"You—!"
Zhao Ling's voice cracked like a whip. Chen Fan's last sentence had nearly pushed her over the edge.She already resented this mission arrangement. In her eyes, Chen Fan wasn't just unqualified—he was dead weight.
But she never expected the insult to flip back onto her.
In his eyes, she and her elite squad were the burden.
Zhao Ying stood between them like a thin sheet of glass caught in a storm. Their hostility pressed against her temples until her head throbbed.
She knew what Chen Fan was capable of.And on this mission—on Inkstar, a world coated in oceans and wrapped in a mantle of lightning—having a Thunder-type Esper like him wasn't just helpful.
It was the key.
Ten years of unexplainable lightning storms had made Inkstar nearly impossible to approach.Only someone with complete command over thunder could open a safe path to the surface.
She had explained this to her sister before.Many times, in fact.
But Zhao Ling refused to listen—and now her entire squad followed her example, treating Chen Fan like a liability.
Before Zhao Ling could retort, Chen Fan turned silently and walked to his assigned room — a clean severing of the conflict. The battleship dropped into sub-light acceleration, humming like a metallic beast awakening. One hour later, with a barely noticeable tremor, the ship plunged into the wormhole.
—
Chen Fan didn't know how long he had been meditating when a knock tapped lightly against his door.
His eyes snapped open.A faint spark—like a tiny lightning serpent—flashed across his pupils.
He rose, opened the door…
Zhao Ying stood there, hands clasped nervously.Beside her was Zhao Ling, arms folded, face carved in cold stone, eyes radiating impatience.
"What is it?"
Chen Fan's brows lowered. His voice was ice.
"Chen Fan, my sister isn't what you think…" Zhao Ying began softly. One look at his expression told her he was still angry.
Zhao Ling's lip curled in annoyance.
"Ying'er, you don't need to grovel to him. If he doesn't welcome us, fine. Let him stay here and play hermit. My squad is more than capable of completing this mission without him."
"I don't welcome you, specifically," Chen Fan said calmly.
It was a simple sentence.
But simple things could be the sharpest.
Zhao Ling's fists tightened until her knuckles turned white.This was her battleship.Her command.
And this man—this Level-2—was acting like she was the unwanted guest.
She had never been so tempted to strike someone on her own vessel.
"Please—both of you—stop." Zhao Ying rubbed her temples. "We're here to explain the mission. Can we at least get through that without drawing blood?"
Chen Fan's gaze softened a fraction at the plea in her eyes.
"…All right. Go on."
Relieved, Zhao Ying stepped into the room.
It wasn't large—just a bed against the wall, neatly made, not a wrinkle out of place. The tidiness surprised her; she felt heat rise to her cheeks before she quickly sat down to hide the sudden fluster.
Zhao Ling swept a glance over the straightened blanket, eyes narrowing slightly.At least the man was alert and disciplined.
"What's the mission?" Chen Fan asked, sitting on the other side of the bed.
Zhao Ying inhaled deeply.
"In a few days, we'll reach Inkstar. One of our operatives died while investigating a newly built settlement on the planet."
"A settlement?" Chen Fan frowned. "On a world covered mostly by ocean? What's so special about that?"
"It's not the town that concerns headquarters," Zhao Ying said quietly."It's what they found in it."
Zhao Ling's expression darkened.
"A drug," she said. "A very forbidden one."
Chen Fan's eyes sharpened instantly.
"What kind of drug?"
Zhao Ling folded her arms, voice grave:
"A compound that overwhelms the mind but massively amplifies physical strength. Even an ordinary human who takes it can become a monster for a short time."
Chen Fan stiffened.
That kind of drug had been outlawed years ago.Anyone found producing or researching it was executed without trial.
Then a chilling thought stabbed through him.
The mutated cat he had captured…
Was that creature also the result of this drug?
If so—the implications were terrifying.
Zhao Ying continued:
"The reason headquarters is concerned is because Inkstar is far from Mars— isolated, unregulated, ignored. The perfect place for certain powers to fight over the right to mass-produce that drug."
"And without a Thunder-type Esper," Zhao Ling added, "the storms around Inkstar would tear any ship apart before it reaches the lower atmosphere."
"So you need me," Chen Fan said simply.
Zhao Ying nodded.
"They've covered the entire planet in heavy storm clouds. And those clouds… carry the residue of a terrifying power."
Zhao Ling hesitated, then spoke with a tone neither of them had heard from her before—not arrogance, not hostility, but something closer to respect.
"Ten years ago, in the skies above Inkstar… there was a battle. A massive one."
Chen Fan looked up sharply.
"Our top-level powerhouses were hunting a fugitive—a Thunder-type Esper of unimaginable strength. The battle took place right over Inkstar."
"The fugitive was killed."Zhao Ling's voice dropped."But his lightning… remained. It soaked into the planet. Twisted it. Wrapped it in storms."
Only then did Chen Fan understand.
A single man—a single Esper—had left enough power behind to alter an entire world for a decade.
What level had he reached?Sixth?Seventh?Higher?
The thought sent a thrill through his chest.
"I see," he murmured. "When we approach Inkstar, notify me. I'll cover the ship with my power and suppress the lightning."
He paused.
"But once we're on the ground, I work alone. I'm used to handling missions by myself."
Zhao Ling snorted.
"Fine. But if you die out there, don't expect us to collect your corpse."
Chen Fan answered without flinching.
"My fate doesn't concern you. Worry about your squad—they may fall long before I do."
Their eyes locked, sparks flying invisibly through the room.
A silent duel.
After several long seconds, Zhao Ling clicked her tongue and stormed out.Zhao Ying shot Chen Fan a helpless glance before hurrying after her.
Chen Fan exhaled slowly, lifting his hand.
A thin arc of lightning danced between his fingers.
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth—sharp, predatory.
Something in Inkstar called to him.A whisper.A pressure.A promise.
His intuition told him one thing:
When he set foot on Inkstar, his powers would awaken again.Stronger.Deeper.More terrifying.
—
A week later—
The battleship shuddered violently as it burst out of the wormhole.
Chen Fan's eyes snapped open.
A streak of thunder flashed across his gaze—violent, unstable.
For the first time, he felt the lightning inside him…
straining against his control.As if something on Inkstar was pulling it forward—calling it home.