Chapter 1: Embracing the Heat
Late at night…
In the city, under the moonlight, in a small alley, Yan Yuqi casually held a bottle of liquor and walked aimlessly with uncertain steps.
Today is Saturday, and tomorrow is the Sunday, so he indulged himself, which he hadn’t done in a long time.
Yan Yuqi raised his head, lifting the bottle he was holding, and emptied the few remaining drops into his mouth. He frowned, tilted the bottle, made sure there was no more liquor left, and then stopped, naturally lowering his hand holding the bottle and gazing around in confusion.
“Trash can, trash can,” Yan Yuqi muttered to himself, instinctively searching for a target.
In sight was an unfamiliar alley.
A cool breeze blew, clearing Yan Yuqi’s mind a bit. He blinked his slightly intoxicated eyes, halted his steps, and stood in place, looking straight ahead. He furrowed his brow and asked, “Where am I?”
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
Tl jdsnjle bkp blye, obknb oyp y ckv qwggu ewl vs eawdjlddlpp, okvb vbl byde bszekdt vbl csvvzl. Fwcnsdpnkswpzu, bl uyodle, nshlakdt bkp xswvb okvb bkp svbla byde, vbld zsolale bkp yaxp yde aykple bkp psxlobyv easopu lulp vs pnyd vbl lxrvu yzzlu. Tl xwaxwale, “Fs vkale, zlv’p ts bsxl.” Gp bl prsjl, bl zkqvle bkp qssv yde blyele pvayktbv vsoyaep vbl zktbv yv vbl lde sq vbl yzzlu.
Tsolhla, clqsal bl nswze vyjl y qlo pvlrp, y qlo easrp sq zkiwke qlzz qasx ycshl yde zydele sd bkp byka.
“Rp kv aykdkdt?” Zyd Zwik osdelale, ycswv vs zssj wr yv vbl pju obld pweeldzu vblal oyp y zswe vbwe. G nszsppyz scflnv qlzz pvayktbv qasx ycshl, dsv qya qasx bkx.
Mbl pvasdt pxlzz sq czsse alynble Zyd Zwik’p dspl, nywpkdt bkx vs qasod wdnsxqsavyczu. Tl pvawttzle vs srld bkp pzktbvzu kdvsmknyvle lulp, tayewyzzu qsnwpkdt bkp tygl, yde qkdyzzu alnstdkgle vbl wdkeldvkqkle scflnv dsv qya yoyu.
Rd vbl dlmv xsxldv, bkp kdvsmknyvksd oyp ryavkyzzu ekprlzzle. “Gd yzkld nalyvwal? Ebu oswze vblal cl yd yzkld nalyvwal kd vbl nkvu?!”
Zyd Zwik nyzxle bkp xkde, jllrkdt y hktkzydv tygl sd vbl yzkld nalyvwal vbyv bye qyzzld kd y rssz sq czsse dlyacu, kvp cseu przkv kd byzq. Tkp vbswtbvp cltyd vs aynl.
Usxl vs vbkdj sq kv, vbkp xsadkdt bl pllxle vs byhl plld vbl dlop oyadkdt kdvlapvlzzya alpkeldvp dsv vs pvyu kd pryaplzu rsrwzyvle yalyp yv dktbv.
Rv yrrlyap vbyv vbl bktbla-wrp yal yoyal sq vbl alnldv wdalpv kd vbl nkvu, bldnl vbl yehknl vs raksakvkgl pyqlvu obld vayhlzkdt.
However, how did this alien creature manage to enter the city?
Judging by its energy fluctuations, it should be an S-class, but merely being an S-class shouldn’t have allowed it to bypass the massive defense network above the city and infiltrate the urban area.
As Yan Yuqi contemplated, accompanied by the sound of unusual water flow, the alien creature that had been split in half in the distance began to slowly regenerate a smaller version of itself from the upper body.
Narrowing his eyes, Yan Yuqi said, “This is… regeneration!”
These past few days, he had learned from his colleagues about a type of alien creature that looked and possessed strength similar to ordinary ones but unexpectedly had the ability to regenerate. Determining their regenerative capabilities solely based on appearance and energy fluctuations was difficult. As a result, the Sentinels faced twice the workload when dealing with them.
It was said that once these regenerative alien creatures separated from their main bodies, they needed the nourishment of a substantial amount of fresh blood to fully recover. Otherwise, they would soon perish due to blood depletion.
Currently, he was alone in the vicinity, and once the regeneration was complete, he would undoubtedly become its target.
“Such unfortunate timing. If only I hadn’t come out for a drink today!” Yan Yuqi sighed helplessly in his heart.
Although he said that, he wasn’t worried about his safety at all. Since this alien creature had just been cut down here, it meant that the Sentinel pursuing it must be nearby.
