr. Yan Huan was staying in the Containment Section the whole time. It was under the most ferocious attack there, so he's probably a bit traumatized."

That assault had lasted a full twenty-four hours—it was normal to come out a little shaken.

Though it was unclear why the two Stellaron Hunters had been protecting Yan Huan, he clearly had some secrets.

"I see."

Himeko stared thoughtfully at Yan Huan. This man's gaze really seemed as if he had known her for a long time.

"I'm sorry," Himeko said with a hint of apology. "So many researchers met with misfortune on the Herta Space Station that it took me this long to get to you."

It had to be said, Himeko was a seasoned player.

Though her words carried an apology, there wasn't a ripple in her eyes—it was probably just a polite remark.

What she was truly interested in was Yan Huan's identity and his connection to the Stellaron Hunters.

Sure enough, Himeko asked with a smile:

"I just saw that the two Stellaron Hunters were protecting you the whole time. Are you one of them?"

Her sharp gaze made Yan Huan's skin crawl.

The Stellaron Hunters and the Star Rail Express were rivals, right?

If he really was on their side, he had no idea how Himeko would treat him.

Immediately, Yan Huan patted his chest:

"I don't know the Stellaron Hunters at all, but they shoved something called a Stellaron into me, and then I passed out."

Hearing the keyword "Stellaron," March 7th, Dan Heng, and Himeko all froze in place.

Researchers kept passing by, and Yan Huan quietly waited for their response.

"So that's how it is."

After a moment, Himeko was the first to react: "I understand."

She returned to a warm smile.

March 7th, once she snapped out of it, was utterly shocked:

"A Stellaron? They shoved a Stellaron into a living person's body?!"

March 7th started patting Yan Huan's body all over, trying to find something abnormal.

"Yan Huan, are you okay? Can you still talk? Tell me how you feel right now—are you about to mutate?"

Faced with March 7th's baseless suspicion, Yan Huan shot her a confident smile.

"Ridiculous. Mutation?" Yan Huan stood with his back to the group on a mechanical-style bench, hands clasped behind him, lifting his head to gaze out the window at the Milky Way.

"A mere Stellaron—how could it possibly dictate my race? As a pillar of humanity, suppressing a tiny Stellaron is nothing at all!"

March 7th: "But your body seems to have a weird smell. I noticed it just now."

"Oh, things were a bit rushed earlier. I took care of it right on the cabin floor, and my clothes might have gotten a little on them. No harm done—just a wipe and it's fine. By the way, does anyone have paper?"

Yan Huan looked down, glancing sidelong at the group.

What he got in return was dead silence.