Ch. 1..5: Interstellar_ Return of the Villain Chapter 1-5

Chapter 1: Blood and Betrayal

Nightfall was closing in. The twilight spread across the Planet of Eden Prime like a slow-moving wave, casting long shadows in its path.

For most, the day was over. But somewhere on this planet, a lab was still lit up, buzzing with activity.

Lyra Shedd's thoughts were starting to drift. She knew today might be her last.

Memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes—she was once a prodigy, blessed with two superpowers, making her parents proud.

But those happy times didn't last. Her parents died in a tragic accident, ripped apart by monstrous claws. Then, they were branded as "traitors." —It was easier to blame the dead when the real traitors were out of reach.

Lyra clenched her teeth. She knew she needed to get up and escape. But she was strapped to a gurney, unable to move.

Her mind wandered to the past—after her parents' deaths, she was shunned as the daughter of traitors. She endured the humiliation, all while growing stronger, waiting for the day she could clear her parents' names.

Delayed justice might seem pointless for her parents, but it was the least she could do for them.

She opened her eyes, scanning the room. Then she spotted five massive spikes hanging above her. These thick, sharp-tipped spikes gleamed menacingly, all aimed at her.

"Damn it, what did Grandpa make me drink?" she muttered, teeth gritted.

She didn't know why her grandfather had drugged her and brought her here.

Her eyes, bloodshot from the strain, looked even more terrifying under the harsh lights.

Realizing that anger would only hasten the poison's spread in her body, she took a deep breath and quickly scanned the room again.

A familiar figure came into view.

Suddenly, clarity hit her. She understood what was going on.

Standing beside her was Erin, her cousin and bitter rival.

Lyra fixed her gaze on Erin, her voice dripping with menace, "You better kill me today. If you don't, I swear I'll make you and everyone in the family wish you'd never been born."

Her calm tone carried the chill of a devil's whisper.

Erin crossed her arms, looking down at Lyra with a condescending smirk. She shook her head and said, "Lyra, make the most of your threats now, because after today, you won't have the chance to act tough anymore."

Then she turned to her underling and commanded, "Do it, now!"

The operator hesitated for a moment and asked, "Miss, shouldn't we use anesthesia?"

The Soul Spike was a notorious biological weapon, known for causing irreversible damage to Peculiars' bodily functions. Besides its severe consequences, the pain during the implantation process was unimaginable.

Erin, looking impatient, sneered, "Her parents were traitors! They betrayed us all! Why would you feel sorry for her? Do it now, before her superpower comes back. Otherwise, she'll freeze us solid and shatter us into pieces."

The operator, aware of Lyra's reputation, knew that hesitation could bring disaster. He quickly operated the device, plunging the cold, hard Spikes into Lyra's left wrist.

Instantly, excruciating pain shot through Lyra's body like an electric shock. It felt as if her wrist had been smashed by a sledgehammer.

Next came the right wrist, then the left ankle, and the right ankle.

As Lyra screamed in agony, blood slowly soaked the mat beneath her. The crimson liquid flowed onto the floor, glaringly bright.

The final Soul Spike was aimed at Lyra's chest. She gasped, feeling the pain, her pale face twisted in a grimace.

The operator swallowed hard. Normally, one Soul Spike was enough to ruin a Master Peculiar. Here, they had prepared five for Lyra.

HISS—

Blood sprayed from Lyra's chest. Her body convulsed violently, and her mouth, which had been open in a scream, suddenly fell silent, as if her throat had been seized.

She remained there, mouth agape, veins bulging on her face, like a statue frozen in agony.

Erin laughed with delight and lifted her chin, saying, "I didn't tell you to stop."

Her beautiful eyes gleamed with lethal intent.

A strange machine, resembling half an eggshell, lowered over Lyra's head.

A man wearing a clown mask appeared, his fingers thin and bony like tree branches. He pressed a button.

The eggshell emitted a low hum, and a peculiar energy wave filled the air.

As Lyra teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, she struggled violently. She opened her mouth again, but her voice was completely hoarse now.

"ARGH—"

She felt as if thousands of strange insects were burrowing into her skull, sucking at her brain. She could feel her mental energy draining away, bit by bit.

The operator stepped back quietly, fear creeping into his heart. Lyra had endured the Soul Spikes, but her screams from this new torment were horrifying beyond imagination.

He couldn't fathom who had invented this technology—it could extract a Peculiar's Core Crystal, the source of their superpowers.

Lyra quickly realized the gravity of the situation—her power of freezing was vanishing.

Five icicles appeared above her head, indicating her freezing power level: level five.

The room filled with a chilling cold. The temperature plummeted to minus.

Erin rubbed her arms, her eyes fixated on the forming Crystal Core. This was something she had dreamed of for countless nights, and now her dream was coming true.

As the crystal fully formed, she couldn't help pushing past the others and rushed over.

"Is it done?" she asked, a bit uncertain.

The masked man nodded, "There's also a Crystal Core of healing..."

"Leave that one for her," Erin said thoughtfully, her expression shifting to one of resigned disgust. "We can't kill her yet. She's from a noble family. Her mother is a marquis' daughter, and we need to consider that."

Killing a noble person would attract too much unwanted attention. Letting her keep the power of healing would be wiser—it would allow her to survive without posing a significant threat.

That's right. Erin's ultimate goal was to keep Lyra alive, like a maggot in a dark, filthy gutter.

At that moment, a man in robes entered the room. He was an eighth-level Spellbinder, there to place the final seal on Lyra.

"By thy own blood, thou art sworn. Speak not a word of this day's deeds to outsiders; shouldst thou break this vow, then..."

