The Only Ultimate Alpha in the Universe - Chapter 4

The central AI, Heino, had assisted in managing the Empire for hundreds of years and held supreme authority over the marriage matching mechanism. Spiritual compatibility was directly linked to an individual’s mental sea, genetic stability, and reproduction; even members of the Imperial family had to be screened by Heino first.

Those with a compatibility rating below 60% were strictly forbidden from bonding by Imperial law. Such unions failed to purify each other’s pollution and carried a high risk of producing deformed offspring. Most citizens found their matches within the 60%-80% range.

A high-compatibility union could not only soothe spiritual pollution and stabilize genes but also carried a high probability of producing exceptional descendants. For the nobility and great houses, 80% was the minimum threshold, while a rating above 90% was a true rarity in the entire Empire.

Carlo thought to himself that he didn’t dare hope for over 90%; even 80% would be enough to ensure the Commander’s life wasn’t in danger.

Unfortunately, his superior was notoriously difficult to deal with. Heino had arranged several high-compatibility blind dates in the past. The suitors, drawn by Landis’s handsome appearance and vast power, would all be scared away by this poisonous-tongued ice mountain within less than a day. Without exception. Consequently, Admiral Landis had become one of the most prominent S-rank “bachelor holdouts” in Heino’s database.

Landis spoke with some impatience: “Are you referring to the ‘glass flower’ from last time who would break at a touch? Or the ‘quail’ from the time before who didn’t even dare to breathe in my presence? If I have to match with people like that, I might actually live longer by staying single.”

Landis’s deadpan complaining left Carlo momentarily speechless. He gave a bitter smile. “Commander, the first was the eldest daughter of Duke Winton, and the second was the young son of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Even if their spiritual levels aren’t double-A, they are at least A-rank. They are rare elites that many would beg to meet.”

Landis mocked coldly, “Indeed. The higher nobility relies on high-level matching to propagate ‘superior’ descendants, while the ordinary soldiers charging on the front lines have to rely on high-side-effect suppressants, eventually failing to escape Erosion and dying in agony.”

Carlo was silent, lowering his eyes with a soft sigh.

Since the unprecedented natural disasters a millennium ago, the humans who remained in the Starry Sea Sector coexisted with radiation-mutated flora and fauna. To adapt to the post-disaster environment, they evolved mimetic Spiritual Bodies. However, a certain type of xenomorph in the universe fed naturally on human spiritual power, constantly polluting the human mental sea. This eventually led to genetic collapse, where individuals were consumed by their own Spiritual Bodies and turned into mindless monsters.

Over the years, countless xenomorph wars had broken out. The Dawn Empire, founded on military strength, was the backbone of the resistance. The Third Legion led by Landis was one of the most decorated—and also the one at the highest risk for Erosion. Thus, military marriage was vital.

Spouses of soldiers often endured spiritual pollution far beyond that of ordinary citizens. Over the years, they either became sickly or suffered shortened lifespans, making soldiers the most unpopular candidates in the dating market. Despite special subsidies and mandatory matching by Heino, many Imperial soldiers still failed to find a partner their entire lives.

Carlo’s heart was heavy. After a long while, he suddenly hesitated. “Commander, that man Xiao Sa… he was able to soothe Black Flame just now. Could that mean…?”

Landis stiffened and immediately cut him off. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Thinking of what happened earlier, that inexplicable surge of restlessness surfaced again. Black Flame twitched its ears, its tail swishing back and forth as it restlessly clawed at the corner of the wall. The suppressant seemed to be losing its effectiveness. Landis rubbed his temples and ordered, “You may leave. I need to rest.”

Carlo could only nod and depart. Before leaving, he noticed the black lion’s increasingly uncontrolled behavior and couldn’t help but frown deeply.

Night fell.

In the master bedroom on the top floor of the warship—decorated in a simple, European style of black, white, and gray—a figure lay on the central bed, tossing and turning in fitful sleep.

Landis usually recalled Black Flame before sleeping, but the lion had refused to obey his commands. In the end, it only reluctantly curled up on the rug beside the bed to rest. In the middle of the night, the black lion woke from its light slumber. Its dark gold pupils snapped open, glinting with a cold, metallic luster in the dark.

It rose and paced in circles, letting out several raspy, low moans toward its master. Finally, it suddenly buried its head in its front paws and began rolling on the floor in agony, its thick tail thrashing the rug rhythmically.

On the bed, Landis seemed trapped in a nightmare, his brow furrowed and his face pale. Deep in his mental sea, a vast expanse of gray fog, shaped like an abyssal monster, was baring its fangs and claws, devouring his healthy, abundant light-blue spiritual power. The monster’s form gradually shifted into the likeness of the black lion, growing sharp tusks and opening a bloody maw, no longer possessing its usual docility or loyalty…

“Black Flame!” Landis jerked awake from the nightmare, cold sweat drenching his brow.

