Chapter 6

Yin Mingzheng indulged Shi Qing's request.

When the alien teen withdrew his small part with a satisfied look on his face, his body was a bit weak.

Shi Qing didn't struggle to stand on his own. He collapsed bonelessly into Yin Mingzheng's lap. He shared his analysis with the System in a serious tone: [These Earthlings have a frightening aptitude for learning.]

In just a few days, Yin Mingzheng had become a skilled kisser.

The System who just had its sight restored from a mosaic was silently listening to children's music: [The mushroom picking little girl, had a big bamboo basket–]

Shi Qing didn't mind the System ignoring him. After fooling around, it was time to get down to business.

As promised, he allowed Yin Mingzheng to leave the room.

Everything outside was a particular shade of silvery white. The halls were silvery white and the machines were silvery white, just to give some examples. Of course, the monotonous colour scheme tended to make people walking around disoriented.

Shi Qing was like a lively little bird as he pulled his companion to go see his nest with a bright smile.

"This is the factory. Everyday new machines are made here, including my entire army."

Yin Mingzheng watched as silvery white machines worked to make androids.

Every one of them had strong combat abilities and aggression programs installed. When they were just 'born', a machine responsible for recording 'newbies' would assign them a serial number and weapons.

According to the speed at which these robots could be 'born' and their strength, Shi Qing could conquer the Earth any time he wanted to.

Before he could think too much about this, Shi Qing was acting like a little bird again as he pulled him to another corner.

"This is the observatory. Here, my army can survey an entire planet."

Shi Qing skipped into this wide hall, pulling along Yin Mingzheng who was staring vacantly at the various floating displays. They arrived at the throne in the middle of the room.

He got on first, and reached out a hand to Yin Mingzheng once he settled down. His eyes were filled with trust: "This is the throne. Only the King of the Mechanical race can sit here."

"Now that you're my companion, you can sit here with me."

Yin Mingzheng stared at the offered hand with a complicated expression. He knew that he should decisively accept it to make Shi Qing trust him more.

But looking into the joyful eyes of the alien youth who seemed too eager to share everything he had with him, he couldn't do it.

The man closed his eyes and forced himself to look away from his own guilt.

On the way over, Yin Mingzheng had utterly confirmed his thoughts from before.

This spaceship was a hunk of metal. No matter where they went, there were numerous robot guards patrolling. Even if he was able to convince Shi Qing to let him freely roam around, he still couldn't escape.

Since he couldn't force his way out, he had to somehow use Shi Qing to escape.

"Shi Qing."

He didn't hold the hand the youth offered, instead asking, "Are you the only person on this ship?"

"Of course not."

Shi Qing stood up and stuck out his chin like he was a spoiled little prince. He gestured to the various robots milling about the observatory.

"They're all my subordinates. I have this much."

His expression was very pleased. Yin Mingzheng asked again: "Do they have the ability to think for themselves like you?"

Shi Qing's face stilled.

Yin Mingzheng: "You said before that you were the King of the Mechanical race. But your subordinates are all robots. They will listen to you and do things for you, but they can't be your friends."

"They can!"

The youth sitting on the throne clenched his hands into fists. There was a defiant look in his silver-white eyes. "They've been my friends this whole time!"

"But they're only around you because you order them to be. If you didn't, would they come of their own volition?"

"Yes! They will!"

Yin Mingzheng looked at the Shi Qing on the throne. The corners of his eyes were already red, and his hands were clenched into fists. He might be acting stubborn, but tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes.

He could see that Shi Qing's heart was clear. Yin Mingzheng has been hard at work gathering info these last couple of days. He had a pretty good understanding of the Mechanical race. There was only one lifeform in this race, which was the King. The rest were just automatons created by the king.

They could not think for themselves and could only take orders from the King.

To be able to pass on their legacy to the next generation, every King would try their best to protect themselves and build a spaceship soon after their birth. Their entire lives would then be spent on it, accompanied only by these soulless androids.

–Until their death.

Although they're called a king, they're more like a captive.

And now, he was about to set down some bait for this captive.

Yin Mingzheng lowered his voice as if he was the snake that lured humanity to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden. "Shi Qing, do you really want to spend your entire life like this? On the ship? With only these lifeless robots around you until you die?"

Tears began to fill the youth's eyes. He stubbornly bit his lip and stared silently at the man.

Yin Mingzheng looked at him, but his eyes seemed to see into the distant future. Then, the silvery white youth will still be sitting here on the tall throne like this. He would spend everyday lonely in the company of mute and lifeless machines.

Until his death.

He was curious as to why Shi Qing was so sticky before. He was just like a leopard cub that had just been weaned and tasted his first bite of meat. He hated to leave his prey for even a moment, and would spend all day in Yin Mingzheng's lap if he could. Exchanging small parts was just a cherry on top.

Now that he knew the truth, the man's heart actually ached for this little prince.

If he lived in an environment like this, he would go insane no matter how strong his abilities were.

[Ding! Yin Mingzheng animosity value 75/100...Sigh...]

Shi Qing: [What are you sighing over?]

[I never knew that the Host's species was so pitiful. But no matter how pitiful they are it's still not good to invade the planets of others. Oh well, at least the animosity value went down a good chunk. Sigh...]

[Are all Systems as innocent as you?] Shi Qing was getting annoyed : [Can't you tell I'm lying by the skin of my teeth? Which race would be dumb enough to lock themselves on a ship for their entire lives?]

System: [...But Host, weren't you about to cry just now?]

[If I don't make a tragic backstory for myself, how will I get this softy to sympathize with and pity me? Did you get a virus or something and forgot that we're in the middle of a task? Okay? Stop sighing, I'm going back to work.]

System: [...]

Shi Qing didn't think about his busybody of a System anymore. He heard the main point that Yin Mingzheng spent a long time getting to.

"How about this: You can come with me back to the human base. There you will see lots of sick people, women, men, children and even various animals. They all have their own thoughts, and they'll be your friends."

If he really was the sole member of his species that had been alone for thousands of years, he might really be swayed by Yin Mingzheng's words.

But Shi Qing wasn't.

Even if he was lonely, he still arrogantly raised his chin. "The Mechanical race doesn't interact with others."

"I don't need friends. Even if I did, I just need you."

This was undoubtedly a very moving sentence.

If the one saying this wasn't an alien that was implying that he wanted to imprison Yin Mingzheng on this ship for his entire life.

Maybe he saw Yin Mingzheng's unwillingness, but a flash of fear went through the youth's eyes. He jumped off the throne and took his companion's hands:

"You still want to return to the human base? Why? They'll kill you in the end."

Yin Mingzheng startled: "Kill me?"

