ISMW Chapter 93.1

But Huo Su didn’t listen to the advice.

 

She found the coordinates of that planet. Even though she was so late getting there and would probably only find Manyuin Hurst’s corpse, she still went.

 

Huo Su was also glad she insisted on going, because Manyuin Hurst was still alive.

 

Everyone thought this was an incredible miracle.

 

Except for Manyuin Hurst, his entire squad was wiped out.

 

Everyone believed he survived mainly because he wasn’t poisoned by insect venom. The king insects only took away his teammates who were poisoned, while he hid well and waited for Huo Su’s rescue. He even had a blessing in disguise, breaking through his level limit after surviving the desperate situation and becoming an SS-level alpha.

 

However, when Huo Su visited the recovering Manyuin Hurst in the hospital room, he inexplicably said to her: “Perhaps you shouldn’t have come to find me.”

 

“If I didn’t come to find you,” Huo Su arranged the flowers she brought on the cabinet, “you would have died on that barren star.”

 

Hearing this, Manyuin Hurst laughed softly twice and turned to look at the bouquet: “Evening primrose?”

 

“Mm.” Huo Su nodded. “Xuechen asked me to bring them to you. This flower has strong vitality. She wishes you a speedy recovery.”

 

“I know, it’s the national flower of the Galactic Empire.”

 

During his brief few days in the Galactic Empire, Manyuin Hurst had seen this flower countless times on roadsides, in flower beds, and in the wilderness.

 

He turned his face, gazing at Huo Su with purple eyes like another kind of flower, and asked her: “Huo Su, do you know? Even being an orphan in the Galactic Empire would allow one to leave the most rotten place in this world. No matter how strong this flower’s vitality is, it cannot bloom on the land beneath our feet.”

 

Huo Su was very clear about how much this incident had impacted Manyuin Hurst. But having struggled and grown from corruption to this day, they had done everything they could. She could only tell Manyuin Hurst: “We’re still young. We still have time and opportunities.”

 

Manyuin Hurst shifted his gaze, quietly resting it on that bouquet of evening primrose, and said nothing more to Huo Su.

 

His entire being seemed to sink into silence.

 

Others might not sense this change, but Huo Su had grown up with him. She understood Manyuin Hurst’s personality too well and keenly noticed his change, as did Ran Xuechen.

 

However, they didn’t know what Manyuin Hurst was going to do, nor could they guess what he would do.

 

Until the afternoon of December 30, 6999, when Nebula Federation detectors detected abnormal energy fluctuations near the first border line, monitoring personnel analyzed and speculated that super-variant Leviathan insectoids would soon jump there. The military dispatched Huo Su, who was closest to the anomaly point, to prepare for battle against the insectoids. Manyuin Hurst was also among the accompanying officers.

 

During battle preparations, Manyuin Hurst routinely checked mecha equipment.

 

He told Huo Su: “You can’t use your mecha for combat later.”

 

Huo Su was puzzled: “Why?”

 

Manyuin Hurst said: “Because some spare mecha parts in the storage bay have aged. I removed parts from your mecha to install on them. We’ll use those mechas for combat later.”

 

“No, Manyuin, why are you dismantling my mecha?” Huo Su was speechless. “You should remove good parts from other spare mechas to repair them.”

 

“Dismantled. All the spare mechas have been dismantled too.” Manyuin Hurst said. “But your mecha has other uses.”

 

Huo Su asked again: “What uses?”

 

Manyuin Hurst didn’t answer immediately. He remained silent until his light brain bracelet vibrated. After reading the message, he looked up at Huo Su and said: “To save Ran Xuechen.”

 

Huo Su was suddenly stunned.

 

On the morning of December 31st, 6999 Galactic Federation Star Calendar, Huo Su and Manyuin Hurst watched the video statement made yesterday by the mutinous soldiers holding Ran Xuechen hostage.

 

“Manyuin Hurst, are you insane?” Huo Su widened her eyes and called his full name.

 

“How am I the one who’s insane?” Manyuin Hurst asked Huo Su back. “Look, Xuechen’s incident happened yesterday. A whole night has passed, and they haven’t given any explanation to the mutinous soldiers, haven’t rescued Xuechen, and don’t dare let you know, afraid you’ll panic and leave here to save Xuechen.”

 

“…I won’t go.” Huo Su’s voice was hoarse, her tone trembling unsteadily, but her posture and expression remained firm. “The super-variant Leviathan could arrive at any moment. My mission isn’t complete. I absolutely won’t… won’t leave… the mission location without authorization.”