He turned his head and was met with a pair of constricted gold vertical pupils and sharp fangs! This was the sign that Black Flame was about to enter a state of frenzy!

Landis roared coldly, “Black Flame, calm down!”

He immediately rolled out of bed, simultaneously strengthening his mental link to control the Spiritual Body while stroking the lion’s head. He reached into the bedside drawer, fumbling for a high-grade suppressant and a suppression collar.

Within his mental sea, Black Flame seemed to have split in two: one part was struggling to respond to its master’s commands and comfort, while the other was roaring madly, screaming to break the shackles of the mental link and unleash its malice and mania.

Black Flame didn’t want to attack its master; its moans and growls turned into whimpers of splitting pain that bypassed all physical barriers to strike deep into Landis’s mental sea. In an instant, Landis felt a splitting headache. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his heart rate spiked so fast it felt like it would leap out of his chest. Half his body was frozen cold, while the other half burned like fire.

It was as if he, not just his Spiritual Body, was the one about to split and go wild.

“Black Flame, hold on a little longer…”

In the few breaths it took to find the suppressant, Landis forced back the agitation of the lion. His back was soaked in sweat, and his eyes were bloodshot. Just as the needle was about to pierce his arm, the black lion in his arms suddenly exerted massive force. The suppression collar fell with a clatter, and the beast broke free from his control. It let out a roar at its master, turned, and bolted out the bedroom door.

“Black Flame!”

Landis’s face paled, his heart sinking. The consequences of an S-rank Spiritual Body losing control…

He took a deep breath, ignored the throbbing pain in his head, and gave chase.

Meanwhile, Xiao Sa had just finished his shower in the isolation ward and returned to the bedroom, still damp. The room wasn’t large—less than twenty square meters—but it was fully equipped with daily necessities. Wearing loose white pajamas, Xiao Sa dried his hair with a towel while lost in thought.

Following the daytime incident, the Commander had temporarily halted the interrogation and hadn’t locked him up with the pirate prisoners. There were patrolmen outside and two fully armed soldiers at the door; his movement was restricted to the ward. The security here was far superior to the pirates’ ship; even with his confidence in his own strength, Xiao Sa knew it wasn’t wise to act rashly.

Based on his observations, the ship hadn’t continued the pursuit of the pirates but had turned back. It was impossible to tell day from night on the ship; he had to rely on the mechanical clock on the wall and the hallway lights to estimate the time.

“That blonde officer doesn’t look like someone who’s easy to talk to. I need to find an opportunity to escape soon.” Xiao Sa muttered.

He leaned against the porthole, watching idly for over an hour until he finally caught sight of a planet growing closer. Based on his long-range flight experience, a warship would usually dock at a supply planet to refuel and restock before entering an interstellar jump lane. This was his only chance.

Xiao Sa leaned back on his pillow to rest and eventually fell into a daze, dreaming of his home planet. His life had been peaceful until the civil war broke out. After the rebels were defeated, they launched nuclear weapons in a fit of madness, leaving the Empire in ruins. Although the enemy had perished, the home planet was a scarred wasteland. Nothing grew on the scorched earth, and the sun was no longer visible in the sky.

Xiao Sa had followed the survivors on an interstellar fleet to flee their dying home. They were tracing the “Ancestral Star” coordinates passed down through his family for a thousand years, searching for their ancient home in the vast universe. Unexpectedly, while the fleet was crossing a wormhole, they encountered a terrifying interstellar storm. The emergency pod Xiao Sa was in was swept away by the turbulence to parts unknown, and the escort guards and other kinsmen vanished into the darkness of space…

A sudden noise outside the quiet door startled him awake. Xiao Sa immediately released his mental domain to perceive his surroundings—the one outside was actually the Commander’s black lion?!

A moment later, the door opened. The guards outside seemed to treat the black lion with the same awe and respect they showed Admiral Landis, allowing it to enter without obstruction.

Xiao Sa was a bit surprised. The black lion before him still looked majestic, with its head and tail held high and its dark gold pupils sharp. It paced toward him step by step, its sharp fangs exposed and glinting with a silvery light. Its throat moved rhythmically; its state was clearly different from before.

It radiated signals of extreme danger: frenzy, hunger, and restless agitation. Its eyes seemed to be burning with fire. Its reason was on the verge of collapse, but the unique scent on Xiao Sa was deeply engraved in Black Flame’s memory—the intoxicating, tipsy sweetness that offered a long-lost sense of peace and relaxation.

