Chapter 128: You Changed the Script on Your Own—But Why Did You Steal Mine?!

【Steam Capital, Gear Tower, Fifth Squad Assessment Arena】

"Shuimo," Yu Chen asked, leaning casually toward Tian Dao as they both effortlessly passed the first phase—Stellar Energy Water Screen trial. "What do you think the next test will be?"

Though his words were directed at Tian Dao, Yu Chen’s eyes never quite met his. Instead, his peripheral vision drifted subtly, silently tracking the small hand still tightly gripping Tian Dao’s pant leg—Dannika.

Curiosity flickered in his gaze.

Tian Dao noticed.

Damn it, he thought. Even the squint-eyed ones are monsters.

Everyone else assumed Dannika had barely made it through the Water Screen thanks to Tian Dao’s help. But among the few who truly saw, it was clear: Dannika had done it on her own.

She’d navigated the Stellar Energy Water Screen—its 300 chaotic Stellar Energy fluctuations designed to disrupt and destabilize a Stellar Envoy’s internal energy flow—using only her own strength.

A five-year-old girl. And yet, she was no ordinary child.

She was a true Stellar Envoy.

And Yu Chen was one of the few who had realized that.

That’s why he was probing—testing Tian Dao’s resolve, his limits.

After all, the duo—big and small—seemed unremarkable at first glance. But Yu Chen couldn’t shake the feeling that they were the biggest threat to his bid for Fifth Squad Captain.

Tian Dao read his mind.

He smiled faintly. "Hmm. Maybe it’s a sparring match. Or perhaps someone will come to test us directly."

"Considering how few of us are left," Yu Chen nodded, glancing around.

Besides Kong Cheng, the second-tier upper-class Stellar Envoy in the red cloak, only four remained: Yu Chen himself, Tian Dao, Dannika, and one lone, enigmatic Stellar Envoy who’d lived in Steam Capital for years but never joined the Association.

The rest—despite giving their all—had failed to cross the Water Screen.

The screen wasn’t just a barrier. It was a storm of 300 conflicting Stellar Energy patterns, enough to unravel the flow of even the most disciplined Envoy’s inner energy.

For those with weak control over their Stellar Energy, the result was fatal: unable to activate even a single spark of their Stellar Source.

Soon, the time limit passed.

Only four remained on the arena floor—besides Dannika.

And everyone knew it: the Fifth Squad Captain and Deputy Captain would be chosen from these four.

As the moment drew near, the assessment officer returned to the stage.

"Congratulations, all of you—on passing the first phase."

"Those who didn’t make it—don’t be discouraged. Simply being here means you’re among Steam Capital’s finest."

"Your failure isn’t shameful."

"Now, please, those who didn’t pass—exit the arena in an orderly fashion."

"Because what comes next… is not something ordinary eyes should witness."

With that, the fallen candidates filed out, leaving only the survivors.

Tian Dao and the others waited, tense and still.

But to their surprise, the next test wasn’t a fight among themselves.

Instead, a true master would come to test them.

And according to the officer, this challenger was a Senior Division Captain-level warrior—someone powerful enough to challenge them all.

Hearing this, Kong Cheng—the man known as "Uncle Kong"—perked up instantly.

"Finally, something interesting."

The first stage had been humiliating. He needed to redeem himself. Otherwise, how could a second-tier upper-class Envoy carry any dignity?

But as Kong Cheng grinned with anticipation, the assessment officer looked at him with something like pity.

Because the test had already been rewritten.

By someone—a someone—who’d changed the rules at the last moment.

And the officer couldn’t fathom how anyone could survive what was coming.

He’d never believed anyone could walk away from that monster unscathed.

Shaking his head, the officer said with quiet weight, "Well then… good luck, all of you."

Then he stepped back and left.

Ping!

A crisp elevator chime echoed through the arena.

The doors at the edge of the stage slid open.

And from within stepped a woman.

Brown hair. Crimson eyes.

A presence that filled the air like a storm.

She stood at 1.75 meters, her long brown hair tied high into a tight ponytail. As she walked, the ends cut through the air like a blade—sharp, deliberate, slicing across her waist with lethal grace.

Her black combat suit clung to a body built for explosive power. Her bare abdomen bore a distinctive, jagged mark—resembling a scar.

But Dimensional Audience and Tian Dao both knew the truth.

That wasn’t a scar.

It was the Stellar Mark—the visible sign of a completed Stellar Core Awakening. A rare and sacred birthright.

As she stepped onto the center of the stage, Chen Xing placed her right hand on the hilt of the enormous Yao Dao slung at her back.

She deliberately didn’t look at Tian Dao, standing in the shadows.

Her voice was calm. Cold.

"Three minutes. That’s all I’ll give each of you."

She raised one finger.

"First minute—20% of my power."

"Second—40%."

"Final minute—60%."

"Two conditions to pass."

She paused.

Her gaze swept the crowd—feigned, casual—but lingered just a fraction longer on Tian Dao and Dannika.

Especially when she saw Dannika still clutching Tian Dao’s pants.

Her crimson eyes narrowed—imperceptibly, almost invisible.

But to those who knew her, it was unmistakable.

Tian Dao felt it instantly.

His mind flashed red.

CRITICAL.

His earlier suspicion was no longer just a guess.

That flicker—that one look—confirmed it.

Chen Xing had come for him.

And now, with the truth laid bare, Tian Dao made his decision.

No matter what she did, no matter how she tested him—he would hide.

Because if he wasn’t careful, his carefully concealed mask—his plan to stay hidden until Season 2—might shatter right here, right now.

Just as he was preparing his next move, Chen Xing spoke again.

"Your first condition: survive me for three minutes."

"The second condition… I’ll reveal it when someone meets it."

"Alright. Who’s first?"

"Are you kidding me?!"

Kong Cheng shot to his feet, face dark with outrage.

"I know you’re a Division Captain-level warrior, but 20%, 40%? That’s insulting! At least give us—"

He didn’t finish.

Chen Xing turned her head.

One glance.

And suddenly, Kong Cheng was drowning.

Not in water—but in blood.

A thick, endless tide of crimson, suffocating, viscous. In its depths, countless corpses—Stellar Beasts, humans—lay entangled, their bones cracked, their spirits broken.

How many had she killed to forge this aura?

The pressure wasn’t physical. It was psychological. A crushing weight of death.

Even a second-tier upper-class Envoy like Kong Cheng couldn’t breathe.

He collapsed to his knees, drenched in cold sweat, trembling.

Through the haze, he looked up.

And saw her—Chen Xing—looking down at him, her red eyes unblinking.

"Someone who can’t withstand my presence," she said, voice like ice, "has no right to make me draw my blade."

"My sword isn’t a toy."

Her words were cruel. Unforgiving.

Yet no one doubted them.

Not even Kong Cheng.

Because in that moment, Chen Xing was that terrifying.

But as she spoke, the words—the tone—echoed in Tian Dao’s mind.

And something clicked.

Wait a second…

This scene…

This moment…

It felt… familiar.

Star… you changed the script on your own—fine. But why did you steal my script?!

And he wasn’t alone.

Across Reality, the Dimensional Audience—those watching from the VIP Room—felt the same eerie déjà vu.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end