Chapter 1: Kitten Missile

In the distance, a few glowbugs floated in the air. Li You knew what those things tasted like.

Crunchy.

Edible, but not easy to catch.

The little cat lurking under the bushes had a pair of blue cat eyes wide open. Its pupils followed those leisurely drifting glowbugs, spinning around with focus and caution.

Li You had a tree leaf in his mouth. It was crunchy too, but the taste was far from good. He had nibbled on leaves only out of desperation from hunger, and now he had chewed it so long that he forgot to spit it out. All his attention was on those plump, delicious glowbugs.

Li You chewed twice on the bitter leaf in his mouth, spat it out, smacked his lips, and licked his fur. His cat eyes locked straight onto those glowbugs, which had clearly tired themselves out from flying.

The little cat measured the distance between them with his gaze and made precise calculations. He crouched low to the ground and assumed a pre-jump stance.

All his strength concentrated in his four legs. His round body arched into a curve, looking like a white fluff ball.

Only the “ball’s” tail and ears were dark brown, and there were faint light brown patches beside his cheeks and the corners of his eyes, like eyeshadow on his beautiful sky-blue eyes, adding a touch of elegance to his cute appearance.

Li You was now a cat—a long-furred, round-bodied ragdoll cat whose legs were not particularly long.

But his jumping power and agility were not to be underestimated. He targeted those glowbugs, crouched low, sprang up, leaped out cleanly, closed in mid-air, and swiftly extended his front paws toward one of them. With a pa, he clapped his paws together and pinned it down.

Then he stuffed it into his mouth at light speed. Upon landing, his fur Duang!ed several times, like a marshmallow dropped on the ground. He quickly pedaled his four nimble short legs and darted back into the bushes.

The glowbug in his mouth was sweet and crunched with a ka ka.

Li You hid in the bushes and savored his hunting spoils. After eating it, he licked his paw pads and turned his head to look at the remaining glowbugs.

Not full yet. Catch two more to taste.

Glowbugs were mutated from fireflies. Years ago, before species had mutated, no one would catch them for kittens to eat. Later, when abyss pollutants invaded the empire and caused genetic mutations in creatures, fireflies got infected and changed. They still weren’t edible at first, but after the disaster subsided, they became a delicacy instead.

They could fly and glow, fed on leaves, grew so fat that their flight speed was super slow—like Xiong Feng, who flew too tired from gathering nectar to move.

Li You caught three more, ate his fill, then contentedly licked his paws and looked up at the sky shrouded in dark clouds.

Rain was coming. He needed to quickly find a place to stay for the night.

Li You set off. He was in a forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees on all sides. He had wandered this place for over half a month. His white fur looked fairly clean at a glance, but up close, it was quite grimy.

The little cat’s four legs were very dirty, caked with sticky mud. The fur on his underbelly was also stained with muck, far less dignified than it appeared from afar.

In half a month, he had not left the forest. His ability to stay safe until now relied entirely on Li You’s knack for avoiding risks. He was good at steering clear of large wild beasts and had some wilderness survival skills too.

Li You had died once, due to unavoidable circumstances and long-term plans. Death had been his own choice, so he felt no regret or unwillingness. He just hadn’t expected to be reborn—let alone reborn as a ragdoll cat!

Fortunately, with a second life, he no longer had to live in constant fear and worry like in his previous one. Conditions were harsher now, but he was free.

Wilderness life made eating, sleeping, and traveling difficult, yet the little cat had rarely gone hungry for long. In half a month, he hadn’t lost weight—in fact, he had gotten a bit rounder. None of his hunts had failed.

He was a smart little cat! He had taken good care of himself!

Li You proudly puffed out his chest, walked with a cat strut while meowing “meow meow,” and continued pushing forward. When he passed a lake, he stopped, went to the edge, and peered down. Through the clear water surface, he saw a scruffy cat.

‘Meow?’

Was that him??

How was that possible?? He groomed his fur every day!

Li You looked at the lake surface again and jumped in fright at the cat that looked like it had rolled in coal. He raised his two front paws and rubbed his face earnestly and laboriously to wash it, then checked the lake again to see his original appearance…

‘Meow…’

Grooming was a tedious chore for a long-furred ragdoll like Li You. He squatted by the lake and meticulously cleaned his fur. When tired, he curled up on a nearby rock like a ball and meowed feebly.