 

Manyuin Hurst’s violet eyes were full of sorrow: “What’s the use of telling me this? I believe you, but they don’t. They’re even afraid of affecting your mood, so they’ve hidden it from you until now.”

 

Huo Su couldn’t answer Manyuin Hurst’s question.

 

“Want to talk to Xuechen? In five minutes, the super-variant Leviathan will arrive.” Although Manyuin Hurst was asking, he didn’t give Huo Su other options. “I’ve moved your mecha and those unusable spare mechas to a small patrol ship. Huo Su, order that small patrol ship to leave and have one last talk with Xuechen.”

 

So Huo Su followed Manyuin Hurst’s request and ordered the small patrol ship to leave.

 

Almost at the same moment she gave the order, command headquarters made a video call, inquiring about Huo Su’s current location.

 

For once, Huo Su lost her good temper and said coldly: “I’m right here on the main warship. Are you blind and can’t see?”

 

“But your mecha’s positioning…”

 

“My mecha parts are aging and need to be sent back to base for repairs.” Huo Su was expressionless. “There are spare mechas available here.”

 

Command headquarters said nothing more after hearing this.

 

But Huo Su asked one more question: “Don’t you have anything else you want to say to me?”

 

The Nebula Federation’s supreme military command sent her a blessing: “We wish you success in your mission.”

 

—They still didn’t mention Ran Xuechen.

 

“The danger level of directly confronting a super-variant Leviathan is very high. We are ‘miracles’ from the slums. Besides us, who else has the ability, and who else is willing, to guard at the very front?” Manyuin Hurst waited for Huo Su to hang up the communication with headquarters, then handed her his light brain. “There’s not much time left. Talk to Xuechen.”

 

“A Su…”

 

Ran Xuechen’s voice came from the light brain.

 

But Huo Su didn’t know what to say to her.

 

“I’m sorry…” She could only apologize to her beloved. “I can’t, can’t…”

 

Ran Xuechen gently instructed her: “I understand everything. You don’t need to come. Take care of yourself.”

 

“I’ll make them come save you. I’ll definitely make them come save you!”

 

Huo Su wanted to contact headquarters again to tell them that Ran Xuechen had completed the 3S mecha blueprints—this news would make the Nebula Federation willing to pay a greater price and effort to rescue Ran Xuechen.

 

But hearing this, Manyuin Hurst suddenly cut off the communication: “Let’s keep this news secret. I need the blueprints.”

 

“What exactly are you trying to do?!” Huo Su sternly questioned Manyuin Hurst.

 

“Two minutes left. Let’s go start the mechas.” Manyuin Hurst glanced at the time, then looked up at Huo Su. “I want to complete the final mission the Nebula Federation gave us, together with you.”

 

“Huo Su, I will be here, fighting alongside you until the last moment.”

 

Tears flowed from his eyes: “When you die, you’ll understand that we simply cannot continue to defend the first border line.”

 

—This battle, where no soldiers fled, no warriors retreated, where they bravely and resolutely gave their lives to fight, was destined to fail.

 

Even if it didn’t fail today, it was destined to fail on some future day.

 

Because flowers cannot bloom in rotten soil.

 

Manyuin Hurst showed no mercy, killing all the insectoids that entered his mecha’s attack range. But the king insects, having to obey the brood mother’s commands, tried again and again to approach him, to protect him.

 

In the gunfire, he recalled his deal with the brood mother—both king insect incubation time and super-variant Leviathan growth time were twenty years. The brood mother would let him live, but he needed to place king insect eggs and juvenile Leviathans on planets within the third border line.

 

Once hatching was complete, the Severir insectoids could directly attack into the galaxy.

 

Manyuin Hurst agreed. He was released from the insectoid home planet back to the barren star. He hoped Huo Su wouldn’t come find him, because he actually just wanted to die on the homeland soil of the galaxy.

 

Unfortunately, Huo Su came.

 

And today, Manyuin Hurst hoped he could die together with Huo Su, but his death was clearly meaningless. This world wouldn’t change because of their deaths, just as whether his deal with the brood mother was completed or not, the brood mother wouldn’t stop attacking the galaxy.

 

She had too many offspring.

 

She only needed to satisfy her own desires, not caring how many insects would be sacrificed in the process.

 

And those martyrs who had died on the front lines, his sacrificed teammates, Huo Su and all the soldiers on the main warship, were all low-level consumables and inferior insects that could be casually abandoned.

