Chapter 04: Rage and Courtship

Haino, the Central Mind, had assisted in managing the empire for hundreds of years and had ultimate authority in the marriage matching system. The degree of mental compatibility was crucial for one's mental sea, genes, and reproduction. Even the marriages of royal family members had to be screened by Haino.

Those with a compatibility below 60% were explicitly forbidden by imperial decree to marry. They could neither cleanse each other's mental pollution nor avoid giving birth to deformed children. Most people had a compatibility between 60% and 80% with their spouses.

A high compatibility marriage could not only alleviate mental pollution and stabilize genes, but it also had a high probability of producing excellent offspring.

For the aristocracy and influential families, an 80% compatibility was the minimum threshold, while matches above 90% were exceedingly rare in the entire empire.

Caro secretly thought that even if they couldn't hope for a match above 90%, at least an 80% compatibility would ensure the commander wouldn't be in danger.

Unfortunately, his superior was notoriously difficult within the military. Haino had previously arranged several high-compatibility matchmaking sessions, but the daters, drawn to General Landis' handsome appearance and power, were all scared off within a day by his icy, sharp-tongued demeanor. Without exception.

Since then, General Landis had become one of the most notorious S-rank persistent singles in Haino's matchmaking database.

Landis said impatiently, "Are you referring to that fragile glass flower that would break at a touch in the greenhouse, or the quail that couldn't even catch its breath when they saw me? I might live a few more days if I didn't meet someone like that."

Landis' deadpan remark left Caro speechless. He forced a bitter smile and said, "Sir, one of them is the eldest daughter of Duke Winton, and the other is the youngest son of the Minister of Finance. Their mental ratings are at least A, possibly even AA, which is exceedingly rare."

Landis coldly remarked, "Indeed, the higher the nobility, the more they can rely on high-grade matches to produce superior offspring. Meanwhile, ordinary soldiers on the battlefield, who face the greatest risk of mutation, can only rely on inhibitors with severe side effects, eventually succumbing to mutation and dying in agony."

Caro was momentarily speechless and sighed softly, lowering his eyes.

Since the unprecedented celestial disaster a thousand years ago, the surviving humans in the star sea region coexisted with radiation-mutated flora and fauna. To adapt to the post-disaster environment, humans evolved to have mimetic mental entities.

A certain alien species feeds on human mental energy, continuously polluting the human mental sea, eventually leading to genetic collapse and being devoured by one's own mental entity, transforming into a mindless monster.

Over the years, countless alien wars had broken out in the star sea region. The Dawn Empire, a nation founded on military strength, has been the backbone in the fight against these aliens. The Third Legion led by Landis was one of the most glorious.

It was also the legion with the highest risk of soldier mutations, making military marriages a top priority.

The spouses of soldiers often endured significantly greater mental pollution than ordinary people, and over the years, they either became sickly or had shortened lifespans, making them the least desirable candidates in the marriage market.

Even with special allowances and forced matchmaking, many imperial soldiers still ended up alone throughout their lives.

Caro felt heavy-hearted. After a long pause, he hesitantly said, "Sir, that man named Xiao Sa just managed to calm Black Flame. Could this possibly mean…"

Landis froze and immediately cut him off, "Don't make wild assumptions."

Thinking about what had just happened, that inexplicable surge of agitation rose again, and Landis pressed his temples and said, "Go out first, I need to rest."

Caro nodded and left. Before leaving, he noticed the black lion's increasingly uncontrollable behavior and couldn't help but furrow his brow deeply.

※※※

Late at night.

The master bedroom on the top floor of the warship, decorated in a simple black, white, and gray European style, had a figure tossing and turning in the large bed in the center.

Before going to sleep, following his usual habit, Landis tried to retract Black Flame, but surprisingly, it refused to obey. In the end, it reluctantly curled up on the floor rug to rest.

In the dead of night, the black lion woke from a shallow sleep. Its dark golden pupils abruptly opened, glinting with a cold, metallic sheen in the darkness.

It spun around in a couple of circles and emitted a hoarse, low whimper toward its master before abruptly clutching its head with its two front paws, rolling in agony on the floor. Its thick tail slapped the rug unpredictably.

Landis, lying on the bed, was deep in a nightmare, his brows furrowed, his face pale.

Deep within his mental realm, a vast expanse of gray smog, resembling an abyssal monster, was devouring large mouthfuls of his originally healthy, abundant mental energy.

The monster gradually morphed into the black lion, growing sharp fangs and opening its blood-red maw, its former gentleness and loyalty now gone...

"Black Flame!" Landis jerked awake from the nightmare, cold sweat beading on his temples.

