Chapter 80: Elder Sister

Edwina stared at Wang Ming, who was gazing at her in a daze, and her heart was filled with panic. Surviving for tens of thousands of years in this dark universe, Edwina had developed a singular approach to life: caution. Never stand out, never take risks, never meddle in worldly affairs, never be the bird that flies too high, always keep her presence to a minimum—these were the lessons she had distilled over millennia.

Back in the days of the Human Federation, when the leader of the planetary government conscripted her to go to war against the aliens, she had simply dug a hole and buried herself when no one was looking, escaping disaster. Once, a secret cult tried to recruit her. For the sake of a quiet existence, she joined them, but when they ordered her to assassinate a gene progenitor, she immediately fled to the spaceport of her planet and slipped away on a random starship.

Edwina never participated in anything dangerous. Even her coerced involvement with the cult was the result of threats, but actually working for them was out of the question.

“Let her go,” Wang Ming said, ending his conversation with Niels and turning to look at Edwina, who was securely bound.

Wang Lei glanced at Wang Ming, then unlocked the chains binding Edwina. The moment she was freed, Edwina sprang to her feet, spun around, and bolted for the door, her every move radiating psychic energy in her desperate bid for escape. She even used her powers to boost her speed, showing she was truly giving her all to get away.

Wang Ming and Wang Lei watched her dash down the governor's mansion corridor without the slightest alarm; Wang Ming even picked up his cup and took a sip of Mulce tea.

“Mmm, slightly sweet. Delicious.”

As the two men watched Edwina’s fleeing figure in the long hallway, Wang Lei took out a remote control. His armored finger pressed it lightly. With the press of the button, Edwina, who was sprinting down the corridor, suddenly convulsed and collapsed to the ground.

“This thing is pretty handy,” Wang Lei said, waving the remote at Wang Ming as Edwina twitched on the floor.

“That equipment I gave you before?” Wang Ming recalled the pile of gear he’d handed over before losing consciousness.

“Yeah, boss. But this psychic suppression collar is pretty lousy—it didn’t completely suppress her abilities. Good thing it has an electric shock function,” Wang Lei replied.

But even as they spoke, Edwina struggled shakily to her feet, forcing herself onward down the corridor, determined to escape. Wang Ming and Wang Lei watched her efforts with a certain admiration—her physical resilience was truly remarkable. Ordinarily, a mere mortal would not be able to stand for two hours after a shock like that, their muscles wracked with uncontrollable spasms. Yet Edwina was on her feet again after just a few minutes, her strength leaving both men a little surprised. Truly, she was a child of the Emperor.

Watching her unsteady steps, Wang Lei strode quickly over, brandishing a brick seemingly conjured from nowhere, and struck Edwina on the back of the head. She had just managed to stand when she crumpled to the floor once more.

Wang Lei grabbed her by the leg, showing not the slightest gentleness, and dragged her back before Wang Ming.

Chloeas Rein’gar, who had witnessed the entire scene, stared blankly at Wang Lei and Edwina, suppressing any thought of escape. He had clearly seen the brick’s intimate meeting with Edwina’s skull and had no desire to experience the same.

“Boss, what should we do with her now?” Wang Lei asked, dropping Edwina at Wang Ming’s feet.

“Find her a room. We’ll see once she wakes up. And where did that brick even come from?” Wang Ming said, eyeing the long smear of blood on the floor. He hadn’t expected Wang Lei to recapture Edwina in such a fashion.

“Boss, it’s the adamantine brick you gave us before—from that pile of equipment,” Wang Lei explained, tucking the brick away and dusting off his hands.

“How much stuff did I end up giving you?” Wang Ming asked. He had been in a daze at the time and could barely remember what he’d handed over.

“Well, boss, let’s just say you gave us everything, useful or not. There were even some chips and soda in there.” As he spoke, Wang Lei actually pulled out a bag of chips.

Wang Ming stared at the chips in Wang Lei’s hand, at a complete loss for words.

“Chips?”

Just then, Edwina, who had been knocked out by the adamantine brick, shakily rose to her feet again, her eyes fixed hungrily on the chips in Wang Lei’s hand, drool running down her chin. But her bloodied face meant the drool mingled with blood, making her look as though she were coughing up blood.

“Could I have one? It’s been so long since I’ve eaten something like that,” Edwina said, taking a few faltering steps toward Wang Lei.

Wang Lei handed her the bag. Edwina’s trembling hands clutched it eagerly. She tore it open and devoured the chips as if afraid someone might snatch them away.

As she ate, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and she mumbled indistinctly through a mouthful of food.

Wang Ming and Wang Lei, their supernatural hearing straining, tried to make out what she was saying.

“Over thirty thousand years... finally, I can taste this again.”

They heard her clearly. She had waited thirty millennia for this bite.

“Edwina Niels.”

As Edwina was wolfing down the chips, Wang Ming suddenly called her name. The abruptness of it made her choke, and she coughed violently as she stared at him.

Wang Ming handed her a kettle of hot water. Edwina gulped it down, finally swallowing the food stuck in her throat.

“Who are you? And how do you know me?” she asked. For the first time, she spoke before Wang Ming and the others, her voice gentle and soft as a bird’s song.

“Wang Ming. I am a gene progenitor of the Empire, a genetic scion of the Emperor. Genetically speaking, I should call you sister.” Wang Ming’s words left Edwina completely bewildered.

Gene progenitor, genetic child of the Emperor—those terms she understood. But the idea that she was his sister by blood? She was just an unremarkable immortal. How could she possibly have any connection to the Emperor?