Chapter 214
Before long, Li Sinian led the children to the room where the teleportation array was located. After Rong Heng activated the array, they found themselves on the rooftop of the Nursery center’s building in what felt like the blink of an eye.
As he stepped off the teleportation array, Li Sinian couldn’t resist glancing back.
The array appeared unremarkable, as if it had simply been drawn with ink, yet it functioned similarly to the expensive teleportation platforms used in the military.
No—that wasn’t entirely accurate. Its capabilities far exceeded those of traditional teleportation platforms.
While standard teleportation platforms were limited by distance and couldn’t transport between bases, this array allowed them to travel instantaneously from Base 5 to the Nursery center.
When the 244H ship reached the next base, they would be able to use the array again to travel there instantly.
Before witnessing it, Li Sinian had never imagined such a convenient form of transportation could exist.
Even if not used for war, this technology could revolutionize daily life. If it were capable of interplanetary teleportation, it would bring about a monumental change.
After all, not everyone had access to advanced military-grade starships. Using an average civilian ship, it would take three months one way to travel from Prison Star to the nearest supply planet.
The implications were staggering.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Li Sinian escorted the children to the dining hall before stepping into the hallway to place a call to his old friend, Kirk.
About a month ago, he had contacted Kirk about his family’s beast-blood cub, Ika, who had been expelled from kindergarten due to berserk episodes and was now receiving homeschooling.
Compared to Wen Yan’s situation, Kirk’s family was slightly better off because both Kirk and his spouse shared the same beast-blood lineage. They could take turns soothing their child.
However, Ika’s condition remained poor.
Both Kirk and his spouse were extremely busy, each with their own demanding careers. Although Ika’s grandparents were alive, the child had spent less time with family than at the Nursery center.
Under the neglect and repeated absences of his parents, Ika’s condition worsened significantly after transitioning to home education.
Although his parents hired professional caretakers and bodyguards to provide him with the best possible environment, these measures did little to address his berserk episodes caused by his bloodline.
In fact, Ika had been sedated with medication for so long that, apart from enjoying a more lavish lifestyle than the cubs in the nurturing center, his circumstances were remarkably similar to theirs.
Li Sinian had previously advised his old friend to spend more time with their child, but as expected, his words went unheeded. It wasn’t until Ika entered a state of partial beast transformation, losing all sense of reason and becoming unresponsive to medication, that the couple finally realized their mistake.
But by then, it was already too late.
After a while, Li Sinian’s call was answered, and a haggard face appeared on the screen.
The man, likely in his early forties, had strikingly handsome features and beautiful blue curls, but the heavy dark circles under his eyes diminished his appearance, leaving him looking exhausted and drained.
“Sorry, I was busy earlier,” Kirk said.
Li Sinian, naturally, wouldn’t take offense over such a minor matter. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he asked, “Are you on your way?”
“Yes, we’ve just reached the first supply planet.”
Kirk rubbed his temples wearily. Unlike Li Sinian, who had earned enough merit to persuade the emperor to grant access to the latest military starships, Kirk and his family had to rely on more conventional transport. Traveling from the capital planet of the Tarsis Empire to Prison Star, even at the fastest speed, would take three to four months.
“How’s everything going on the journey?” Li Sinian asked.
Kirk gave a bitter smile, wiping his face with one hand. “Ika’s condition is still terrible. I regret not listening to you back then.”
As he spoke, Kirk turned his back, revealing the scene behind him through the camera.
The room contained a sealed water tank made of glass, its transparency offering a clear view of the water inside.
A figure swam past.
It was a young boy whose legs had transformed into a fish tail. The boy had inherited his father’s blue hair and blue eyes, and his tail shimmered in a pale blue hue. Fish scales had begun creeping up his torso, covering his arms and shoulders in a fine, glimmering layer.
Most strikingly, the sides of his face had developed gill-like structures, and his once-human eyes had shifted into vertical pupils, giving him a distinctly otherworldly appearance.
The small merman, who had been gliding quietly through the water, suddenly seemed to sense Li Sinian’s gaze. He bared sharp teeth and let out a low growl, feral and menacing, before slamming his tail against the tank.
Though the tank was made from special reinforced materials and not easily broken, each impact reverberated with loud thuds that felt as if they were striking the heart itself.
Hearing the commotion, Ika’s mother, Nasha, rushed into the room.
Seeing Li Sinian on the screen, she greeted him softly before hurrying to the tank. She tried to calm the merman boy, saying gently, “Ika, Mommy’s here.”
Her soothing words had little effect. The merman boy snarled at her before thrashing his tail again, his violent and erratic energy causing the water in the tank to churn violently, as if ready to burst out at any moment.
In fact, during the month-long journey so far, the tank had already been reinforced at least ten times and even replaced once entirely.
Watching his son’s frenzied state, Kirk felt a mixture of heartbreak and helplessness.