Rest was rest, but he still had serious business. With dark clouds gathering, he hadn’t found shelter yet. No matter how tired, he had to get up and keep moving.

Before leaving, he went back to where he had washed his fur and looked into the lake, only to find that patch of water had turned murky.

The little cat shifted to the side, stopped when the water was clear, squatted down, pondered seriously, gripped the grass tightly with his four paws, leaned forward with his butt sticking up, and dipped his head toward the lake. His pink tongue poked out a bit. Before it touched the surface, his tense body nearly lost balance and toppled in.

Li You flailed in a panic to pull back, stared nervously at the lake, hesitated a few seconds, then approached again.

The little cat couldn’t drink water. The little cat felt a bit depressed.

He looked around, thought of a few methods, but ended up using the dumbest one. He plopped his butt down by the lake edge, scooped at the water with his front paw, and licked the water off his wet paw pad.

Low efficiency, but at least he successfully drank some.

At that moment, muffled thunder rumbled in the sky, accompanied by intermittent flashes of white lightning. Li You looked up at the sky, then quickly licked the water off his paw and set off again.

As he turned his body, a sudden white flash lit up the sky. Behind him, across the lake, a bolt of lightning struck the pitch-black forest.

The thunder rumbled heavily and lingered without fading. Rain hadn’t come yet, but the wind rose first. The gust from behind whipped Li You’s fur into a mess and flattened his ears.

This wind was eerie. The little cat’s four paws gripped the grass in tension, but he still couldn’t escape. The wind pushed him forward, rolling him several times until he thudded against a tree trunk.

The gale passed, thunder quieted, followed by a terrifying rumble like the earth shaking, mixed with the intermittent shrieks of large wild beasts. Roars pierced the air, startling the creatures in the forest. Birds flapped chaotically.

Dazed from the collision, Li You shook and staggered to his feet, looking toward the sound. At the spot where the lightning had struck, a bizarre black behemoth rose from the ground.

A human-bodied nine-headed snake, eyeless, with cracked lips in a half-smile. A snake tongue several meters long lashed out and devoured a passing bird.

It was a mutant species, a high-tier pollutant.

Li You watched the gigantic monster in horror, his heart clenching.

Why?

Hadn’t all the pollutants been cleaned up?

Why was there still a mutant species?

Did his sacrifice in the previous life achieve nothing?

Li You’s ears drooped into airplane ears in dejection. He stared blankly as the colossal monster moved through the forest, memories of past bitterness flooding back like a tide.

The next moment, the monster halted. It mechanically twisted its head toward Li You’s position by the lake.

Li You’s neck jerked back. ‘This is bad.’

–

Romantisa Prime—Royal City.

“Something’s happened! A high-tier pollutant has appeared on Kara Planet!” A blond officer shoved open the door to the military fortress headquarters office and burst in. “The forces there aren’t enough to fight it. We need to send reinforcements.”

“High-tier pollutant?” The other officers in the office turned to look. Someone asked, “Do we know what it is? Exact location?”

The blond officer’s face was grave. He subconsciously glanced at the tightly shut door on the second floor, throat tightening. “It’s Mito. Human-bodied snake face.”

He swallowed and continued, “Landing site… in Yel Forest, a thousand meters from Your Highness Youyou’s Memorial Garden…”

The vast office fell deathly silent. Everyone’s faces turned ugly. The next moment, the only door upstairs clicked open.

A tall man in black military uniform emerged and swept his gaze over the blond officer who had come to report.

The blond officer instantly straightened up. “Good afternoon, Your Highness. The reinforcement plan for Kara Planet is launching immediately. Additional troops are heading to the teleport points. Do you have any other orders?”

Li Ye stood high up, gaze still. It seemed like he looked at something, but rather, this sovereign was somewhat lost in thought.

He was silent for a moment, only his blood-red pupils shifting imperceptibly. He descended the stairs, strode steadily through the military office toward the outside, and left without a word.

The blond officer watched Li Ye walk away, scratched his head, and muttered, “What is His Highness doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Another officer stepped forward, calm and composed. “His Highness is leading the reinforcements personally this time.”

