Chapter 47: Time Sealing – Section 6

The vast starry sky remained as bright as ever. The twinkling stars delighted anyone who saw them.
Yet the dark-haired man sitting in the shuttle wasn’t in such a good mood. The recent thrilling incident had left his nerves on edge. Now that things had just relaxed, he felt as if he had lost all his strength.
It was absolutely absurd. The dark-haired man never imagined he would witness such a bizarre scene in his lifetime. In just an instant, everything around him came to life.
Yes, it really came to life. That was the only description that came to mind. The sudden shift from complete stillness to intense activity left everyone unprepared. The stationary flames shot skyward in an instant. Explosions echoed through the air. Massive fragments of debris flew everywhere. In that split second, it felt like everyone had arrived in hell. The ground heaved upward in patches. The air was filled with the stench of burning. If not seen with their own eyes, no one would believe that just a few seconds earlier, the area had been as quiet as a silent night. And that huge armored plate that fell from the sky was just one aspect of the chaos.
The dark-haired man was the first to break out of the atmosphere. This was thanks to the armored shuttle that landed in time. Unlike ordinary warships, this kind of shuttle was designed specifically for rapid entry. It possessed speed and defense capabilities that surpassed those of all spacecraft on Death Star. Its shape was sharp as a needle. Even amidst such violent explosions, it could reach light speed within just a few minutes!!
Of course, as a price, none of the crew members inside would be unharmed. Such extreme acceleration naturally caused severe overload, testing everyone’s nerves. Even the strongest and toughest men found it hard to bear. They all envied the researchers in the emergency cabin.
Undoubtedly, the people in the emergency cabin, who were under strict protection, were the happiest at that moment. At least they didn’t have to endure the agony as if their flesh were being torn apart.
So even when they had left the explosion zone and set off on their way home, the members of the rescue team still looked pale, staggering as they walked, gritting their teeth as if suffering some great injustice.
But by now, the dark-haired man no longer had the energy to worry about these things. All he could think about was one question:
Where is Madaro?

This rescue can be considered extremely successful. Most of the members of Black Prison were successfully rescued—except for those who lost their lives at the start of the disaster. Almost no one died due to delayed rescue. Although they still have no breathing or heartbeat, Kurokami knows it’s the effect of their self-preservation system. Once they’re placed in the nuclear training nest, they should recover soon.

However, Kurokami is acutely aware of one fact: Madaro’s name isn’t on the rescue list!

Not even once!!

All the important figures from Black Prison, including Nemedia and many other designers, are listed. But Madaro’s name is nowhere to be found!! This fact almost stops Kurokami’s breath! He stares blankly at the list in his hand, unable to speak for a long time. His increasingly cold expression frightens the rescue team members around him. None dare to disturb him.

After a long while, Kurokami finally takes a deep breath and lifts the list in his hand.

“Are you sure there’s no mistake? Is everyone listed?”

“Yes, leader. Everyone. I guarantee it!” the rescue team leader replies respectfully, sweat beading on his forehead.

Kurokami exerts immense pressure, a fact well-known even on Death Star. But most of that terrifying pressure is borne by enemies. It’s the first time this rescue team leader has experienced such pressure from his own side. Instantly, all his muscles tense up. Only he can understand the extreme pain.

As time passes, just as the rescue team leader is on the verge of fainting, Kurokami slowly nods and takes another deep breath, his eyes filled with pain.

“Could it be… he’s dead?”

“Who?” The rescue team leader jumps, seemingly realizing the key to the matter.

“Madaro. The leader of the Black Prison people.” Kurokami rubs his brows. “If I remember correctly, he should have been in that room when the accident happened. But why didn’t I see him…”

“That’s impossible!” the rescue team leader exclaims. “We brought everyone out. Unless he…”

His voice cuts off. The rescue team leader’s face turns as pale as paper. He understands what Kurokami means. For a moment, the entire cabin falls silent. Everyone’s gaze involuntarily turns toward the window.

Has there finally been a loss?

Kurokami sits quietly, his heart agonizingly painful. All the moments he shared with Madaro flash before his eyes. Unconsciously, he twists the alloy-handrail into a knot.