 

If nothing could be changed, perhaps without waiting another twenty years, the entire galaxy would fall.

 

So after the first border line completely fell, Manyuin Hurst survived again.

 

Only he survived.

 

Among the wreckage of mechas, starships, and insectoids, he called Ran Xuechen—

 

“The 3S mecha blueprints, have you finished them?” Manyuin Hurst asked her. “If not, send me the existing data. I’ll find a way to complete the final part of the blueprints.”

 

Ran Xuechen remained silent.

 

“You can also choose not to give them to me. Then the Corona Empire people won’t come save me.” Manyuin Hurst said calmly. “I’ll die here, and you can avenge Huo Su.”

 

Ran Xuechen said hoarsely: “So A Su… she’s gone, isn’t she?”

 

Manyuin Hurst said: “Yes.”

 

Ran Xuechen closed her eyes: “I’ve finished them.”

 

“Then are you willing to give them to me? If you give them to me, you’ll die; if you don’t give them to me, you’ll also die.” Manyuin Hurst made her ending clear to Ran Xuechen. “You have half an hour to consider.”

 

Ran Xuechen suddenly asked: “Manyuin, do you still remember the oath we made together when we founded our research team?”

 

“The collective interests of humanity are above all else.” Manyuin Hurst spoke without a second’s hesitation. “I remember it, I practice it, I will never break this oath.”

 

Ran Xuechen held back tears and mentioned someone she couldn’t let go of: “Yuchen, he…”

 

“He will live. Don’t worry, I won’t touch him.” Manyuin Hurst promised her. “He will leave the rotten place and go to where flowers bloom. In the future, I will find him and become the stepping stone for him to achieve glory.”

 

“My son doesn’t need you to pave the way for him.”

 

Ran Xuechen said finally: “You two are not the same kind of people.”

 

Now, sitting across from Yu Chen, Manyuin Hurst also agreed with what Ran Xuechen had said: “Your mother was right. You indeed don’t need me to pave the way for you, but you should need me to clear Huo Su’s name.”

 

“I said long ago, that was a country rotten from top to bottom. Two investigations—”

 

Manyuin Hurst held up two fingers, unable to suppress a bitter smile: “Twice. Both times they were only willing to let one good person sacrifice themselves. After all, proving she’s a hero only benefits her alone, while concealing the truth can bring more political benefits. I thought the government that came after would be better, but they were just slightly less rotten.”

 

Yu Chen looked at Manyuin Hurst, who was laughing with tears streaming down his face, and said nothing.

 

Ni Chun and Colonel Chen Xu, who were listening nearby, couldn’t make a sound either. Even Yun Xunguang remained silent. Words were pale and powerless at this moment.

 

Yu Chen found it absurd that Manyuin Hurst could still shed tears for his mother, but the facts were more cruel than tears.

 

“Turn on speaker mode.” Yun Xunguang ordered Yu Chen.

 

Yu Chen placed the communication device from his ear bone onto the table.

 

Yun Xunguang directly asked Manyuin Hurst: “What happened with the Lursen starship crash?”

 

“Crown Princess, I’m very sorry. That was an unpredictable accident.” Manyuin Hurst wasn’t surprised that Yun Xunguang was monitoring this conversation. He explained truthfully: “You were too kind-hearted. I originally just wanted to kill Xuechen and the others to silence them, but the insectoids that went there happened to encounter the Galactic Empire’s rescue fleet.”

 

“If only you had learned from the Nebula Federation’s old government rescue fleet’s behavior that day.”

 

“It was indeed an accident, but even without this accident, I would have created one.”

 

“Insect venom has no cure.” Manyuin Hurst said. “King insect venom brings death, while brood mother venom brings transformation. That’s how I changed from S to SSS level.”

 

“Everyone hates the insectoids, but faced with such great benefits, everyone would fall in love with the brood mother. I had to ensure that after you land on the insectoid home planet, you would definitely kill the brood mother.”

 

“…I never dreamed it was really just an accident.” Yun Xunguang laughed, but her voice was hoarse and pained. “How ridiculous.”

 

“Only with He Chubai dead would Yun Qihe absolutely not let the brood mother live, wouldn’t let the brood mother’s venom become a tool for superiors to control and exploit subordinates. Just like how you hate me to death but still haven’t killed me.” Manyuin Hurst asked Yun Xunguang: “If you didn’t have such irreconcilable conflicts with the Severir insectoids, would you choose to kill the brood mother?”

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)