Billions of years into the future, a cataclysmic explosion at the end of the world caused the civilizations that had been built across countless planets over billions of years to be destroyed overnight.

All the various powers were reshuffled and reorganized. In their struggle to seize more resources and territory in the new world, wars broke out continuously, eventually giving rise to several major interstellar powers that stood against one another.

Among them, Huaguo, which had developed on its home planet, Waterblue Star, was undoubtedly the strongest nation in the eastern region.

Fu Yan, the ultimate winner at the reincarnation lottery, was the country's only prince.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the little prince displayed extraordinary intelligence and physical ability from an early age. The king and queen were delighted, believing that their son would carry Huaguo to even greater heights and perhaps bring lasting peace to the nation's people.

However, by the time this hope had reached eighteen years of age, he was still an ordinary person.

Here, “ordinary person” was used in contrast to the “Altered.”

There were currently two rare groups of people in the interstellar world who possessed supernatural abilities that were extremely advantageous in battle: Sentinels and Guides.

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On a swing in the garden.

Fu Yan sat listlessly, hugging his esper stone.

When on earth was I going to awaken?

Ever since his esper stone had flashed several times when he was six, it had never shown any further signs of activity.

According to his private tutor, Mr. Kang, a flashing esper stone was a sign that awakening was approaching. Normally, after an esper stone first flashed, the person would awaken within six months.

But Fu Yan had waited and waited.

Most Sentinels and Guides awakened between the ages of ten and fourteen. He wasn't demanding that he be so extraordinary that he could awaken at six.

But ever since his esper stone had first flashed, everyone had been eagerly anticipating his imminent awakening.

Twelve years had passed.

And he still hadn't awakened.

Naturally, everyone was getting anxious.

He desperately hoped that he could become a brave and formidable Sentinel as soon as possible, fighting for his family and his people.

At the thought, a faint light glimmered in the young man's beautiful, onyx-black eyes.

“Little Yan, come have some cake. Mommy just baked the soufflés you love.”

His elegant and gentle mother, the queen, was smiling as she arranged afternoon tea in the gazebo.

“Who told you I like these sickeningly sweet things?”

Fu Yan muttered stubbornly under his breath.

Hmph. A warrior wouldn't like soufflé!

He had been feeling rather gloomy, but when he saw his mother's warm smile, he couldn't bear to disappoint her after she'd carefully prepared all the treats.

So he obediently climbed off the swing.

The young man's figure stretched beneath the setting sun, golden evening light outlining his tall, upright silhouette.

Because their home planet, Waterblue Star, was sometimes affected by wars, Fu Yan and his family lived year-round on the perpetually springlike planet of Aisha.

Aisha had beautiful scenery, but its most remarkable feature was its proximity to the sun. Sunset lasted a full two hours. The enormous solar disk hung in the sky, its evening glow staining every blade of grass and every tree on Aisha a faint crimson.

At that moment, the young man walked slowly through the courtyard draped in the rosy afterglow.

He looked like a jade mountain steadily approaching, his tall figure making even the enormous sun behind him seem like mere scenery.

The maids arranging the tableware in the pavilion were all staring in a daze.

Even the queen lovingly ruffled his hair and couldn't help praising him.

“My son has grown up. He's really handsome.”

Fu Yan gave a muffled “Hmph,” tossed the esper stone onto the floral tablecloth, and sat down unhappily.

“What good is being handsome? You can't eat being solely handsome.”

The queen immediately saw through her son's thoughts. She poured him a cup of sweet-and-sour raspberry tea and comforted him.

“All right. You've been clutching that esper stone all day like you're hatching a chick. Do you really think your ability will awaken just because you hold it all day? These things depend on fate. I believe that sooner or later, my son will become a genuine warrior.”

“Really, Mother?”

Fu Yan's eyes widened.

“What if I'm actually just an ordinary person? What if I don't have any supernatural abilities at all?”

“How could that be? Your blood can merge into the esper stone and form a bond with it. That proves you're an Altered with supernatural abilities. Your awakening is only a matter of time.”

The queen gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Besides, my precious son has been exceptional since childhood. You learn everything you try. How could you possibly be an ordinary person?”

“Mother, you're the only one who thinks I'm exceptional…”

Fu Yan muttered unhappily.

He angrily took a huge bite of soufflé.

Mm. Sweet and fluffy. It really is delicious.

He swallowed an entire soft soufflé in two or three bites, then, as though venting his frustration, ate four in a row. White cream covered his slightly pouty lips, and he didn't notice at all.

Woooo—!

A deafening alarm suddenly pierced the air, making everyone's hearts clench.

“B-Bad news!”

The butler rushed into the courtyard.

“Your Majesty, there's a gigantic meteor heading toward Aisha. It's expected to collide with the planet within three minutes. We need to take shelter immediately!”

