Book 10: Chapter 35: Loneliness

Thanks to the Gith medical technology and the powerful healing ability of the Angel Clone, Qin Lun simply slept inside the Medical Kit. His physical injuries healed almost completely, and even his utterly exhausted spirit recovered to its peak.

Manually opening the lid, Qin Lun found the medical room empty. Consulting the projected Optical Computer revealed that the battleship was in the middle of a beam jump, and most people were in their sleep pods.

His reflections on the battle were mostly completed during his healing. Now, feeling a bit bored, he headed towards the lounge for a drink.

“Sawa…” In the battleship corridor, he encountered the beautiful female Apostle standing alone, gazing out at the stars.

Unlike Robin, who always carried an air of intellectual beauty, Sawa had a short, perky bob haircut. She was blunt and concise when speaking, giving off an independent and capable personality. Seeing this serene, contemplative expression was uncommon for her and unexpectedly stirred something in Qin Lun.

“Lord Qin Lun!” It seemed she hadn’t anticipated meeting a fellow Apostle now. Sawa appeared flustered when she saw Qin Lun.

Since he had fought a High-Rank Apostle alone and escaped successfully, Qin Lun had sensed a new trace of awe in his companions. Their speech even unconsciously included honorifics when addressing him.

“Not with Bowei?” Qin Lun noticed Sawa’s discomfort around him and smiled warmly to ease the awkwardness.

“Bowei and I aren’t a couple!” Sawa blinked in surprise, then chuckled lightly and shook her head. “We just think very similarly. Besides, joining a newly formed team, we both instinctively sought out an ally…”

“Understandable!” Qin Lun politely extended an invitation. “Care to grab a drink? I just got out of the Medical Kit, everyone else is absent, and I’m feeling rather bored.”

“My lord, how did you become an Apostle?” Sawa stared distractedly at the steaming beverage before catching herself. “Apologies, I didn’t mean to pry into your personal affairs. It just stirred some thoughts within me…”

“It’s fine!” Qin Lun took a sip of the hot drink, frowned slightly, and set it down. The flavor of this Gith space beverage was too strong for his liking. “A wormhole appeared in the alternate world I came from. Simply put, we personnel sent to explore…”

Of course, he was forced to come, and his status was that of a death row inmate! Qin Lun silently added with a mental wry grin.

“Do you like this exploration work? I mean, do you like being an Apostle?” Sawa suddenly brightened up, asking enthusiastically.

“Exploration work?” Qin Lun rested his chin on one hand, genuinely intrigued. “Why ask this?”

“Sorry, perhaps another unnecessary question!” Sawa tucked some hair behind her ear, choosing her words carefully. “I’ve asked many companions this question. Their answers always make me feel like I don’t belong, like I’m marching to a different drum.”

“What did they say?” Qin Lun asked, smiling.

“There were many answers. Some said we are just mercenaries – mercenaries of the stars – only needing to think about how to survive and complete tasks. Others said we are no different from before, just another form of life freed from individual reproduction and the survival of a civilization. The only constant is that before we existed for our race and nation, now we strive for ourselves and our companions!”

Sawa’s gaze became troubled. As a First-Rank Apostle, she hadn’t been in the starry void for long. Furthermore, joining a team early meant she never had to survive alone like Qin Lun, leading to uncertainty about her own worth.

“They aren’t wrong,” Qin Lun said lightly. “The life of an Apostle differs greatly from all other intelligent beings. Yet, since we originated from intelligent beings, we naturally have diverse understandings of our own existence’s value.”

He chuckled softly. “You don’t need to reference others’ thoughts. Live how you wish to live, in your own way.”

“Is that how you think too?” Sawa’s eyes lit up, murmuring, “My homeworld has a very ancient civilization. I used to be an archeologist and historian. But coming out here? None of that knowledge is useful. Instead, my supplemental medical studies for field survival became the skill ensuring my place in the team. It frustrates me terribly.”

“An explorer?” Qin Lun’s gaze became distant, his voice carrying a thoughtful weight. “You just asked if I liked being an Apostle… Yes. I do like being an Apostle.

Every time I enter a new Quest World, I feel like I’m experiencing a completely new life. Success or failure aside… Sawa, if you set aside the influence of emotions, you’ll discover infinite fascination.

We are fortunate. No other intelligent being can replicate the experiences of an Apostle. In the Quest World, before my time ends, every single adventure makes me feel like I’m radiating an unparalleled brilliance of life. The outcome isn’t central; it’s the experiences we gain within them that matters.”

“Do you truly think that too?” Sawa looked suddenly excited. She grabbed Qin Lun’s hand before realizing her impropriety. Blushing intensely, she quickly released it.

“Staying on this path isn’t easy. It might mean giving up a lot.” Qin Lun’s eyes flashed as he stood up, walking away. He thought silently, “…Perhaps even… one’s humanity.”