As he finished the incantation, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes glazed over for a moment.

Lyra's powerful psychokinesis had fought fiercely against the binding, like a raging lion.

The Spellbinder had to exert all his energy to cast this curse, which drained him immensely.

When he regained his composure, he noticed Erin's impatient gaze. Hastily, he said, "Miss, it is done."

His momentary daze was partly due to shock and fear. The Spellbinder was certain that if Lyra had a few more years to grow, she would easily break his spell.

"Good, you can go," Erin waved dismissively and then eagerly walked towards Lyra. Her steps left red footprints on the floor as she stepped through the blood.

Lyra's hair was soaked with sweat, making her look utterly miserable. She had lost so much blood that her face was as pale as paper, and her eyes had lost focus.

The Spikes had ravaged her body, and the struggle against the curse had drained her psychokinesis.

Lyra lost consciousness.

Erin smiled like a devil. She murmured to herself, "By tomorrow morning, news will spread throughout the galaxy. Lyra, the once-genius Peculiar, has lost her proud power of freezing overnight. Now, she has nothing but the utterly useless power of healing. Savor this humiliation, Lyra. You deserve it."

Erin turned to leave, but just then, Lyra's faint voice whispered, "I will come back."

Barely clinging to life, Lyra's last hope for her family extinguished.

In a way, Erin was right—Lyra deserved this. She had naively believed she could reform the vipers in her family. In the end, these vipers had brought about her downfall.

Chapter 2: Stupid Innocence

Eden Prime was the capital planet of the Alliance.

It was midsummer in the central region. Because most of the land on this planet was surrounded by water, the climate was always humid and hot.

In humid weather, wounds easily got infected.

Lyra lay in the barn on a farm far from her family. She had been there for three days without anyone caring for her.

At first, Lyra thought she would die from blood loss, but her bleeding had slowly stopped. Just when she thought she was lucky, she wished she were dead instead—the wounds on her limbs and chest began to get infected, and flies started to gather.

Lyra woke up several times. She bit her lip hard, trying to sit up, but it was useless. She could only watch herself slowly die.

After God knows how long, she was woken by someone's sobbing.

"Lyra, don't leave me... Can you hear me?"

A boy, who looked about ten years old, was sitting next to Lyra, his face streaked with tears.

Lyra's eyes moved slightly, and her cracked lips twitched.

The boy was overjoyed, his sobbing paused but then became even louder.

"Great, you're still alive! I wouldn't know what to do if you were gone."

Lyra gasped for breath. "Help me... clean my wounds."

Kail looked at Lyra's exposed flesh. He hesitated for a moment but then started looking around for useful tools.

He was Lyra's younger brother.

Lyra had always protected him. He was like a bird that had never left the nest. So, it was natural for him to be scared when he first saw the wounds.

"Why did you go on a rampage? I begged Grandpa to find a doctor, but he said you wouldn't survive. He even threatened me, telling me not to come near you, or you'd tear me apart."

He didn't yet know how cruelly his beloved grandpa had treated his sister.

Exhaustion made Lyra's vision blurry. She weakly explained, "I didn't... I didn't rampage... It was him..."

Before she could reveal the truth, her brain felt like it was being electrocuted.

The curse activated.

"Lyra, what's wrong? You're scaring me!" Kail looked like he was about to cry again.

"Stop crying... help me up," Lyra weakly said.

With Kail's help, Lyra lifted her body from the bloody ground. A faint green light appeared on her body, emitting weak energy, keeping her barely alive.

"Kail, we need to leave... Eden Prime."

This place was too dangerous for the siblings.

She used to think, like everyone else, that Grandpa was still family. She believed that no matter how much he hated her mother, he wouldn't harm his grandchildren.

Ansel, their grandpa, acted just as she predicted. Though he was sometimes cold and strict, he never showed ill intentions towards Lyra and Kail.

Day after day, this was their life, and Lyra's suspicions gradually faded away.

Things changed so quickly that Lyra didn't even have time to blame herself for her naivety or to mourn the loss of her last family member.

She didn't even know if she could keep living. But her mother had left them some money for emergencies. At least now Lyra and her brother had enough to get through this crisis.

"Leave...?" Kail blinked his big, red eyes. "Why do we have to leave? That's our home."

He had never left Eden Prime and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

"It's not home anymore! Kail, didn't Grandpa tell you anything? Do you know why I'm like this... argh!"

The curse activated again. Fiery pain burned in Lyra's eyes, like it would burst out and consume everything.

Seeing this scary sight, Kail shrank back and said, "Wait until I get a bit stronger, then we'll go."

The curse drained what little strength Lyra had just regained. Her vision went black, and she passed out again.

When she woke up, the barn looked the same as before. Kail was gone.

Lyra forced herself to sit up. As she thought about what had happened, a dull pain hit her numb heart.

...

In the largest city of Eden Prime, skyscrapers towered over everything.

These buildings were like giant trees in a forest, blocking most of the sunlight. The streets were lined with brightly decorated shops, many with large screens showing the latest humanoid models.

The roads were full of levitation cars, or Levs, moving non-stop.

Lyra carefully walked through the expensive Levs, limping to the Shedd family mansion's gate.

A strong arm in a uniform stopped her. The security guard looked apologetic. "Sorry, we've been told not to let you in."

Lyra didn't want to make trouble for him, so she said nothing and walked away. She headed to the servants' entrance instead.

It was quiet here, with only one very familiar figure standing there.

As if knowing she would come back, Erin stood by the door, arms crossed, staring straight at Lyra.

Lyra remembered those eyes—Erin always had a look of barely contained rage when she looked at her; now, those eyes held a hint of disdain, like she was looking at a stray dog.