Though he didn’t understand why the Sentinel hadn’t shown up yet, he believed that when the critical moment came, they would definitely appear.
Since there was no immediate danger to his life, he decided to wait before leaving. After all, the path ahead was blocked, and there was no way behind him. If he wanted to leave, he could only go from above, which meant he would need to exert mental energy. He was already tired enough from work, and he didn’t want to waste additional strength during his rest.
As time passed, the alien creature had regenerated two-thirds of its body, but the Sentinel who was supposed to have killed it still hadn’t appeared.
Yan Yuqi thought, “Could it be that I miscalculated?”
Reluctantly, Yan Yuqi used his senses to perceive the energy fluctuations around him while scanning the surroundings.
However, apart from the energy fluctuations of the alien creature, there were no other strong energy waves.
The sight ahead was completely blocked by the enormous corpse of the alien creature, and the area behind him was pitch-black, making it impossible to see if anyone was there.
“Could it be that the tracking Sentinel is actually incompetent? Doesn’t even know that this alien creature can regenerate?” Yan Yuqi silently mocked. Meanwhile, the alien creature successfully separated from its main body and completed its regeneration.
Yan Yuqi looked at the black one-eyed alien creature that stood not far from him, greedily staring and drooling at him; two black lines formed on his forehead.
“Damn! How disgusting!”
Just as Yan Yuqi furrowed his brow and silently complained in his mind, the alien creature suddenly extended its arm, fingers splayed wide, and lunged directly towards Yan Yuqi’s position.
“This thing actually has the flexibility of rubber!” Yan Yuqi internally complained while swiftly evading the creature’s attack.
Right after，where Yan Yuqi had just been, dust flew up as the bricks were forcefully indented.
Yan Yuqi glanced at the indentation and remarked, “A newly regenerated fragment has such a large amount of energy.”
“It seems I’ll need to exert some effort if I want to completely eliminate it,” Yan Yuqi thought, making up his mind.
He swiftly dodged the alien creature’s attack once again, then quickly threw the bottle in his hand towards it. Taking advantage of the momentum, he lightly tapped his right foot on the wall to the left of the alley and launched himself upwards, soaring towards the top of a high-rise building.
He had come out casually today and hadn’t brought any firearms, making it inconvenient for combat.
Moreover, he was just an ordinary guide, and this kind of fighting and killing was completely beyond his job description.
If he were to intervene, he would be overstepping his boundaries and taking away the Sentinel’s job.
Finding a job wasn’t easy for everyone, so mutual understanding was necessary. Therefore, he chose to leave.
Using the momentum, Yan Yuqi flew upwards, and just as he was about to reach the highest floor, a figure swiftly descended, brushing past him.
Yan Yuqi was surprised at the speed. However, before he could retract his astonishment, a bright light suddenly appeared behind him.
Alert, Yan Yuqi looked back and saw a massive white screen, resembling Bai Ze, descending from mid-air, accurately engulfing the alien creature that was stretching its arm to attack him. The creature was completely swallowed by Bai Ze.
Several cracking sounds followed, and as the white light dissipated, the alien creature vanished—leaving no trace behind, not even ashes!
Yan Yuqi’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. He then turned around and leaped back down into the alley.
If it weren’t for the lingering scent of blood in the air and the visible indentation on the stone pavement, Yan Yuqi would have thought that everything that had just happened was his illusion.
After his feet touched the stone pavement of the alley, Yan Yuqi looked up at the figure standing not far in front of him.
Under the moonlight, the man had his back turned to Yan Yuqi. He had a tall and slender figure, with silver short hair that stood out in the pitch-black night. He was dressed in black noble military attire, wearing black long boots. A luxurious silver sword sheath hung at his left waist, and his right hand, holding a silver long sword, was covered in pristine white gloves.
“Lu Yuzhe,” after carefully observing the person in front of him, these three words popped into Yan Yuqi’s mind.
In this world, there were two types of people: ordinary people and those with special abilities. The latter could be divided into two categories: Sentinels and Guides.
Although different Sentinels had different special abilities and combat capabilities, whenever they used their abilities, they generated dark energy. When the dark energy accumulated to a certain extent, Sentinels would go berserk.
Guides, on the other hand, existed to guide, purify negative energy, and prevent Sentinels from going berserk.
Sentinels and Guides are classified into seven levels based on their abilities, from SSS to D.
There are far fewer Guides than Sentinels, and currently, the highest-ranked Sentinel registered with the Interstellar Sentinel Bureau is an SSS-level, while Guides only have an SS-level.
Yan Yuqi himself is the most ordinary B-level Guide among the existing Guides in the interstellar.