The blond officer blinked.

The mid-level general from the same squad stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. “Silly kid, you just said that monster threatens Your Highness Youyou’s Memorial Garden. How could Your Highness Li Ye not be anxious?”

“Moreover,” the general gazed out the door, voice heavy, “tomorrow is Your Highness Youyou’s death anniversary.”

At the mention, everyone fell grave.

Yes, tomorrow was Your Highness Youyou’s death anniversary. It had been ten years since that disaster ended, ten years since Your Highness Youyou left.

In the teleport point cabin area, troops heading to support Kara Planet boarded the cabins in order. At the same time, Li Ye had already arrived at the Kara Planet teleport station first, accompanied by Air Force General Peisengke.

“Honestly, it’s been years since I’ve seen a high-tier mutant species.” Peisengke equipped his protective gear as he walked, sighing. “That kid Youyou was truly amazing. He pulled off a deception under heaven’s nose, resolved the empire’s crisis alone, purified nearly all the pollutants. Only scraps pop up occasionally now, and high-tier pollutants are especially rare.”

He paused there, glanced at Li Ye’s back ahead, and continued, “Your Highness, monsters like Mito have a disgusting ability. Their sounds create hallucinations. I understand you miss Your Highness Youyou, but the past can’t be chased. For your condition and safety, let me handle it this time.”

Li Ye glanced at Peisengke and withdrew his gaze. He fastened the bowl-sized light brain securely and said indifferently, “Does General Peisengke mean you are confident in your own condition?”

“Of course.” Peisengke smiled.

“It seems you don’t take the disappearance of your childhood friend to heart.” Li Ye said ruthlessly.

“…” Peisengke’s smile froze. He met the cold, ruthless sovereign’s gaze frankly and boldly traded barbs. “Your Highness really knows how to joke. At least I have a chance to search for him diligently. My situation is a bit better than yours.”

Li Ye boarded the starship docking platform, cold as ever. “If you weren’t hiding in your starship secretly wiping tears, your words would carry more weight.”

“You eavesdropped on me??” Peisengke was utterly shocked.

“Do you think I’m that bored?” Li Ye gave him a sidelong glance. “Next time you cry, make sure you board the right starship.”

“Oh damn…” Peisengke clutched his forehead. Annoyance showed on his wheat-colored face, but he still stubbornly bantered with Li Ye. “It’s human nature, my liege. I refuse to believe you haven’t shed tears for Your Highness Youyou!”

The man already aboard the warship didn’t answer. He briefly lost focus at the question, then left the chattering Peisengke behind, closed the hatch, and swiftly departed the platform.

Seconds later at light speed, the gigantic monster lumbering slowly through the forest entered view. In the cockpit, Li Ye’s face was still, his blood-red pupils dim and lifeless.

He could no longer remember if he had ever cried for Li You. Ten years had passed, many memories faded, but that day’s scene was branded in his mind, replaying day and night. His skinny little brother stood in the center of the giant furnace, smiling as he called him “brother” for the last time.

At that moment, Li You had even smiled. Those beautiful blue eyes—Li Ye would never forget them.

The warship circled above Mito. Li Ye snapped back and overlooked the high-tier mutant species from on high. Just then, the starship’s detection system alerted to a pure lifeform nearby.

Through the starship glass, Li Ye spotted a patch of white on the grassy edge by the turquoise lake below.

He narrowed his eyes and saw clearly: a youth in a white shirt.

The next moment, the youth looked up. Beautiful blue eyes met Li Ye’s vision.

Identical, familiar, long-lost.

That youth was Li You.

Li Ye suddenly froze.

At that moment, the communicator buzzed: “Can you hear me, Your Highness? Why is your warship hovering motionless??”

It was Peisengke’s voice.

Li Ye frowned. His left thumb slid the ring on his finger, exposing its blade edge, and mercilessly sliced open his palm.

A fresh red gash appeared. The pain brought him back to clarity.

He looked again at the lakeside below, but the youth was gone. What he had seen earlier was an illusion created by Mito.

At this moment…

Li Ye stared at that spot and discovered a white cat curled up in the grass there.