Lyra wasn't surprised to see Erin. She stared at Erin and asked, "Where's Kail?"

In the next moment, a sudden chill crept up Lyra's back. It slowly climbed from her spine to her arms and neck.

Lyra looked at her hands, where her once pale skin had turned purple from the cold.

Lyra took a few steps back, nearly falling. She frowned and asked, "How do you...?"

Lyra knew Erin's ability was the power of force, but what she had just shown was the power of freezing.

Lyra quickly thought of her own stolen power of freezing. She could hardly believe it. Stealing someone else's superpower—how could such a shameless technology exist?

"Tasting what it's like to be frozen solid, you should try it too," Erin sneered. "You were pretty tough when you used this trick on me."

The sound of water freezing into ice echoed in the quiet air. A sharp icicle formed in Erin's hand, and she thrust it toward Lyra.

Lyra instinctively tried to use her own superpower to defend herself but was interrupted by a wave of pain from inside her body. In desperation, she stumbled aside to dodge the attack.

The sudden movement reopened the wounds on Lyra's limbs and chest.

The pain hit her like a shock of electricity, numbing her instantly. Lyra's vision blurred.

Erin's joy at Lyra's misery was evident. She laughed heartily, wanting to continue tormenting Lyra, but at that moment, someone kicked her hard from behind.

"Stop attacking my sister!"

It was Kail.

Seeing Kail appear suddenly gave Lyra a burst of strength. She quickly asked, "Why are you back?"

Her eyes held hope, hoping this little boy had seen the cruelty of their family. She hoped he would flee this place with her.

But Kail's next words struck Lyra like a lightning bolt.

Kail cried, "I came back to beg Grandpa to heal you. Can we not leave? Grandpa said healing you would cost a lot of money, so I told him about Mom's money... Ah, Lyra..."

Lyra grabbed Kail by the arm, staring intensely at the "naive" child, her eyes almost bleeding.

"You told Ansel the password?!"

For Kail, this was the first time he saw his sister with such a stern expression.

Lyra quickly opened the bank account on her opticomputer, but all she saw was a series of zeros, mocking her.

Her frantic actions and the sudden halt of her expression looked both comical and tragic. Erin clapped and laughed. She shook her head and said, "Oops, I didn't mean to laugh, but this is just too funny. You poor thing."

Lyra felt her blood boiling, her vision blurred with rage. She gritted her teeth, glaring at her helpless brother, her ferocious expression making Kail tremble.

"Lyra... Sis?"

Lyra wanted to slap him, but he was only ten years old. She paused and then, still calmly, said, "It's all my fault. I kept you sheltered, and now you have no idea how dangerous the world outside is."

Lyra wanted to cry, wondering if things would be different if their mother were still alive.

Kail's eyes, so similar to their mother's, cut her heart like a knife.

She wiped her blood-stained hands on her tattered clothes, then gently caressed Kail's cheek.

"What else did Grandpa say?" she asked.

Lyra's hand was cold, reminding Kail of their mother before she died. He felt scared and replied, "Grandpa said he wants me to go to boarding school, and then to military school. Are you okay with that?"

Kail looked up at Lyra, seemingly waiting for her approval.

"That's fine," Lyra said, looking up. But she didn't look at Kail. She locked eyes with the old man standing on the balcony above.

He looked down with arrogance, like he was looking at maggots in the gutter.

And below, the girl he was watching had anger boiling inside her like lava.

"Then stay here," Lyra said without turning back to Kail.

Kail panicked. He clung tightly to Lyra's hand, shaking his head and crying, "No, I want to be with you."

A small, warm smile cracked through Lyra's grief-stricken face. She gently wiped Kail's tears and said, "You'll be safest here. I need you to remember everything that happened today, can you do that?"

Lyra knew what Ansel was planning. Kail was young, a blank canvas, much easier to control than she was. Ansel could mold Kail into his perfect tool. In time, Kail would become exactly what Ansel wanted.

Though it was a grim outcome, at least Kail would survive. And as long as he was alive, there was hope.

Lyra could at least ensure he would have a better life than she did. This was her final act of protection for him.

Then Lyra pushed Kail away. Her wounds tore open from the sudden movement, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Step by step, she walked away from the place she once called home. She wobbled with every step, leaving bloody footprints as she went.

Chapter 3: A Failed Investment

Lyra walked through the busy streets and kept moving forward. The sights she saw became worse and worse. The bright neon lights slowly disappeared, strange graffiti appeared on the walls, and the smell of urine was everywhere.

The tall buildings made her look even thinner and weaker, and her unsteady steps showed that she had little strength left. She looked like a fragile deer that had wandered into a den of hungry wolves.

In the darkness, many blood-red eyes locked onto her.

Suddenly, a fireball shot through the alley and exploded in an empty spot. The hunters hiding in the dark were startled, and then they heard a rough voice say, "All of you get lost, this is my prey."

The sharp ones knew that the owner of the fireball was a level 4 Peculiar who used the power of flame.

So, everyone retreated for their own safety.

Sorren walked up to Lyra with one hand in his pocket.

He bent down, brushed her hair aside to look at her, and whistled. "Estimated at fifty thousand astrocredits. If I sell her to a distant planet, I'll make even more."

But then he frowned and stood up straight.

After looking her over, he grumbled impatiently, "She's so badly injured... Is she an escaped convict? Or was she supposed to be sent to the mines? God, I hope I can heal her with as little money as possible. Don't let me lose on this deal..."

As he spoke, Sorren reached for Lyra's collar. He wanted to check if the deal was worth it.

The young woman seemed lifeless at first, but when Sorren reached out, she suddenly struggled and sprang up.

