T/N: Double update for the last two chapters! The extras will be posted within a week.

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Ten, nine, eight…..

Ten seconds.

This time passed in the blink of an eye, too little and too fast.

Lucas and Luo Ran could see a red light appear over them.

The star pirates had buried a Meteor Shower on top of the mine early in the morning, and the detonation would cause the entire cave to collapse.

“Retreat! Everyone retreat!” Lucas squeezed the mic and said: “There’s a Meteor Shower in ten seconds, don’t try to fight, retreat!”

“Yes!”

Before coming here, all of the soldiers had already made preparations to fight against a Meteor Shower. They had prepared themselves mentally, and were even prepared to sacrifice themselves. Therefore, they didn’t panic when hearing this now, and methodically retreated with the detained star pirates.

Both the mecha and aircraft had been modified. Now, one button could quickly locate the shortest route out and start the boosters.

When the boosters were activated, the mecha and the aircraft’s iron skin and excess shell would be separated, leaving only the light inner core. Then it would enter overload mode at the expense of damaging the engine, and eject away.

This was new research and development that Lucas and the Empire had been busy with recently.

Now that the Meteor Showers had reappeared, the Empire couldn’t just sit idly by. They had to find a way to deal with them.

But although the army had time, Lucas and Luo Ran did not.

They were too deep in the mine.

Huntsman accelerated his aircraft to the highest speed and rushed toward one of the passages.

But he could also only do his best.

At the moment the Meteor Shower was activated, Huntsman was actually not that concerned with getting out.

It was only ten seconds, and even if he did get out, he would be intercepted by the Empire.

Lucas stared at Luo Ran with the utmost intensity.

This scene seemed to overlap with the scene several years ago.

This was how he had looked at Alton back then.

They were both the people he cherished the most.

“Admiral. Admiral.” Luo Ran had already transferred from the aircraft to Lion One. He sat next to Lucas and held his hand tightly: “It’s okay, we’re facing it together. We’ll live or die together!”

Lucas could feel the white tea pheromones emanating from Luo Ran, soothing his agitation.

Luo Ran said firmly: “I am willing to live and die with the Admiral, and I will have no regrets if I can die by your side!”

As long as they were not separated.

As long as they were together, there was nothing to be afraid of.

Lucas paused, then said: “Yes.”

Luo Ran was his partner, not just the person he wanted to protect, but Secretary Luo who was equal to him and could also protect him.

Luo Ran and Lucas had moved very swiftly, everything happening with a snap of their fingers. Five seconds had passed by now.

Only five seconds left!

Lucas snapped: “Let’s go down!”

It was impossible to go up. Even if they entered overload mode, Lion One still couldn’t escape.

At the most dangerous moment, Lucas’s duty as an admiral made him give orders to the troops first. And Lion One was underground at the moment. It was too late.

The Meteor Shower was buried at the top of the mine, so…..since they were underground, why not rush in!

“Okay!”

Luo Ran established a spiritual connection with Lucas, making Lion One charge into the depths.

Three…..

Lucas did not command Lion One to remove its outer iron skin.

They were going underground, and although the distance, soil, and rock could block the bombing and artillery fire of the Meteor Shower for them, they had to face the weight of the collapsed mine.

The sturdiness of Lion One was their biggest trump card at this time.

Two……

One……

Boom—

The Meteor Shower fell.

The entire mine collapsed with a roar of fire.

Lucas and Luo Ran held each other’s hands tightly, rushing into the dark underground without fear.

They could feel Lion One gradually being overtaken by the collapsing rubble, boulders, and mine tracks above them. They seemed to be fighting against the speed of gravity.

Lion One’s glass windows began to crack from the pressure and collisions. Luo Ran could feel the entire mecha being shaken by the constant beating. He held the console tightly with one hand and protected his stomach with the other, trying to avoid being bumped here and there.

But even so, Luo Ran could still feel several wounds and bruises from his elbows and head being knocked around.

Lucas swiftly took Luo Ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.

The cabin was shaking so much that his mind was dazed as he looked down at the other person’s face, but Luo Ran rested his head on Lucas’s chest and could feel Lucas’s strong hands wrapped around his waist.

Then, the earth above their heads began to crumble, the light of flames shining through.

Lucas whispered: “Ranran, I love you.”

“Me too,” Luo Ran said. “Lucas, I love you.”

