Chapter 390 – ABO: The Heaven-Sent Sweetheart – Don’t Turn Dark (14)
The pirates who had entered the escape pods stared at the exploding warship, disbelief filling every pair of eyes.
Each escape pod was equipped with a communication device linked to the others, and Sou’s terrified cries of “Bai Tang!” echoed through the channel and into their ears.
Bai Tang was dead—dead on the exploding ship. He had left the hope of survival to Sou, to his brothers.
They admired Bai Tang, and they grieved for him, but more than that, they were terrified. Bai Tang was dead—if Jacob were to find out, then…
They all knew the boss’s methods and temper. The Empire would probably not escape unscathed.
At this moment, Bai Tang—whom everyone believed to be “dead”—had already transformed back into a little squirrel. Together with two small dogs, he was drifting through space, wrapped inside a protective shield.
All around them was pitch-black darkness, silent as death itself. The exploded ship was already far away, reduced to nothing more than a tiny flickering point of fire.
The little squirrel scurried anxiously inside the protective sphere, but no matter how much he moved, he couldn’t make it go any faster. It drifted forward at a leisurely pace. If not for his sharp sensory perception, he would have thought he was running in place just by looking at the surroundings.
Drifting in space gave him no sense of security—especially without gravity. Bai Tang couldn’t find his balance at all.
Qiu’er and Xiao A, on the other hand, adapted very well. They were larger than the little squirrel and wrapped their bodies around him, comforting him gently.
“Don’t be afraid, Tang Tang,” they said. “There’s no magnetic field in space, so we can’t teleport to the ground. Once we get close to the Interstellar Alliance, we’ll be able to go down directly.”
The little squirrel was extremely panicked. His body stiffened, and he didn’t dare move at all.
They drifted for fifteen minutes, but to Bai Tang, it felt like an entire century.
Passing through layers of grayish clouds, they finally reached the ground safely.
The protective sphere set them down, then burst apart with a soft pop.
The little squirrel collapsed limply onto the ground, his back drenched in cold sweat.
That had scared him to death—he really thought he was going to die.
Qiu’er and Xiao A nudged him with their heads. “Tang Tang, we’re safe now.”
The ground was still shaking. Bai Tang barely had time to catch his breath before he got up and ran with the two small dogs toward a safer area.
The Empire was cunning. They had bribed an undercover agent to drug the nutritional supplements of the Alliance’s soldiers. Those who had eaten on schedule and consumed the tainted supplements were now unable to fight. Only a small number of soldiers still retained the ability to resist and were struggling desperately to hold the line.
However, they were vastly outnumbered. The Empire’s forces were advancing aggressively, and it was clear they wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.
Just as the alphas were preparing to defend the Interstellar Alliance with their lives, countless ships suddenly appeared in the gray, smog-filled sky. Black flags bearing terrifying skull emblems fluttered on their hulls—it was the infamous interstellar pirates.
At a time like this, the pirates were probably here to grab a share of the spoils.
The surviving civilians were overwhelmed with despair. Even if they were lucky enough not to be killed by the Empire’s laser cannons, the ruthless pirates surely wouldn’t spare them.
The pirate ships descended, hovering about twenty meters above the ground. One by one, the rough-looking pirates disembarked, grabbing people who were still alive near the wrecked ships and tossing them onto the lift platforms.
“Help! Help!” Those with sharp eyes noticed what the pirates were doing and hurriedly cried out.
Even being captured and forced into hard labor by the pirates was better than dying under the Empire’s bombardment.
Soon, however, the civilians realized something unexpected. Though the pirates looked ferocious and brutal, their movements and actions as they rescued people and carried them to the lift platforms were surprisingly gentle. They even took care to accommodate the survivors’ weakened bodies.
Perhaps they had held too many prejudices against the pirates.
This must be the tenderness of hardened men.
Those who were still alive didn’t even need the pirates to lead them. They followed the pirates on their own to help rescue others or ran toward the lift platforms.
On the other side, after leaving his ship, Jacob took advantage of a breach and infiltrated an Imperial warship.
He knocked out everyone he encountered along the way, making his way straight to the control room.
The general stood before a massive screen, fully focused on observing the devastation unfolding below.
“You’ve finally come, Jacob,” the general said without turning around, yet called Jacob’s name with perfect accuracy.
Jacob tossed aside the weapon he had seized and replied expressionlessly, “It has indeed been a long time, General.”
“I’m very glad to see you again.” The general turned around, looking at the now calmer and more composed Jacob. A faint smile curved his lips, but his eyes were filled with icy killing intent.
“You faked your death and disappeared back then. Why are you willing to show yourself today?” The general spoke as if chatting casually with an old friend he hadn’t seen in years, his tone relaxed.
But Jacob knew better. The man before him was far from as amiable as he appeared.
After all, Jacob had been trained by him personally. No one understood this man’s true nature better than he did.
“It’s certainly not because I missed you.”
Years had passed. The once all-powerful general had grown old, yet Jacob faced his former mentor without the slightest hint of unease.
Instead, the general looked at Jacob with faint surprise. After all these years, the taciturn Jacob had improved his social skills and even learned to be sharp-tongued. It was truly something new.
“Speak. What is your purpose?” The general didn’t want to waste words. Jacob was trained by him—he knew very well that if Jacob had no reason, he could go an entire month without saying a single word. For him to arrive so openly and dramatically, it was most likely for that matter.