"Am I wrong?" Seemingly in an effort to keep his companion, Shi Qing waved his hands. A screen about as big as a TV on Earth flew over.

Shi Qing issued it a command: "Simulate Earth's First Base ability user Yin Mingzheng's future if he remains on Earth."

Afterwards, he turned to look at Yin Mingzheng: "This is a smart computer. As long as it can find the data, it can simulate the future of any lifeform on this planet."

Yin Mingzheng looked at the so-called smart computer. It looked like an ordinary if rounded small TV.

It just didn't fit his idea of the futuristic tech that the alien invaders should possess.

And at this moment, this 'small TV' was displaying the simulation Shi Qing was talking about. Columns of numbers flew across the screen, and he was even able to catch sight of a few familiar names with his enhanced vision.

In the end, the smart computer produced the simulation results.

The possibility of Yin Mingzheng being assassinated before the age of thirty was 70%. The possibility of him being sold to the Insect race was 20%. The possibility of him being sent to a lab to be studied was 10%.

The result was he definitely won't be living past thirty.

Seeing the results come out, the alien youth spread himself in a familiar fashion across the man's stiff body. He climbed into his lap and began to play with his sleeves. "You saved many lives, but not everyone wants you to live. Just like this time. I just threatened them a little and they gave you to me."

He relaxed his body and, like a thorny vine, began to hug the man that was staring dead at the results. His face was filled with the innocent smile of a little prince: "They don't want you, but I do."

"Won't you stay here, with me, forever?"

Yin Mingzheng's lap was filled with Shi Qing's soft body, but he only continued to stare at the screen.

His sharp eyes darkened.

The man tightly held onto Shi Qing's hands.

Momentarily afterwards, Shi Qing heard his raspy voice.

"Okay. I'll stay here and be with you. Forever."

[Ding! Yin Mingzheng's animosity rate: 80/100]

The System was about to break down: [Why did it go up when he agreed?!]

Shi Qing kicked his prey softly from within his lap, as if he was a spoiled little leopard.

A sweet smile blossomed slowly across his face.

[Get ready, Yin Mingzheng's been stimulated.]

[Our stimulation is yet to come.]

Chapter 7

A huge alien ship was gliding through the sky, surrounded on all sides by a thick layer of flying robots. Every single one of the at least millions of robots had enough firepower to at least reduce a skyscraper to rubble.

Shi Qing was standing by the clear glass looking at the forest below.

Yin Mingzheng approached him from behind and placed his arms around the youth in a familiar manner. A deep voice that rumbled pleasantly could be heard. "What are you looking at?"

Shi Qing pointed towards the forest that appeared so small from this distance. "My planet only had the Mother Tree. There were no forests."

Yin Mingzheng followed his gaze. With the superior sight of an ability user he could distinguish the figures of Insects as they traversed through the lush canopy of the forest.

His heart grew heavy. This forest was clearly in human territory before, so was it lost to the Insect race?

Shi Qing looked up to see his dazed expression. The smile on his lips became even more dazzling. He nuzzled into the man's arms like a spoiled leopard cub and carefully counted off his fingers: "In 17 years 11 months and 17 days, we can make a baby."

The System's despairing voice rose up as well: [In twenty days we'll be kicked out from this world.]

[Host, we've already been here for ten days and Yin Mingzheng's animosity value is still 80. What do we do?]

Shi Qing: [Waterworks should do the trick.]

[What?]

The System was just contemplating what the Host meant when it saw him lean bonelessly on Yin Mingzheng. He murmured a request like he was a small child: "I wanna go potty with Mingzheng."

Yin Mingzheng didn't consider Shi Qing's request to be too outrageous. He had completely gotten used to Shi Qing's desire to be sticky over the past couple of days. He obligingly picked up the youth in his arms.

When it was time to hug or kiss, the sprite-like Shi Qing made sure to reduce his weight significantly.

There was originally no washroom on the spaceship because robots have no need to use it.

Some were built after Yin Mingzheng arrived. Since he promised to stay on the ship a few days ago, Shi Qing modified himself with a digestive system similar to humans to be more like him.

It was just that he could only drink oil instead of eating human foods. He only needed to go number one.

This was just a way for the alien youth to be closer to Yin Mingzheng after all. There was no need to sweat the details too much.

After accompanying Shi Qing to the washroom, Yin Mingzheng saw him run excitedly to wash his hands at the sink, dry his hands and stand before him looking to be praised.

Ever since Yin Mingzheng agreed to stay, Shi Qing's face was almost constantly smiling. He circled around him like a little bird that never grew tired. To grow closer to him, he mimicked everything he did.

Shi Qing began to sleep like humans. Yin Mingzheng woke up every morning to a youth pretending to sleep in his arms.

Every night before he went to bed, the teen would get on the bed first and impatiently pat the bed with his long legs for Yin Mingzheng to 'sleep' with him.

–Even though he couldn't sleep at all.

Yin Mingzheng only discovered that later. Shi Qing tirelessly copied his every move, but it was just that, a copy.

One night when he opened his eyes to see Shi Qing staring right at him, his heart almost skipped a beat.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I don't have the systems necessary for sleep." Shi Qing blinked and focused with a laser-like intensity on Yin Mingzheng's small part.

"Since you're awake, let's run through the sequence again."

Due to the fact that a certain energetic little fairy kept him busy all night, the normally punctual Yin Mingzheng slept until noon the next day.

Yin Mingzheng never said anything. However, he never woke up later than six since then.

Shi Qing took this in and complained to the System: [He's afraid that he'll be converted if he spends too long in my Garden of Eden. Pah, men.]

He was deliberately acting naughty. He knew what Yin Mingzheng was thinking, but he kept keeping him up at night. If Yin Mingzheng tried to gently reject him, he would shamelessly act spoiled like a newborn kitten or puppy by climbing into the man's lap.

Yin Mingzheng could only allow him to do as he wished.

After a few days, the once valiant and cool hero of humanity had dark circles under his eyes.

The System felt despair looking at his overjoyed Host.

It finally realized something.

His BOSS-like Host was probably not just toying with the man. It was likely that he had forgotten about the task altogether.

With his personality it wasn't impossible.

Whenever he wanted to give a friendly reminder, Shi Qing would start to bother Yin Mingzheng and force the System to activate its censorship program.

There's nothing to be done. There was no entertainment on this ship. There was plenty to eat and drink. Wasn't there a saying that good intentions were filling or something? Shi Qing wasn't about to hold himself back when there was such a tasty specimen before him.

After several rounds of this, the System was well on its way to enlightenment.

Today, Yin Mingzheng was sleeping with Shi Qing curled up on his chest. His finger was circling again and again above the man's heart. It would be a beautiful scene to outsiders.