….

“Thirty seconds to emerge from jump coordinates…”

The day after Qin Lun’s conversation with Sawa, the Advancing finally reached the designated rendezvous point with the Faith. The whole process felt strange, however. The crew hadn’t been in contact with the Faith for quite some time. The last communication was before X-352 base morphed into the Cosmic Octopus.

Back then, the Faith had sent a brief message. Captain Marx explained they had encountered a Hismael ship and couldn’t reach Planet X-352 on schedule. They had to alter the rendezvous location, instructing the Patroller Team to meet at new coordinates after they defeated the enemies.

“Qin Lun, something feels wrong!” Upon emerging from the jump coordinates, there was no trace of the Faith. Robin anxiously scanned the void again and again with biological radar, her expression deeply troubled.

The Gospel World might be the most unpredictable Quest World she had faced. The Patroller Team felt like a tiny canoe struggling through a tempest, constantly on the brink of destruction.

“The Faith is fine! Otherwise, they’d have signaled! Even facing a mature Jannamer, they couldn’t be defeated silently!” Fuyutsuki muttered nearby, the beautiful Vice Captain’s demeanor tense and unsettled.

“Just relax, we’ll find them!” Robin reassured Fuyutsuki with a squeeze to her shoulder, then gave Qin Lun a meaningful look. Qin Lun and Robin left the bridge together.

“The Main Quest still hasn’t produced the next step?” Robin asked quietly. “Qin Lun, I need your insight.”

The Patroller Team’s current Main Quest “Seizing Victory” had already technically completed. The team had received the rewards: ten thousand Shattered Crystal, twenty Contribution Points, and ten points added to their Soul Life Limit.

The “Seizing Victory” quest originally required the Patroller Team to secure Planet X-352, await the Faith’s arrival to complete the base construction, and repel enemy teams during this time.

However, against all Star Void calculations, the Holy Light Team summoned the mature Jannamer Silver Lightning directly into the planet’s atmosphere. This roused the Cosmic Octopus buried for millennia, instantly turning that Main Quest into nothing.

After that event, even if the Cosmic Octopus remained dormant, neither the Faith nor the Patroller Team dared build a base near it.

Fortunately, the Star Void did not withhold their reward. Silver Lightning was dead, the Patroller Team had effectively repelled Wolf and his faction of the Holy Light Team, and so they were credited with completing the quest.

Yet, the Patroller Team now faced an uncomfortable situation: despite this completion, the Star Void neither granted permission to return nor offered any hint of a new quest. It had gone completely silent, like a crashed computer system.

“Too little information. Since you’re unable to determine anything meaningful, naturally, I can’t think of much either,” Qin Lun replied languidly, seeming unenthusiastic.

“Don’t just brush me off,” Robin glared at him. “Even if it’s speculation, I need to hear it. I don’t mind hearing your theories!”

“All right,” Qin Lun reluctantly raised his hands in surrender. “Consider the Star Void’s purpose. It placed us into the Gospel World, surely not just to watch four teams fight. Its goal is to advance World Exploration Degree through the conflict between the four great cosmic species! But the Cosmic Octopus disrupted that plan entirely. So, what do you think will happen next?”

Robin frowned deeply, lost in thought. When she re-focused, Qin Lun was already walking away. “Where are you going?”

“Taking a few squads out to search for clues. The Faith wouldn’t be late without reason. Perhaps they were here, but had to leave immediately due to some unforeseen circumstances.” Qin Lun replied without turning around, raising a hand to give Robin a dismissive wave.

Watching him leave, a thoughtful gleam flickered in Robin’s eyes. As the Leader of the Lost Novices, she certainly hadn’t achieved her position just through her pretty face. Even before questioning Qin Lun, the beautiful Leader had formed her own suspicions.

With the Main Quest ending abruptly and plenty of time still remaining on their stay, the Star Void naturally wouldn’t let the Apostles just leave the Gospel World. However, the Cosmic Octopus’s emergence had destroyed the meeting point for the four cosmic species. The Star Void would inevitably guide them towards a new area of convergence.

This development meant the Patroller Team had lost their initial ten-day head start adapting to the Gospel World. Worse, given they had indirectly beaten the Holy Light Team, the Star Void would likely adjust their standing favorably. Even when new tasks were revealed, they would be among the last groups informed.

“Robin, we found the Faith!” As Qin Lun led two Bingren squads scouting nearby star regions, their discoveries soon reached the Advancing.

Qin Lun’s projected image showed an extremely grim expression. He hadn’t expected this outcome at all.

Behind the Seventeenth Fallen Angel, countless chunks of broken space junk floated like a scattered Asteroid Belt. At the center of the projection lay the mangled remains of the Faith, broken into several large pieces!

“Captain… everyone…” Fuyutsuki covered her face with her hands, sinking slowly to the floor as muffled, heart-wrenching sobs escaped.