He didn't refuse this request.
After preparing briefly and dressing appropriately, Lanner stepped out the door with a calm expression.
-----------------------------------
Lanner had always been very clear that when he began working on this project, once disaster struck, he would definitely be the one sacrificed.
And this very moment was when the bridges were burned.
But he did not regret it; he was not an long-lived species. He envied the power granted to the Path Striders and the Emanators, but he couldn't actively pursue it, as he did not have such strong willpower.
His goal had never wavered.
"Lanner Byrne, do you admit to the crimes you committed in the case of [True Sting from Belobog and Borisin Lifeform Modification]?"
He slightly lifted his gaze, facing the blinding execution blockade.
Lanner smiled: "I plead guilty."
...
At the Interasteral Peace Corporation, a group of people had gathered, clearly the people involved in that case just now.
Most of them were virtual projections, obviously unwilling to leave any physical evidence behind.
"Hmph! Lanner took the blame, so you guys don't have to worry now!"
"Hehe, it was you who decided from the start to let him take the fall, and now you're bringing it up again?"
"You say that so easily. Lanner was my trusted subordinate. I invested quite a lot of resources to cultivate him over the years!"
"Enough of that nonsense. At worst, we'll give you a share of the profit to make up for your loss."
From beginning to end, Lanner had been the one on the front stage, along with those professors and scholars from the Intelligentsia Guild.
Of course, that was only on the surface; everyone could see through it, yet they couldn't pinpoint those behind the scenes, because after all, the IPC is a place that values evidence.
Even the Ten Stonehearts couldn't speak recklessly without evidence. And even if there was evidence, it still depended on how serious the matter was. If it was too big and affected the IPC, even with complete evidence from start to finish, you still wouldn't be vindicated!
"Alright, Lanner and those people are just a minor issue. You all must have heard the news about those bugs rushing toward the Celestial Comet Wall, right?"
As soon as these words came out, the entire place fell silent.
"Those ugly bugs actually dare to assault the celestial wall forged by the Amber King? They must all be stopped outside!"
"If they really break through, what are we even doing sitting here? Would we still have the face to sit here?!"
"This is a great disrespect to the Amber King! We must strike! Let those tiny bugs know that this is no longer the age where the Swarm Disaster ran rampant!"
One by one, the people in control of the IPC's power spoke up, determined to stop the swarm outside the Celestial Comet Wall!
It could be said that most IPC employees loved credit points more than the Amber King.
But the IPC's executives either believed in the Amber King or walked the Amber King's path. This identity made them proud. And now, the remnants of the Aeon of Propagation dared to attack the Celestial Comet Wall , an unpardonable crime!
"Calm down, such impulsiveness won't burn the bugs to death." A leisurely voice interrupted the heated crowd.
"Heh, if those bugs were really that easy to handle, things would be simple. The IPC's starships either get detected when approaching and then crash, getting devoured completely, or they don't even manage to meet the swarm head-on. Forceful attacks can't break through, and instead of reducing their numbers, they just grow bigger and bigger. What kind of nonsense solutions are you talking about working?"
At these words, the whole room fell silent.
Along the way, the swarm didn't just chase that one ship but devoured all energy it encountered, growing to an unprecedented size.
Although not comparable to the real Swarm Disaster, it was still not something an ordinary fleet could provoke.
And based on experience, the best way to deal with a swarm was to conduct a decapitation strike!
According to their intel, this group of bugs had no obvious nest mother. Their only goal was to consume enemies, but as for their true king...
When they thought of that colossal beast, everyone tacitly skipped over the topic.
That thing wasn't something normal people could handle.
Did they want to throw Diamond at it?
Say that, and Diamond would be the first to throw them out instead.
Today, it was just about making things go smoothly.
...
"Miss Firefly's illness..."
After the diagnosis, Lingsha's expression instantly turned strange as she looked at Firefly.
This condition of Firefly's...
"It's hard to treat, isn't it?" Firefly said softly.
"It's not really about being hard to treat; it's just... very rare."
For a moment, Lingsha didn't even know what words to use.
Firefly's condition was less of a disease and more of a genetic issue. Although there were many conditions caused by genetic factors, Firefly's was somewhat different. Strictly speaking... this wasn't an illness but more like a genetic defect.
Lingsha pondered silently.
What kind of civilization or species in the universe could have such strange symptoms...
"Sister Lingsha, why don't we ask Bailu? Maybe Bailu can cure her." Yanqing reminded.
Bailu, whose medical skills had skyrocketed, could even temporarily suppress General Feixiao's Moon Rage. If she took action, even if she couldn't cure Miss Firefly's illness, she should at least be able to suppress it... right?
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Firefly felt a bit guilty.
Her situation was best kept as private as possible. If that doctor Bailu came over, wouldn't that increase the risk of exposure?
This was the Xianzhou Luofu, not the hazy hounds of Penacony.
If her identity as a Stellaron Hunter was exposed, capture would be inevitable.