The speed of the armored shuttle was as fast as lightning. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Death Star. As soon as they stepped out of the cabin, emergency responders who had been waiting prepared rushed over immediately. They gathered the survivors one by one and sent them to the canyon at the fastest speed. There, the training nests prepared specifically for them by the Wandering Tribe were already in place. It was foreseeable that these survivors would receive proper care and recover to their peak condition under the expertise of those at the pinnacle of biological mastery.

But Black Hair did not participate further. He simply watched the busy crowd in silence, then shook his head gently before disappearing into the vast darkness.

Madaro’s disappearance dealt him a devastating blow.

Perhaps emotionally, this frail and sickly old man had not penetrated his heart as deeply as his comrades who fought side by side. Yet it had to be admitted that it was because of his existence that the members of Black Prison could be tied to Black Hair’s war machine. Whether it was the initial forced entry into Black Prison or their current assistance to the Blood Wolves, Madaro had made invaluable contributions. Without him, Black Hair would be like having lost an arm.

So, setting aside emotions, just for the stability of Death Star at the moment, Black Hair had to carefully consider a successor to Madaro’s role.

Some might think Black Hair was heartless for rushing to find a successor so soon after Madaro disappeared. From a certain perspective, it even seemed like an attempt to seize power. But Black Hair had no choice—this was the choice every tyrant faced, one he could not avoid. For the stability of Death Star and the strength of the Blood Wolves, it was absolutely necessary.

With such conflicting feelings, Black Hair returned to his cloud tower in a gloomy mood. This also caused Sulei, who had come upon hearing the news, to change expression slightly. She politely did not disturb him. Back in his room, Black Hair threw himself heavily onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep…

Early the next morning, Black Hair went underground on Death Star. When he saw Core again, the ruler who controlled the biological pinnacle of Death Star, his voice was filled with fatigue.

“I already knew you would come to me. Don’t worry. I’ve almost taken care of it for you. Aside from a few seriously injured ones, I’ve dealt with most of those bastards.”

“What’s wrong?” Black Hair was stunned. Noticing Core’s tired tone, it was clear this was something that should never happen to him. As the leader of the Wandering Tribe, Core held immense authority, controlling all the radiation energy underground on Death Star. Black Hair had never seen Core this tired before.

“What else can I do? Do you think checking tens of thousands of lifeless bodies is easy? If it weren’t for me learning that it was an accident, I would have thought you were playing with me. Black Hair, please don’t send so many people to the training nest at once again. It’s really exhausting.” Core replied irritably. Then he added, “I hope my efforts haven’t caused you too much loss this time. Black Hair, I’ve done my best.” “Mm. I understand,” Black Hair said, nodding heavily as he looked at the flesh mass with its many wrinkles, secretly grateful but speaking otherwise. “Have they all woken up?” “Almost. Their bodies have been adjusted. Their cell functions were just temporarily halted. It can’t be called death. Only those seriously injured are in trouble. They suffered fatal blows before the protection system took effect, and it takes some time to rebuild their cells. Don’t worry too much,” Core replied tiredly. Then he shook slightly before suddenly asking, “You seem quite anxious. Is there a problem?” “Mm. For some special reasons, I need to know the status of a few people,” Black Hair said, pulling out a stack of lists. “How are these people?” The ceiling of the cave moved slightly, and a thick mass of muscle separated itself and quickly rose above the list. After a creepy writhing motion, a giant eyeball appeared. “Mm, they’re… all more or less the same. Among them, that little guy, Cobra, is recovering the best. After all, he’s young, with a strong constitution, so he recovers quickly,” Core replied slowly after examining the list. “Really?” Black Hair felt relieved immediately. This was the best news since the accident. The people on his list were the core members of the Black Prison Gang. If they were all fine, he wouldn’t have suffered such a fatal blow. It seemed that luck was still on his side. Especially… “Cobra?” Black Hair rubbed his brows. The image of a thin man wearing glasses came to mind. Was Baroka standing up for him? It seemed this kid was quite capable. After this experience, his loyalty should be beyond doubt. And during Madaro’s absence, the Black Prison Gang needed a leader. So, should he give this young man a chance? Black Hair gently rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing…