Chapter 18: The Dark Prison, Section 1

Mason?
What was he doing on the planet Taraton?
A series of doubts flashed through Black Hair’s mind, but he didn’t show it. He merely said “Oh” before heading straight to his room.
For some reason, he had a strange feeling that Mason’s actions weren’t meaningless, and he was even more certain that Mason wouldn’t betray him. So all he could do now was wait. Black Hair was very curious about what Mason’s departure would bring him.
The answer came three days later, while Black Hair was taking a bath. Baroka rushed into his room and suddenly shouted, “Captain! New news—the interstellar fleet expeditionary forces stationed at the edge of Sector 31 have withdrawn!”
So that’s how it was. An idea struck Black Hair, and he understood Mason’s intention.
This intelligent planet must have sensed the Moors’ growing threat and decided to fulfill its promise. He remembered Mason saying he would help him overcome the current threat from the interstellar fleet before leaving. So this withdrawal of the expeditionary forces must be the result of its actions.
But how did it do it? He had spent hours communicating with General Birito to get them to pause their advance, yet Mason managed to make them withdraw right away. What did that mean?
Black Hair didn’t know, but he knew that this time, Mason might really leave him. This intelligent planet had already been terrified by the Moors to the point of losing its courage, not even daring to try to resist. Thinking of this, Black Hair felt sad for it.
“Baroka, how’s things with Blood Pupil?”
“The armed forces of the Five Great Families, the Hunters’ Guild, and the Warriors’ Association are all in place. The Cemexi ore has also been handed over to them. They’re on their way back to the Death Star now. Captain, Blood Pupil asked me to ask if everything is ready regarding the ‘physical examination’.” Baroka scratched his head, seemingly puzzled why Blood Pupil would care about such a trivial matter and mention it specifically in the message.
“Very good. Go and have your men stay alert. I can’t guarantee there aren’t any spies among the weapons we’re receiving. If you find any, you know what to do.” Black Hair tilted his head back, letting the water flow over his body, and spoke expressionlessly.
“Yes, Captain! If spies are found, they’ll be sent away immediately!” Baroka snapped to attention and replied loudly.

“Idiot, stop talking nonsense and just kill them.”
“Ah… understood!”
Death Star’s scenery was always breathtaking—its sky a vivid blue, the air so clear it seemed one could squeeze water from it. With the arrival of the five major races, more and more alien species developed a keen interest in this place. Although Black Hair hadn’t yet been granted permission to settle here, that didn’t stop them from eager to exchange with others.
In fact, during Black Hair’s absence, over twenty species had already arrived and exchanged their resources with the five major races. Unseen by most, Death Star had begun to function as a hub for resource exchange. In return, Black Hair reaped substantial taxes from these exchanges, proving the uniqueness of his vision.
These taxes weren’t in the form of money but rather resources far more valuable than money—various types that far exceeded human imagination. Beyond common energy sources, there were rare materials, high-grade ores for luxury goods, food, advanced machinery, and even living organisms. While these might not seem extraordinary to aliens, they would cause a tremendous upheaval in human society.
Take, for example, something called Water Crystal—a highly condensed aggregate of elements containing extremely pure water. It had wide-ranging applications in both military and civilian fields. Yet it wasn’t an ore and couldn’t be mined. Among the known cosmic races, only one species, the Bubble Worms, could produce it through excretion. Its supply was extremely scarce, and in human society, its price was comparable to that of Cymex ore. What made it even more special was that the Bubble Worms were naturally timid and would die of fear at the slightest provocation. Thus, humans couldn’t even conquer them by force. Once, a noble refused to believe this and assembled his fleet to conquer a planet inhabited by Bubble Worms. But upon arrival, before even making any contact, he discovered that the planet had become a dead world—all Bubble Worms had turned to stone, and the Water Crystals they excreted had turned into toxic gel-like substances.
This shows just how immense the potential of Black Hair’s Death Star truly was. It could be called an alternative version of a Silver Star—things that humans couldn’t obtain by force could often be easily acquired here.