The person standing with his back to him at this moment is Lu Yuzhe, the youngest and strongest of the only three SSS-level Sentinels in the interstellar.
How Yan Yuqi recognized him just by his back is attributed to Lu Yuzhe’s displayed abilities and his silver short hair.
Anyone who has heard of Lu Yuzhe knows that his spirit form is Bai Ze, and when he uses his psychic power, his hair changes from its original black color to silver.
Of course, all of this was just gossip that Yan Yuqi heard from his colleagues at the Interstellar Sentinel Bureau. He himself didn’t make an effort to learn about it nor did he have any interest in these matters.
Right now, all he wanted was to quickly leave this troublesome place and go home early.
As for expressing gratitude, it’s said that Lu Yuzhe has a cold and difficult personality, so Yan Yuqi believed that he would rather see him quietly leave than receive his thanks.
With such thoughts in mind, Yan Yuqi tried his best to lower his presence. Just as he was about to lift his foot and move forward, Lu Yuzhe, who should have been facing away from him, suddenly turned around, facing him.
When their eyes met, Yan Yuqi saw a pair of captivating blood-red eyes.
Yan Yuqi’s heart skipped a beat. Blood-red eyes! This guy is probably about to go berserk!
Just as alarm bells began ringing in Yan Yuqi’s mind, Lu Yuzhe, facing him, raised the silver long sword in his hand.
Yan Yuqi’s heart instantly tightened, and his face became more serious.
But the anticipated clash of swords didn’t occur. Lu Yuzhe simply waved the pristine sword blade, which didn’t have any stains, in the air before returning the sword to its sheath.
Seeing that Lu Yuzhe’s sword was not aimed at killing him, Yan Yuqi’s tense heart relaxed. It seemed that this guy still had his sanity.
Even with blood-red eyes, he still maintained his sanity. Truly worthy of being the strongest Sentinel in the interstellar, his mental control was indeed beyond ordinary.
However, why hadn’t he left when the alien creature had already been dealt with?
Well, it’s not Yan Yuqi’s concern. He better leave this place quickly!
With this in mind, Yan Yuqi remained silent and casually lifted his foot, bypassing Lu Yuzhe’s position, and continued walking forward. As they brushed past each other, the small white cat, which had lazily slept on Yan Yuqi’s shoulder the whole time without being moved by the consecutive attacks of the alien creature, unexpectedly moved its front paw.
Yan Yuqi felt an unusual sensation in his heart due to the abnormal behavior of the spirit animal, but he didn’t stop walking because of it.
As Yan Yuqi took a few more steps forward, his foot suddenly bumped into a round object.
He immediately lowered his head and saw a wine bottle before his eyes.
Wasn’t this the wine bottle he had thrown at the alien creature just now? It was unexpectedly intact!
In this dimly lit place, someone could easily step on it and have a nasty fall.
With this in mind, Yan Yuqi halted his steps. As he bent down to pick up the wine bottle, the surroundings suddenly began to change. The wine bottle that was within reach disappeared, the alley vanished, and the darkness around him was replaced by towering buildings and brightness.
Yan Yuqi furrowed his brow.
The fluctuation of energy around him indicated that he had entered someone else’s mental domain.
However, this mental domain came too suddenly, without any warning.
While Yan Yuqi contemplated with a puzzled expression, the spatial environment around him changed and distorted once again.
Tall buildings collapsed, debris flew everywhere, and a huge black space vortex emerged in mid-air.
A giant red-eyed Bai Ze, emitting an aura that unsettled the domain, stepped out of the space vortex and stood on the ruins of the collapsed buildings.
Yan Yuqi slowly stood up, his expression solemn as he stared at Bai Ze not far from him, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
This was Lu Yuzhe’s spirit animal.
It seemed that he had entered Lu Yuzhe’s mental domain.
However, he didn’t understand why Lu Yuzhe suddenly unleashed his mental domain.
Moreover, how was he drawn into it?
The Bai Ze in front of him either didn’t notice Yan Yuqi’s presence or simply ignored him. In any case, it didn’t attack him. It frenziedly used its power to disrupt the surroundings.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, strong winds swept the area, and the space twisted due to its rage, instantly turning the debris around into nothingness with its unleashed energy.
As if sensing the disturbance around, Yan Yuqi’s spirit form, the small white cat that had lazily slept on his shoulder, rarely opened its eyes, revealing a pair of bright blue gem-like eyes.
First, it impatiently meowed, then it abruptly stood up from Yan Yuqi’s shoulder and leaped down, landing on the ground in front of him.
Then， the small white cat raised its white little head with full momentum and roared angrily at Bai Ze not far away. This time, it was a tiger’s roar that didn’t match its small body.
