Volume One, Chapter Four: A Hidden Danger Silently Approaches

“Lan Ke, don’t speak recklessly.”

This time, Lan Ke didn’t listen to his brother. “Actually, before I came here, Father forbade me from learning any more about enhancing spiritual power after he learned my level of spiritual power. It’s all to ensure the continuation of the Volzan family bloodline.”

He pursed his lips and continued, “Besides, the Beast God’s Law doesn’t say that an SSS+ level spiritual powerhouse can’t have children for sure. What if luck is on my side? So... brother, if you like her, you should be brave enough to pursue love.” With that, he quickly slipped away.

“That brat, daring to lecture me like that—so disrespectful.” Resde shook his head with a helpless smile. That boy was just the same as when he was a child, unchanged at all.

He had thought about what Lan Ke said. Every time he went for a medical checkup, the results were always the same: he was infertile and destined to struggle with having heirs. It wasn’t 100% certain, but the doctors were 99% sure.

That was no different from being sentenced to death.

Find a partner? Impossible in this lifetime.

For the past week, Meng Yuan had been studying the planet’s rules intensely without leaving her room, and her belly had visibly swollen.

She hadn’t expected the fetus inside to grow so quickly. She even called the system to inquire and learned that for the beastmen, pregnancy lasted only a month from conception to birth, and she was no exception.

From initial fear, she gradually felt the fetus move and turned to anticipation for the child’s arrival in just half a month.

During those two weeks, she hadn’t seen Resde even once but often met Lan Ke. The boy was very talkative and, by human age reckoning, was about fifteen. That meant Meng Yuan was only a few years older, and sometimes when they ran into each other, they would chat for a while.

One day, Lan Ke came to her excitedly. “Sister Yuan, my vacation is almost over, and I have to return to the family soon. Before I leave, I want to give you a gift, but I don’t know what you like, so I came to ask.”

Meng Yuan already regarded him as a friend and didn’t bother with formality. “What’s your budget?”

“Um... fifty thousand. That’s all I have left on my card. The family won’t give me my allowance until next month, but I can’t wait that long.”

“Then I’ll have to think carefully. It’s been so boring here lately, with nothing to do.”

Lan Ke’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you can download the most popular interstellar short video app. It often posts interesting things or news of the day. I usually scroll through it when I’m bored.”

“But I don’t have a phone, so I can’t use that method to pass time.”

“That’s easy. You can order one from my phone, and within half an hour, a drone will deliver it to you.”

“Really?”

“Sister Yuan, when have I ever lied to you?”

“Alright, then this phone will be the gift you give me.”

“Huh? Isn’t that a bit hasty?”

Meng Yuan shook her head. “Anything you give me, little brother Lan Ke, I’ll like. I can’t let you spend too much.”

“Fine, I’ll come back again. Next time, I’ll pick the most expensive gift for you.”

“Agreed, it’s a promise.”

Lan Ke began helping her select the best phone in the store. Out of his sight, a faint smile curved on Meng Yuan’s lips.

In half a month, Resde had probably long since forgotten about her. Well, that was expected—a criminal wasn’t worth remembering. But if she wanted to survive here, she couldn’t stay disconnected.

She didn’t know how long Resde would keep her here. Maybe after she gave birth, he would send her away. After all, they had no ties, and she couldn’t stay forever.

The phone was soon delivered by an outside robot. Lan Ke taught her how to use it. The phones here differed somewhat from those on Meng Yuan’s home planet, but she was quick to learn and soon mastered most functions.

Next was identity verification. Since Meng Yuan had no official ID, the phone wouldn’t activate fully without it and could only run factory-installed apps, with no internet access.

Lan Ke, as the second young master of the Volzan family, obviously couldn’t authenticate her. So he found a maid in the manor to do it for her. Once the verification was complete, the phone automatically connected to the network. After voice registration, the phone became like a robot that obeyed only its owner’s commands.

“Sister Yuan, I downloaded the apps for you. Try using your voice to open one.”

Meng Yuan was familiar with this—just like a human voice assistant. “Open the Silna Short Video app.”

The phone opened automatically.

There were entertainment, military, and general channels to switch between freely. If the phone felt too bulky to carry, it could transform into a watch, bracelet, or other accessories, like a mech suit.

Meng Yuan found it quite interesting. No SIM card was needed to make calls, and it was convenient to carry.

Her finger accidentally tapped the military channel, and the bold headline caught her attention:

[The Rebel Alliance has recently disguised themselves as Silna residents and infiltrated the empire. Residents are urged to reduce nighttime outings.]

Lan Ke noticed her looking uneasy and thought she was scared. “Don’t worry, Sister Yuan. My brother has already sent troops to search. They will catch them soon.”

So that was what he had been busy with lately.

Suddenly, a head popped in, full of curiosity. “Sister Yuan, what exactly is your relationship with my brother? And is the child in your belly really his? I’m really curious. If it is, then someone with powerful spiritual strength like my brother might still have hope of having children. That would be wonderful news!”

This kid had quite the imagination.

“No, it’s not your brother’s child, and as for my identity... go ask your brother.”

“All right!” Disappointment flickered in Lan Ke’s eyes, but he quickly brightened up, remembering something else.

“Sister Yuan, my brother recently got a new hunting dog. Let’s go see it together!”

Meng Yuan had never seen a hunting dog here and gladly agreed.

Since her belly was as big as a seven-month human pregnancy, she walked slowly. Luckily, Resde had arranged for a female nanny early on, and with her help, walking wasn’t too difficult.

The manor had a kennel training hunting dogs in the far corner near a large river, so they didn’t worry about intruders sneaking in.

As the three arrived at the kennel, they saw a dog larger than a tiger locked inside a cage, its eyes glowing red.

Meng Yuan felt uneasy at the sight, unsure if it was fear.

At that moment, the robots standing on both sides suddenly exploded silently.