Of course, it’s absurd to say such a planet is unobserved. It only seems peaceful now because it’s just been established. That’s why Black Hair urgently needs a strong military force—a fully armed fleet that can deter any observers. This hope once became reality with the arrival of Mason, and now it’s further strengthened by his supply of Cemexi ore. Blood-Eyed’s fleet arrived at Death Star five days later. When his fleet emerged from hyperspace above Death Star, almost all races were filled with awe and excitement. It was a sea of over a hundred warships—gigantic hulls stretching for miles, creating a truly stunning sight. Unlike the standard armaments of star fleets, these warships were clearly the personal possessions of various factions, heavily modified. There wasn’t a single low-grade ship among them, and almost all had undergone comprehensive upgrades to their firepower and armor. With their thick armor, menacing exteriors, and dense arrays of cannons, anyone who saw them would be utterly astonished. The landing site for the warships was chosen in a canyon 30 kilometers west of Death Star City. Blood-Eyed was the first to step off the ship. He rushed toward Black Hair, who had been waiting, his face brimming with excitement. He grabbed Black Hair’s shoulders. “Boss, as you ordered, all factions’ armaments have been received. There are 130 warships and 32,000 troops—everyone is here now. I’ve brought them all. Is your ‘inspection’ ready?” “It’s already ready,” Black Hair replied with a gentle smile, patting his companion’s shoulder. Then he turned to Baroka, who was waiting nearby. “Tell the warships to land in batches and proceed according to the plan.” “Understood, Captain!!” Baroka immediately puffed out his chest and replied loudly. His chubby face couldn’t hide his excitement either. But before he could act, Blood-Eyed’s voice stopped him. “Wait, Boss. Look what I brought for you.” “Hm?” Black Hair was puzzled. Suddenly, he noticed two slender figures rushing out from among the warships—the one in front was slightly shorter, while the one behind was graceful—none other than Sulei and Lily!? Joy surged in Black Hair’s heart. He stepped forward two steps and opened his arms. The two figures rushed into his arms like swallows returning to their nest. Before saying anything, they burst into tears. Little Sulei cried bitterly, while Lily could only speak through sobs.

“Okay, okay… stop crying.” A doting smile appeared on Black Hair’s face as he gently stroked the girls’ hair, not knowing how to comfort them. It was Lily who spoke first.
“Master… I… I thought… I would never see you again… I’m so sad…”
“Uuuu… Uuuu… I’m the same…” Sulei interjected through her tears.
“Next time… I won’t go to the concerts anymore… Uuuu…”
“Mm… I won’t go anymore…”
The two girls cried in Black Hair’s arms, leaving him extremely embarrassed. He glanced around but found that almost everyone was looking up at the sky, pretending to admire the scenery. A wry smile appeared on his face. He patted their backs, about to say something, when suddenly another slender figure stepped down from the warship.
“This…” It was Black Hair’s turn to be surprised.
Blood-Pupil, who was beside him, laughed carefreely at his reaction.
“Haha, didn’t expect that, right? The results of this search are beyond imagination. Who would have thought Lily actually had the ability to stay calm in such a crisis and get her down? Honestly, I really hope the Death Star’s area can be expanded so we can build some hotels. I guarantee they’d be packed!”
Blood-Pupil’s words were abrupt, but few objected. Because when that figure stepped down from the warship, almost everyone’s eyes widened in shock…
Was that… the Elf Princess!?
Her classic white gown, her face as beautiful as that of an angel from a dream, along with her unique pure aura—wasn’t this girl the dream lover of every man, the symbol of purity, the princess the elves were most proud of? For a moment, the entire valley fell silent; no one could believe their eyes.
Oh, God! Could this be true? That angelic being, so pure she seemed out of this world, that Elf Princess, was actually here on the Death Star, among these rough men?
How… how was anyone supposed to live like this?
Gasps of shock immediately filled the air around Black Hair. Hearing this, his wry smile deepened. He placed a hand on Blood-Pupil’s shoulder and shook his head helplessly.
“You really know how to surprise people. But it seems you’ve forgotten something. I remember there were more than just these people who went to Rainbow Star. Where’s Koko?”
“Ah!?” Blood-Pupil was stunned.