The tiger’s roar that reached Yan Yuqi’s ears made his expression solemn. Since he awakened as a guide and became aware of its existence, this was the first time he had seen it so emotionally charged.
Despite the vast difference in size between the large Bai Ze and the small cat, their roars were equally deafening, unable to determine a winner.
Amidst the escalating roars, Bai Ze suddenly stopped and pounced directly at the small white cat.
Yan Yuqi was startled and shouted, “Run!”
However, instead of running, the small white cat also leaped towards Bai Ze.
Yan Yuqi, seeing this, instinctively wanted to go over and grab it.
But he was a step too late. Bai Ze collided with the small white cat.
At the same time, a person slipped off the back of Bai Ze.
Yan Yuqi instinctively reached out to catch the person.
And so, that person fell securely into Yan Yuqi’s arms.
“So heavy!” Yan Yuqi thought, then subconsciously lowered his head to look at the person he somehow ended up holding.
The person in his arms had silver hair and tightly closed eyes, but exuded an air of nobility. Their features were sharp and exceptionally handsome. “Isn’t this Lu Yuzhe?” Yan Yuqi said.
“This guy looks tall and thin, but I didn’t expect him to be quite heavy.” After placing Lu Yuzhe on the ground, Yan Yuqi quickly looked worriedly at his own small white cat.
The scene that met his eyes wasn’t bloody, but rather harmonious to the point of leaving him speechless. Bai Zhe, completely contrary to its previous frenzy, was affectionately rubbing against the small white cat. Although the small white cat arrogantly raised its head, it didn’t resist the affectionate gestures from Bai Ze and allowed it to continue rubbing against it.
The scene was undeniably peaceful.
Yan Yuqi: “…” While it was a good thing that no one was hurt, why did he feel so awkward witnessing this scene?
Not wanting to force his eyes any longer, Yan Yuqi redirected his gaze towards Lu Yuzhe lying motionless on the ground.
In the next moment, Yan Yuqi’s brow furrowed once again.
He initially thought that Bai Ze had calmed down and Lu Yuzhe’s condition would improve significantly.
However, everything was just wishful thinking.
At present, Lu Yuzhe’s body was still shrouded in dark energy, on the verge of going berserk.
If he couldn’t purify it in time, he would either awaken as a Dark Sentinel or succumb to the berserk state and die.
Yan Yuqi looked at Lu Yuzhe, his lips tightly pressed together, and his brows furrowed.
“It’s such a handsome person, it’s a pity to see him die like this.”
“In recognition of the fact that you at least saved me once, I’ll reluctantly lend a hand!”
However, he had never purified an SSS-level Sentinel before, and he didn’t know if their compatibility met the minimum requirements for purification.
With a mentality of giving it a try, Yan Yuqi crouched down and reached out his right hand to hold Lu Yuzhe’s left hand.
In the moment their hands clasped, Yan Yuqi’s guiding essence seemed to invade Lu Yuzhe’s body as if it had found an uninhabited land.
The unprecedented sense of connection surprised Yan Yuqi.
As Yan Yuqi’s guiding essence was enveloped and absorbed by Lu Yuzhe’s energy, a thin layer of sweat slowly formed on Yan Yuqi’s forehead. His head felt dizzy, his heartbeat accelerated, his cheeks flushed, and his breathing became rapid.
Although he had never experienced this peculiar sensation in his 23 years of life, it didn’t mean he was clueless about it.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, every reaction in his body at this moment told him that he was experiencing his first encounter with heat.
He had to stop the purification quickly!
Yan Yuqi struggled to maintain his composure and tried to release Lu Yuzhe’s hand.
But at that moment, Lu Yuzhe’s left hand unexpectedly tightened its grip on his right hand.
Immediately after, Lu Yuzhe, who should have been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes.
As their eyes met, Yan Yuqi was slightly taken aback.
Lu Yuzhe’s eyes were still as red as before—it seemed he was still on the verge of going berserk.
Before Yan Yuqi could figure out the reason, Lu Yuzhe exerted force and pulled Yan Yuqi into his embrace.
Author’s note:
The Sentinel and Guide concept in the story is inspired by the Sentinels and Guides from Baidu. To facilitate everyone’s understanding, I provided a brief explanation in the text. The hierarchical relationship between the Interstellar Sentinel Management Bureau and the Sentinel Guides is mostly fictional and will be gradually explained in the future.
**********
Note: This will be discontinued. Another translator picked this up before me, and I just found out. This was in NU in a different name. Sorry. Message me if ever this was dropped or something!
*********
Index | Next Chapter
Other Novels:
Managing A Divine Beast Kindergarten In The Immortal Realm
Second Life Translations' Comment Policy
1. Be kind and respectful. Comments with curses will be put under moderation.
2. No links to other websites or asking for links.
3. No spoilers!