But in actuality, the Shi Qing that appeared pure on the surface was corrupting his System: [Look at how sweet these pecs are, so bouncy ah. This is the legendary concealed musculature. It's so comfortable here, delicious.]

System: [The Dao is Dao, but not all is Dao...]

[What are you blabbering on about?]

The System that converted to buddhism laughed (in despair): [I downloaded a monk mantra from HQ. Occasionally reading it grants me inner peace.]

Shi Qing: [So you're a System with taste. Oh, my sweetheart woke up.]

The first thing Yin Mingzheng saw after opening his eyes, as expected, was the alien youth snuggling against him.

"I want to see Mingzheng's small part."

The System glanced at the blurred out screen calmly: [Names are names, but not all names...]

While it was preoccupied with the mantra, Yin Mingzheng finally used the excuse of breakfast to pull the teen off of him.

Shi Qing couldn't eat human foods even though he wanted to imitate his companion, which is why he ordered the robots to bring him a clear cup of oil. He sipped at it while keeping Yin Mingzheng company.

His sensory system was that of the Mechanical race, so different oils had different tastes to him.

For example, today's cup tasted like shark fin soup.

Yin Mingzheng had an indulgent smile on his face as he watched the youth drink oil. After he saw that he was done, he even attentively dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. He was a model companion.

As expected, Shi Qing's gaze towards him became softer after this. His leopard cub persona came out again as he laid down on his companion's knees to watch him eat.

Yin Mingzheng reached out his left hand and began to comfort him like he was a kitten. His hand ran again and again through the soft hair of the youth.

"Shi Qing."

He watched the androids respectfully clear the table after the meal as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. He asked softly: "Can you not go to sleep like humans?"

Shi Qing shook his head: "I need to make a sleeping system for that."

Yin Mingzheng smiled as he lifted the youth up: "Why not make one? I feel guilty leaving you alone at night to guard me."

Hesitation bloomed on the youth's face. He always wore his heart on his sleeve like this.

The man looked at his with pampering eyes: "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid you'll run off."

Shi Qing paused before deciding to tell the truth: "What if you run off while I'm sleeping?"

"I wouldn't do that." Yin Mingzheng's eyes darkened but his smile remained the same: "I don't have permission to leave the ship so I can't leave even while you sleep."

Seeing the doubts remaining in Shi Qing's eyes, his smile grew wider as he patted the youth on the back: "Okay okay, not sleeping is also fine. You're of the Mechanical race and don't need to sleep anyways." N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

The youth obediently laid against his chest listening to his heartbeat. He said in a small voice: "If I add a sleeping system, I need to also install a human heart to sync the brain waves. If the heart is injured, I will be too. This would be a weakness, and the Mechanical race is not allowed to be weak."

"Don't worry, I was just mentioning it in passing. If Shi Qing can't sleep, I'll just stay up with you. It's no problem at all."

"Really?!" The youth became extremely happy. His eyes lit up as he tightly hugged the man: "You're the greatest Mingzheng! I like you the best in the whole world!"

Yin Mingzheng smiled as he returned the embrace while patting Shi Qing on the back. His eyes were covered in shadows as he thought deeply about something.

From that day, the man really did stop sleeping.

The first day when Yin Mingzheng only slept three hours, Shi Qing was really happy and played with him all night. But by the second day there was a noticeable deterioration in Yin Mingzheng's mental state. He was in a daze and often couldn't reply to Shi Qing by the third.

Shi Qing told him to rest, but he stubbornly refused while saying he wanted to keep Shi Qing company.

The smiles on the teen's face grew rarer. His often happy eyes were covered with a layer of worry.

Finally, Yin Mingzheng didn't see the alien youth by his side when he woke up. He rose and asked a nearby robot: "Where is Shi Qing?"

"The King is in the Observatory."

Yin Mingzheng went to the Observatory. On the way there, the robots that could blow a hole in him all respectfully parted for him.

He was the King's companion and the highest authority besides the King.

The man finally arrived at the Observatory and clearly saw the scene within.

In a sea of white on the throne, the youth's chest was open as several robot arms installed a mechanical heart inside.

—Thump thump thump.

It began to beat inside of Shi Qing's body immediately.

His skin healed automatically. The youth quickly opened his eyes and smiled widely at Yin Mingzheng. His eyes were filled with mirth:

"Mingzheng, now I have a heart too, just like you! Now we can sleep together."

Yin Mingzheng stared at the scene before him for a long time. He managed to force his lips into a facsimile of a smile.

"Yes, we're the same now."

But his heart was clear.

They were not the same.

He was a human, and Shi Qing was of the Mechanical race. This was a truth that could never be changed.

That night, Yin Mingzheng opened his eyes under a dim yellow light.

He slowly got up and looked towards Shi Qing who was lying beside him.

Shi Qing was sleeping soundly. His red lips were slightly pursed and his eyes were closed. It was like he was a sheltered little prince.

One of his hands was still on Yin Mingzheng's body.

Yin Mingzheng's gaze towards him was complicated. His hand slowly rose as his ability swirled to life, aimed straight at Shi Qing's heart.

With one strike, the mechanical heart that just learned to beat will stop forever.

Shi Qing, the alien that has prevented him from returning to Earth this whole time, will also die.

After his death, the robots he created will all fall dormant.

Yin Mingzheng could then escape without complications.

The man's hand shook as it approached the completely unguarded body sleeping beside it.

The youth was unaware of the danger approaching him as he continued to sleep.

He was so quiet, obedient and innocent.

He had never mistreated Yin Mingzheng, but instead shared everything he owned with the man he deemed to be his companion.

Yin Mingzheng suddenly clenched his hand into a fist and turned away.

Under the dim yellow light, the man slowly rose. He adjusted the blanket over the teen and silently left the Garden of Eden imprisoning him these past couple of days.

He didn't know that Shi Qing slowly opened his eyes after he had left.

With a wave of his hand, a display of the ship's interior map appeared in the middle of the room.

There was a red dot travelling from the hallway all the way until the cargo bay. After getting gear for flight, it turned to head towards one of the five main exits of the ship.

Yin Mingzheng was putting on the flying gear while glancing cautiously at the giant robot in the corner of his eye.

"Inquiry, release?"

Shi Qing thought it over as he accepted a cup of oil that tasted like Kung Pao Chicken from a robot.

"Release him."

–Beep.

The exit slowly opened up. Yin Mingzheng glanced one last time at the expanse of white behind him. Guilt flashed through his eyes before he jumped down without hesitation.

