Chapter 29. The Last Place

"To be honest, Lu Yuan had never known what it felt like to be the one chasing after others in his life.

Though not from a traditional Zhoshen star family, compared to many classmates and comrades who struggled their way up from remote star regions and resource station outposts to gain citizenship in the capital star, Lu Yuan's father's position as captain of a transport ship was enough to make them envious. Having completed eighteen years of basic education on Zhoshen gave him a head start over the kids of sailors who had to live on ships, and with the halo of a cadet at Trinity Academy, Lu Yuan carried a certain degree of respect wherever he went.

At least he wasn't used to trailing along behind like he was now.

The sun, still harsh in its descent, blazed onto the desert plain, as evening winds swept up sand and dust, battering Lu Yuan's face. He had no way to escape it.

The all-terrain vehicle's wheels slowly pressed over the long-dried wasteland, leaving faint tire tracks that were trampled over by heavy, irregular footsteps. Exhausted to the point of collapse, Lu Yuan trudged along behind the vehicle, tethered to the rear by a metal chain. The speed was calibrated to keep him running at full pace, yet not so fast that he'd collapse and be dragged to death.

The aching fatigue pulsed like a bowl of water on the car's hood—sloshing, spilling, only to slosh back. His arms stretched forward, the pull offering minimal relief, while his boots, hot from the sun, scraped against his feet. His last shreds of rational thought warned him not to give in to the lure of ease. Whenever he was close to stumbling from fatigue, he'd jerk awake, squeezing every bit of energy from his bones.

First came muscle exhaustion, each cell begging for a break, as air pushed painfully into lungs that couldn't pause for breath. Gradually, it became a numbing pain, just a mechanical repetition of steps. The sun sank into the horizon, like an orange balloon with fuzzy edges, drifting down.

"Splash." His boot struck a random patch of wet mud, splattering his knees with filth. Distant, mocking laughter reached his ears, and he forced his lead-heavy eyelids open to look at the top of the all-terrain vehicle just a few meters away.

A native, who had just finished zipping up his pants and wiping his hands on a rag, saw Lu Yuan's bedraggled look and burst out laughing, making an obscene gesture and mumbling a few sentences in his language, crossing his hands in mockery, then giving Lu Yuan the finger pointed downward.

Lu Yuan shot a blank look at the native, devoid of any emotion, then lowered his head, unwilling to waste a drop of strength. After all, they were just natives. If he had been captured by Imperial soldiers, he would have found endless curses from the Emperor down to the soldiers' female relatives. But with these natives, he couldn't even be bothered.

This one glance seemed to infuriate the native, who raised his gun as if to fire, but Lu Yuan wasn't interested in looking up. Only the native leader was worth negotiating with. Lu Yuan had studied origin anthropology and knew that predators typically brought live prey back to the nest rather than causing trouble en route if they intended to keep it for later.

Seeing Lu Yuan utterly indifferent, the native hesitated, the barrel of his gun aimed at Lu Yuan's head a few times, but then he remembered how his leader disciplined those who disobeyed. Shivering, he lowered his gun, unwilling to risk becoming the hunted in this brutal landscape.

Muttering under his breath, he signaled to the driver, and the vehicle sped up a notch, pushing Lu Yuan to his limit. Frustrated that Lu Yuan refused to beg or plead, the native could only sit cross-legged, entertained by the sight of this 'heavenly prisoner's' suffering.

Lu Yuan took small breaths to keep his energy consumption low. He was an Orbital Paratrooper trained in Ironrider endurance; enduring and ignoring pain was second nature. He imagined his legs detached from pain receptors, constantly shifting his thoughts.

He remembered the grueling Ironrider training: waking up each day to a thirty-kilometer weighted march with full gear, an ordeal that weeded out most who thought themselves resilient. He still didn't know how he got through it, perhaps motivated by the thought that if she, a slender woman, could complete it, then what excuse did he have to back down?

The sun dropped behind the horizon, temperatures plunging as cold night winds swept over his sweat-drenched skin—a sharp contrast that left his mind blank.

Suddenly, the all-terrain vehicle halted, the pulling force vanishing. Lu Yuan collapsed onto the muddy ground, so exhausted that he couldn't even twitch. He knew his mouth and nose were clogged with mud, but he lacked the strength to roll over.

Just before he blacked out, he was yanked up again. Half-conscious, he cracked open his eyes to see a grotesque face hovering over him.

"This one sure can run," the native leader commented, nodding at the guard watching Lu Yuan.

"You two, don't worry about this 'heavenly' prisoner. Keep an eye on the vehicle. If a water-scaled serpent scratches the paint, I'll use your blood to repaint it!"

The leader let out a drawn-out, mocking call, "Yula-yula!" and spiked vehicles buzzed around, their torches leaving red streaks across the night.

The guards dragged Lu Yuan to the wheel of the all-terrain vehicle, using him as a footstool to climb into the turret, maintaining a watchful eye.

As waves of numbness washed over him, Lu Yuan recognized the area—the same desert oasis where they had battled a snake earlier. After being pummeled by machine guns, it had slithered back to the pond. Was this native force, flying the scorpion flag, planning to hunt it down?

The area lit up as vehicle headlights and torches shone on the pond. Lu Yuan saw a wiry man, rope tied around his waist, take a wooden cylinder from a companion, adjust his goggles, and dive in. The others retreated.

Minutes later, shouts rang out as the vehicles revved up, pulling the man out of the water with two massive water-scaled serpents close behind.

Hooks flew from trucks, catching their scales as they emerged. The serpents seemed intent on retreating, but the hooks sank deep, holding them back. Lu Yuan realized they were being lured into an open space.

The off-road vehicles inched back just as the serpents lunged. Realizing this was a ploy, he watched as they were drawn out onto barren ground.

More vehicles roared, with two-man teams wielding pole-mounted explosives charging at the serpents' flanks, detonating close to break their armored scales. After this surprise attack, the natives went on the offensive, with shotguns and explosive poles, exploiting the opening to swarm the serpents.

Despite the serpents' ferocity, their fate was sealed once drawn from the water.

The native leader stepped out of a truck, boasting to Lu Yuan about his 'victory,' mistaking Lu Yuan's forced nod as respect. Delighted, he called for a guard to cut off a palm-sized chunk of snake meat and tossed it in front of Lu Yuan.

"Here, heaven-man, eat!" the leader commanded.

With a grin, Lu Yuan responded in Galactic Standard, "Eat my ass!"