ISMW Chapter 11

Yu Chen had asked Pei Xingting this question before. Pei Xingting’s answer was—it involved medical confidentiality agreements, so he couldn’t say. Even if he could, the specific situation was very complex, and he himself only understood part of it, making it impossible to explain clearly.

 

In the end, Pei Xingting concluded: “We just need to access the 3S mech through him. Besides, I’m a beta—I can neither sense his pheromones nor am I affected by his pressure. Rather than asking me, you should stand in front of him and experience it yourself. An alpha’s instinctive reaction will tell you the answer.”

 

When he asked this question, Yu Chen was still just an ordinary alpha officer in one of the Galactic Empire’s seven major legions.

 

He had seen Yun Xunlan many times, but each time, they were separated by hundreds of thousands of people and thousands of meters. The esteemed Third Prince of the Galactic Empire would never cast his gaze upon such an insignificant corner.

 

But on July 10, 7018 of the Galactic System United Nations Star Calendar, the day after the Galactic Empire’s Third Prince turned eighteen, he stood before Yun Xunlan as a royal guard, separated by just a few short steps.

 

So this time, when Yu Chen finished his salute and raised his eyes, he met a pair of gleaming golden eyes.

 

They were so brilliant, like a blazing G-type main-sequence star. The moment he was fixed by them was the beginning of being captured by their gravity.

 

So even though there was no scent of pheromones in the air, nor any pressure released by a high-level alpha, Yu Chen still felt his throat tighten and his heartbeat gradually accelerate under the secretion of adrenaline.

 

All of this was because an alpha’s physiological instincts were producing corresponding bodily reactions, warning him that if he were a planet, and he didn’t resist, he would be subjected to torque by this star’s powerful gravity, eventually becoming tidally locked.

 

As Pei Xingting had said, the answer was now revealed: regardless of other factors, in terms of pheromone level alone, Yun Xunlan was definitely SSS, and moreover, at the supreme tier of SSS.

 

So high that Yu Chen needed to lower his gaze and hold his breath, no longer engaging with any air where Yun Xunlan existed, in order to suppress the combative nature of a high-level alpha and prevent himself from attacking the young man before him.

 

“I apologize, my susceptibility period just ended.”

 

Seemingly aware of their discomfort, the Prince raised his hand to touch the back of his neck, which was also covered with a military-grade strong suppression patch.

 

His tone was gentle, but his voice carried a languid huskiness, like a harp playing softly on a hot summer night. Each light pluck stirred not just the strings, making it difficult for people not to focus their gaze on him: “Is there residual pheromone making you uncomfortable?”

 

In fact, there wasn’t, but the level suppression between alphas was difficult to overcome.

 

Among the guards who came to meet Yun Xunlan, except for Yu Chen and Commander Dike who could maintain normal composure, the rest of the alphas had varying degrees of sweat on their foreheads.

 

Hearing this, Dike immediately assured Yun Xunlan firmly: “They will adapt quickly, Third Prince.”

 

Yun Xunlan smiled: “It’s alright, take your time.”

 

After saying this, he turned slightly to the side, raising his chin to gesture to Ni Chun beside him.

 

Seeing this, Ni Chun approached everyone carrying a tray.

 

On the black velvet tray lay ten small jeweled pins of various colors. The alpha guards were not unfamiliar with them—these were high-precision miniaturized satellite communication devices recently developed by the Third Military Research Base. They could ensure uninterrupted communication even during strong magnetic storms and high-altitude nuclear detonations, with extremely strong anti-interference capabilities. When worn, they looked like ordinary decorative items—usable as cufflinks, collar pins, or earrings—less noticeable than conventional throat mics and in-ear wireless earphones.

 

Yu Chen chose the only deep blue jeweled communication device on the tray.

 

No one competed with him for it; they were all vying for the bright gold and silver-white communication devices. After all, one color resembled Yun Xunlan’s eyes, the other his hair.

 

Yun Xunlan lowered his eyelashes slightly, silently watching them finish distributing the jeweled communication devices before softly saying: “On the day of the guard selection interviews, I was in my susceptibility period and couldn’t attend in person. However, I watched everyone’s interview livestream—”

 

The following speech had been repeatedly checked by Yun Xunlan and the system, ensuring it was both solemn and dignified, yet graceful and appropriate: “So I know that you are all the Empire’s most elite warriors.”

 

“I admire each one of you. And I believe you will excel in your strengths, like every shining star in the galaxy, bringing infinite brilliance and glory to the Empire.”

 

“Now, I hope you can stand before me and repeat your oaths, swearing that you will forever be loyal to the Empire, loyal to me.”

 

The silver-haired youth’s slightly husky yet magnetic voice was truly pleasing to the ear. It seemed that even the most unpleasant words, when spoken from his mouth, would sound as melodious as a poem sung by a bard. Yet the alphas below listened with some confusion.

 

Oaths?

 

What oaths?

 

Dike, as the commander personally selected by Crown Princess Yun Xunguang, naturally had some skills. He quickly guessed the answer: “Your Highness, by ‘oaths,’ do you mean the answers they gave to the chief examiner’s final question during the interviews?”

 

Yun Xunlan smiled and nodded.

 

Those indeed qualified as oaths. Dike still remembered how several alphas had given passionate, sincere answers that had made him feel both excited and proud.