[Ding! Yin Mingzheng's animosity value: 60/100]

Author's Note:

I originally wanted to write that Big Yin stabbed Shi Qing in the heart and then escaped while Shi Qing was hurt. But then I remembered I wasn't writing a tragedy~

So I pulled back in time. I'm such a conscientious author ah.

Chapter 8

Yin Mingzheng walked alone in the deserted desert.

This was part of the territory of the Insect race, but due to there being little more than a wasteland here it was sparsely guarded. He tried to maintain a low profile because if he was discovered by Insects then they were sure to fight.

He only discovered that his power had increased significantly when he had tried to use it before. His control over it was more precise as well.

Yin Mingzheng's first thought was that he had to hug Shi Qing who weighed several tonnes for the last ten or so days. He was forced to use his ability in order to do so.

He had to hug him while eating.

He had to hug him when going to the washroom.

He had to hug him while sleeping.

It was like being around a little baby that made a fuss when it wasn't held.

But after realizing how Shi Qing spent the last 10,000 years, Yin Mingzheng had to admit that it didn't bother him to be around this baby.

Rather, his heart ached for him.

He didn't seem to see the three-legged low level alien with six eyes as it was vapourized before it could scream. His mind was occupied by the image of a dumbfounded youth that couldn't find him after waking up.

Shi Qing told him that the spaceship was constantly moving upwards. Due to the planet's gravitational pull, the rise in altitude was very gradual. It wasn't like the man-made contraptions that could move freely in the sky. The day before Yin Mingzheng escaped, the youth had said that they could leave Earth the next day.

It was because of those words that Yin Mingzheng changed his plans suddenly from biding his time for an opportunity to risk it all to leave the night Shi Qing learned to sleep.

He put the thought of Shi Qing sending assassins after him out of his mind.

The best method to take care of future problems was to kill Shi Qing. But he just couldn't do it.

No matter how desperate his situation became, he was still that warm and kind hero of humanity at his core.

His bottom line was to never kill women or children. And no matter how high Shi Qing's station was or how many subordinates he had or how strong he actually was, the past couple of days had let Yin Mingzheng confirm that he was just a child.

Just like what Shi Qing had said: He was a 10,000 year old baby.

Yin Mingzheng couldn't sleep well the first night he left the spaceship.

Shi Qing had been constantly sticking to him these past few days, so it felt like they had been together for decades. The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

Shi Qing's method of sticking to his sweetheart like glue was very effective.

The alien youth was no longer here to rub himself on him like a little puppy.

There was also no octopus clinging to him at night.

Yin Mingzheng woke up several times to feel an emptiness in his arms, as if he had lost something.

When he heard the sounds of birds flying through the forest while he was half asleep, he even extended his arm out of habit to comfort the youth.

Of course, he woke up when his hands met nothing but air.

Yin Mingzheng never thought that he liked men. But after interfacing so many times with a clearly bent Shi Qing, the most important reproductive tool available to human men had a reaction several times. This made him unsure of his orientation.

After struggling like this until dawn, he could only sigh and continue his journey with a heavy heart.

Although his mind was preoccupied, his feet carried him forward steadily. Out of his sight, Shi Qing was observing him from his ship. He was sipping 'fruit juice' from a straw while piloting the ship to follow a certain distance behind Yin Mingzheng.

He was different from Yin Mingzheng who could only travel during day time and who was at the mercy of the weather. Shi Qing had everything he wanted aboard the ship, and all he had to do was comfortably lie back to follow the man.

He grew bored after a day of this. He began to bother the System: [I'm a new user and this is the first world. Shouldn't you guys give a newbie care package or something?]

The System was hesitant: [There is something, but it's a prize for completing the first world. You need to succeed before receiving it.]

Shi Qing knew from the tone of its voice that the System could give the prize earlier at their discretion. He smiled and put out some bait: [Do you think I can't complete this task?]

The System looked at the animosity value of 60 and felt like it was still up in the air.

Even though an animosity value below 50 would prevent them from being ejected from the world, the value becomes harder to decrease the lower it gets.

Shi Qing seemed to be disappointed by the System's silence: [You have so little trust in me. Did you really think that I was just playing around with a beauty the past ten days? Am I just some playboy in your heart?!]

The newbie System immediately started panicking.

[That's not it Host, of course not! You're definitely not that kind of person! Here, I'll give you the reward right away!]

It gave a white jade bottle to Shi Qing.

[This is Rosemary Powder. If you spread it on someone, they'll fall asleep no matter how powerful they are. Their body and mental state will be improved while they sleep. The duration is five hours.]

Shi Qing grabbed the bottle. His sad expression suddenly became lively. He leaned back on the chair. [Little dummy.]

[I'm exactly that kind of person.]

System: [...]

System: [Wuwuwuwuwuwu...]

[Okay, stop crying. Since I got the reward, I'll definitely complete this task.]

Shi Qing threw the bottle up and down a couple of times.

[What can I do with this...]

The System that was just about finished crying volunteered an idea: [The Host can use it against the Insect race. With just a bit, you can do whatever you like to them!]

[Whatever I like, huh...]

Shi Qing spun the white jade bottle around in his hand. His silver-white eyes gradually lit up as he thought of a plan:

[You're right, I can do whatever I want.]

The System whose opinions are rarely taken into consideration was so happy that it was like New Years to it.

It knew that it could still be useful!

Yin Mingzheng found out with complicated feelings that, from the second night, he was able to sleep normally but his dreams all involved the youth back on the ship.

It was like he had never left in his dreams.

The alien youth was being sticky in his arms. He was playing with his zipper like a kitten.

And when he woke up the next day, Yin Mingzheng would find that the part he worked so hard to defend on the ship had surrendered in his sleep.

One could imagine the impact this had on a man that's never had wet dreams before.

The number of Insects in the desert decreased after nightfall. The low-level grunts focused primarily on developing their fighting power, so their brain and sight were average. They rested at night.

Yin Mingzheng had pretty good vision due to being an ability user. He found a lower area and made a makeshift bed there with his clothes.

Then he laid down traps in the surrounding area to make sure that he would be awoken if any Insects approached. Only then did he lie down. Yin Mingzheng knew that he would have that dream again tonight, so his emotions were complicated.

Not because he was resistant, but because he could sense anticipation in his heart.

But his time was almost up. Every day that he remained in the desert added danger and uncertain variables to his life. He needed to quickly rest up and continue on the next day.

Yin Mingzheng breathing evened out, but his hands remained clenched. This seemingly soundly sleeping man was ready to kill at the slightest disturbance.

The desert wind blew over his face.

A small aircraft silently flew just above him.

Although there was no sound, Yin Mingzheng seemed to sense something and was about to open his eyes any moment now.

"Whoosh–"

Shi Qing nimbly blew the pollen in his hands downwards.