Before Sorren could react, a cold knife was pointed at his heart.

"Behave yourself, pretty boy. Shut those pretty lips of yours, or I'll be sad to cut them off. Now, take me out of the city," Lyra's voice was soft but very cold. "Do this and you'll get a reward, otherwise... hmm?"

The knife tip turned slightly on his chest, and Sorren turned pale with fear. 'Damn... thought she was prey, but she's a cunning hunter!'

He swallowed and said, "I'll lead the way."

After saying this, Sorren picked up the young woman and went to the back of the alley. They got into a Lev and flew away.

On the rooftop, a person in black clothes closely watched everything. After the Lev left, he opened his opticomputer to report, "Sir, she has been taken by a trafficker."

"Call me again when you make sure she's dead."

...

Three hours later, the agent saw the two get out of the Lev.

They were now in the outskirts of the city. The man looked a bit unhappy. He was holding an opticomputer, flipping through it and trying to check its contents.

"What a useless thing, dying in my Lev. But... at least this gadget should be worth a few bucks," he muttered, dragging the body from the Lev's door to a distance and starting to gather firewood.

The agent scanned with his device, confirming that the body showed no signs of life. He then contacted his employer again and reported, "Confirmed dead."

"Mission complete."

In a luxurious mansion in the city, Ansel put down the communicator and sighed with relief. He gently stroked the soft fur of the beast-skin sofa and murmured to himself, "I hope she finds peace."

Meanwhile, in the outskirts, Sorren put away his portable opticomputer. He had planned to sell the body to experimenters, but judging by its damaged state, he figured it wouldn't fetch much.

Just then, the "body" suddenly glowed with a faint green light. She abruptly opened her eyes, making Sorren jump in fright.

"Where do you live?" she asked. It turned out she had been pretending to be dead.

Sorren stared at the still-bleeding wound beneath her. He didn't know why, but the answer slipped out of his mouth, "Voidstar No. 3."

"Lead the way then."

Sorren was undoubtedly an experienced trafficker. Human trafficking was a notorious industry in the border regions, beyond the reach of government control.

Elden Prime was the capital of the the Alliance. If Sorren dared to operate his business right under the government's nose, he surely had his ways of traveling between planets.

Only a trafficker could successfully take Lyra away, knowing the best ways to smuggle people without the officials, including Lyra's influential grandfather, noticing.

Sorren was stunned. He hated himself now. If he hadn't taken the greedy chance, he wouldn't be in such big trouble.

Lyra was still lying on the ground. She spoke mysteriously, "Why the long face? Just get me out safely. I promise you'll get your reward."

"Lady, weren't you about to die?" Sorren rolled his eyes. From the moment he first saw her, he thought she wouldn't live long.

Lyra managed a weak smile. "Unfortunately for you, no. And even if I die, I swear I'll came back and haunt every one of you."

Sorren saw the fierce look in her eyes and felt a shiver down his spine. He knew helping her would bring trouble, but not helping her would bring even bigger trouble.

Sorren sighed and said, "Alright, alright, I'll help you this once, but just this once."

...

Lyra didn't know how much time had passed, but when Sorren woke her up again, they had arrived at Voidstar No. 3.

The streets in front of her were desolate, like an old, barren town from a cowboy movie.

Occasionally, the wind blew, kicking up some dust.

They encountered a few people on the street. These people were unlike anyone Lyra had seen in the big city before; they were tall, strong, and their eyes were full of hostility and vigilance.

This desolate place, however, was Sorren's home. Returning here, he was like a fish back in the sea. His eyes twinkled with a plan.

He knew that the girl before him, despite her fierce temperament, was very weak now. So he suggested, "How about going to my place?"

"Alright."

Lyra noticed Sorren's shifty eyes but chose to ignore it. She was like a torch, almost out of fuel. Any chance to rest, regardless of the danger, was better than dying.

Walking through the streets and alleys, they arrived at Sorren's narrow, shabby basement home, littered with extinguished cigarette butts and crushed beer cans.

Lyra glanced around and said to Sorren, who was looking for something, "It's a nice place." — enough for her to hide.

After she spoke, the amulet on her neck began to glow. It was a Space Button.

Sorren was shocked, his mouth agape. He wanted to say something, but a silver light poured out from the Space Button. Then, Lyra started to shrink in the light, getting completely enveloped until she disappeared.

A huge metal egg appeared in Sorren's room.

Staring at the silver egg, a myriad of questions flashed through Sorren's mind.

'Is this girl really human? Can I still sell her? How do I explain to the buyer — Hey, buddy, just wait a few months, and a beautiful young woman will hatch from this egg?'

Feeling deflated, Sorren slowly sat back on his bed. He could only console himself: 'The universe is full of strange people, maybe someone will pay a high price for this egg.'

Unfortunately, that peculiar buyer never appeared — or perhaps, the universe was so vast that those seeking an egg-born beauty had not yet found Sorren.

In any case, the egg remained in Sorren's possession. Every day, he checked to see if it had any cracks, but each time he was disappointed.

This went on for seven years.

Stardate June 1, 3024

Sorren saw off another group of clients.

He had moved to a new home, but over the years, he hadn't made much money. The new home was only a little better than the previous one. It was not much bigger and still very cramped—his old home was so small he could barely fit a bed.

In the center of the already cramped room, a giant egg took up three-quarters of the space.

On the egg, Sorren's sweaty clothes, unfinished food, and used tissues lay scattered.

Sorren walked over slowly and habitually checked the eggshell.

There were still no signs of hatching.

He sighed and sat down, leaning against the egg. He began to question himself. 'Was I out of my mind when I decided to keep this thing?'

