Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The reconnaissance team began returning to the main ship. After compiling their findings, Totsuka reported to Helunen.

Totsuka remained calm and professional during his report: "No signs of other lifeforms have been detected on the surface. However, at a depth of a thousand meters in the ocean, we found abrasion marks. Similar irregular markings were discovered in multiple deep-water areas. Currently, without specialized equipment, we cannot determine what caused them."

Helunen closed his eyes slightly, processing the intel repeatedly. "What about pollution levels?"

Totsuka's voice betrayed surprise: "Strangely, no pollution was detected at all. It seems Bahai hasn't invaded this place."

A century ago, the alien contaminant Bahai invaded through a rift in the Star Domain, igniting the hundred-year Star Domain War.

Nearly all star systems at the edge of the Star Domain were eroded by Bahai, especially those in the frontier systems—all fell. Yet this ocean world, undoubtedly located at the edge, remained pristine and undisturbed, showing no signs of invasion.

Was it too remote for Bahai to notice?

Or was there some reason it bypassed this planet?

Totsuka asked, "What do you plan to do with this planet?"

Helunen gently massaged his temples, calming the surging mental turbulence before speaking slowly, "This is exceptional."

Totsuka understood the meaning instantly.

Over the past century, they had visited too many corrupted, broken worlds.

Bahai survived by parasitism, carrying lethal pollutants that, even in death, would corrode soil and water sources as toxic waste. Although the Star Alliance had temporarily resolved the crisis of Bahai's invasion, almost no part of the Star Domain remained unpolluted.

It had been too long since they last saw a planet with such azure skies and pristine waters, making this ocean world all the more precious.

But if word got out, enterprising corporations might develop it into a tourist destination, destroying its ecological balance.

Helunen ordered, "Notify them to temporarily block the jump gate leading here."

"Yes, sir!" Totsuka acknowledged, then glanced at the time as if in a hurry. "Do you have any other orders, sir?"

Helunen rested his chin on his hand and waved dismissively.

Totsuka immediately straightened his jacket, saluted, nodded to the guards, and swiftly exited through the main cabin door.

"This Totsuka is an interesting one," Helunen remarked idly. "I used to complain about him pestering me about my health all the time... Where did he go?"

A guard replied, "Sir, he probably went to see the mermaid's egg."

The mermaid's egg.

Helunen had heard about it recently. His proud legion seemed utterly bewitched by a single mermaid egg, with countless members finding excuses to visit the main ship just to see it.

During breaks, if one didn’t hurry to secure a good spot, the aquarium would be surrounded by crowds three-deep—even Totsuka couldn’t squeeze in.

Helunen stood up. The moment he opened the main cabin door, a clamor assaulted him:

"...Let me see!"

"You've had fifty seconds—it's my turn now!"

"Here, there's still room for one more!"

...Disgraceful.

To think the soldiers he had trained himself would carry on so shamelessly over an egg.

Military discipline clearly needed tightening.

Helunen felt his temples throbbing again. He turned and strode toward the commotion.

Without much effort, he found the little mermaid egg placed in an aquarium at the center of the crowd.

Resources on the battleship were limited, yet they had somehow managed to find a suitably sized tank.

"Whoosh—"

The hall's light door slid open. A man in a white lab coat entered, wire-frame spectacles perched on his nose, followed by an assistant carrying a bag full of instruments.

The newcomer barged in, wiped his glasses, and demanded immediately, "Where’s the mermaid egg?"

Helunen interrupted him, "Yivain."

The man in the white coat was Yivain, a professor at the Biological Gene Research Institute under the Federal Research Center. He had once accompanied Helunen to the front lines, and the two were on good terms.

After discovering the mermaid egg, Helunen had contacted him—first to confirm the egg's identity, and second to see if Yivain could assume responsibility for it.

Yivain happened to be in a nearby star system and arrived quickly. As a long-time researcher in biology with a near-obsessive interest in rare species, the moment he stepped onto the battleship, his eyes locked onto the mermaid egg.

Helunen knew it was no use talking with him in this state, so he ordered the area cleared to allow Yivain to conduct his examination unimpeded.

The moment Yivain saw the egg, he went rigid before snapping to attention. Recovering, he rushed to the glass tank, pacing around it feverishly while uttering breathless praises.

Helunen frowned, barely tolerating the outbursts, but his patience wore thin. "Well?"

Only then did Yivain collect himself slightly.

He was afraid Helunen might kick him out—something the ruthless commander was entirely capable of—so he motioned for his assistant to bring out the instruments and ran comprehensive diagnostics of the egg through the glass.