Yin Mingzheng's furrowed brows relaxed after the pollen touched them. He continued to sleep soundly.

The System watched as Shi Qing jumped down and squirmed into the man's arms. He shifted around until he was comfortable.

It tried to resist but couldn't: [...Host, I don't think this is appropriate.]

[Why not? I didn't do anything.]

Shi Qing enjoyed his bouncy mattress. He closed his eyes and got ready to go to bed: [See? I didn't do anything to him.]

The System had no reply.

Yes, Shi Qing wouldn't do anything to Yin Mingzheng.

But Yin Mingzheng would ah!

The man that was used to sleeping with Shi Qing reacted when he sensed a soft body beside him. He unconsciously drew the other person into his arms and began to run through the sequence with his eyes closed.

The System opened its storage while its vision was covered by a mosaic.

[The Dao is Dao, but not all is Dao...]

[Names are names, but not all names...]

After a treacherous (plenty) journey (of) spanning (meng) several (every) days (night), Yin Mingzheng finally returned to the human base.

He didn't conceal himself and strode right up to the front gate.

Those people probably considered him as good as dead after handing him over, so they most likely have no contingencies in place.

Therefore, it was best for him to just get it over with.

As expected, once Yin Mingzheng showed his face, the people at the entrance were first stunned and then overjoyed at his return.

"General Yin is back! General Yin is back!"

"What?! General Yin's really back?!"

"I'm so glad General Yin is still alive."

The festive atmosphere was like it was New Years again. Hidden in his ship, Shi Qing could see an excited woman approach and throw herself into Yin Mingzheng's arms.

Although Yin Mingzheng avoided her, her actions were clearly deliberate and not done in the heat of the moment.

[System, who is that.]

The System performed a scan: [General Zhao's only daughter. The general has always wanted to betroth her to Yin Mingzheng.]

It added more info out of sympathy for Shi Qing's actions towards Yin Mingzheng these past few days: [Don't mind her, Host. In the original book she never got her wish, so she betrayed Yin Mingzheng for the Insect race later on and was obliterated by him. She's kind of like a middle stage BOSS that managed to live longer than most.]

[I don't mind. Why would I mind?]

Shi Qing stared at the woman wearing white in a sea of grey from afar. [Let me guess, is she a white lotus character?]

[Yeah, she's a white lotus...Host, what are you doing?]

Shi Qing hopped off the aircraft and managed to scratch up his clothes real nicely. He then proceeded to grab a fistful of dirt from the ground and carefully dab some on his white face.

[I'm going to be a white lotus.]

The System felt a sense of apprehension.

It cleverly took out its book of mantras in advance.

"Mingzheng-ge, I was so worried about you. It's such a relief that you're fine. I wasn't even able to eat these past few days because I was afraid that you were suffering..."

Even though Yin Mingzheng avoided her, the woman was still crying pitifully: "You've become so thin..."

She was about to point out how thin he had gotten, but when she raised her head to take a look she almost choked on her words.

For quite a while, all Yin Mingzheng had to do was sleep, eat and run through the sequence with Shi Qing. He even had Rosemary Pollen to boost his concentration in the desert. He looked even stronger than before he had left.

The woman was stunned for a moment before changing the subject, "It's good that you're fine. Then I don't need to worry anymore, cough cough..."

Her friends chimed in from beside her: "General Yin, Miaomiao has been beside herself with worry for you. She's even been sick for a long time."

The woman weakly shook her head, "I'm fine, I'm just..."

–"Cough cough..."

A series of quiet coughs suddenly sounded out from behind them.

Yin Mingzheng who was frowning but otherwise expressionless before stiffened and quickly spun around.

Shi Qing was standing not far from the entrance of the base. His clothes were in tatters, and his usually flawless skin was smeared with dust. His eyes were red-rimmed and looking rather wronged at him.

After seeing Yin Mingzheng glance over, the youth's silvery eyes immediately filled with tears. His body seemed frail enough for a slight breeze to knock him down. The tears in his eyes threatened to fall at any moment.

"Mingzheng, cough cough..."

Yin Mingzheng's mind went blank. He didn't even consider why Shi Qing would appear here or why his appearance was so haggard. His body was already rushing forward to embrace the youth in a familiar fashion. He even took of his jacket and draped it over the youth to cover his exposed skin.

He opened his mouth and said in a voice broken up from heartache: "Shi Qing..."

Shi Qing leaned softly into his chest without even a single hint of blame. He acted just like he did on the ship, saying in a whining tone: "Where did you go? I've been looking all over for you."

He snuggled in a demure and white lotus-like way deeper into the man's chest. His voice was filled with misery: "It's so scary here. I was in danger so many times and my clothes even tore..."

The words sounded spoiled, but when they were said by this little prince of a youth, Yin Mingzheng could only feel guilt and heartache. He couldn't help but tightly grasp the other person's hands.

After Shi Qing was finished crying, he glanced at the woman who was white-faced from rage after having her opportunity taken before her eyes. He ducked his head into the man's arms as if he was a bunny that had been frightened by her expression.

Weak, pitiful and easily scared:

"Wu...I'm so scared."

The System that saw everything: [...]

It was such a splendid performance that it would have been fooled if it didn't see Shi Qing play games and sleep in all day while taking advantage of a beauty at night.

Were all humans natural actors like this?

Chapter 9

Shi Qing was a natural at pretending to be a white lotus.

He buried his face in Yin Mingzheng's chest and was even shivering slightly like he was a frightened little animal. He pitifully asked the person embracing him: "Mingzheng, didn't you promise to be with me forever?"

"Why did you disappear when I woke up?"

"I..."

Yin Mingzheng's mouth was filled with acid. He didn't know what to say to the trembling youth in his arms.

He thought of many possible scenarios.

Shi Qing could furiously send assassins after him.

Or think that he betrayed him.

But he never thought that Shi Qing would leave that ship and appear in this haggard state before him.

Even though Shi Qing had lived for 10,000 years, he spent almost all of that time in solitude on the ship. Other than his ability to adjust his weight, Yin Mingzheng never saw Shi Qing show any other fighting skills.

That made sense. The King of the Mechanical race didn't need to fight.

As long as he stayed on his ship, countless robots would guard him and fulfill all of his desires.

But now he's left that all behind for Yin Mingzheng.

An enormous amount of guilt and helplessness filled the man's heart.

How was he supposed to reply?

Was he supposed to admit that he's schemed for so long to make Shi Qing add a weak point to his body?

Before Yin Mingzheng could decide what to do, Zhao Miaomiao who had been slapped by this sudden situation reacted. She didn't miss the tender way the man treated Shi Qing. She suppressed the darkness in her eyes and stepped forward to greet Shi Qing with a friendly smile.

"Where did this child come from? He looks so pitiful. Mingzheng-ge, I have the best doctor on call. Why don't you take him to my place so he can take a look?"

Yin Mingzheng was also worried that Shi Qing was hurt somewhere. Now that Shi Qing had human organs, he was much more vulnerable than the average robot.

Of course, there's no way he'll go to someone else's doctor.

Shi Qing was unique, so he would obviously go to a doctor that he trusts.

The man lowered his head and said in a warm tone: "Shi Qing, get off first. I'm going to take you to see a doctor."

Shi Qing wrapped his arms uncooperatively around Yin Mingzheng's neck: "I don't wanna go down. I want you to carry me."

Zhao Miaomiao's face went blank when she heard Shi Qing order Yin Mingzheng around. A feeling of joy blossomed in her heart.

While Yin Mingzheng was at the base, she tried everything to get closer to him, only to be coldly rejected each time.

Zhao Miaomiao wasted a lot of effort to find out the reason for his attitude. He was a straightforward man, so he disliked people who were spoiled the most.

Someone like Zhao Miaomiao who continued to play around and dress herself up under the dire circumstances would obviously earn his distaste.

After understanding why Yin Mingzheng was acting like that to her, Zhao Miaomiao never mentioned her new clothes in front of him again. She even joined her father's medical corps.

Even though it was just an empty title, at least she got a job.

It was a shame that Yin Mingzheng still didn't want to marry her, but his attitude towards her did improve. But one time Zhao Miaomiao sustained light injuries during an invasion and took out her anger on the medical personnel treating her. Yin Mingzheng arrived just as she dumped her food over their head. From then on, he avoided her like the plague.

It's apparent how much he dislikes spoiled people.

This little bastard from who knows where actually wanted Yin Mingzheng to carry him around.

Zhao Miaomiao's anger was replaced by a sense of schadenfreude.

She was eagerly awaiting his downfall.

There was no way that Yin Mingzheng would agree.

Behind her, the ability users that rushed over after hearing of their leader's return also heard Shi Qing's words.

They all stumbled to a stop and looked away as if they couldn't bear to see the outcome.

They've been through thick and thin with their boss, so they understood him even better than Zhao Miaomiao.

He was strict with himself and placed similar expectations on others.

Everyone knew that Yin Mingzheng hated squeamish people who were weak.

Due to his honest personality, he gathered the ire of some of the rich second-generations on the base. After Yin Mingzheng 'willingly' sacrificed himself to save the civilians this time, many of them even threw a party to celebrate.

Now there was a seemingly young youth that dared to squirm into their boss' arms and order him around.

The ability users were afraid to look on.

Even the boss wouldn't throw him out of the base by the neck, right?

And yet...

Yin Mingzheng, who was already used to looking after this 10,000 year old baby, didn't get angry and even smiled. His deep voice coaxed the child in his arms.

"Be a good boy. You're a bit heavy. Can you get off for a second?"

Zhao Miaomiao: "..."

The ability users: "..."

Shi Qing looked up from the man's chest and saw that group of people with their mouths wide open. He continued to mercilessly act spoiled:

"No, I don't wanna. If I turn a bit lighter then Mingzheng can carry me, right?"

The people whose jaws were halfway to the Pacific Ocean: ...What a load of bull. Can humans become lighter whenever they want? This is just straight up lying.

But the most shocking thing was, their leader, the one who was indifferent towards all beauties, actually nodded and played along with the strange youth.

"Okay, be good. I'll carry you to the doctor."

The group from before again: "..."

It might just be a trick of the eyes.

But the youth really did seem to become lighter.

While their faces were all like 'Fuck am I dreaming is this really my boss', Yin Mingzheng had already recovered from soothing the youth and glanced dispassionately at them.

Everyone unconsciously straightened up under that familiar gaze.

Yin Mingzheng confirmed that no one was missing from his squad before relaxing.

These guys were all overjoyed to see him. Not one showed any signs of anger or frustration. It seems that they didn't know that he had been betrayed back then.

That makes sense. How could the higher-ups bear to cut off their own foot by alienating these ability users?

The man silently confirmed the current situation. He asked: "Where is Old Huang?"

Old Huang was the doctor he was familiar with. He had a rare healing ability.

The one with the most experience in the squad, Zheng Liu, stepped forward with both hands behind his back. He saluted before replying: "He's treating the injuries of the Third Army right now."

"I'm going to find him. Be as you were. There will be a meeting tonight."

Afterwards, the cold man walked deeper into the base with the youth in his arms. He didn't even glance at Zhao Miaomiao who was looking for an opportunity to speak more with him.

The group of ability users only relaxed after their boss left. Most of them were usually rambunctious young adults, and they were especially excited now that their boss had returned safe and sound.

"There's a reason he's the boss! I knew he'd be fine!"

"Somehow the boss looks even stronger than before. I might not have a sensing ability, but I can feel that he's improved."

"Hey guys, who's that person the boss was carrying? I've never seen him around before."

One person was certain: "That's our sister-in-law, of course."

After the Insect invasion, humanity suffered tremendous losses during the first emigration. Weak men and women died in droves. After establishing the base, the scarcity of women made some men turn to their own kind. It wasn't too strange to see two men together anymore.

It was more strange for their boss to actually be interested in someone.

The group were too caught up in their own conversations to care about Zhao Miaomiao, who was standing beside them.

Zhao Miaomiao's face was turning green from anger. Seeing as they were even affectionately referring to that ruffian as their sister-in-law, she strode away with a cold face.

What sister-in-law?! Yin Mingzheng just came back so she had plenty of opportunities to strike!

The young ability users were happy to see her go.

Zhao Miaomiao relentlessly pursued their boss before. They couldn't very well expose her, so they had to accept that she would be their future sister-in-law.

But the second day that their boss left, she began to fool around with their boss' enemies. She was practically celebrating his death. Her attitude towards them did a 180 as well. She even dared to suggest that a squad like them that went out to hunt the Insects be converted into bodyguards for the second generations on the base.

Now that the boss is back, who's she trying to fool with that fake ass attitude of hers?

"Pah! She should take a good look at herself before daydreaming!"

One of the ability users snorted disdainfully: "I think the boy that the boss brought back is pretty good. Even though he doesn't seem to have an ability and is a bit spoiled, anything's better than a snake like Zhao Miaomiao."

"I agree. I used to study psychology. Someone as strong-willed as the boss is well suited for a more submissive partner. Doesn't that kid just now fit the bill?"

The other people also voiced their agreement. Some were a bit worried: "But he looks too soft for his own good. How about this, if the boss is really set on courting him, then we'll all pitch in to look after him when the boss is away."