The queen's face changed dramatically.

“What? How could there be a meteor? Aisha has always been extremely safe under the protective orbital network surrounding Waterblue Star.”

“It appears the enemy forces at the front line did it. They used missiles to strike a nearby wandering planet.”

Fu Yan gritted his teeth.

“Those enemy troops are too devious. They actually launched a sneak attack.”

“What about the King?”

“Please don't worry, Your Majesty. His Majesty is evacuating as well. We need to get to the underground air-raid shelter immediately.”

“All right.”

Everyone hurried into motion, and for a moment the entire area was filled with shouting and cries of alarm.

Fu Yan had only run a few steps when he suddenly remembered that his esper stone was still on the table.

“Damn it.”

The esper stone was far too important to him. Ignoring his mother's frantic calls, he turned around and ran back.

The moment he picked up the esper stone, Fu Yan felt a layer of pure black shadow spread across the back of his hand, then slowly crawl upward, swallowing his entire body.

It was too late.

The meteor was moving far too quickly. There was no time to evacuate.

And it was much larger than they had imagined, nearly blocking out the sun itself. Even hiding underground would be useless.

Fu Yan raised his eyes and felt the darkness climbing over half his face, slowly devouring him.

In an instant, the sky seemed to draw an orderly yet merciless curtain closed, transforming daylight into endless darkness.

Aisha was about to be struck, destroyed, and scattered into oblivion…

Everyone abandoned their attempts to flee. They stood hopelessly in place, some crying uncontrollably, others helplessly embracing those beside them.

At that moment, Fu Yan clenched his fists.

His only regret was that he was so useless.

He could only watch helplessly as disaster swallowed his home and his companions, while he himself was powerless to do anything.

Where was his supernatural ability?

Why hadn't it awakened yet?

His entire body seemed to surge with emotion.

Fear, anger, unwillingness, agitation…

Every emotion screamed inside his head, desperate to shatter the meteor hanging above them with a single punch.

The next second—

The meteor actually shattered.

Scattered points of light rained down from the sky.

Fu Yan couldn't believe it.

Did I do that?

Could he really have destroyed such an enormous meteor with his mind?

Even a mature Sentinel who had undergone extensive training might not be capable of such a feat.

Then he looked down at his esper stone.

It hadn't changed at all.

He still hadn't awakened.

Well, of course he hadn't done it.

Fu Yan stared blankly upward.

Amid the columns of light filtering through the fragments of the shattered meteor, he caught sight of a nimble spacecraft flying through the sky.

It was merely a small, ordinary spacecraft. Its design was military, but it wasn't equipped with any artillery or laser systems, so it possessed almost no combat capability.

In other words, it was basically just a military transport vehicle.

There wasn't even a trace of gunpowder in the air.

Which meant—

It was the Sentinel aboard the spacecraft!

That Sentinel had used his supernatural power to shatter the meteor from a distance!

How powerful!

Perhaps only the legendary Dark Sentinel could possess such incredible strength.

Everyone on Aisha gazed at the “savior” circling overhead with disbelief and gratitude.

But after resolving the crisis, the spacecraft seemed to have no intention of lingering.

The next moment, it traced an elegant arc through the sky and slowly departed into the distance, so calm and composed that it was as though nothing had happened.

Fu Yan had always been a firm atheist.

But at that moment, watching the spacecraft sweep through the alternating clouds and beams of light, its tail wing grazing fragments of the meteor and leaving a brilliant trail of daylight across the heavens, he thought it was beautiful enough to resemble a celestial god.

Just as he stood there in a daze, the esper stone in his hand suddenly lit up.

After twelve years, his esper stone was finally flashing again!

Fu Yan excitedly rushed to find his teacher, Mr. Kang. He desperately wanted to know who the Sentinel aboard that spacecraft was.

But Mr. Kang could only tell him that the spacecraft was a Military-6377 model, which had been discontinued twenty years ago.

There was no way of knowing who its owner was.

However, anyone capable of flying a military spacecraft through interstellar space certainly wasn't an ordinary civilian.

Fu Yan decided to go to Auxiliary Planet No. 11 on the front line to find this powerful Sentinel.

Since the Sentinel's appearance had caused his esper stone to react, perhaps this person was the key to his awakening.

And with abilities that powerful, Fu Yan desperately wanted to learn from him.

Naturally, the queen couldn't bear to let her pampered little prince go to such a dangerous front line.

She immediately forbade him from going.

She told him countless frightening stories about how dangerous the front lines were and how many strange and dangerous people lurked there, trying to scare her little prince into staying home.

Then she locked him in his room.

But the little prince was right in the middle of adolescence.

He was extremely rebellious.

Anything his mother forbade him from doing only made him more determined to do it.

