Chapter 48 — ILK Chapter 48

After the Battle

The little girl wasn't afraid of people; instead, her big eyes scanned the four people in the treehouse as she spoke in a crisp voice: "Are you people from the base? Why did you come here?"

From her, Sang Ye sensed signs of severe radiation exposure within her mental energy.

The treehouse unraveled further, revealing the girl’s full stature. She wore the traditional attire of the Snow Mountain tribe, with a circular bone ornament hanging from her chest, just like the tribesmen they had seen before. She stepped inside, wary but not excessively so, watching them from a moderate distance. Soon, her gaze was drawn to the steaming, fragrant pot, and her round eyes widened even further.

"What is this?" A child of the Snow Mountain had clearly never seen such a rarity.

The four adults exchanged looks before Sang Ye spoke first: "Would you like to come in and eat with us?"

The girl didn't refuse. She seemed to harbor no ill will toward the base. Sang Ye served her a full bowl of Tomato Beef Brisket Soup. The girl took a sip with a face full of disbelief. The next second, she gasped: "What is this! It’s so delicious! Does the base really have things this good?"

The history of the first humans to land on Black Tower was too ancient to be verified, but the Imperial Academy of Science speculated they were likely a group of people who crashed during space exploration. They brought technology and knowledge, including the production of nutrient solutions. Covered in ore veins, Black Tower’s surface lacked flora and fauna, so the various tribes survived on nutrient solutions.

The girl intuitively learned how to soak the rice; she scooped the scrambled eggs and tomato broth into her mouth, her round eyes narrowing in satisfaction. She let out a contented hum like a cat eating a treat.

"No wonder the Clan Leader always thinks about driving the base away and looted it last time," the child said without any guile. "It’s because you have such delicious things."

The food, saturated with mental energy, made her feel comfortable, and her irradiated spiritual form basked in the warmth.

"I think I've seen you somewhere before," the girl said, looking at Du Yuan as she ate.

Du Yuan had no memory of her. During her days as a captive, she mostly dealt with the "nobility" like the Clan Leader and High Priestess. To the nobles, "commoners" weren't worth her precious mental energy.

"I remember now!" the girl's eyes lit up. "Sister Minur led someone out of the tribe that day. That was you! I remember because you wore a very beautiful dress, like a cloud."

Du Yuan didn't recall much; the tribe lived inside a warm volcano with complex terrain. On the day of her escape, she was too focused on the hurried journey and was ushered into a small warship the moment they left the settlement.

"Did many of you see that?" Sang Ye caught the key point. "But your Clan Leader didn't seem to know."

Brian had only suspected it until very recently.

"No one would tell him," the child replied. "No one in the tribe likes him. He made many of our people mutate; they bleed every day and are in so much pain. It’s Sister Minur who keeps sending us medicine and mental supplements so we can survive."

Brian only cared about the powerful "nobles," but Minur saw the innocent commoners caught in the crossfire. No one would betray her. As she spoke, the girl showed the adults her mutated arm—the skin had grown hard, black scales as if infected.

"It hurt so much back then. This grew out from the inside and cut my whole arm open." Recalling the pain, the girl pouted. "I heard the Clan Leader went out to fight the base again. I hope he never comes back."

A child knew nothing of resource struggles or the darkness of the heart, but she could directly perceive the quality of life.

"The big brothers and sisters who came from the base to mine used to see me and give me lots of nutrient solutions and play with me. I remember one sister had a long scar on her face; people called her General. Every time she saw me, she gave me new clothes," the girl recalled. "The Clan Leader treated us worse than outsiders did."

Asu Ment looked at the girl's clothes. They mimicked the Snow Mountain style, but the materials were imported. One wouldn't notice without a close look.

"She had a daughter about your age," Asu Ment spoke for the first time, answering the girl's unasked question.

New life was rare. The higher the rank of a Sentinel or Guide, the harder it was to conceive. Modern science could do nothing to interfere. Wu Huansheng and Mu An had been together for fifty years before having Wu Jianing. Asu Ment had waited even longer.

"What is your name? Why did you run out alone?" Du Yuan asked gently.

"My name is Casey," the girl answered clearly. "The people who went out just came back, and it seems something happened to the Clan Leader. My mother told me to hide because whenever they are unhappy, they take it out on us, thinking we are useless for not being strong subordinates." Casey frowned. "But I didn't see the Clan Leader come back. Only his inner circle did, and they were badly hurt."

"He’s dead," a male voice spoke softly at the entrance.

Despite everyone present having high-level mental power, not one of them had sensed his approach. Lin Changli leaned down, looking at the group in the treehouse. "You lot are quite leisurely."

He appeared at the door looking clean and relaxed, stepped inside with his long legs, and sat down leisurely.

"Brian is dead?" Asu Ment frowned. "Did you kill him?"

"Not entirely. After you pierced his heart, someone else finished the job." Lin Changli didn't explain further, merely exchanging a knowing look with Asu Ment.

Asu Ment understood instantly.

"The rest is up to you," Lin Changli said, moving Casey aside to scoop a bowl for himself, acting as if he owned the place. "The Snow Mountain tribe shouldn't be a threat anymore."

Asu Ment truly relaxed, leaning her back against the parasol tree roots and closing her eyes.

"Casey, would you like to come back to the base with us later?" After a short while, she sat up and smiled at the girl. Casey’s eyes had been wide since hearing of Brian’s death. But she didn't have much room to refuse; Asu Ment wasn't asking for her opinion. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. But if you come with us, someone will have a reason to come knocking on our door." Asu patted the girl's warm head.

As a Guide, Sang Ye had successfully completed her mission. The look Asu Ment gave her was finally devoid of guard and hostility.

…

After that terrifying man left, Minur watched as Brian’s body turned gray and crumbled into powder, scattering into the snowy void until only a heart turned to black crystal remained. She carried the heart back to the tribe. Those who followed Brian had died in the agony of radiation. Had a high-level Guide been there, they might have lived. But Minur knew they couldn't be allowed to survive; otherwise, the tribe would have no future.

She had stood by and watched, refusing to let anyone provide precious mental supplements. With Brian dead, she was the sole remaining bloodline of the previous leadership, making her the undisputed successor. The powerful nobles were now all brain-dead or dying; no one would resist her.

Minur buried the lifeless heart in the cave behind the snow waterfall. With the destruction of the Snow-Pear Plains and the shifting snow, the site would eventually be buried forever. Watch the sky from there, she thought, watch the place where Mother disappeared. She looked up at the sky; she would live well, and perhaps one day, she would meet her mother again. The obstacles were gone; her future was unfolding.

…

Through their conversation, Sang Ye learned it was Lin Changli who had blown up the Snow-Pear Plains. When Asu Ment had ordered the mountain’s destruction, it required returning to base to coordinate multiple warships. Lin Changli had done it alone.

The Snow-Pear Plains—the Holy Land that was actually a massive, radioactive ore vein so dangerous it made Imperial warships struggle—was gone. And he appeared calm, his mental state stable, with no sign of having just fought a battle.

Even Asu Ment couldn't help but study him. Mental supplements were negligible for high-level Sentinels; they needed true channeling. According to Wu Huansheng's reports during the previous rebellion, Lin Changli's stability had hit rock bottom. Blowing up the Plains required mental power far exceeding that rebellion. If the rebellion was an asteroid, the Plains were a vast galaxy.

How had he sustained this action? Where had he received mental channeling?

Lin Changli’s expression was flat; to him, this was as routine as getting dressed in the morning. Instead, he seemed more interested in the hanging leaves of the parasol tree, observing the little shack. An inexpressible yet undeniable surge of mental energy pulsed through him, making the Phoenix cheer. It began to repair the scorched landscape within his mind. Though the effect was small, the Phoenix was particularly interested in the patch of grass beginning to grow.

Before coming to Black Tower, many—including Lin Changli himself—had warned Sang Ye of his violent, dangerous nature. Yet every time he was near her, he became strangely calm. Sang Ye wasn't oblivious to this; she had a vague theory, but she couldn't confirm it without proof.