The egg was very tough. A drill couldn't pierce it, and a hammer couldn't break it, so it had to be valuable.

However, no one wanted to buy it because it was made of an unknown material. Even though it was very strong, people were unwilling to pay a high price for something they didn't understand—especially in the illegal market.

Occasionally, one or two players showed interest. But once Sorren told them that there was a person inside, they refused to buy it.

Sorren tried to convince himself not to care too much. But he had spent a lot of money and resources to smuggle it out of Eden Prime. If he couldn't sell the egg for a good price, he would lose money.

Thinking about this, Sorren gritted his teeth and let out a howl, then punched the egg hard.

"F*ck! Damn it!"

Sorren cried out in pain, biting his injured fist. When he looked up, his red eyes were a little wet, either from the pain or from his headache.

His neighbor, Wealey, happened to pass by. Seeing Sorren in such a sorry state, he couldn't help but mock him, "Don't cry, little girl. I'll tell you what, you might as well give this thing to Snakehead. If he sells it, maybe he'll be merciful and give you a little bit."

"Get lost. When did you start eyeing my treasure?"

Even though he couldn't sell it, Sorren firmly believed it was a treasure.

As for Snakehead... Sorren had once sold him a stellar beast, but Snakehead insisted on pulling off the beast's scales and weighing it after it had pooped. Snakehead was very stingy, so doing business with him always meant a loss.

"Then keep crying, little girl," Wealey sneered. Then, after closing his door, he made a phone call, speaking very respectfully.

The next day, Sorren's apartment door met a tragic fate.

Worse yet, after being kicked off its hinges, it crashed into Sorren's bed, breaking it.

Considering the bed was made by Sorren himself with rusty iron, this result wasn't surprising.

Sorren was still in bed, so when the bed collapsed, he got buried under a pile of clothes and blankets. However, he remained unexpectedly calm, as if he had anticipated this would happen.

Without opening his eyes, he angrily shouted, "F*ck, who the hell is it?"

"It's me!" A fat man appeared in the doorway. Like Sorren, he was a level-four Peculiar. He led a group of goons inside and said, "Sorren, crawl over here and kiss Daddy's toes."

He was a goon from the biggest merchant association under Borderline Voidstar No. 3.

Sorren's expression changed, but he forced a smile and got up, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He approached, saying, "Captain Oren, what brought you here?"

While speaking sweetly, he shot a venomous glance at Wealey behind Oren. This neighbor was truly a sneaky snake, and Sorren decided that after dealing with this situation, he would make Wealey pay.

Oren pushed away the cheap cigarettes Sorren offered, looking disgusted. He puffed out his belly and said, "I heard you have something interesting. You stupid boy, you should have brought it to the association earlier. That way, you could have sold it long ago. It's better than using it as furniture now."

As he spoke, his companions surrounded the shiny silver egg.

Sorren's mind raced. He quickly admitted, "I only realized yesterday that it was valuable. I was thinking about how to prepare it to take to Snakehead."

Then he added sarcastically, "Who was the fool who told you I was hiding it? But I assure you, I know this egg best. If you want to take it now, you should take me too. If you have any questions, you can ask me.

At this point, Sorren decided he wouldn't let Wealey get away with this.

Wealey panicked, "Captain Oren, you promised me..."

"Shut up, it was you who badmouthed Sorren behind his back." Oren changed his tone quickly. He pushed Wealey aside with his belly and approached the silver egg.

"Have you checked what it is?" Oren asked.

The person in charge of inspecting it looked hesitant.

Oren, despite his rough demeanor, had sharp instincts. "The more mysterious it is, the more valuable it is. Take it with us. We have a hundred tools we haven't tried yet. I believe we can open it."

The small apartment immediately became crowded and busy. A group of goons started packing up the egg.

As they bustled around, a cracking sound came from the giant egg.

The shiny silver egg suddenly transformed into a very large ball of light, taking up even more space than before.

No one had time to process what was happening. The next moment, green vines began to grow wildly inside the room. They wrapped around everyone, pinning them to the ground.

Chapter 4: Fighting Back

The green vines wrapped everyone up like spider webs and hung them on the wall. They looked like green cocoons.

After the light in the center of the room slowly faded, a young woman came out of the giant egg.

It was Lyra, and she was still wearing her old hospital gown.

Time seemed to have been kind to her; after so many years, she was still beautiful. Her face looked a bit pale though, and she was thin and fragile.

She clutched her chest and breathed heavily, as if she might faint at any moment.

Despite being so weak, she had just used a mysterious power to control everyone who had bad intentions towards her in an instant.

Oren's face was pale. He didn't know what kind of monster Lyra was. Her power was much more terrifying than his superior's, making him and all his companions unable to resist.

In the silence, Sorren saw what was happening. He knew his savior had arrived, and he spoke in a flattering voice, "It's me, your dear Sorren!"

Sorren's hands and feet were bound, so he could only wriggle like a worm, trying to get Lyra's attention. He shouted, "I brought you here."

Lyra had just woken up from a long sleep, so her eyes still looked a bit dazed. She slowly looked at Sorren, "Oh, it's you."

Pieces of memory slowly came together in her mind. Lyra beckoned with her finger, and a green light brought Sorren in front of her. She sneered and said, "You really tried hard to sell me these past years. Your effort almost moved me."

Sorren had just felt saved, but hearing this, his face fell. "You... you were awake all this time?"

"I didn't need to be awake. Judging by the state of this room now, it's obvious."

She had indeed slept for a long time, but she woke up and slept again repeatedly. Whenever she woke up, she checked the egg shell's integrity and the outside for any danger.