Although Silver Wolf or Kafka would save her later...
"It's just asking, whether to treat you or not, I'm not a doctor and can't tell."
Yanqing raised his head, looking at the hidden area with a sense of urgency and concern.
"Hmph, hmph, hmph, who's talking about me? Could it be there's some tricky illness that requires my help again?"
Holding a few skewers, Bailu waddled in with her chubby little legs, swinging them proudly.
She immediately noticed the seated Firefly.
"You're the patient this time?" Bailu leaned in, curiously sniffing Firefly, eyes showing deep thought:
"You smell like fire… Sister Lingsha, what illness does she have?"
Bailu turned to Lingsha with a puzzled expression.
Lingsha then explained Firefly's condition to Bailu. After listening, Bailu scratched her tail, her gaze toward Firefly full of confusion.
"This doesn't sound like an illness…"
Firefly naturally knew what her illness was: Entropy Loss Syndrome, a condition caused by genetic modification. Strictly speaking, it was a problem rooted in her genes.
On this matter, Madam Ruan Mei from the Genius Society probably had more expertise.
"But I can give it a try. Just so you know, your case isn't like ordinary illnesses; success is not guaranteed."
Bailu quickly finished her skewers, completely ignoring the sneaky Yunli touching her tail, and said with a serious expression.
"Mm."
Seeing Bailu's serious face, Firefly's own expression turned solemn, nodding in response.
Then Bailu summoned her High Elder's power. Her High Elder power excelled at healing, though its destructive side had manifested in Dan Heng.
With Godzilla's domain influence, her power inevitably mutated, enhancing her healing abilities even further, enough to completely cure Feixiao's Lunar Mania within five years.
...
"No good." After a moment of persistence, Bailu withdrew her power and said seriously,
"Your condition is even harder to treat than that white-foxian sister. I still can't cure you now."
Bailu estimated that to completely cure Firefly, it would take at least ten years! At the very least.
After the fall of the Aeon of Permanence, the power of the Vidyadhara clan had already been greatly weakened.
She only grew stronger because she stayed close to Godzilla, improving her healing power.
Even so, this ten-year estimate was just her own guess, and she wasn't sure if it was even accurate.
But despite all this, she still couldn't cure Firefly's condition. After all, she wasn't Godzilla; she didn't have that kind of miraculous power. Even if she might gain it one day, for now, she was still just a little Vidyadhara who couldn't do anything about it.
"No, you did great." Firefly suddenly spoke, eyes showing uncontrollable excitement.
She could feel that her body had indeed been nourished by a mysterious power, and the long-standing symptoms had slightly eased.
Although she knew it was just an illusion, Bailu's power merely made her feel more comfortable, and soon she would feel the same as before, this already made her very happy!
This meant her illness could be treated!
Maybe… she wouldn't even need to trouble Godzilla for a cure?
Firefly couldn't help thinking this.
This way, the impact could be minimized. Containing her excitement, she looked at Bailu with hopeful eyes and asked,
"If it can't be cured now, that means it can be cured later, right? Can I ask how long it would take?"
After a moment of thought, Bailu slowly stretched out one hand.
'Five years?'
Firefly did the math in her mind. Five years, that was manageable.
But then she saw Bailu stretch out another hand.
"..."
'Ten years. There's no hope. I might as well accept death…'
Firefly fell silent.
'Ten years…' she probably wouldn't live to see the stars shining ten years from now, let alone come to Luofu for treatment afterward.
Seeing Firefly's expression, Bailu scratched her head, distressed.
"Although… although your illness is difficult to treat, it's not without hope." Bailu said so.
...
Clearly, Firefly couldn't spend ten years waiting. She didn't have that kind of time.
Moreover, she hadn't come to the Xianzhou to wait for ten years anyway.
So, she would take the risky path!
A firefly rushing into the flame, embracing death to find life!
That night, in utter silence, the Xianzhou, this enormous worldship larger than many planetary worlds, was quiet, with both day and night existing within it, crafted by the artisans of Luofu.
Even though most of the plants and animals here had been carefully cultivated and released by the Xianzhou, they still brimmed with life.
Under the moonlight, a slender figure silently crossed the restricted area's back entrance.
"This should be fine, right?"
Firefly glanced back uncertainly. Confirming she hadn't triggered any alarms, she exhaled in relief.
One checkpoint down, many more to go.
Even at night, the defenses around the Scalegorge Waterscape Cavern were strict. But Firefly was a wanted criminal of the IPC, skilled enough not to rely entirely on SAM.
Even without her armor, her agility… well, maybe not her agility, but at least her awareness, remained sharp.
Carefully avoiding the Cloud Knights' patrols, and with the aid of tools provided by Silver Wolf, she finally slipped inside. This smooth progress made Firefly exhale deeply in relief.
Now, success was just one step away.
Board the ship!
