Chapter 236
The Creek couple’s spaceship, after months of interstellar travel, finally arrived at the supply station on Prison Star. Following a brief “garlic scent enhancement” at the station, as explained by Li Sinian during their journey, they were escorted to Base 24.
Despite being mentally prepared for the “garlic perfume” and its purpose, the Creeks still found the scent overwhelming.
Along the way, they caught glimpses of the planet’s environment through their windows.
It was their first time seeing a planet with such a harsh and treacherous landscape. Although there were signs of greenery, it was nowhere close to the livability of other habitable planets.
Thinking about the prospect of living on this planet for a long time dampened their spirits.
What worried them more was their son Ika, whose berserk condition had worsened significantly in the final month of their journey. His temperament had grown increasingly violent, and blue fish scales had spread from his lower body to his chest and abdomen.
He no longer recognized anyone. He spent almost all his time thrashing violently in his water tank, smashing against the tank walls with alarming intensity.
During one severe episode, Ika managed to crack the tank’s walls into a spiderweb of fissures. Were it not for the couple’s timely intervention, he would have escaped.
The Creek couple had to take turns guarding him, and the combination of interstellar fatigue and sleepless nights had left them utterly drained.
Seeing the desolate surface of Prison Star, they had only one thought:
Even if we can’t cure him, at least the nursery has Li Sinian. We can leave him there temporarily and finally get some sleep.
Their exhaustion dimmed any interest in the scenery.
However, upon landing in the designated area and stepping off the spaceship, they were utterly stunned by what they saw.
Before them stretched a vast, vibrant plain, teeming with life. The stark contrast to what they’d seen earlier left them in awe.
And most astonishing of all was the towering tree across the river, so tall it seemed to pierce the heavens.
“What kind of tree is that?” Creek asked, astonished. “I’ve never seen a tree this tall!”
“That’s Mu Qing, the ancestor of the wood elementals,” said a voice behind him.
Creek turned to find Li Sinian standing there.
Once the most formidable and renowned marshal of the Tes Empire, Li Sinian now wore a simple gray-blue uniform. His once-imposing demeanor had softened, replaced by a calm and approachable aura.
After a brief moment of surprise, Creek stepped forward and embraced his old friend.
“Creek, you’ve had a hard journey.”
Li Sinian clapped him on the shoulder before cutting straight to the point. “Where’s Ika? I’ll take him to the nursery.”
Though curious about why the wood elemental ancestor was on Prison Star, Creek’s attention quickly shifted at the mention of his son. “He’s still on the spaceship.”
“Let’s go take a look.”
“Alright, this way.”
As they walked toward the ship, Li Sinian asked, “How is Ika doing?”
“To be honest, not great,” Creek replied worriedly. “Li, tell me straight—can this Caretaker Su really cure him?”
“Rest assured,” Li Sinian said with conviction. “If Su Su can’t cure him, no one in the entire galaxy can.”
Hearing such confidence, the Creek couple felt a glimmer of hope.
“How’s Yan Ya?” asked Creek’s wife. “The last time I saw her was two years ago.”
Since their children’s disappearance, Yan Ya had traveled tirelessly across the galaxy, chasing down every lead. It wasn’t until her health faltered that she returned to the Tes Empire, where they had gradually resumed contact.
“She’s doing well,” Li Sinian replied, a soft smile appearing as he spoke of his wife and children. “Now that our kids are back, she’s been getting better every day. Her days are busy and fulfilling.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Creek’s wife said, visibly relieved. “It’s amazing that you found them.”
“We can’t thank you enough for all your support over the years,” Li Sinian said.
“There’s no need for thanks between us,” Creek replied.
“Yes, especially since we didn’t really do much,” Creek’s wife added. “But it’s such a blessing that they’re back.”
When they reached the room at the end of the corridor, the couple fell silent. Li Sinian stepped in and saw Ika inside the transparent water tank.
The boy had blue hair and blue eyes, his slender frame adorned with fine, pale blue scales that transitioned into darker blue toward the tail.
From the waist down, his body had transformed into a fish tail, shimmering with iridescent light that made him breathtakingly beautiful. Yet—
Bang! Bang!
The once tranquil merman boy noticed their arrival and bared his teeth aggressively, his beautiful blue slit pupils radiating an icy hostility devoid of any trace of human emotion.
He grew agitated, violently slamming himself against the walls of the water tank.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His skin, unprotected by fish scales, was already bruised with purple and green marks. Even his scales couldn’t withstand the relentless impacts day and night. Patches on his arms, back, and tail had fallen off, leaving wounds soaked white by the water.
Even the Creek couple, hardened by months of hardship, winced at the sight. Li Sinian’s heart ached as well.