Lyra then released Sorren. Under his fearful gaze, she gently tidied his hair and smiled, "Don't worry, I still remember my promise to you. I won't let anyone else kill you."

Even though Lyra was comforting him, Sorren felt like she was implying, "Only I can take your life."

Sorren wanted to ask why Lyra hadn't aged in seven years, but he swallowed his words.

Oren's eyes widened, unable to believe what was happening. Maintaining a elastic metal shell for seven years—the power needed was simply intimidating.

Thinking about this, Oren sighed like a deflated balloon and dropped his puffed-out chest. He said reluctantly, "This is all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."

He changed his previously aggressive stance, bowing and nodding to Lyra. "I am Oren, serving the biggest guild of Voidstar No. 2. May I know your name? Please come to our guild as a guest. Our boss always welcomes powerful individuals."

Lyra seemed to take a moment to think (or maybe her mind was still waking up). She replied, "Oh, sorry for the rudeness."

She let the green vines release Oren and his men. Then, she carelessly threw Sorren out the window as if he were garbage.

A scream was heard, followed by several pained "F*ck, f*ck, f*ck" shouts. Sorren seemed to have broken a leg, but he dragged himself away without looking back.

Oren knew he had messed with someone he shouldn't have. However, he had already extended the invitation, so he had to lead her to his boss.

At the same time, he was very confused. This young woman looked so fragile. In the past, Oren would have had no hesitation in knocking her to the ground, but this time, his instincts kept him from provoking her.

In the end, he attributed her intimidation to her unique superpower and strong psychokinesis.

Oren led Lyra out of Sorren's place and pointed to a towering building in the distance.

"That's the place. But I need to warn you, Snakehead is very tough. If you want to back out now, we can leave, and this never happened."

Lyra sneered at Oren, the contempt in her eyes making him uneasy. "Fine, fine, follow me," he said, leading the way.

Lyra followed him for a long time until they finally entered the building. There, she met the person who controlled Voidstar No. 2, Snakehead.

His name made sense. Snakes don't have hair, and Snakehead was bald. However, his body was the opposite of a snake—he was fat.

Snakehead was holding a cigar, using a right hand made from some black metal. This right hand had a strange, stylish look, making him appear more menacing.

"Who is this?" Snakehead asked without looking up, slowly playing with a rare mineral in front of him.

"Oren brought her, says her superpower is very special," Snakehead's assistant answered. He stood calmly beside Snakehead, both of them scrutinizing the strange young woman.

Snakehead looked up again. "Young woman, I guess you just landed on this planet not long ago," he said, his tone dripping with smugness and mockery.

He then put the cigar in his mouth and casually warned, "Whether you're lying or not, I can let you go now because you're too young. But if you don't leave and I find out you're trying to f*ck with me..."

"I'll make your severed arm grow back," Lyra interrupted coldly.

Snakehead squinted slightly, full of suspicion.

Lyra raised her hand, and a ball of healing energy formed in her palm.

"Want to try?" she asked, fearlessly meeting Snakehead's doubtful gaze.

...

Oren was squatting at the guild building's entrance when he saw Sorren limping towards him. Clearly, his leg was badly injured from being thrown out the window a couple of days ago.

Another colleague of Oren's happened to walk by and joked, "Oren, I heard you introduced the boss to a young pretty girl who's barely legal?"

"Go f*ck yourself, you perverted boar," Oren retorted.

The man, slightly annoyed, was about to leave when he noticed the bruises on Oren's arm. He rolled his eyes and said, "So, it wasn't a young pretty girl, but an old witch?"

Oren was about to argue, but when he looked past the man and saw someone behind him, his expression turned sympathetic.

A slender hand emerged from nowhere and slapped the rude man hard, sending him flying.

"F*ck! Who the hell..." the man jumped up, ready to draw his weapon.

Just then, a middle-aged man slowly walked out of the building. He seemed to be well-respected, as the guards at the door bowed slightly to him.

"Show some respect to Miss Shedd!" the bespectacled man said.

Oren immediately stood up straight and respectfully called him Mr. Todd.

Todd politely bowed to Lyra. "Thank you for the healing. We will fully prepare for your next visit."

Lyra nodded and said, "Once I find a place to settle down, I will notify you and confirm the schedule."

Lyra knew that if she couldn't leave this place soon, she would at least need to establish a business to support herself.

Sorren witnessed all this, still in shock. Lyra waved her hand in front of his face and said, "Time to go."

Sorren walked towards his rusty Lev. He opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He was still afraid to ask the young woman behind him what had happened.

He felt like she had become even more formidable.

Oren snapped out of his shock, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he asked, "Mr. Todd, who is this young woman? Why do you respect her so much?"

"You don't need to know who she is. You only need to know that you might need her help in the future, and that's enough," Todd replied. He adjusted his glasses and turned to leave.

With Snakehead's secret assistance, Lyra's visit to the identity registration hall went very smoothly.

After registering her age and identity, Sorren led her to another room.

"This way for superpower assessment."

Hearing about Lyra's superpower test, Sorren's eyes lit up, and he eagerly moved closer to watch.

This young woman had just taken him and Oren down in an instant; he wanted to know what extraordinary superpower she possessed.

However, after Lyra demonstrated her energy, even the staff looked at her with disdain, let alone Sorren.

It was clear that Lyra possessed the power of healing, and it was only at level three.

She wasn't even considered an Adept Peculiar.

"This can't be," Sorren exclaimed, clutching his head with both hands. He urged, "Test her again! There must be a mistake."

Everyone knew that the power of healing was the most useless superpower.

Modern humans had medical devices that were faster, more portable, and easier to use. These advantages were overwhelming.

