Chapter 03: Potent Pheromones

Xiao Sa couldn’t tell what trouble the translator had caused. Even a blind man could see that the blonde officer in front of him was about to lose his temper.

His adjutant Caro and the guards behind him all looked nervous, fearing their commander might draw his gun and shoot Xiao Sa in a fit of rage.

After all, they were members of the imperial regular army. If their commander accidentally killed an innocent hostage, it would certainly tarnish the military’s image.

Fortunately, Landis didn’t really lose his temper, nor did he draw his gun. He merely continued to scrutinize Xiao Sa with a piercing gaze.

Yet, Xiao Sa seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he had narrowly avoided death. Instead, he turned to look at the fierce black lion beside them.

Clearly, this useless translator was of no help…

Without another word, Xiao Sa removed the device and, to everyone's surprise, leaned forward to reach toward the black lion’s head—

Landis instantly furrowed his brows, and Caro, startled, almost cried out.

That was the admiral's S-rank mental entity! It possessed strong combat abilities and was also extremely alert and aggressive. It would attack anyone who came close, let alone someone trying to touch it. Even Caro, the adjutant, and the guard team usually tried to avoid it whenever possible.

Before Xiao Sa’s hand could reach it, his wrist was grabbed.

Landis held him tightly and asked coldly, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Xiao Sa didn’t struggle and simply glanced at him. A faint scent of alcohol wafted from his body, and directed by his finger, it instantly enveloped the black lion.

When Xiao Sa reached out, the black lion, baring its teeth with pupils constricted like needles, was poised to pounce and bite.

But now, engulfed by the rich pheromones, the intoxicating scent of tequila tantalized the black lion’s sensitive nose, with a hint of fresh herbal fragrance and an indescribable sweetness.

Humans in the star sea region lacked glands in the back of their necks and, aside from their natural scent, rarely emitted pheromones. Only their mental entities had the ability to send and receive pheromones, relaying the signals to their owners.

Mental entities, while accompanying their owners in battle, were typically unaffected by enemy pheromones. As long as the owner hadn’t been mentally corrupted and transformed, they could perfectly execute commands.

No one had expected that one day, an alien like Xiao Sa, carrying the potent pheromones of an S-rank Alpha, would appear.

In a single breath, the black lion was caught off guard and fell victim to Xiao Sa’s pheromones. Its previously constricted pupils dilated again, round and wide, like a cat that had just smelled the finest catnip, irresistibly drawn toward Xiao Sa.

The black lion, enjoying the moment, closed its eyes in pleasure and rubbed its head against Xiao Sa’s hand, its long tail swishing behind it.

Oh, how fragrant! I love it! Give me more, meow!

Not only were the guards unfamiliar with such a scene, but even Landis, the black lion’s master, was extremely surprised.

What’s going on here?

From their perspective, Xiao Sa had done nothing but wave at the black lion. Yet, this notorious and ferocious beast immediately dropped its hostility, wagging its tail and acting like a pet cat, cozying up.

Caro’s face was filled with disbelief, and the interrogator who had taken Xiao Sa's statement earlier kept giving him meaningful glances—the message was clear: see, my cat’s judgment was right on, not exaggerated at all!

Landis, as the black lion’s master, was undoubtedly the most shocked. All of the black lion’s sensory information was transmitted to him through their mental connection.

This connection was extraordinarily profound and impossible to distort or deceive.

At this moment, the sensations from Black Flame were filled with joy and relaxation, as if it were lying on soft clouds or soaking in a warm spring, almost ready to roll over in comfort.

The last time he had felt something similar was when the imperial mental healer from Central Star had specially tended to his mental sea.

Landis’s brows furrowed deeper, and his chest heaved slightly as a strange sensation surged within him, clearly influenced by the black lion’s behavior.

He should have been more wary of this suspicious individual, but an unfathomable pull from Xiao Sa drew him in.

This feeling was vague yet peculiar, and completely beyond control.

Landis detested anything uncontrollable. He abruptly stepped back half a step and glared at the now thoroughly humbled black lion. "Black Flame!"

The chastised spirit entity reluctantly pulled its head back, retreating behind its master, trying to assume a serious posture, though its round eyes still secretly glanced at Xiao Sa from time to time.