In the base.

Shi Qing who was described as 'soft' and 'submissive' was carried into the room by Yin Mingzheng.

He immediately hopped off and increased his weight to trap Yin Mingzheng against the wall.

The youth with a childish face wasted no time in securing Yin Mingzheng's wrists with one hand and unbuttoning his jacket with the other.

"Shi Qing, wait..."

Yin Mingzheng tried his best to stop him, but Shi Qing was just too strong.

"Wait...Oof!"

After a minute, Yin Mingzheng accepted his fate and began running through the sequence.

After five minutes, Shi Qing was lying obediently at the man's side like a little leopard that had eaten its fill. Slender fingers remained on the bottom of his jacket with an air of satisfaction.

Yin Mingzheng who was still being pressed against the wall finally regained control of his hands. He wrapped them around the youth and asked in a hoarse voice: "Why did you leave the ship?"

"To come and find you."

Shi Qing smiled as he rubbed against Yin Mingzheng's bouncy pecs. He said in a wronged tone: "When I woke up, you were gone. The ship was too slow so I came myself."

[System, give me a wound.]

The System that was engrossed in reciting its mantras with a blurred out screen in front of it deftly created an injury.

Shi Qing lifted his hand to show the injury that 'must be treated immediately before it was too late' on the back of his hand. It was a scratch the width of a fingernail:

"See? I even got hurt."

Yin Mingzheng has been seriously wounded before.

On his back, beside his heart, any one of them could have been his end.

But those didn't hurt nearly as much as the expression on the youth's face as he showed him his injury.

Shi Qing's gaze towards him was still clear.

He was only complaining because he couldn't find him.

And not because he left.

Yin Mingzheng's feelings were in turmoil. He guiltily and lightly touched the injury with his small part.

"I will make it better."

The man collected Shi Qing into his arms like a dragon hoarding its treasure.

"I promise you that it'll get better."

[Ding! Yin Mingzheng's animosity value: 40/100]nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

Chapter 10

The room that Yin Mingzheng took Shi Qing to was where he used to live.

Ever since his 'sacrifice', the base had sealed this room. No one touched anything inside to give others the impression that they respected Yin Mingzheng.

The man planned on settling Shi Qing in the room before bringing back Old Huang to take a look at him.

But due to Shi Qing's insistence for Yin Mingzheng to make up for lost time, he didn't manage to see the doctor.

Shi Qing pulled his hand onto his chest to make him feel the mechanical heartbeat there. He said in a wronged tone: "I didn't even sleep while looking for you."

"My body is like that of a human right now. I feel miserable not sleeping."

When the naturally frail-looking youth softened his voice and showed such a pitiful expression, there was no way for Yin Mingzheng to refuse him.

Especially since Shi Qing brought up the mechanical heart that Yin Mingzheng deceived him into installing.

So the two curled up and slept together for the first time in a while.

–To Yin Mingzheng that is.

Shi Qing's been drugging him and snuggling into his arms every night.

Yin Mingzheng was exhausted.

On the way back, he was being eaten alive by his guilt while also worrying about being caught by Shi Qing or the Insects. He was tense almost every second that he was awake.

The only reason he could make it to the base without collapsing was his strong willpower. And also the Rosemary Powder Shi Qing gave him every night that relieved his physical fatigue.

The only person that could deal with his mental fatigue was himself.

If Shi Qing didn't appear, Yin Mingzheng would have endured by himself and pretend nothing had happened. He would've continued with his life like always, only more on guard.

But his little prince appeared.

Like a stubborn little leopard that didn't give up before reaching its goal, he came barreling into his lap roaring victoriously and bearing injuries.

Before he could react, the little leopard latched onto his clothes and began to whine. Not only did it not blame its prey for running off, it continued to rely on him like before.

While Yin Mingzheng's guilt increased because of this, he had to admit this was very gratifying as well.

That night, he was like a giant dragon curled around his treasure. He slept soundly.

Before he fell asleep, Yin Mingzheng decided on something.

Since Shi Qing abandoned the ship to come to his side, he had to protect him well.

Shi Qing gained a weak point because of him, so it was his responsibility.

He felt refreshed when he woke up. Yin Mingzheng remembered last night's promise. He closed his eyes and recalled how weak and scared Shi Qing looked yesterday. A sense of pity welled up in his heart.

Poor little guy. He must have been so frightened since it was his first time leaving the ship.

He was only a 10,000 year old baby after all.

Yin Mingzheng decided to clear some time out of his schedule today to really comfort Shi Qing and assuage his fears. With that decided, he was about to open his eyes when he felt something wasn't right with his body.

Feeling a familiar coolness beneath his hand, Yin Mingzheng slowly cracked open his eyes.

He saw Shi Qing who was focused on conducting a study using his part.

As if he felt the man's gaze on him, the you excitedly raised his head and looked over. He smacked his lips. "You woke up."

"Let's hurry up and go through the sequence."

Humanity's hero: ""

Under Shi Qing's eager eyes, the man dutifully sat up.

They went through the sequence for an entire hour.

After that, the satisfied Shi Qing returned to his obedient self. He laid down on the bed and began to rifle through the nightstand with a curious look in his eyes.

Yin Mingzheng coughed with embarrassment as the little youth held up the glass trophy on the nightstand.

"Is this Mingzheng's? What is it?"

As expected, Shi Qing quickly turned and asked like the curious baby he was.

When the world was still peaceful, he was just a normal person with above-average looks and a calm personality. This trophy was something he had won in a competition his parents took him to when he was in his teens. After they passed away in a car accident, Yin Mingzheng kept this trophy as a keepsake. Even after the Insect invasion when humanity fled, he never forgot to take it with him.

Although it had such a backstory, it was still a bit silly to keep a trophy from so long ago.

It was a good thing that Shi Qing was an alien and probably didn't understand that.

Shi Qing thoughtfully looked over the trophy before returning it.

It was made of glass, so Yin Mingzheng must have taken extra care to preserve it so well. It was apparent how important this trophy was to him.

After the alien youth snooped around the entire room like a puppy curious about its new home, he collapsed back onto the bed with a satisfied expression.

"Mingzheng's scent is everywhere here."

He knew that Shi Qing was just saying that innocently, but the no longer pure Yin Mingzheng couldn't help but think of inappropriate images in his head.

Humanity's hero struggled to get his mind out of the gutter and back to business. "Shi Qing, how did you leave the ship? Are you going back?"

"Of course. I came to take Mingzheng back."

Shi Qing's reply was very straightforward.

Ying Mingzheng was taken aback. His words became somewhat bitter, "What if...I don't plan on going back?"