Moreover, the types of injuries that healing power could treat were also treatable by medical devices. For diseases like genetic disorders or radiation sickness that medical devices couldn't cure, healing power couldn't either.

Even if Lyra had the fastest cultivation speed of a real talent, it would still take her reaching at least the Master level to be considered noteworthy.

In fact, even Master-level instruments had already been developed. But currently, they were expensive and rare, so they hadn't yet replaced Master-level Peculiar Healers.

The staff member, though shocked, found Sorren's attitude somewhat offensive. She retorted, "This is our latest equipment. The stickers are still on it. How could it be wrong? Get out of here."

She then casually walked away, registering the test results on the report.

Sorren sneaked a glance at Lyra. To his surprise, Lyra seemed even calmer than before the test. Sorren asked tentatively, "You're a healer, that's all?"

Lyra slowly admired her brand-new identity card, then glanced at him sideways.

"Don't you trust the doctor?"

Sorren laughed awkwardly, "Well... Maybe..."

Lyra didn't say anything more and turned to leave the registration hall.

At that moment, a fireball flew towards her back. She turned and quickly conjured a green energy shield.

The fireball bounced off the shield, hitting a pile of documents nearby, which exploded into flames.

Voidstar No. 2 was known for its chaotic neighborhood, where fights were common. The bystanders quickly ran away, not even bothering to call the authorities.

Lyra emerged from the swirling papers. She looked up at Sorren and raised an eyebrow. "Can't wait to overthrow me already?"

"Pah, I'm such a fool for being tricked by you for so long. You're just a mere healer, pretending to be tough and making me look like a fool," Sorren sneered. "You wasted seven years of my life! Don't you think you should pay me back for that?"

Lyra brushed off the dust from her shoulders and replied coldly, "We'll see."

Sorren's vision suddenly blurred. He knew Lyra was about to attack. Panicking, he summoned two fireballs and threw them at her.

However, Lyra moved like a phantom, appearing right in front of him. She locked his throat with her elbow and kneed him, slamming him to the ground.

Crack!

Sorren heard something break. He didn't know if it was his bones or the floor.

As he trembled from the terrifying sound, he suddenly felt himself being lifted. Lyra gritted her teeth and threw him into the air, then turned and kicked him away.

Bang!

Sorren's mind went blank, all thoughts disappearing, including the notion of resisting Lyra. He slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood and a human-shaped dent.

Lyra had taken him down without even using her superpower.

The smoke from the burning documents made Lyra cough violently. She caught her breath, hands on her hips, then walked over to Sorren. She looked down at him and asked, "Still want to overthrow me?"

Her fierce tone reminded Sorren of their first encounter.

Blood oozed from Sorren's nose and mouth. His throat made a wheezing sound like a broken pipe. "No, boss..."

 

Chapter 5: An Important Patient

Lyra found it very hard to get a good assistant, and finding one who always shared her ideas was even harder.

Although Lyra and Sorren's relationship had broken and rebuilt many times, full of betrayal, Lyra was sure Sorren would not cause more trouble in the future.

So, for now, she thought she had found a suitable assistant.

Lyra threw a ball of healing energy at Sorren, then knelt down to tie her shoe. When she stood up again, Sorren's wounds had healed. Only the blood on the ground showed something had happened.

"Are you two done?" The registration manager walked out lazily. He was calm and familiar with the scene, like a waiter telling a customer it's time to pay the bill. "If you're done, let's talk about compensation."

Lyra looked at the manager, then quickly raised her hands to show she didn't want to fight.

"Miss, don't try to intimidate me. I work for Snakehead. Since you are working on the frontier planet, you probably don't want to offend him, right?"

The manager had worked in the gray zone for many years, so he was good at judging the situation.

He knew this young woman was not to be messed with. So, he quickly mentioned the name of his boss, Snakehead. It was both a reminder and, a threat.

Everyone knew Snakehead was very stingy. Even if you scratched his wall, he would chase you to the ends of the universe.

Lyra smiled softly. "So this is Snakehead's territory. Sorry... How about this? You calculate the bill, and I'll pay you back when I have the money."

"You're making it difficult for me..." The manager's face turned red, and he hesitated.

Lyra replied, "How about this? You call Snakehead and ask if he agrees to let me pay later?"

It was Todd who answered the call. Knowing what had happened, he went to Snakehead to ask him.

When he entered the room, he saw bald Snakehead admiring his hand. He smiled as he looked at his newly regrown half-hand. On the desk in front of him was the mechanical hand he had just removed.

After hearing the report, Snakehead lifted his eyelids slightly. "Let her owe it, but she must pay within a year."

"Can I ask why you don't just waive the debt?"

Snakehead laughed. He touched his bald head with his half-right hand. "I already gave her an ID card for free. She owes me too much already."

He looked back at his new hand, finding it more and more adorable. After hesitating for a few seconds, he sighed and said, "Wait. Just waive the interest for her."

Only the highest level of healing power could make a severed limb regrow unconditionally.

Snakehead had known for a long time that, Lyra's healing power was very special. He thought that if he could win her over early with small favors, she might be very useful in the future.

Also, as Snakehead accumulated more and more wealth, he became more cautious with money. He wouldn't just give it off for free.

...

After hearing Snakehead's instructions, the manager looked at Lyra with admiration. "You can go," he said.

Lyra sighed in relief and dragged the exhausted Sorren away.

After realizing he couldn't beat Lyra, Sorren became much more obedient.

When Lyra told him to buy something, he walked into the store without hesitation. Even when Lyra told him to pay, he immediately handed over his account password.

Because of Snakehead's considerable influence, the news of Lyra's ability to regrow his hand spread quickly.