He turned his head and suddenly saw a pair of contracted vertical golden pupils and a set of sharp fangs!

This was a sign that Black Flame was on the verge of losing control!

"Black Flame, calm down!" Landis coldly commanded.

He immediately got out of bed, strengthening the mental link to control his mental body, repeatedly stroking the black lion's head while searching the bedside drawer for a high-grade inhibitor and an inhibitor ring.

In his mental realm, Black Flame appeared to have split in two. One part was striving to respond to its master’s commands and reassurances, while the other was roaring wildly, struggling to break free from the mental link’s restraints.

Black Flame had no intention of attacking its master, but its wails and low growls turned into whimpers, and the rending pain pierced through any physical barriers, reaching deep into Landis’s mental realm.

Instantly, Landis felt a splitting headache, his veins throbbing violently on his forehead. His heart rate soared, pounding almost out of his chest. One half of his body felt cold and numb, while the other burned like fire.

It seemed that it wasn't his spiritual entity, Black Flame, that was about to split and go berserk, but Landis himself.

"Black Flame, hold on a little longer..."

Within a few breaths, he retrieved the inhibitor, forcefully suppressing the restless Black Flame. His back was drenched in cold sweat, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Just as the needle entered his arm, the black lion suddenly exerted force, causing the inhibitor ring to clatter and fall, freeing itself from his control. It let out a roar at its owner, then turned and rushed out of the bedroom door.

"Black Flame!"

Landis’ expression changed, and a sinking feeling settled in his heart. The consequences of an S-rank spiritual entity losing control...

He took a deep breath, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head, and quickly chased after it.

※※※

Meanwhile, Xiao Sa had just finished bathing in the isolation ward’s bathroom and returned to the bedroom, still damp.

The room was small, less than twenty square meters, but it was well-equipped with daily necessities. Xiao Sa wore loose white pajamas, drying his hair with a towel while lost in thought.

Following the day’s incident, the ship’s commander had temporarily halted his interrogation and hadn’t imprisoned him with the pirate captives. There were patrolling personnel and two fully armed guards at the door, limiting his movement to the confines of the ward.

The security here was far stricter than aboard the pirate group’s vessel. Though Xiao Sa was confident in his strength, he dared not act rashly.

From his observations, the starship hadn’t continued pursuing the pirate group but had changed course. On the starship, it was impossible to distinguish day from night, so he could only estimate the time by the mechanical clock on the wall and the corridor lights.

"That blonde officer doesn’t seem like someone easy to deal with. I need to find a chance to escape soon..." Xiao Sa muttered to himself.

He leaned against the porthole, idly watching for over an hour until he finally saw a planet drawing closer.

Based on his experience with long voyages, the starship would make a temporary stop at a mid-voyage supply planet to refuel and resupply before entering the interstellar jump channel. This was his only opportunity.

Xiao Sa leaned back on the pillow, closed his eyes to rest, and soon drifted into a light sleep. He dreamed of his home planet once again.

His life had once been peaceful and tranquil, until the country fell into civil war. After the rebels were defeated, they madly activated nuclear weapons, leaving the empire in chaos. Even though the enemy had been defeated, the home planet had been turned into a scarred wasteland by countless nuclear explosions.

The ground was barren, covered only in scorched earth and lava, and the sky no longer held a sun.

Xiao Sa followed the remaining clansmen aboard a fleet to escape from their dying home planet, in search of the coordinates of the "Ancestral Star," a secret handed down through the family for a thousand years, seeking their former homeland in the vast universe.

However, while passing through a stellar wormhole, the fleet unexpectedly encountered a terrifying interstellar storm. Xiao Sa's emergency escape pod was swept away by the turbulent currents, and his escort guards and the other clansmen vanished into the dark expanse of space...

Suddenly, a noise sounded from the quiet door, immediately waking Xiao Sa from his light sleep.

Xiao Sa instantly released his mental field to perceive—was it really the black lion belonging to the fleet commander outside?!

The door opened, and the soldiers guarding outside treated the black lion with the same reverence as General Landis, allowing it to enter without hesitation.

Xiao Sa was somewhat surprised. The black lion before him was still imposing, holding its head and tail high. Its dark golden vertical pupils were sharp and compelling.

It moved with cat-like steps, slowly approaching him. Its sharp fangs were bared, gleaming with a silvery sheen. The movement of its throat indicated that it was significantly different from before.

It exuded an extremely dangerous aura—violent, thirsty, and restless. Its eyes seemed to burn with flames.

Its sanity was slipping away, but the special scent on Xiao Sa was deeply imprinted in Black Flame's memory, an intoxicating and refreshing sweetness that brought it long-lost peace and relaxation.

