The army had barely marched three kilometers when Hai Yu snuck into Gu Zeyu’s room. He found him playing with building blocks with his son. Gu Lulu thought his Alpha father was too stupid, so he snatched the blocks with his chubby little hands and swiftly assembled a perfect cube. Hai Yu watched in amazement as the little one then waddled over to tackle a nine-link chain puzzle¹According to Wikipedia, it’s called Baguenaudier (九连环). “Baguenaudier, also known as the Chinese rings, Cardan’s suspension, Cardano’s rings, Devil’s needle or five pillars puzzle, is a disentanglement puzzle featuring a loop which must be disentangled from a sequence of rings on interlinked pillars. The loop can be either string or a rigid structure. “. Astonished, he blurted out, “Is this normal for babies?”

Gu Zeyu tidied up the toys and placed them on a nearby shelf. “For a god’s child, it’s perfectly normal.”

Hai Yu sensed an odd tone in Gu Zeyu’s voice but had no time to dwell on it. He sidled up to Gu Zeyu and whispered, “Big brother, are we really going to obey them and stay put? My nephew threatened to cut off my tail if I dared to follow.”

“If you knew you would die, would you still go?” Gu Zeyu asked softly, continuing to tidy up.

Hai Yu hesitated, his expression falling. After a moment, he replied, “They all know they might die, but they went anyway. I want to go too! I haven’t returned Lu Yunian’s military talent yet. If there’s any way I can be useful, I…!”

“Then go,” Gu Zeyu said, standing up. He gathered his son into his arms, nuzzling Gu Lulu’s cheek as he recited a long string of ancient words Hai Yu couldn’t understand.

Carrying his son, Gu Zeyu walked to Professor Gu Hengzhi’s room. The professor, already worried about Lu Yunian, jumped from his seat when Gu Zeyu suddenly appeared.

“Dad, what did Lu Yunian take from you before he left?” Gu Zeyu’s voice was unusually deep. Gu Hengzhi had never heard his son speak like this, and it made him uneasy.

“You are… Are you…” Gu Hengzhi stammered.

Gu Zeyu smiled faintly, his youthful demeanor returning, but he persisted, “I’m Xiao Yu. Dad, what is Lu Yunian planning? What are his chances of success, and what are the consequences?”

Gu Hengzhi hadn’t expected Gu Zeyu to see through everything. Before leaving, Lu Yunian had insisted on deflecting if Xiao Yu asked questions. But now, with the room saturated with a powerful Alpha’s pheromones, Gu Hengzhi didn’t dare entertain even a thought of deception. After a moment’s consideration, he answered truthfully.

“Three years ago, we captured an Enigma as a test subject and extracted their pheromones. Lu Yunian took an experimental serum that can transform a person into an Enigma three times within three hours, granting them enhanced pheromones and combat abilities.”

“And after three hours…?”

“We never tested it on humans. In animal trials, no subject survived beyond three hours…” Gu Hengzhi couldn’t meet his son’s eyes, feeling suffocated by the overwhelming aura. Both he and Lu Yunian knew the consequences of using this serum.

But he understood that Lu Yunian wasn’t just his son-in-law or Gu Zeyu’s Omega; he was a General of the Interstellar Alliance. For a soldier, duty to country comes before family. Lu Yunian carried not only the responsibility of protecting his husband and son but also the hope of safeguarding all citizens of the Interstellar Alliance.

Gu Zeyu said nothing after hearing this, silently leaving the room. Hai Yu followed, sensing the tension and unable to hold back, “We should hurry, or we’ll be too late…”

Gu Zeyu paused, then grabbed Hai Yu’s hand and ran, smashing through a glass window and leaping from the 27th floor. The merman Alpha froze mid-air, his scream irritating Gu Zeyu. Just before impact, a gentle blue wave caught them. Hai Yu, pale-faced, stuttered, “We… we didn’t need to rush quite so much…”

Gu Zeyu’s clothes billowed in the wind as he gazed in the direction of Lu Yunian’s marching troops. Calmly, he said, “If you’re scared, close your eyes.”

“You… you… Lord Kun?” Hai Yu asked nervously.

“No, I’m Gu Zeyu, but…” The wave carried them skyward, the biting wind sharp against the Alpha’s face. His eyes had turned a deep caramel, but now held a godlike demeanor. “I am also Kun, the ancient god.”

After Hai Mu’er and Lu Yunian rendezvoused at Yunshan Lake, both remained silent, grim-faced after tallying their casualties. Tian Yulan quipped over the comm, “Hey, how about a contest? Whoever brings back the most soldiers becomes the leader of our three races.”

Lu Yunian instinctively touched the syringe on his chest, his expression dark, not responding to Tian Yulan. Hai Mu’er also ignored the peculiar winged one, knowing that within three sentences, Tian Yulan would steer the conversation toward political marriages.

“Nephew, I think I saw that doctor you like in the cavalry. His high-level recovery skills are quite useful,” Tian Yulan said, trying to spark interest when both ignored him.

Hai Mu’er sprang up and rushed out of the tent. With him gone, Lu Yunian had no choice but to continue discussing battle plans with Tian Yulan. Seeing Lu Yunian’s grave expression, Tian Yulan finally dropped his carefree attitude and said seriously, “By leaving Kun behind, you must have anticipated a significant increase in casualties. We’re mortals facing the ancient beast Taotie—it’s like eggs against stone. This is a battle between their godly races. No matter how you try to avoid it, they will eventually clash.”

Lu Yunian stood on a protruding rock by the lake. Fresh from a fierce battle, blood still dripped from the dark brown stone into the water, creating ripples. The mountain wind billowed his cape as he looked down at his breastplate. Frowning, he said, “Then let’s use our mortal strength to make this victory easier.”

Tian Yulan had flown above Yunshan Lake, his white wings spread wide as he landed atop a redwood. Golden light emanated from him, tinted by the dawn’s rainbow hues. In the distance, fire-colored clouds painted the horizon red. Squinting, he noticed a trail of clouds streaking across the sky and chuckled softly, “Not one of them could stay put in the rear.”

The three armies—land, sea, and air—surrounded the sacred altar. As they advanced, the stench of blood grew stronger. Many Alphas experienced nausea, fever, and fear as they neared the Enigma’s pheromones. Omegas like Lu Yunian felt even greater suppression. Hai Mu’er returned, scowling, his collar open. It was obvious he had another unhappy encounter with Pei Xiuran. Lu Yunian gave him a cold glance, lips pressed tightly as he struggled against his adverse reactions.

The evening glow filled the sky as howling winds carried the agonized screams from the sacred altar, plunging everyone’s hearts into despair.

TL Notes

• 1
  According to Wikipedia, it’s called Baguenaudier (九连环). “Baguenaudier, also known as the Chinese rings, Cardan’s suspension, Cardano’s rings, Devil’s needle or five pillars puzzle, is a disentanglement puzzle featuring a loop which must be disentangled from a sequence of rings on interlinked pillars. The loop can be either string or a rigid structure. “