The alien youth turned to look at him with a lost expression. A pair of silvery eyes stared at him as if he had abandoned them. He stared at the man without saying a word.

Yin Mingzheng couldn't stand it. He added, "If you want, you can stay in the base and live with me."

Weakness flashed past Shi Qing's eyes, but he quickly raised his nose snootily: "The Mechanical race would never help others."

"I'm not asking for your help."

The atmosphere was supposed to be serious, but the youth's actions made the man laugh. He reached out and bundled the other into his lap while cajoling him in a soft tone: "You've always been stuck on the ship. Haven't you ever been curious about what the outside world is like? You don't need to do anything but live happily if you stay."

"I know you're afraid of me taking you away, but it's fine. You're my companion so I'll listen to you."

The alien youth shamelessly acted spoiled in Yin Mingzheng's lap. He raised those pretty eyes of his and said with conviction: "My smart computer is never wrong."

He rolled around angrily in the man's lap, quietly muttering: "I guess I'll try staying here with you. But when the humans betray you, you need to obediently go back with me."

Yin Mingzheng's eyes darkened.

Before, he devoted himself wholeheartedly towards protecting the base. He never suspected that someone inside would stab him in the back.

Now that he knew, he had no intention of backing down.

–If there was a stubborn stone in his way, he'd kick it away.

–If anyone dared to stop him, he'll kill them.

He's already died once anyways.

The man lowered his head to look at the youth rolling around in his arms. He rubbed his little head: "Okay. We'll wait and see together."

Shi Qing: [Why do I get the feeling that he's always treating me like a little kid? Has the animosity value gone down?]

The System that's read its mantras for an hour resurfaced. Its voice was soft and fawning: [It has lowered to 40 my dear Host. According to the universal animosity value guidelines, 50 and above is standard animosity while 50 and below is normal. Yin Mingzheng's current value of 40 towards the lovely Host means that he feels a shallow friendship towards you. This one advises the capable Host to continue to reduce the value to create a buffer for major fluctuations.]

Shi Qing had goosebumps from the praises the System heaped upon him.

[What's wrong with your voice? Change it back quickly.]

The System was confused: [Does the Host not like it? This is the reward that I've decided to give the Host for lowering the animosity value below 50 for the first time.]

[Quickly, quickly change it back!]

The System reluctantly complied.

Shi Qing was playing with Yin Mingzheng's sleeve.

Who would've thought that Yin Mingzheng could act so attentive towards him but not consider him a lover in his heart.

Normally speaking, men like this were either scum or blind.

But Yin Mingzheng was clearly neither.

He only felt responsible for him.

And if something happened that outweighed his feelings of guilt and responsibility towards Shi Qing, his animosity value would still go up.

In other words, this was a strategy game.

The System was afraid that Shi Qing was under too much pressure. It comforted: [Don't be afraid, Host. The animosity value doesn't usually rise...]

It suddenly remembered last time when Yin Mingzheng's animosity value skyrocketed. It shut its own mouth.

Shi Qing didn't feel like he was stressed at all. He dove into Yin Mingzheng's lap with excitement to suppress his laughter.

[It's so stimulating! I like it!]

With the backing of a big shot like Yin Mingzheng, Shi Qing quickly settled into his life at the base.

Everyday, he drank some 'tea', watched some movies, was led out on walks and underwent the human-robot sequence with Yin Mingzheng.

Ever since the animosity value dropped to 40 and they were no longer at risk of being kicked out of the world, the System has been ecstatic. Even if it could only face a mosaic all day, it amused itself by reciting its mantras.

Shi Qing was also a big hit with the ability users squad.

In the current state of the world, ability users that could fight were all conscripted regardless of their age. Even teens had to pretend to be adults.

The civilians were even worse off. They were trapped in the base all day doing backbreaking manual labour. When the Insects invaded, they could only huddle in their homes and wait for rescue.

Under these circumstances, a little prince like Shi Qing who was cute, pampered, had a sweet mouth and didn't bother anyone (other than Yin Mingzheng) was a welcome addition.

Especially because he was the apple of Yin Mingzheng's eye. The ability users had to treat him well out of respect for their boss anyways.

In addition, the second day he came to the base, the little prince who returned from a stroll excitedly threw himself into Yin Mingzheng's arms, announcing that:

"I want to have an ability!"

The man held him in his arms like he always did and brushed his windswept hair. He smiled while saying: "Abilities aren't something you can control getting."

"I can. My body has human-like parts so I can have an ability if I want!"

Yin Mingzheng paused. He hadn't considered it that way.

Although he suggested it before, Shi Qing refused to bring his robots here and insisted on staying here in his weak body to be protected by Yin Mingzheng.

Yin Mingzheng didn't say anything more because he was still worried about Shi Qing forcefully taking him back when he was unhappy.

But he could no longer leave the base without worrying.

It was like a person that had lived by themselves for a long time suddenly getting an unweaned kitten.

The kitten was too young and soft. It could only drink milk, crawl around or cry in its tiny voice. It seemed like it could only live if someone was there to feed it.

How could he go about his day without worrying about what the kitten was doing back home? Was he hungry? Was he scared?

Now that he knew that Shi Qing could have an ability, Yin Mingzheng was able to let out a breath. He hugged the little youth and asked: "Can you control what ability you'll get?"

"Yep. I can change my internal molecular structure to attract the ability-granting particles on this planet."

Although it sounded a bit far fetched, Yin Mingzheng was already used to the truth sounding like something out of a sci-fi novel.

He considered it for a moment: "You should get a lightning ability. It's the strongest kind, plus you can borrow lightning from the sky to protect yourself."

"I don't want that."

Shi Qing immediately rejected it.

Yin Mingzheng patiently coaxed him: "Be good. This isn't the time to act spoiled. I'm usually outside the base so I can't protect you all the time."

"I want a healing ability."

The little prince raised his head proudly with his hand on the man's heart.

"I want to protect you too."

Yin Mingzheng was taken aback. N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

In the eyes on many people, he was humanity's hero.

He was the god of war that never lost.

And the hope for defeating the Insect race.

But this was the first time that someone said they wanted to protect him.

After his heart was finished pounding, Yin Mingzheng calmed down: "No. You have to ensure your own safety first!"

Shi Qing didn't listen to him. He nimbly jumped down from his arms and ran away quickly. "Catch me if you can! I'm not going to listen to you anyways!"

The mischievous figure of the little prince was in front of the man's eyes.

Yin Mingzheng saw the way that he snuck glances behind him to see if he was following. His lips twitched up in a reluctant smile. How can there be a little dummy like this? He gave up on his own safety but still wanted to protect others.

He smiled, but his eyes were filled with warmth.

"He's really a little dummy.