It longed to savor the scent from this man, now, immediately!

Black Flame's long tongue licked its nose, unable to hold back any longer. With a meow, it pounced on Xiao Sa.

"Hey! You big cat is biting right off the bat—that's not very well-behaved!"

Although Xiao Sa loved imposing big cats, he didn't want to be treated as food.

Xiao Sa nimbly dodged and, with a swift move, grabbed the black lion's nape, but its strength was immense, and in its frenzy, it far exceeded human capability. Xiao Sa, still recovering from serious injuries, couldn't hold it down at first.

The two wrestled in the narrow room.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Their powerful forces collided with muffled sounds, and the room's furnishings were scattered everywhere.

Wherever the black lion's claws raked, even the alloy walls of the warship were visibly scratched, and sparks flew from the scratches. Human skin and bones were even more vulnerable.

Xiao Sa barely evaded its claws and, finding an opportunity, managed to mount Black Flame's back with great effort, his hands firmly gripping its neck. However, the black lion's stamina seemed boundless. It roared continuously, bucking and rolling on the ground while wildly lashing its tail.

Xiao Sa was inwardly astonished. This creature's strength was at least ten times greater than that of the lions on his home planet, and its combat skills and intelligence far surpassed those of ordinary beasts. Its golden eyes gleamed astonishingly bright.

He sensed that the black lion did not intend to kill him. Otherwise, its sharp fangs would have gone for his throat rather than trying to pin his neck with its chin.

Eh? Wait...

Xiao Sha suddenly considered a possibility and tentatively released a bit of soothing pheromone.

The black lion, upon smelling the scent, indeed stopped struggling and attacking. It was no longer intent on pushing Xiao Sha down but slowly lay on the ground, turning its large head to nuzzle Xiao Sha, sniffing repeatedly.

Xiao Sha, who was sitting on the lion’s back, continued to release pheromones until the lion, like a cat begging for affection, rolled over and exposed its belly, whining.

"?" Xiao Sha's face darkened. Surely, it couldn’t be what he feared...

The black lion, intoxicated by Xiao Sha's pheromones, then lifted its tail.

Xiao Sha was speechless. You should be looking for a female lion during your mating season, so why come to me in the middle of the night instead?

"You..."

Just then, the bedroom door suddenly opened. Standing there, breathing heavily, was General Landis, the owner of the black lion. He was not wearing his military cap, and his light blonde hair was disheveled and stuck to his sweaty forehead.

Landis had come in a hurry, only wearing a half-open black military coat. Under the warm yellow light, the muscles of his chest were clearly defined, his neck covered in fine sweat, along with a suspicious flush on his cheeks.

He grabbed the doorframe with one hand, veins bulging, as if struggling to suppress something. His usually sharp, ice-blue eyes now showed rare hesitation and avoided meeting Xiao Sha’s gaze, as if deliberately avoiding him.

Even when his gaze flickered toward Xiao Sha, it immediately shifted away, as if avoiding contact.

"Black Flame, out!"

Landis glared at the black lion with a dark expression and barked a short command, his voice low and hoarse, filled with rapid breathing.

However, no matter how stern his tone or whether he issued commands through their mental link, the pheromone-intoxicated Black Flame refused to budge. It remained stubbornly attached to Xiao Sha, its tail even wrapping around his calf.

The guard soldiers, who had been stationed by the door, had been sent away somewhere. The standoff between the two men and the lion persisted for a moment, the atmosphere uncomfortably tense.

At that moment, Xiao Sha still hadn’t fully grasped the severity of the situation, nor did he understand the full mental connection between people and their spiritual entities in the Star Sea Region. He had no idea that it was his pheromones that had triggered Black Flame’s sudden aggression and mating behavior.

He only knew that as a proud Alpha, it was incredibly awkward to be the target of a lustful male lion’s mating attempt, especially with its owner walking in on them.

As a proper Alpha, this isn’t the kind of situation he wanted to be in!

"General, please take your pet back. You should find it a female lion. This isn’t healthy for it."

Xiao Sha pulled at the lion's tail, trying to get up, but when he realized it was starting to struggle again, he had no choice but to soothe it by stroking its tail.

At that moment, Landis’ body tensed, his eyes locking onto Xiao Sha as an intoxicating fragrance filled the small room, wafting into their noses.

His hand involuntarily gripped the doorknob, and with a "click," the door automatically closed and locked.

Xiao Sha looked up in surprise and met a pair of deep, dark eyes. The originally cold, ice-blue eyes were now consumed by intense black flames, filled with violent desires ready to be unleashed.