Soon, Lyra's clinic was crowded with people. Many even came from other planets, demanding Lyra to heal them at any cost.

The area they lived in was close to the frontier, so fighting was very common. Missing limbs were as common as freckles.

Lyra saved many people with her magical healing powers, becoming a legend in the streets. People called her "Sister Marvel."

One year... two years... three years... By the time Lyra realized it, she had been there for almost four years.

...

The Alliance was a vast interstellar republic with ten star systems as members.

These ten-star systems were centered around their planets and included nearly a hundred planets.

However, among these hundred planets, only seventeen had an atmosphere and water resources.

The atmosphere allowed organisms to breathe and maintained the planet's surface temperature, while water was necessary for the formation of carbon-based life.

Among these seventeen planets, five were particularly special. Some had corrosive gases in their atmosphere, making them unbreathable for oxygen-reliant workers; others had such dense life-supporting gases that species evolved to enormous sizes, making them very dangerous. There were also planets with a single geological composition, rendering them useless.

The Alliance used the two planets with a single geological composition as garbage dumps. As for the planet with dense life-supporting gases, one was a transit station for migrating interstellar beasts and was uninhabited.

Only Voidstar No.1 and Voidstar No.2 on the frontier had cities. The original builders of these cities were mostly exiles or outlaws. Therefore, these cities were essentially lawless zones.

The life-supporting gas on Voidstar No.2 was dense but, unfortunately, not oxygen. It was only suitable for the planet's native beasts and plants, most of which were aggressive.

On Voidstar No.2, the only human settlement was covered by a level-four protective bubble.

Inside this bubble were air modification systems and radiation and water filtration systems. To hunt outside, level one and two Peculiars had to wear special anti-radiation suits and oxygen equipment. Those willing to spend more money bought a basic mecha, which was sturdier and safer.

In the wilderness of Voidstar No.2, there had been no rain for a long time. The wind stirred up the dirt, and sandstorms were as thick as fog. The sky and earth were dyed the planet's unique dark red.

Swish—

In the dim sandstorm, a light streaked across the desolate land like a shooting star. It passed through rocky valleys and stopped at the edge of the huge protective bubble like a little ant.

It was a luxurious lev, but it was covered in dust. Contrasting its elegant body was a trailer piled high with beast prey.

"You are a level three Peculiar now. I don't think you need that," Sorren said as he drove, trying to make conversation. He glanced at the young woman in the passenger seat, who was wearing a basic mecha.

Four years ago, Lyra had finally opened her own clinic. The clinic did very well, so it didn't take long for Lyra to gather the equipment she needed to start venturing outside the city.

She often went far but not specifically to hunt. Sorren didn't know what she was doing.

"Cough, cough... I don't want to get sunburned."

Sorren's eyes shifted. "Are you getting weaker? Are you so weak you can't handle a little radiation?"

"If you really want to know, you can try breaking my radiation suit."

Lyra's amused voice made Sorren shiver, and his smile froze. In his mind, he quietly put away some bad thoughts. Although Lyra had worked him hard these past three years, he had also benefited greatly.

But Sorren wasn't entirely wrong. Because of the Soul Spikes, Lyra's body was on the verge of collapse.

Earlier, to survive, she had hidden inside the elastic metal egg. There, she spent seven years removing a spike from her chest. Just one removal caused irreversible damage to her lungs.

The Soul Spikes in her limbs couldn't be treated the same way without causing permanent damage. If she did that, the damage would prevent her from ever becoming a Master Peculiar.

She had spent ten years searching for a solution, but it seemed far away.

Lyra sighed. She looked up and saw the city sprawled across the wilderness, like a giant blister on Voidstar's surface.

At that moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky.

Large black shapes moved slowly, blocking out the sun and casting the ground into darkness as if night had fallen.

The black shadow descended and landed outside the city. Only then did the people on the ground see it clearly.

"F*ck! It's The Alliance's warship!" Sorren screamed, slamming on the brakes and clutching his head in fear. "I heard their admiral led the troops to wipe out the notorious Stellarcrab. Are we blocking his way home? Is he here to eliminate us, the Alliance's outcasts? What do we do now?"

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "You give yourself too much credit. The Alliance wouldn't bother wiping out the Voidstar; it's too much trouble. Let's go back and see."

Eliminating them would be a thankless task, so the bureaucrats in the military wouldn't want to do it.

But trouble arrived at her clinic before they could get there.

"Well, well, Lyra, you haven't aged a bit in all these years. Looks like life has treated you well; not a wrinkle in sight," Snakehead said, reaching out his hand.

Lyra avoided his sweaty hand. Snakehead's forehead was damp with sweat from nervousness. Seeing this, Lyra smirked, "I remember we settled everything between us."

Snakehead understood Lyra's implication—"We're strangers now."

'This damn woman is still so difficult!' Snakehead thought, gritting his teeth. He glanced at the Lev guarded by The Alliance soldiers behind him and forced a strained smile. "Forgive my unannounced visit, but I thought you wouldn't refuse such a big business opportunity."

"So it's business, you should have said so earlier." Lyra said, turning to open the door. "I thought you wanted to beg me for something. I just do some hard labor, picking up a few things from the dead for pocket money. I don't have anything extra to give you."

Lyra knew that the patient must be severely injured; otherwise, Snakehead wouldn't be negotiating so much before she even saw the patient.

Worried that the patient might have contracted some special virus from another planet, Lyra fully geared up in the preparation room. When she returned, wearing thick medical protective gear like a spacesuit, the patient was already on the operating table.

She looked and was surprised, not because of the severe injuries, but because the patient looked familiar.

"Well, well, isn't this the admiral's son?"