It looked like a wooden boat, but in truth, this was… A novel design, powerful capabilities, ancient appearance, that described this…
The Cloud Knights' array blades looked like cold weapons, but in reality, they were single-soldier combat units.
Those flying swords might seem elegant and carefree, like a swordsman from a painting striking down foes from a thousand miles away, but in reality, they were floating cannons.
Things like that, there are many more. In short, on this Xianzhou, what you see is not necessarily real. It just looks like a water gun, but what if it shoots lasers?
The same logic applies: this wooden boat looks ancient, but… it moves on its own.
It even has Autopilot!
"Great, we're on board!" The moment she stepped onto the boat, Firefly clenched her fists in excitement.
But the next second, she froze completely.
"Ugh, so sleepy, why did you take so long? I even fell asleep."
Firefly turned her neck toward the voice and saw, under the moonlight, a small Vidyadhara girl hugging her tail with one hand, rubbing her sleepy eyes with the other, a hint of saliva at the corner of her mouth, clearly woken up from a sweet sleep.
Firefly's memory wasn't bad, especially since this small Vidyadhara girl's features were too distinctive.
What to do, what to do, should she knock her out? Can she even knock her out? Would a Vidyadhara's body be different from a human brain? Should she use tranquilizer darts?
Firefly had only ever killed, never knocked someone out, let alone buried them.
"Hm? Why are you staring at me? Start the boat."
Finally fully awake, Bailu looked at the still-dazed Firefly and called out to her.
"Eh?"
"Eh what eh? Didn't you come to the Xianzhou to find the big guy? Now's the perfect time, I'll take you through the Alchemy Commission too."
Hearing Bailu's words, Firefly's brain stalled.
What in the world is going on!?
Sitting at the stern and looking at Firefly's bewildered expression, Bailu said,
"Sister Lingsha already told me, you were staring in the direction of the Scalegorge Waterscape all day long, your intentions were obvious."
"Eh? Lingsha… she noticed?" Firefly thought she hid it pretty well.
Bailu shook her head slightly and said, "Don't be fooled by Sister Lingsha's youthful looks and bright smile, to become a Chief Alchemist and never make mistakes, her ability is top-notch. Those little thoughts of yours can't escape her eyes at all."
Although Firefly was a Stellaron hunter with a huge bounty on her head, she rarely interacted with people, and when she did, it was direct to combat burning down everything. In many aspects, she couldn't compare with those who had been immersed in countless intrigues.
For Lingsha to stabilize the Alchemy Commission in such a short time and be qualified as its Chief… how could that be possible without some skills?
Not everyone can be the head of a comission.
Firefly's little schemes, in Lingsha's eyes, were like a child staring at candy on the table, obediently not asking for it but trying hard to look away, which only made people want to laugh more.
Firefly felt frustrated. Was her acting really that bad?
"Then… why did she still let you take me to the Scalegorge Waterscape?"
Firefly asked softly.
"My intuition."
"Huh?"
"My intuition tells me you've seen the big guy before. I told Sister Lingsha about it, and she agreed to let me take you there. Of course, you have to get past the Cloud Knights' guard, or else, if you're caught, no one's going to help you."
"If you really have seen the big guy, then once you meet him again, everything will be clear."
"But I'm being so… sneaky." Firefly pursed her lips and whispered softly.
"That's none of my business. As long as you really have seen the big guy and he doesn't dislike you, then it's all good."
"What if he does dislike me?"
"Then it's just like catching a bad person and bringing them straight to him." Bailu's righteous expression left Firefly speechless.
'This is just… do you people on the Xianzhou not even have trials for criminals?!'
'Vigilante justice is forbidden! It's inhumane! I want to apply for human rights protection!'
Bailu climbed up onto the boat's edge, swinging her legs gently, her tail swaying rhythmically, just as she had said, because of the unique feeling Firefly gave off.
But Firefly's feeling was faint. If Bailu hadn't just been playing with Godzilla before, she might not have recognized it.
As for why she waited for Firefly at night… that was Lingsha's little prank.
Originally, she planned to directly take Firefly to see Godzilla.
At that time, any problem could be seen instantly by Godzilla, whose natural instinct was able to distinguish everything…
Provided, of course, that the enemy had enough value for Godzilla to care about.
If Firefly really had a problem, she wouldn't be able to escape anyway.
However…
"We could've done this during the day, but nooo, I had to wait until night. I'm so sleepy."
Swinging her tail out of boredom, Bailu muttered quietly.
As for Firefly, she sat on the boat hugging her knees, feeling unprecedented tension.
This concerned the path of her future.
Would it be bright… or bleak?
...
At the same time, in the vast reaches of space...
"Look at what I found, a bunch of little bugs playing cosmic tag."
In the universe, the still-chasing swarm had attracted an 'uninvited guest'.
"Let me see, hmm, hmm, they look good, absolutely perfect."
Aha floated along with the bugs, extremely satisfied with these little cuties.
Only such unique little cuties would do…
"Then it's decided! The strongest little one!"