Soon, he verified Helunen's hypothesis: "It is indeed a mermaid egg."

Helunen wasn’t surprised, but Yivain’s next words said gravely, "But I can’t take it with me right now."

"?"

Yivain’s gaze remained glued to the egg, his tone thick with reluctance. "The institute’s acquisition protocols still need to be followed. I’ve submitted the application, but approval might take some time."

Helunen lapsed into weighted silence.

Yivain roughly guessed his thoughts. Helunen would soon return to the homeworld to prepare for the senate session—a reason why he spent most of the year in the border star systems but always returned for three months annually.

This meant Helunen would have to take the mermaid egg back to the homeworld and care for it himself.

A nuisance. A godsdamned nuisance.

Yivain ventured a glance at Helunen’s expression. "I promise I’ll come for it the moment the application is approved."

He pledged again.

After roughly three minutes of silence, Helunen finally said flatly, "Very well. Make it so."

Yivain let out a held breath.

He had legitimately worried Helunen might consider it beneath him and jettison the specimen.

Yivain put on special gloves and carefully cradled the mermaid egg in his palms, turning it this way and that, his eyes shining with wonder, as if wishing to etch every tiny pattern onto his heart.

Helunen couldn’t quite understand his fanatical enthusiasm and headed to the flagship to review the day’s military reports.

With border defense facilities under reconstruction, his oversight was required at every site. When he returned, he found Yivain still in raptures… having spent hours staring at an egg without growing tired of it?

Noticing Helunen’s return, Yivain came back to himself and coughed lightly. "Ah, I was so excited I nearly forgot to mention—mermaids are extremely sensitive to temperature and prefer humid environments. The ship’s current temperature is too high for the egg."

Hearing this, Helunen tilted his head slightly and shot him a glance. "I don't believe you came unprepared."

Indeed, Yivain had planned ahead.

His assistant pulled out a small, transparent, rectangular container from the bag—no bigger than his hand—with a metal device on the side to regulate temperature and humidity.

Yivain handed it to Helunen. "I was in a hurry, so this is the only one I could find, but it'll do for now."

"Also, it’s best to provide a quiet environment for the egg. It might help the little mermaid feel more secure."

Though Yivain longed to stay longer, he still had ongoing research projects and was usually swamped with work. This trip had required special leave, so after lingering with palpable reluctance by the egg for a while longer, he finally had to leave under his assistant’s urging.

As Yivain packed up to depart, Helunen ignored him, his gaze settling on the egg instead. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to relocate it. Since a quiet environment was necessary, the main hall was no longer suitable. It would be better to take the egg to his own quarters—that would also keep the noisy brats from disturbing it.

His mind made up, Helunen had just picked up the egg when his communicator lit up. Opening it casually, he found Yivain had sent over a pile of mermaid-related documents. "I went through the whole federal database and even consulted several Star Alliance experts to compile this. Give it a read when you can."

"Oh, and I know a few shops favored by aquatic species—"

Catching Helunen's piercing stare, Yivain scrambled up in a fluster. "Ah, it’s getting late! Must be going!"

Helunen had assumed Yivain would take the trouble away, but instead, he’d brought even more complications.

Placing the egg into the container, Helunen pressed fingers to his temples.

Yivain had rambled on without even specifying the ideal temperature and humidity for the egg. Sighing, Helunen pulled up the documents and adjusted the settings according to the notes.

Who knew the information would prove useful so quickly?

His gaze lingered on the egg, lying peacefully in the transparent vessel, and Helunen couldn’t help but foresee the endless troubles ahead.

"...Pampered little creature," he muttered.

The fact that the mermaid egg was now housed in the marshal’s quarters had many would-be admirers sighing in disappointment.

But the ship soon grew busy again as other survey teams returned to report. After logging the planet’s detailed data into the system, the flagship slowly ascended, leaving the starry void behind.

Yet the planet did not remain silent for long.

A colossal shadow gradually loomed over the skies once more, blotting out the sun. Massive pillars descended from the heavens, making thousand-meter peaks seem insignificant.

Desperate searching around the coral caves sent tremors through the seabed, shaking the earth and stirring tsunamis that surged kilometers high.

A deafening roar of fury erupted, powerful enough to awaken long-dormant volcanoes.

In an instant, the rage spread through biological links, shattering the peace across countless water worlds. Oceans churned, waves raged, and fury spread uncontrollably—every aquatic planet now lashed by towering tides.

Upon discovering the empty spot where the egg had once lain, a thunderous bellow shook the planet. The vast coral cave was reduced to dust, and from above, deep, claw-like gashes scarred the seabed thousands of meters below. "Un...for...givable."

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