Part 2
In the short time since “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance” had opened, the natural plants, the derivative products, and the holographic ecological garden were all universally loved. However, as the shop’s items sold out, those still immersed in the store were teleported out one by one, standing on the street of District 19 and looking at each other.
Some had sour expressions—clearly, these were the ones who hadn’t bought anything. Some were beaming and dancing with joy—these obviously had some harvest. And some hurried to log off, shouting, “This is art!”
In less than a minute, the “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance” shop that had just opened was closed once again, drawing a chorus of wails.
“How is it sold out already?”
“Listing only this many natural plants every day—who are you looking down on?”
“Who said lavender was easy to snag? Watch me beat him to death!”
…
In the shadows of the street, the beautiful Blue Morpho transformed into a human figure amidst a glow of light. Plain white clothes, long black hair, black eyes with a distinctly classical feel, and a cold temperament…
Mu Qingzhou currently had a faint smile on his face; he didn’t seem quite as cold. For the past few days, Mu Qingzhou had failed to snag the natural plants Zhu Ran cultivated for various reasons, but today, he had finally succeeded.
However… buying a natural plant didn’t bring Mu Qingzhou much joy. He still remembered that Zhu Ran had a roommate, yet he hadn’t even met Zhu Ran face-to-face. He felt a strange sense of loss.
Thinking of this, Mu Qingzhou sent a message to Zhu Ran.
[Mu Qingzhou: My final exams are almost over, and I’ll have a period of rest. Can I go find you?]
Ring ring ring…
Zhu Ran, who was soaking in the sun on the balcony, was awakened by the insistent ringing of a call on his optical computer.
Zhu Ran startled awake from his peaceful slumber. Seeing that the caller was Huinai, he immediately accepted the request.
“Hello…”
Zhu Ran had only said one word when the other person’s anxious voice came through:
“Zhu Ran, can you come here for a moment? Z… Z’s condition is very bad. I’m begging you; right now, you might be the only one who can make Z wake up.”
Zhu Ran’s sleepiness vanished instantly as he realized the severity of the situation. “I can.”
Huinai: “I’ll come pick you up immediately. Five minutes. Bring natural plants.”
Zhu Ran quickly changed his clothes and took a pot of lavender. Five minutes later, he got into Huinai’s car.
Huinai was currently covered in bloodstains, his brow tightly furrowed, and an exceptionally sharp spiritual power aura clung to him. Zhu Ran recognized the owner of this spiritual power; it belonged to Z.
Huinai’s eyes were bloodshot, and his speech was rapid with anxiety. “Z’s spiritual sea has gone berserk. He told me not to disturb you, but I can’t just stand by and do nothing when he’s about to die.”
Zhu Ran frowned. “Shouldn’t his condition have stabilized?”
Zhu Ran remembered the situation when Z left his house. Most of the injuries on his body had healed, and his emotions were relatively stable; he shouldn’t have fallen into a spiritual sea riot again.
Huinai pushed the hovercar’s speed to its maximum while explaining, “Because he harmed you, he subjected himself to electrocution after restricting his spiritual sea. In his weakened state, he lost consciousness during the process, triggering the spiritual sea riot.”
Electrocution…?
With a body so weak he could barely stand, what was he doing with electrocution?
Zhu Ran’s face darkened. “I didn’t ask him to do that.”
“I know it wasn’t your intention.”
After all, as long as Zefaer was unwilling, who in the entire Interstellar could convict him?
“However, he did harm you, and it was right for him to be punished. I also didn’t expect him to lose control again because of the punishment; this is my dereliction of duty.”
When Zefaer had put on the restrictor and entered the interrogation room, Huinai had tried to stop him, but not very firmly. Huinai thought Zefaer would only suffer some superficial injuries; who could have known it would turn out like this?
“In any case, I am incredibly grateful that you could come today. Afterward, I’ll do anything you ask of me.”
“I might not necessarily be able to stabilize him. Let me see his condition first!”
Five minutes later, the two arrived at the military prison of Aipusi Star. Huinai showed his credentials and brought Zhu Ran straight inside.
The prison was dimly lit, and the atmosphere was heavy. The thick metal walls used a specially-made insulating metal that could block most spiritual power attacks. The two took the elevator down to the tenth underground level. Huinai swiped his credentials again and explained the situation to the officer in charge, and they subsequently entered the innermost room.
Zhu Ran noticed that after entering the tenth underground level, all the officers wore bright yellow epaulets, appearing different from those guarding the prison’s perimeter.
“We’re here.”
Huinai led Zhu Ran to stand before an iron door.
“Although Z bound himself in advance, his spiritual power has already reached the point of materialization and can still harm people. I will weave a spiritual power net for you so you can enter the room. But you need to approach Z carefully; my spiritual net cannot block injuries from close range.”
As Huinai spoke, he looked at Zhu Ran with an uneasy expression. Zhu Ran was young, and he looked thin and weak, not strong at all—clearly the type that needed protection. Yet Huinai had to ask Zhu Ran, who should have been the one protected, to do such a dangerous thing.