“Has he been like this the whole time?” Li Sinian asked.
“Yes,” Creek replied with a heavy heart. “Sedatives have limited effect on him, and every time the effect wears off, his condition worsens. We don’t dare administer any more.”
Creek’s wife had tears in her eyes.
“He can’t stay out of the water for long, and he’s been unable to calm down. We’ve resorted to adding medical solutions to the water to ease his injuries a little,” she explained.
But it was a band-aid solution, not a cure.
Li Sinian nodded and, undeterred by the boy’s feral demeanor, approached the water tank to try communicating.
“Ika, do you remember me?” he asked. “I’m Uncle Li.”
The boy’s response was an even more violent collision against the tank wall.
Li Sinian persisted, “What about Yang Yang? You used to play together when you were little. Do you remember?”
Bang!
The boy slammed the tank again and let out a piercing shriek.
Li Sinian sighed and turned to the Creek couple. “Let’s take him to the nursery. Caretaker Su is already waiting for him.”
Since Ika couldn’t leave the water for long and given his current condition, the entire water tank had to be transported off the spaceship.
When they reached the ground, the Creek couple followed Li Sinian and the accompanying robots in silence, watching as they moved Ika’s tank toward a small building in the distance.
They didn’t understand what was happening but followed anyway.
Perhaps it was the “garlic aroma” treatment, or perhaps the influence of the towering ancient tree, but the air on this plain felt extraordinarily refreshing. Breathing it in seemed to ease their weary bodies and minds.
Even in the tank, Ika’s restlessness seemed to abate slightly.
Before long, they arrived at the small building, where Li Sinian instructed the robots to place the tank onto a peculiar area marked with intricate patterns on the ground.
The tank, quite large, occupied about two-thirds of the design.
“We’ll have to squeeze in as well,” Li Sinian said.
The Creek couple, bewildered, squeezed into the remaining third of the platform alongside Li Sinian.
“Li, what is—”
Before Creek could finish his sentence, a round, bouncing water blob leaped out of the nearby river. After a few enthusiastic hops, it landed on top of the water tank.
Ika, like a predator spotting prey, slammed upward against the tank, causing it to shudder slightly.
“Plu!”
The little water blob bounced once and released a stream of water directly downward, bypassing the tank and plunging into the water. Upon contact with the liquid, it transformed into a concentrated blast that struck the merman boy squarely on the head.
The boy’s body jerked slightly before his eyes fluttered closed. He sank limply to the bottom of the tank—knocked unconscious by the water blast.
“Plu!”
The little water blob bounced in triumph, clearly pleased with itself.
The Creek couple stared in disbelief. Just as they were about to check on their son’s condition, the platform beneath them lit up. The array glowed brightly, engulfing them and the water tank in radiant light before all vanished on the spot.
When they reappeared, they found themselves on the rooftop of the nursery building.
The Creek couple were utterly stunned. What just happened?
Li Sinian didn’t rush to explain. Instead, he said, “We’ve arrived at the nursery. Let’s meet Caretaker Su first. As for this teleportation array… I’ll explain it to you later.”
Reluctantly setting their curiosity aside, the couple focused on their son. They opened the tank and pulled Ika out, relieved to find he was merely unconscious.
“That little water blob…” Creek began.
“It’s a native species of this planet. It has a bit of a temper but won’t harm the young ones,” Li Sinian explained.
“Plulu!”
No sooner had Li Sinian finished speaking than the water blob shot another stream of water. This time, the tank that Ika couldn’t break shattered instantly, sending water gushing out and soaking all three adults.
“Plululu~”
The water blob let out a delighted sound before leaping onto the teleportation platform. It activated the array and vanished before Li Sinian could even get angry.
Li Sinian wiped his face, exasperated, and turned to his bewildered friends. “Apologies, it’s a bit mischievous.”
The Creek couple shook their heads. As sea mermen, they didn’t mind the water and even felt a natural kinship with the creature named Plu.
However, without the tank, what were they to do with Ika? In his beastly state, he wouldn’t grow legs once out of the water.
Li Sinian offered a solution. “There are two pools downstairs. Let’s place Ika in one for now. Then, we can change and meet Caretaker Su.”
Since Plu had knocked Ika unconscious, he wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. Moreover, as he couldn’t leave the water due to his condition, the pool seemed like a suitable temporary arrangement.
The Creek couple agreed. Li Sinian carried Ika downstairs and gently placed the unconscious merman into one of the pools. With that settled, he led them to the seventh floor to change into dry clothes.
Unbeknownst to them, as soon as Li Sinian left, the merman boy opened his cold, blue eyes underwater.