After Lion One was completely crushed by the things overhead, perhaps it would be strong enough for them to survive, perhaps they would be seriously injured, or perhaps they would die.

But they would not be afraid.

Zhi—!

However, at this moment, Luo Ran vaguely saw something rush out ahead. It shot toward Lion One, covering the mecha with its huge body.

Luo Ran’s eyes widened.

Was that…..the mother insect?

Loud booms exploded overhead, but Luo Ran couldn’t see anything. The insect’s body was the only thing visible through the window.

The female insect was protecting them with its huge body.

Living in magma all year round, the female insect was not afraid of fire. But no matter how thick its armor was, it couldn’t withstand the weight of the entire mine above as it collapsed. They could see the feet of the mother insect slowly sliding down. It seemed to be struggling hard, but it still insisted on providing shelter for its “child” and fulfilling the responsibility of its species.

The body of the female insect gradually pressed down, thus crushing Lion One and leaving less and less space for Luo Ran and Lucas.

Luo Ran and Lucas looked at each other and held hands.

“Can you do it?” Lucas asked in a low voice. “It might hurt your spiritual strength.”

Back then at the wisteria cottage, it was Lucas who had caused spiritual harm to Luo Ran.

Lucas had always been brooding over it.

But now, he had to make a spiritual connection to Luo Ran, so that they had enough spiritual power to create a huge barrier that could protect them and the mother insect.

This was an almost impossible task, but Lucas was 3S, and Luo Ran had evolved higher than 3S. They had each already succeeded once, albeit individually.

“I’ll try.”

Luo Ran smiled and said: “If something happens, we’ll at most……see each other at the wooden cabin.”

“Okay.”

Boom—

The mine finally collapsed. And at the same time, a transparent barrier rushed up from the ground.

The spiritual power construct covered half the mine, glowing with a pure light.

“A miracle…..!” Wang Qiuyang stood outside the mine, his eyes wide.

“It’s a miracle, ah!”

How could there be such…..such a huge spiritual power construct?

Luo Ran and Lucas were too astonishing…..!

Although the soldiers had won the battle, their morale had been getting lower and lower. The army surrounded the mine, but no one spoke and no one tried to leave.

Wang Qiuyang, Luo Xingyuan, Mu Yuan, and the other adjutants hadn’t even recovered yet, and their minds were dazed.

The Admiral and the Secretary were still inside.

They hadn’t come out.

Whether they were okay or not was unknown, and only a rumbling sound could be heard.

Until that light appeared.

Only at this time did the Empire truly usher in its victory.

“The Empire is victorious! The Empire is victorious!

“The Admiral is victorious! The Admiral is victorious—!”

The cheers practically overturned the heavens.

“What are you doing just standing there…..!” Wang Qiuyang turned to his team amidst the cheers and said: “”Get ready! We’re going down to find them after the collapse is over!”

“Yes ! !”

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . .

Wu…..

Luo Ran dreamed of many things, as if playing a flashback of his life.

Meeting Lucas for the first time, quarreling for the first time……so many things.

Then, Luo Ran woke up.

He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the wooden ceiling.

The ceiling was so old-fashioned that Luo Ran didn’t realize where he was at the moment.

There was a good smell……

It was the fragrance of flowers.

Luo Ran blinked, then turned his head and propped himself up in bed.

Luo Ran was stunned.

He was in a small wooden cabin, and he could see the sea of wisteria flowers outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“You little jinx, we really met at the wisteria cottage.” Lucas walked in from outside. He pressed his hand to the doorframe and said with a smile: “The little jinx is awake.”

“…..What’s going on?” Luo Ran stared blankly at Lucas.

Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Luo Ran’s hair, saying: “Silly Ranran. We made a spiritual connection in the mine that day, and you finally couldn’t hold on anymore and fell into spiritual disorder after the battle. So I handed the battlefield over to Mu Yuan and Xingyuan, and brought you here to recuperate.”

Luo Ran asked: “How many days have I been out…..?”

“You were out for four days and then woke up, but you were confused and not quite conscious for three more days. Judging by your state now, you should be completely awake.” Lucas raised his eyebrows and said: “The tables have turned. Now it’s my turn to give you peace of mind.”

“Ah…..” Luo Ran was stunned.

After being informed by Lucas, he also slowly remembered.

“Does it hurt?” Lucas reached out and rubbed the back of Luo Ran’s head.

“A little bit,” Luo Ran said honestly. “But it’s bearable…..”