“I said back then that once the Grand Marshal was captured, I would hand him over to you. That promise is still valid even now,” the general said. Once the Interstellar Alliance was crushed by the Empire, he would send that father and son down to hell to reunite.
Jacob’s escape all those years ago was something the general had never anticipated. Jacob possessed the Empire’s military secrets—how could the general allow him to remain alive in this world? It was only because Jacob was still useful that he had been spared, at least for the time being.
A father and son turning their blades on each other—wasn’t that an amusing thing?
“I want you to withdraw your troops.” Jacob’s light, almost casual sentence brought the general’s pleasant fantasies to an abrupt halt.
The general replied coldly, “Impossible.” His tone was harsh and severe. “You know this well—the Empire has waited a long time for this day. Don’t you want revenge? Can you tolerate your mother’s tragic death while your enemy—your father—embraces his new lover and indulges in luxury and pleasure?”
Jacob wasn’t shaken by the general’s words. He repeated firmly, “Withdraw.”
The general raised an eyebrow. “And what if I refuse?”
He turned around and pressed a button on the control panel. The massive screen switched to a scene in outer space—a ship engulfed in flames.
“Jacob, in terms of individual combat, you are indeed the strongest among them. But when it comes to strategy, you’re still playing children’s games.”
Jacob stared at the blazing inferno on the screen. His pupils contracted, and a sharp pain seized his heart.
That was his ship. Tang Tang was still on it.
Jacob clenched his fist until it cracked loudly. Before the general could utter another smug word, Jacob’s fist came down like thunder.
The general dodged to the side, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He spat out a broken tooth, narrowed his eyes, and swung his cane at Jacob…
…
Back to Bai Tang’s side.
The little squirrel and the two puppy dogs hid inside an abandoned building. After waiting for a long time, the laser bombardment outside finally stopped, and only then did Bai Tang cautiously poke his head out.
The surroundings had already turned into ruins. Bai Tang asked anxiously, “Qiu’er, Xiao A, what’s the situation outside now? Is Abu in danger?”
Qiu’er checked the storyline, while Xiao A scanned the environment.
“Don’t worry, Tang Tang,” Qiu’er said reassuringly, closing the book. “The original plot’s continuation has appeared. The male lead will lead the alphas to victory in this war and successfully become the new Grand Marshal of the Interstellar Alliance.”
That’s good. Hearing good news about his partner made Bai Tang happy.
However, in the very next second, Xiao A added, “The male lead is fighting the Imperial general right now. The two are evenly matched, but the general is extremely cunning. He used the explosion of a ship to throw the male lead into turmoil…”
As he spoke, Xiao A even projected a segment of video for Bai Tang to see.
Inside the Imperial warship, Jacob and the general were evenly matched. The general continuously provoked Jacob with words.
“Your partner is dead—dead because of your incompetence and arrogance. You never learned to be ruthless. You will never surpass your father. Your mother—”
The general viciously humiliated Jacob, tearing open both old and new wounds at once.
Jacob’s mind wavered. He seemed to see the scene of his mother falling from the building again. Then Tang Tang appeared, smiling brightly, reaching out to him for a hug. But just as Jacob extended his hand, Bai Tang suddenly burst into flames, writhing on the ground in agony, while Jacob could not get close no matter how hard he tried.
“No… Tang Tang, Tang Tang…”
Jacob’s eyes split wide, bloodshot to the extreme.
He lifted his head, his entire body radiating despair and destruction.
The general had stood above others for far too long and believed he had seen every kind of person. Yet now, he could not withstand the oppressive pressure emanating from Jacob.
He was afraid—truly afraid from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to run, but his legs refused to move.
“Tenfold… a hundredfold… my Tang Tang…”
The low, hoarse voice sounded as though it came straight from hell. Flames erupted across the general’s body—unnatural blue fire enveloped him completely.
This once-arrogant alpha was consumed by boundless torment and suffering in sheer terror.
He tried to call for help, but no sound came from his throat.
The flames did not burn his clothes or skin. They were not external—they were tormenting the general’s soul.
Qiu’er cried out in shock, “Seven Lotus Fire.”
“What is Seven Lotus Fire?” the curious little squirrel asked immediately when he didn’t understand.
Qiu’er was just about to answer, but found that there was no information about Seven Lotus Fire in his mind—none in the library either. He could only say the name instinctively, without knowing why.
“I… I don’t know…” Qiu’er lowered his head dejectedly.
The little squirrel jumped onto Qiu’er’s head and gently patted him. “It’s okay. I was just asking. Qiu’er, you’re amazing already~”
Xiao A suddenly spoke up. “This is bad. The male lead might be about to turn dark.”
Jacob silently chanted Bai Tang’s name in his heart and on his lips as black energy began to seep out around him.
“If the male lead completely turns dark, this world will be destroyed, and all of us will die here,” Xiao A said anxiously. This “death” was not a mission failure—it meant true annihilation, disappearing across the Three Thousand Worlds, with the soul ceasing to exist entirely.
Bai Tang’s heart clenched. “Send me there. Now.”
Qiu’er had no time to indulge in sorrow. He immediately took out his points and exchanged them for a spacetime jump, sending Tang Tang straight onto the Imperial warship.