And so, on a dark and windy night, the little prince packed his bags and quietly ran away from home.

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Almost everyone on Auxiliary Planet No. 11 was military personnel. A highly disciplined army was stationed there, constantly prepared for battle.

Fu Yan's childhood friend, Li You—the son of a duke—was serving on Auxiliary Planet No. 11.

He was an A-rank Sentinel who had awakened at the age of twelve, something that had secretly made Fu Yan envious for years.

It was Fu Yan's first time on Planet No. 11, and he didn't know his way around at all.

The first person he thought of contacting was Li You.

He had never seen Li You wear a military uniform before. In his imagination, anyone wearing such a solemn and dignified outfit should look heroic, upright, and impressive.

But this guy was still wearing a casual jacket, smoking a cigarette with an utterly carefree expression as he squatted by the roadside waiting for him.

The moment Li You saw Fu Yan, he warmly slung an arm around his shoulders.

“Well, well. The Queen actually let her precious little flower come all the way to the front lines for a stroll.”

Fu Yan spat at him irritably.

“Keep it down. I came here by myself.”

“Really?”

Li You pulled a cigarette from the pack and offered it to him. Fu Yan waved it away.

“What made you come looking for me? Have the beauties of Aisha finally failed to satisfy our esteemed prince?”

He laughed.

“Can you be serious? I came to see you for something important.”

“Oh? What's so important?”

The two wandered aimlessly down the street, chatting as they walked.

“Did you hear that Aisha nearly got hit by a meteor yesterday?”

“Oh? That happened?”

Fu Yan briefly explained what had happened.

“Who here flies a 6377?”

“6377? Who the hell flies that old thing? We've gone through who knows how many upgrades since then.”

Li You narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment.

“If what you say is true, there aren't many Sentinels on the front line with that kind of power. It could be our General Feishi.”

“General Feishi…”

Fu Yan silently repeated the name he'd previously only seen in official military reports.

General Feishi was a household name throughout Huaguo. How could Fu Yan not have heard of his glorious military achievements?

And now that he was walking through the streets of Auxiliary Planet No. 11, he could see banners and plaques praising General Feishi's accomplishments everywhere.

Fu Yan looked up at the enormous bronze statue of the general towering into the sky in the central square.

The sunlight reflected off it so brightly that he quickly lowered his head.

“You've met him?”

Li You squinted up at the majestic statue shining beneath the blazing sun.

“I saw him from a distance at last year's victory banquet. He's devastatingly handsome. The unpaired Guides in the military camp practically lose the ability to walk whenever they see the general.”

“Oh? General Feishi isn't paired yet?”

“You didn't know?”

Li You grinned.

“General Feishi is a Dark Sentinel. He possesses the highest level of self-control and doesn't need a pairing. Even without a Guide's assistance, he can crush anything in his path.”

Fu Yan gave a disdainful “Tch.”

“There aren't any real Dark Sentinels. They're just something made up in books, a title people in the real world use to glorify themselves.”

He looked around at the dazzling displays of praise.

There were even numerous street stalls selling General Feishi dolls.

Unable to resist, he sneered,

“Sounds to me like he's just some glory-hungry military punk who loves showing off.”

Li You followed his gaze around the square and laughed.

“You mean all this stuff? The people made it themselves. General Feishi is the dream of every soldier. Everyone likes looking at their idol when they have nothing better to do. And this somehow offends our noble prince?”

Fu Yan didn't say anything else.

But he'd been educated from childhood to be humble and reserved. He disliked superficial displays and empty formalities.

In his eyes, the fact that General Feishi's own territory, Auxiliary Planet No. 11, had been turned into something like this meant that the man couldn't really be considered a true hero.

The real hero in his heart was someone who accomplished great things without seeking fame.

Like that unknown Sentinel who had saved all of Aisha and then left without taking so much as a cloud with him.

“Take me to the military camp.”

He wanted to personally find the great hero he admired.

“Don't be ridiculous. The military camp isn't somewhere just anyone can enter. Do you think it's your family's private property?”

Li You stopped after realizing his wording was inappropriate and pursed his lips.

“Strictly speaking, I guess it really is your family's property. But the military has security restrictions. Civilians can't just come and go.”

“Then what do I do?”

Fu Yan frowned thoughtfully.

Perhaps if he revealed his identity as the prince, he could openly visit the military as an official inspection.

But he didn't want his family to know he'd left yet.

The queen would definitely drag him straight home.

Li You slapped him on the back.

“Hey, I finally get a chance to leave the military camp, and all you can think about is going back? Come on. I'll take you to experience the ultimate pleasure spot on No. 11.”

“What?”

Fu Yan frowned.

He sincerely hoped he hadn't interpreted those words the wrong way.