It was only then that Luo Ran noticed a large glass case in the corner of the room, inside of which was a jet-black insect with a square head.

Lucas explained: “Your mother insect became like this.”

That day the adjutants took half the army to dig, quickly removing all the objects that were pressing down on Lion One and the insect.

What they found was the tattered Lion One, Luo Ran and Lucas nestling in the cabin and hugging each other tightly, and this insect on Lion One’s shoulder.

The once enormous giant insect was now only the size of a child.

Lucas said with a smile: “The research institute said that the hard shell of the female worm was smashed, and it returned to its ordinal flesh and blood size.”

“That means she can’t be a mother anymore, and she won’t pester you to go back with her. Xia Zhi said that we can take her back to the cave and put her back underground, so that she can continue to grow a hard shell.”

“I just brought her back for now to let her recuperate in a safe place.”

“I see.” Luo Ran looked at the rather reticent insect facing the glass wall, and felt simultaneously distressed and amused.

With Lucas’s assistance, Luo Ran stepped forward and poked the insect’s head.

The insect stretched out its thick feet and patted Luo Ran’s hand vigorously.

Zhi!

Even its antennae were shaking.

Luo Ran said with a smile: “She’s angry, and scolding me.”

“You should be scolded.” Lucas pinched Luo Ran’s nose. 

“That’s right.” Luo Ran paused, and asked: “Huntsman…..”

“Dead.”

Lucas lowered his eyes and said: “Lao Wang found his body that day. It was crushed under a stone slab, and already in bad shape.”

All those star pirates were wiped out, and the remnants were still being tracked down by the Empire.

“Ah……” Luo Ran felt a little complicated.

Although Huntsman was vicious and the leader of the star pirates, he was also a person.

Unexpectedly, he died in the Meteor Shower he personally created.

Luo Ran remembered that when they met in the bathroom before and he splashed dirty water on Huntsman’s face, the man’s angry appearance at that time was no different than a normal person’s.

“Don’t think so much.” Lucas took Luo Ran’s hand and led him out.

The two came to the glass conservatory outside. Luo Ran gazed at the endless sea of purple flowers before him, and a smile spread across his face.

“How beautiful.”

In the next moment, Luo Ran saw Lucas go down in front of him on one knee.

“……Lucas?”

Lucas took a small red box from his pocket and opened it in front of Luo Ran, saying: “Luo Ran, I want to propose to you.”

A silver-blue ring lay on the velvet, shining brightly. It didn’t have too many designs, but was simple and beautiful.

“In the future, I will protect you, love you, and respect you.” Lucas was very stiff, and his ears reddened as he said in a forceful, resounding voice: “You are my only person. I like only you, I will only treat you specially, and I will give everything to you. The office, the military department, my people, I will give you everything I have.”’

“I will also listen to you and do my best to take care of you. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Lucas was uncharacteristically nervous as he said: “Will you marry me?”

Luo Ran was completely stunned.

The tall man in front of him was half-kneeling in the sea of flowers, his expression as serious as if he were in battle.

Behind him were wisteria flowers hanging on their wooden frames, swaying slightly in the breeze.

Luo Ran found himself speechless.

“Luo Ran?” Lucas said: “Otherwise, you can make a few more conditions, and I’ll do whatever you say. I promise to obey.”

“Pfft……” Luo Ran looked down, his eyes slightly hot.

He took off the necklace around his neck. It was a gemstone given to him by Luo Cheng, and could be regarded as an ancestral item in a sense.

But anything was fine for now. Luo Ran just needed something to use.

“I’ll marry you. I’m willing.” Luo Ran knelt down halfway and held up the necklace, saying: “I also want to propose to you, Lucas.”

Luo Ran gave a huge smile and said: “I have nothing to give, but I will listen to you in the future and work to solve your problems for you, whether in daily life or in the workplace. I will make you happy, and do my best to protect you.”

Luo Ran’s long, blue-ish silver hair was not pulled up. It fell softly over his shoulders, and the look in his eyes was as gentle as water.

Fuck…..!

Lucas’s eyes and heart were hot. He said loudly: “Put it on for me!”

Luo Ran couldn’t laugh or cry. He put the necklace on Lucas.

Then Lucas grabbed Luo Ran’s hand and put the ring on his slender ring finger.

“Mine.” Lucas hugged Luo Ran.

They embraced each other in the sea of flowers.

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Chapter Ninety-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Five