Huinai felt incredibly guilty, but he had no other choice.
“I’m sorry; this is really quite dangerous. But I have no other way.”
“No need to apologize to me.”
Zhu Ran held the lavender, his mind calm.
“This is an enhanced sedative.”
Huinai handed three syringes already filled with liquid to Zhu Ran.
“Just inject them into Z once you get close to him.”
Zhu Ran had seen Z inject himself with a syringe before, so he took them.
“Okay.”
Huinai condensed his spiritual power to envelop and protect Zhu Ran. Afterward, he entered the password and opened the iron door.
As soon as the door opened, a wave of savage, violent aura surged out, carving several deep cracks into the hard floor. The cold, harsh aura pressed down so hard that everyone facing it could barely breathe, and their hands and feet turned cold.
With two clatters, the light source overhead flickered, adding a sense of eeriness to the atmosphere.
The spiritual power net around Zhu Ran worked well, preventing him from suffering even a scratch. The lavender he held in his arms was also unharmed, and as the air surged, it released waves of enchanting, deep fragrance.
Zhu Ran took two deep breaths and walked into the room.
The room was bright and spacious, with every light overhead shining clearly. Yet even in such a bright atmosphere, one could still feel an oppression as deep as an abyss.
An iron bed placed vertically sat in the middle of the room. Chains were connected to the four corners of the bed, and the chains were linked to four machines. These must be the machines for administering electrocution; they could adjust the voltage intensity. It was said that when the four machines were turned to their maximum setting, they could electrocute an A-rank alien beast until it was cooked through.
On the electrocution bed, Z was held down tightly by several metal shackles. Smaller shackles bound his limbs and neck, while larger ones tightly gripped his waist, chest, and thighs. The shackles were made of a special material; as soon as the power was turned on, the current would travel through the iron bed and along the shackles, subjecting the prisoner to an all-encompassing punishment by electric shock.
Z, locked onto the electrocution bed, had messy golden hair and was breathing heavily and deeply. His upper body, which was bare because of the punishment, was again covered in scars and bloodstains. Blood dripped down along his muscle patterns, and many spots had turned into dark bloodstains solidified on his skin.
A damaged restrictor lay at his feet; it seemed his spiritual sea had broken through its limits after going berserk and shredded the restrictor.
Beside Z was a spiritual sea monitor protected by precision metal, and the data on it currently displayed:
[Spiritual Sea Damage Value: 94.3%] [Spiritual Sea Fluctuation Value: 75 (30 or below is normal)]
Seeing someone arrive, Z looked up. Those heterochromatic eyes that Zhu Ran found so beautiful were once again murky and chaotic, with the whites densely clouded with blood vessels. The gray-blue veins on his forehead and the side of his neck bulged, and his skin had turned from snow-white to a light pink due to his heightened emotions.
Z’s gaze was not focused on Zhu Ran; he was unconscious. He sensed a living being approaching, and in his subconscious, he would react to all intruders with the greatest aggression.
The aura around him became even more chaotic and disordered, as if it wanted to shred the entire space. The iron chains clattered, creating echoes in the silent room.
Zhu Ran came to a stop three steps away from Z. He looked directly at Z, his green eyes having lost their warmth and turned somewhat cold, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
“Z, it’s only been a few days. How did you turn yourself into this state?”
The chaotic spiritual sea that had been covered in a thick layer of cement was suddenly pierced by a sliver of light. A light green light… carrying an aura that made Z want to linger forever.
Warm… sweet… I want it…
A moment later, the violent aura paused, as if someone had pressed a “stop” button. Z’s heterochromatic eyes flickered slightly; although they still didn’t regain focus, the terrifying red blood cells in the whites slowly receded.
He tilted his face slightly, tracing Zhu Ran’s appearance with his gaze, inch by inch, carefully. His face showed confusion—he clearly didn’t recognize Zhu Ran—but that didn’t stop the unconscious Z from voicing his heart’s primary desire.
Previously, the out-of-control Z had desired to destroy everything, to consume everything. But now, when that beautiful green pierced through the thick barriers, when he felt the aura filled with warm sweetness, his thoughts changed completely.
He opened his mouth, his voice unbelievably raspy: “Come here.”
Zhu Ran gave a light chuckle. “Go there for what?”
In Z’s gaze was an unmasked desire for possession, as if he wanted to swallow Zhu Ran whole.
“I want… you.”
Translator’s Note
Key Terms Recap:
- Jialan Academy (珈藍學院 – Jiālán Xuéyuàn): A prestigious school mentioned before. “Jialan” is often associated with temples or gardens.
- Wendell (文德瑞爾星 – Wéndéruìěr Xīng): An S-rank planet mentioned in this chapter. It’s depicted as a hub for artists.
- Aipusi Star (艾普斯星 – Àipǔsī Xīng): The location of the high-security military prison.
- Pudding Hamster (布丁小倉鼠): A specific type of hamster avatar chosen by Fang Ning.
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