“Ika hates being confined, but we have no choice. In his current state, he’s simply too dangerous,” Kirk said wearily. “And his beast transformation is worsening. Nasha and I can no longer calm him down.”
This was the crux of the problem.
Although both Kirk and his wife possessed the bloodline of sea mermen, they could no longer easily soothe the berserk Ika as they once could.
Doctors had explained that it likely wasn’t a matter of bloodline but rather that Ika was resisting them—deeply rejecting his parents emotionally. As a result, their attempts to calm him were ineffective.
Such cases weren’t unheard of in the interstellar world.
Historically, similar situations occurred in families with severely strained parent-child relationships, where children harbored disdain or even hatred toward their parents, actively rejecting their attempts at comfort.
The diagnosis was a heavy blow to the Kirk family.
Despite being preoccupied with their careers and unable to personally care for their child, they genuinely loved Ika. The bond of blood was something they could never sever.
In their view, their relationship with Ika wasn’t terrible. But reality had delivered a harsh wake-up call.
For the first time, these absentee parents realized the gravity of their neglect. They both put aside their careers and returned to focus on their family, hoping to bring their child back to normal.
However, Ika’s condition didn’t improve with their renewed attention. If things continued like this, he might fully transform into a fish.
What parent could accept such a fate?
Nasha was often in tears, and Kirk himself was deeply despondent. But a month ago, they received a message from Li Sinian, offering them a glimmer of hope.
“Sinian, Caretaker Su can really help Ika, right?” Kirk asked, his gaze fixed on Li Sinian as though clinging to a lifeline.
Li Sinian nodded solemnly.
“You must have researched the Nursery center’s situation before you departed,” he said. “Beyond the videos, you’ve probably heard about the formation of the Cub Squad on Prison Star, haven’t you?”
“Prison Star?” Kirk hesitated.
“Yes. The defenders on the planet have started calling it Planet Earth now,” Li Sinian explained.
Although the Star Alliance hadn’t formally approved the name change, it had become a consensus among all the bases on Prison Star. They were united in their efforts to protect the cubs and ensure they grew up strong and well-guided.
Kirk didn’t dwell on the terminology and nodded. “I’ve indeed heard that Planet Earth has established a Cub Squad composed of the cubs from the Nursery center.”
In fact, he hadn’t kept his trip to Prison Star a secret from his family. After news of the Cub Squad spread, his father and brothers had separately messaged him, inquiring about the matter.
They all assumed he had some insider knowledge. Kirk could only explain the situation to each of them, exasperated.
Right now, his only focus was helping his son recover and repairing their father-son relationship. Everything else was secondary and far from his mind.
“I’ve heard those cubs have achieved some truly remarkable results,” Kirk couldn’t help but marvel. “It’s unbelievable for children so young to be that powerful.”
Thinking about how his own son and daughter were part of this group, Li Sinian felt a sense of pride. With a modest nod, he said, “Although they still retain some beastly traits, they’re no longer affected by berserk episodes.”
Hearing this, Kirk’s spirits lifted significantly.
Then, Li Sinian added, “However, convincing him to help will depend on your sincerity. Caretaker Su is extraordinarily powerful but also… has quite the personality.”
For a former marshal of the Tes Empire to describe someone as “extraordinarily powerful” spoke volumes. Kirk nodded seriously, already mentally inventorying what he could offer.
Li Sinian didn’t elaborate further. After offering a few words of encouragement, he ended the call.
The specifics of any deal could wait until Kirk arrived. While it was unlikely, given Kirk’s family’s situation, that they’d abandon the trip halfway, there was always a chance.
After all, greening an entire planet wasn’t exactly a casual undertaking.
*
After lunch and a brief rest, the cubs returned to their individual training.
By the time evening rolled around, Su Ci finally appeared on the greenery, stretching out lazily on a recliner and letting out a sleepy yawn.
The cubs were used to Su Su’s perpetually drowsy demeanor. When he finally showed up, Lang Ze was the first to run over and eagerly share the story about Chui Le asking him to teach the soldiers.
“Do you want to teach them?” Su Ci asked.
Lang Ze shook his head. “I don’t have time right now.”
“Hmm, then don’t teach.”
“Then… when I’ve fully learned it and have the time, can I teach them?” Lang Ze watched Su Ci’s expression closely, carefully posing the question.
Hearing this, Rong Heng, Lu Li, and the other cubs also turned their attention toward Su Ci, curious about his answer.
Su Ci didn’t reply immediately. Raising a brow, he asked, “Why do you want to teach them?”
Lu Li and Rong Heng had their own reasons, but they were also curious about Lang Ze’s motivations for wanting to teach the sound illusion technique to strangers.
Lang Ze confidently put his hands on his hips and declared, “Because I want to be a teacher!”
The cubs, who had assumed Lang Ze’s intentions were more altruistic: “…”