Xiao Sa observed all of this and found the scene quite amusing.

These humans from the stellar domain seemed to behave similarly to those from his home planet, but their ‘battle pets’ were much more straightforward in expressing emotions. They weren’t capable of faking or hiding their emotions like humans did.

Xiao Sa was still planning to work on the black lion to find a breakthrough, attempting to reach out again, but the lion didn’t give him another chance.

Landis stood his ground, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Xiao Sa. No one knew what was going through his mind. After a moment of silence, he finally gave up on the futile interrogation and left with his mental entity.

The interrogator standing next to Officer Caro whispered, "This is the first time I've seen a commander abandon an interrogation without getting any results..."

Caro, following behind Landis, softly corrected him, "How can you call this 'abandoning'?"

The interrogator nodded in agreement. "Yes, it should be called a tactical retreat."

Carlo remained silent.

※※※

The third legion's commander's room was spacious and luxurious. Vice Commander Carlo stepped over the beige carpet, past the 3D holographic star chart in the center, and stopped in front of a dark red desk.

Admiral Landis sat in a brown handmade leather chair, a golden-striped star flag of the Dawn Empire hanging on the wall behind him. A dossier about Broken Peak's defection from the empire lay on the desk in front of him.

However, his attention was not on the documents. Instead, his thoughts turned to the strange man who had professed his affection to him in the isolation ward.

While it was almost certain that the man was not an accomplice of the star pirates, what was the reason for Black Flame's abnormal behavior? And that subtle intoxicating sensation...

It was utterly perplexing.

Whenever Landis thought about Xiao Sa, an inexplicable irritation rose within him, and even his mental entity, Black Flame, began circling restlessly.

Carlo asked, "Sir, should we continue pursuing the Broken Peak pirate group?"

Landis forced himself to suppress the restlessness and shook his head. "No, they've already been severely weakened. I have no intention of wiping them out completely; we'll leave them alive for potential future use. We've been away from the Central Star System for too long; it's time to return to the military headquarters."

Carlo had no doubts about his superior's orders and only asked, "How do we explain this to the royal family if they ask?"

Landis sneered. "Send the captured prisoners and the stellar warship they abandoned to Central Star. Broken Peak's mental entity is destroyed; he won't live long."

Carlo asked cautiously, "What about the hostage we rescued, sir? What are your orders regarding him?"

Landis paused, a hint of hesitation in his voice, and finally said, "This individual holds secrets. Bring him back to Central Star and thoroughly verify his identity."

Black Flame continued to circle in the corner, occasionally pawing at the floor and sniffing anxiously, before finally emitting a low growl.

Landis glanced at it and pressed his fingers to his temples, frowning. The mental bond between a master and their mental entity was profound; Black Flame's agitation felt like a dull blade stirring in his mental sea, causing a faint headache.

He took out an inhibitor from a drawer, removed the safety catch, and swiftly rolled up his sleeve to inject it into his forearm.

Only after the high-grade inhibitor was fully administered did he close his eyes and lean back in the leather chair, but his brow remained furrowed. Beside him, Black Flame finally stopped growling but still appeared restless.

Carlo watched Landis and then glanced at Black Flame, voicing his concern. "Sir, has your mental contamination from the previous alien battle worsened? Even the highest-grade inhibitor appears ineffective..."

Landis massaged his forehead and opened his eyes, looking somewhat weary. "If one injection isn't enough, three should suffice to keep it under control. I don’t know why, but I’m not feeling well today..."

"Three injections in one day?" Caro immediately became anxious. "That treatment is only a temporary fix and doesn’t address the underlying issue. The side effects are severe. Even once a week is too much. How can you endure three injections in a single day?"

Landis frowned. "Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing."

Caro remained deeply concerned. "You’re on the brink of mutation. If it progresses to genetic failure, it will be too late. You should return to Central Star right away for a thorough examination and request a senior mental health therapist from the Royal Association."

At the mention of the Royal Association, Landis scoffed. "A bunch of incompetent sycophants propped up by the royal family. If they were competent, the military wouldn’t lose so many soldiers to mutations and death each year."

Caro, feeling frustrated, continued trying to convince him. "The best course of action is still to accept the marriage proposal from the Central Mind, Haino."