It craved the scent of this man. Now, immediately!

Black Flame licked its nose with its long tongue. Unable to contain itself any longer, it let out a “meow-roar” and pounced.

“Hey! You big cat, you’re trying to bite me as soon as you come in? That’s not very good behavior!”

Xiao Sa liked majestic big cats, but that didn’t mean he was willing to be treated as emergency rations. He nimbly dodged and reached out to press down on the lion’s scruff. The beast possessed incredible strength, far beyond that of a human in its frenzied state. Xiao Sa, still recovering from his injuries, failed to pin it down at first.

Man and lion grappled in the cramped room. Dull thuds echoed as their physical powers collided, and the room’s furnishings were scattered across the floor. Wherever the lion’s claws passed, they left deep gouges in the alloy walls, even sparking; human skin and bone would stand no chance.

Xiao Sa barely dodged its claws, found an opening, and struggled to flip onto Black Flame’s back, locking his arms around its neck. Unfortunately, the lion’s stamina seemed infinite; it growled continuously, rolling across the floor with him and lashing its tail wildly.

Xiao Sa was secretly shocked. This creature’s strength was at least ten times that of the wild lions on his home planet, and its combat skills and intelligence were far beyond mere beasts. Its golden eyes shone with startling brilliance. He could feel that the lion wasn’t trying to kill him—otherwise, those fangs would have gone for his throat rather than trying to pin his neck down with its chin.

Wait… hold on.

Xiao Sa suddenly thought of a possibility. He tentatively released a bit of soothing pheromones.

Sensing the scent, Black Flame indeed stopped struggling and attacking. It no longer obsessed over pinning Xiao Sa down but slowly lay on the floor, nuzzling its large head against him and sniffing repeatedly. Xiao Sa pressed his entire body against the lion, continuously releasing pheromones until it rolled over like a spoiled kitten, exposing its belly and whimpering.

“?” Xiao Sa’s face darkened. Please tell me it doesn’t mean what I think it means…

Sure enough, the black lion sniffed his pheromones with an intoxicated look and then… lifted the base of its tail.

Xiao Sa was speechless. If you’re in heat, go find a lioness! What are you doing coming to find me in the middle of the night?

“You…”

Just then, the bedroom door suddenly swung open. Xiao Sa and the black lion looked up together to see the owner—Admiral Landis—standing in the doorway, panting heavily. He wasn’t wearing his military cap; his light blonde hair was soft and messy, and sweat-dampened bangs clung to his forehead.

Landis had arrived in a rush, wearing only a half-open black military jacket. His firm chest muscles were partially visible. Under the warm yellow lights, a fine sheen of sweat coated his neck, and a large area of his skin showed a suspicious flush.

He gripped the doorframe with one hand, his veins bulging as if he were suppressing something with all his might. A rare look of hesitation appeared on his face; he stood outside the door and did not enter. Even his piercing ice-blue eyes only flickered over Xiao Sa before hurriedly looking away, as if he were avoiding him.

“Black Flame, get out!”

Landis glared at the lion with a dark face, issuing a short, sharp command. His voice was deep, accompanied by rapid breathing.

However, regardless of his forceful attitude or the commands sent through the mental link, Black Flame, intoxicated by the pheromones, refused to budge. It stayed pinned to Xiao Sa, its tail even wrapping around the man’s lower leg.

The guards had been sent away to parts unknown. Man, lion, and “alien” were locked in a stalemate, the atmosphere bizarre and scorched with tension.

At this moment, Xiao Sa didn’t yet realize the gravity of the situation. He didn’t understand the absolute mental unity between humans and Spiritual Bodies in this sector, nor did he know that it was his pheromones that had triggered Black Flame’s sudden frenzy and courtship. He only felt that as a dignified Alpha, being courted by a lion in heat and being caught by its owner was incredibly awkward.

I am a respectable Alpha, not some kind of ‘beast-master’!

“Captain, please take your pet away immediately. You really should find him a lioness; this is going to be quite exhausting for him if it continues.”

Xiao Sa pulled the lion’s tail away and tried to get up. Finding that the beast was starting to struggle again, he had no choice but to soothe it by stroking the base of its tail.

In that instant, Landis’s entire body went taut. His gaze locked onto Xiao Sa. The cramped room was filled with a certain intoxicating, tipsy fragrance that continuously drifted into his nose.

His hand gripped the door handle uncontrollably. With a click, the door automatically closed and locked.

Xiao Sa looked up in surprise, only to meet a pair of deep eyes. The originally cold ice-blue was being swallowed by intense black flames, filled with a frantic, violent desire that desperately needed release.

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