 

So he immediately gave the order, wanting to make the Third Prince proud of the Galactic Empire’s most elite, most loyal, and bravest alpha warriors. He called out the name of Yu Chen, who had the highest overall assessment score: “Quickly repeat the oaths you made during the interviews in front of His Highness! Starting with Yu Chen.”

 

Yu Chen: “…”

 

Although Yu Chen hadn’t raised his head, he could feel Yun Xunlan’s gaze upon him. That gaze seemed to have substance—to be scanned was to be touched, impossible to ignore.

 

And in this gaze, Yu Chen’s life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern: from entering Anluos Military Academy at eighteen until now at twenty-seven, he had been in the military for nearly ten years. He was a soldier, a military man. He had thought he would die in battle someday, but he never imagined that social death would arrive before battlefield death.

 

If time could flow backward, Yu Chen would be willing to return to the interview and copy Fu Yanxi’s answer word for word, dedicating his life and absolute loyalty and obedience to the Third Prince.

 

But no matter how much Yu Chen regretted it in his heart, he could only obey orders now, controlling the movement of the muscles on his face to maintain an expressionless countenance under Yun Xunlan’s gaze, and speak his “oath” with a normal expression—

 

“I can turn anyone into a dog that can only kneel and beg for mercy.”

 

Dike: “…”

 

As soon as Yu Chen finished speaking, the other alphas present also had to start controlling the facial muscles to prevent themselves from looking awkward in front of the Third Prince due to contorted expressions.

 

They didn’t know if Yu Chen would be able to shine and glow in the future, bringing infinite brilliance and glory to the Empire. They only knew that right now, Yu Chen would definitely rot and stink, bringing himself an extremely embarrassing moment of social death.

 

Dike was also speechless!

 

He had been so happy to see the Third Prince that he momentarily forgot that although this bastard Yu Chen had the highest combat assessment score, his answer during the interview was different from everyone else’s!

 

What kind of oath was Yu Chen’s answer?

 

What the hell did it have to do with loyalty to the Empire or loyalty to the Third Prince?

 

At this moment, Yu Chen likewise secretly cursed himself for not being mute.

 

Especially when, after hearing his words, the silver-haired alpha actually expressed his trust with a tone of amazement and admiration, making Yu Chen wish he could sew his mouth shut: “Major Yu Chen, your oath is truly special. I believe you can achieve it.”

 

Yu Chen: “…”

 

I beg you not to believe it.

 

If Yu Chen had to describe the current situation in two words, they would be: terrifying.

 

If he had to describe it in four words, they would be: extremely terrifying.

 

Thankfully, his psychological resilience was strong enough. For anyone else, Yu Chen wasn’t sure how they would endure such an excruciating situation.

 

Finally, after listening to all the alphas’ oaths, the Third Prince waved his hand and dismissed them.

 

But Yu Chen felt that the matter wasn’t over yet.

 

While pinning the blue sapphire to his ear cartilage as an earring, he waited for Yun Xunlan to summon him again—for the tutoring matter.

 

Sure enough, they had barely walked out the main door when Ni Chun chased after them, stopping him to say: “Major Yu Chen, His Highness has something to discuss with you.”

 

Yu Chen then reported to Dike, requesting permission to leave the squad.

 

Dike consented: “Go ahead, don’t keep the Third Prince waiting.”

 

Yu Chen left under Fu Yanxi’s doubly jealous and envious gaze, and soon saw that slender figure again.

 

 

He stood silently in the crimson twilight, bathed in the hazy radiance falling through the window, as noble as a deity descending to the mortal world.

 

Yu Chen lowered his head and saluted him with a hand over his chest: “Third Prince.”

 

“Major Yu Chen.”

 

The silver-haired alpha called his name, walking toward him from the sunset glow, stopping on a step just one pace away from him.

 

Yu Chen didn’t raise his head, but he could sense the young man’s gaze scanning over him. He guessed that Yun Xunlan’s next words might be about tutoring in War Psychology. But what he ultimately received was a cool sensation on his ear cartilage—the fingertips of the youth’s right hand were paused there.

 

“Major Yu Chen, are you bleeding?”

 

Yu Chen’s posture stiffened at these words.

 

In his peripheral vision, he saw the Prince take a step down toward him, reaching out to wipe away the small amount of blood that had seeped out when he pierced his ear cartilage with the blue sapphire pin, and rubbing it between his fingertips.

 

It’s worth noting that alpha pheromones exist not only in the glands but also in bodily fluids. Therefore, when Yun Xunlan rubbed and spread this bit of red on his fingertips, a scent more damp, fishy-cold, and salty than blood rapidly spread between them, like a surging tsunami quickly engulfing them.

 

—It was the scent of the ocean, also the smell of Yu Chen’s pheromones.

 

“So fishy.”

 

The Prince spoke softly, his voice characteristically low and husky with seductive quality: “Major Yu Chen, so your pheromones are like the sea.”

 

Yu Chen had never raised his head, but at the moment the youth’s words fell, he seemed to see the handsome Prince slightly inhaling his pheromones.

 

“Yes, Your Highness, my pheromone scent is that of the ocean tide.” He swallowed, only realizing after answering that his own voice had become somewhat hoarse.

 

The silver-haired alpha apparently didn’t notice this subtle change, raising his hand once more to touch his ear cartilage, like a musician controlling strings, gently caressing the skin and flesh

beneath his cool fingertips.

 

…What was Yun Xunlan doing?

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter