Star Hunter.

Chapter 289 The Man Whose Soul Was Eaten by a Demon

The giant snake led Xilin and the others inside. Once inside, the cave entrance widened considerably, and large holes had been carved out of the mountainside to form passageways, allowing even the giant snake to move freely within. This demonstrated the sheer scale of the engineering feat.

Most importantly, Xilin could sense that the entire mountain range was a fusion of mechanization and nature. Advanced technology had been incorporated into its primitive foundation, containing countless mechanisms and hidden compartments. If the giant serpent hadn't led them here, and someone had tried to force their way in, they might not have found those hidden things even if they had turned the entire mountain range upside down, and it might have even caused the entire planet to explode.

This is the true core of the entire planet.

There were no mechanical lights in the passage, only slivers of light filtering through the cracks in the rocks. Finally, Xilin spotted a brightly lit area. It was a long, narrow space surrounded by a mountain wall. There was an opening above, and the light streaming in made the area quite bright.

What came into view was a large, circular pool, its surface reflecting light. A small house floated on the pool, but the giant snake forbade Xilin and his companions from approaching it. There were also some small wildflowers on the grass beside the pool.

It's very warm.

Xilin and his two companions came down from the pool and looked around the area.

There are many murals on the surrounding mountain walls. These murals have been specially treated to prevent rainwater from eroding them and to preserve them permanently.

The strokes are very simple, with a touch of naivety, and then gradually, the strokes mature, becoming more fluid and refined. It's like a person's record from childhood.

  

Among those simple, graffiti-like murals, Xilin felt that there was another person, also related to the giant serpent. In the simple sketch, a thin, curved line was wrapped around the arm of a small figure, which should be the original appearance of the giant serpent.

The vast majority of the murals depict a person and a snake. The little person throws the snake over their head, twists its tail and spins it around, tries to feed it fruit but gets stuck, making it look like a knotted thread...

Three light screens popped up. Fei Daoxilin said that there was a light screen in front of that person and in front of everyone. They displayed some pictures and text records.

The light screen flickered, and a rectangular light frame enveloped Xilin and his two companions. Those inside the rectangular light shield saw a projection, as if they were actually inside it. The light screen in front of them acted like a navigation system, explaining where they needed to go and what they wanted to learn.

Xilin first selected a button in the root directory, which was about the origin of "Black Viper". Few people would pay attention to this option. Usually, people who see the origin section would first select the general origin of Black Viper, but Xilin selected individual stories.

After making the choice, Xilin felt the surrounding projections change, and then a different scene appeared. A little boy sat quietly in the courtyard, unlike the others, and out of place with everything around him. No one wanted to talk to him; even if they did, they only said a few words and then left with unpleasant expressions. No matter what the person said, the little boy either silently looked at the person or only gave a few irrelevant replies. It's no wonder that such a strange situation arose.

This little boy is another key figure in the origin story of "Black Viper." He is Lanza Freeman, the fourth son of King Lanza, who lived a thousand years ago.

From the text records on the screen, Xilin learned a lot about Lanza Freeman. Xilin was very interested in this person, and he even watched all the video records about Lanza Freeman. He only glanced at the development of the "Black Viper" force, its combat power, and its destructive power.

Ranza Freeman, among the sons of that generation of Ranza King, had a very low profile, even becoming a topic of gossip for many when they were bored. This was because Freeman behaved differently from the other children after his birth; he was silent, taciturn, and his gaze was distant. Even with his own parents, he almost always entertained himself, like someone living in his own world.

Later, Freeman found a small viper with black stripes in the garden and kept it as a pet. However, in order to protect the prince, Emperor Renlanza had the small viper injected with a venom-decomposing agent.

So, when Freeman was seven years old, he made his first friend, a viper that couldn't speak, couldn't laugh, and wasn't even human. Freeman named this viper "Black Viper."

Many of the paintings on the cliff face that Xilin saw were indeed by Freeman, just as Xilin had expected.

Freeman didn't talk much to others, but he talked more with Black Viper, which others might have perceived as Freeman talking to himself.

Sirin's interest in Freeman wasn't entirely driven by curiosity about the prince; in the first footage, Freeman was just a two-year-old child.

Freeman was playing with levitation blocks, a popular material at the time. Because Freeman was rather reclusive, he was often alone in his small room. He took out the levitation blocks and started assembling a picture of an airplane.

The floating blocks are very well made, enough for every child to use their imagination. Many children may assemble some strange shapes or play with whatever they like at the moment, but Freeman treats it like a task, focusing almost all his attention on the floating blocks in front of him while assembling them.

The one he assembled was similar to the toy airplane on the table next to him. The placement and assembly of each floating block seemed to have been rehearsed beforehand, without the slightest mistake. He started from the nose of the airplane and then gradually completed the other parts. Soon, a block puzzle in the shape of an airplane appeared.

If it were any other child, regardless of whether they could complete such a task alone, they would certainly show it off after finishing the project, hoping to win praise from their parents and envy from their peers. But Freeman didn't. He swept the shape up with a wave of his hand and then began the second attempt at assembling it.

However, this second assembly did not look at the model, and it did not start from the front of the plane, but from the fuselage.

The second assembly took much less time than the first and was much more perfect. Even though it was just floating blocks, the fit between each block was perfect.

This is just a work by a two-year-old child.

Then, Freeman shuffled the completed piece again and reassembled it, but this time the result was somewhat different from the toy airplane.

Xilin specifically pulled up images of the actual aircraft from that era to take a look. There are bound to be some simplified parts in the toy, but Freeman recreated these simplified parts without ever having seen the real thing.

It must be said, Freeman is a genius.

In later footage, as Freeman grew older, he was no longer exposed to levitating blocks, but to more sophisticated toys, which he disassembled and reassembled into astonishing creations.

King Lanza noticed something special about his child, who had such a low profile. He found a tutor to teach him, but the results were disappointing. No matter the teaching method, there must first be a process of communication between tutor and student, or at least, if there isn't, shouldn't a student listen to their tutor and follow their instructions? But Freeman didn't. He remained the same, going about his own business. Apart from the small viper coiled around his arm, it seemed that no one else existed in his world.

So, King Lanza had no choice but to let Freeman play with it himself in a designated area of ​​the palace. This area provided all of Freeman's "toys" and some instructional videos.

Gradually, Freeman faded from people's sight and from their conversations. Occasionally, someone would mention him privately, "that child whose soul was eaten by the devil," that's how people described Freeman.

Later, Freeman somehow managed to blow up a building in the palace, and from then on, he was considered a dangerous person. Many people in the palace tried to avoid him like the plague, and there was a significant communication barrier. He had a grudge against his elder brother, who had been chosen as heir, though perhaps he himself was unaware of this conflict. He wasn't even aware of offending his brother; he was simply living in his own world.

Emperor Lanza had no choice but to send Freeman away in order to better nurture his eldest son, who was to become his heir. Freeman then chose a place on the star map, an obscure planet—the very planet where Xilin now resides.

After all, he was a prince, and King Lanza provided Freeman with a lot of things. He would provide whatever Freeman wanted, perhaps as a father's compensation to this son who had little presence in his life.

When Freeman was seventeen, a large-scale civil war broke out in the empire. Several high-ranking nobles joined forces in rebellion, and for a time, an uneasy atmosphere permeated the entire empire.

Even members of the royal family are protected by guards, including Freeman, a prince who was "kicked" out of the capital star system. One day, a royal guard squad landed on this planet. The squad leader noticed a gun Freeman had carelessly tossed aside like a toy. The gun resembled several common firearms the squad leader had seen before. Out of boredom, the squad leader fired a shot, creating a crater over a hundred meters in diameter. Scattered sparks lingered around the crater for a long time. The soil and rocks there didn't seem to have been blasted; they appeared to have been instantly scorched.

The guard captain's hand, holding the gun, had a crack at the base of his thumb, just like when Xilin first used the Infernal Razer S. Seeing this, the guard captain's hand trembled, whether from the crack or from shock, it was unclear.

Later, the captain of the guard discovered many weapons at Freeman's place that were far improved from those of that period. So the captain of the guard reported to his superiors. In such a chaotic time, this news must be said to have greatly surprised Emperor Lanza.

The primary reason for turning the tide wasn't these significantly improved weapons, but rather the development of high-density compressed energy reserves and the discovery of steady-state enhancement agents. These were all the work of Freeman, representing a technological revolution of profound significance in Imperial history. However, the Imperial's official histories don't record this in such detail, only mentioning that these new technologies were discovered during the rebellion, without mentioning Freeman himself.

However, news still leaked out after that incident, and Freeman was targeted for assassination. The assassin overcame numerous obstacles and finally had the opportunity to fire a shot at Freeman. At the critical moment, a black-striped viper blocked the bullet for Freeman, while the viper itself was cut into several pieces by the bullet. If such a vicious bullet had hit Freeman, it would have been fatal.

Freeman ignored everyone else, the assassin, and the guard captain's shouts of "Get out of the way!" Instead, he took the broken viper and left, entering his room.

Freeman's room was also his laboratory. When Freeman came out again, the viper that had been broken into several pieces had been reconnected, but it looked very different.

Xilin finally understood. The reason why the black viper had been able to live for over a thousand years and grow into its current form was entirely due to Freeman.

After seeing all the images of Prince Lansa Freeman, Xilin finally understood what Gu Chang'an meant by "this type of person" before.

After understanding Freeman's abilities, Emperor Lanza formed a special group. This group consisted of children like Freeman. Emperor Lanza asked Freeman to name the group, and Freeman simply said one word—"Black Viper."

That was the prototype of the "Black Viper" organization.

As time went by, the group grew larger and larger, and Emperor Lanza became increasingly aware of their extraordinary abilities. In many ways, they even surpassed the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences. While this was regrettable, these individuals also possessed talents that others did not have.

It's like a sharp knife; it can be used as a weapon, but a careless mistake could also damage the user, and if it falls into the hands of an enemy, it would be an even more serious crisis. Therefore, Emperor Lanza issued an order, and from that moment on, "Black Viper" moved entirely into the shadows.

People may forget some of the fleeting pronouncements of that period. However, the technological achievements of the "Black Viper" have unknowingly spread to various star systems of the Empire.

These individuals struggle to integrate into ordinary life and are often unconsciously ostracized. Even the most advanced technology cannot change their unique central nervous system development or their eccentric behavior and temperament.

They severely lack emotional connection with others, and they are unaware that their strange behavior will lead to rejection from others. Some are frighteningly silent and unapproachable.

However, their narrow, self-contained lives endow them with more remarkable skills, such as extraordinary memory and calculation abilities. These skills contrast sharply with the difficulty they face in learning other areas, just like Ashou and Neo, whom Shirin knows well.

Some people are born without the ability to cry or laugh, but that doesn't mean they lack emotions. Take Freeman, for example. Even when the viper was shot and broken into pieces, Freeman didn't cry; he always maintained a detached demeanor. However, Sirin believes that Freeman was heartbroken when he saw the black viper broken into pieces. His true feelings of despair and pain were revealed in his five days and nights in the lab until he snatched the snake's life back from the jaws of death.

Such people have their own unique frequency, but others simply cannot access this frequency.

They are not patients, not freaks, not people whose souls have been devoured by demons; they are simply different from us. Although this world has its imperfections, we should all believe that every flower has its own reason for blooming.

Looking at these technologies that have slowly seeped into people's lives over thousands of years, Xilin finally understood the true meaning of Gu Chang'an and Guan Feng's words, "Don't look at the Black Viper with the same attitude as before."

It turned out to be the case.

This is the source of Guan Feng, Gu Chang'an, and their strong emotions.

Guan Feng might not be that kind of person, but Gu Chang'an definitely is. After seeing all this, Xi Lin was able to distinguish between them.

Why does Gu Chang'an, despite being agile, always prefer to stay in a wheelchair? It's because only in a wheelchair can he feel at ease. Perhaps to others, this habit seems like a strange quirk, an inexplicable one. But that's just the kind of person Gu Chang'an is. Sitting in a wheelchair in a small, even dimly lit room, his concentration becomes remarkably sharp.

Then there's Bai Ye. Bai Ye's case is somewhat similar to a previous example recorded on the screen. That person, like Bai Ye, had two colors of pupils, and the world they saw seemed different from what ordinary people saw. Xi Lin didn't know what kind of world Bai Ye saw, but Xi Lin finally understood why Guan Feng had Bai Ye fight for this position.

The "Black Viper" faction is no longer the small group it once was. Their power and capabilities have become quite formidable. The former Emperor Lanza hoped that this "sword" would ultimately protect the empire. This sword was a gift from his son, who had a weak presence in the public eye.

Therefore, Emperor Lanza put a lot of effort into choosing the leader of the Black Viper, and finally decided to select three leaders to jointly manage this special group, which gradually evolved into the situation we see today.

Every successor comes here to pay homage to this great serpent that has witnessed the reigns of many Lanza emperors. If it weren't for this great serpent back then—no, it should have been a small viper—if it weren't for this small viper saving Freeman, there wouldn't have been any more technology. And there wouldn't be the organization "Black Viper."

Every time the members of the Lanza royal family saw this giant viper, they felt a strange sense of confidence. The existence of the modified Black Viper was like… a faith. Yes, it was like a belief. If this faith were to disappear, the Black Viper would suffer a great blow.

The three members of Xilin each went about their own business, trying to understand this mysterious organization by exploring their own questions and seeking answers from their own perspectives.

The giant black viper lay coiled quietly to the side. It had witnessed countless candidates for leader, most of whom could only elicit a "yes" from it, rather than a "good."

"Yes" means that the candidates who come here can truly inherit the position of Black Viper leader, but there are very few comments that say "good".

The Great Viper's gaze softened slightly as he looked at Bai Ye and Xilin, especially towards Xilin. The Viper was quite pleased with Xilin; he knew what each person was looking at, and he could discern a person's character from the items they selected.

Few people have the patience to watch all of Freeman's footage, but Sirin is one of them. Viper feels a stronger connection to such a person.

After rolling around in the nearby bushes a few times, the gray cat jumped onto the giant viper and lay there quietly, dozing off with its eyes half-closed.

"You have a good master," the giant viper said.

The gray cat's ears twitched. "He's not my owner. And I'm not a pet!"

"Okay, not a pet." The giant viper's voice was tinged with amusement.

"However, Xilin is indeed a good guy... no, let me tell you, that kid was incredibly cunning back then! He actually made me sign an unequal treaty! At that time..."

The gray cat angrily recounted to the giant viper how Xilin had tricked it into signing an unequal treaty and debt agreement years ago. The giant viper listened quietly. Its eyes, which were usually as cold and merciless as the abyss of the Arctic, gradually warmed.

The gray cat got tired of talking and jumped to the pool to drink some water. Seeing that Xilin was still standing there, it ran over to the light barrier where Xilin was and took a quick pee to refresh itself.

After finishing, the gray cat twitched its nose and chuckled. Then it ran to the viper's nose and continued to criticize Xilin's misdeeds.

There's a breeze here, carrying a warm temperature that creates a strangely tranquil and cozy feeling. The giant viper likes to stay here; even without sunlight, it's warm, just like the temperature I felt back then.

Finally, the time was up, the light barrier dissipated, and the three of them gradually came to their senses. Xilin's gaze towards the Black Viper also changed.

However, Xilin was soon drawn to a familiar stench.

Even a cyborg cat's pee smells bad!

"Huff—snort—" Xilin gritted his teeth.

The gray cat flicked its tail, twitched its ears, and ignored Xilin, looking like it knew nothing about him.

A smile played in the giant viper's eyes, a smile that surprised Bai Ye and Hadar. They were astonished that this snake could have such a friendly look in its eyes.

Why would Xilin receive such a look from this giant snake that doesn't even give face to the Lanza royal family? Is it because it keeps cats? Bai Ye and Hadar really don't understand.

However, now that they have seen the information on the screen and learned more about the Black Viper, they are no longer concerned about why Mao Xilin received special treatment. They are waiting for the Great Viper's comments.

The giant viper clearly understood what the two were thinking, and said slowly, "This generation is pretty good."

Hadar breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure from this giant snake was too intense; he had never felt this way even when facing his grandfather.

Having received the Great Viper's assessment, all three knew that their succession was now secured.

A large light screen appeared not far above the group. After the giant viper tapped its tail a few times, a small hole opened in the mountain wall, and a small flying robot flew out.

"Go out, it will take you away. After you leave the mountains, there will be a flying vehicle parked there. You can take that flying vehicle and leave." After saying this, the giant viper stopped looking at the three of them.

The three exchanged a glance, bowed to the giant viper, and then left.

"I'm leaving now, goodbye, I'll come see you again when I have the chance!" The gray cat raised its paw and patted the snake's scales, which had finally warmed up a bit, and said.

Watching the gray cat jump down, tail wagging, and nimbly chase after Xilin, then familiarly leap onto his shoulder, the snake's eyelidless eyes held a strange emotion—a mix of sadness,感慨, and a nostalgic happiness, as if recalling certain memories.

Xilin once said that people blink when they laugh because they are thinking of something happy, but the great viper has no eyelids and it doesn't blink. Some people only see the coldness in its eyes, and few people can see the emotions hidden deep inside through those chilling eyes.

Xilin and his two companions followed the small robot through another passage. This passage was not as large as the one they had come through; it was specifically for humans.

The three remained silent, each reflecting on the events recorded. Their reflections might differ, but one thing was the same: their views on the "Black Viper" faction had significantly changed, even Hadar, who had grown up within the "Black Viper."

Any one of the things they learned today could shock people for a long time, so their current behavior is understandable.

While reviewing the records, Xilin also discovered something: the rise of robots within Black Viper also occurred a thousand years ago, but Xilin couldn't find much more detailed information there. He realized that to understand the robots, he needed to find those directly involved.

"Hoo-hoo, I suddenly remembered something," Xilin said.

"What is it?" the gray cat asked lazily. He had been too busy complaining to the giant snake about Xilin to get any sleep.

Did you wash your paws after you peed?

"..." The gray cat pulled its ears back, pretending not to hear.

Not long after Xilin and his companions left, a sound came from the other side—it was the giant viper. But this sound was different from the hissing of ordinary snakes. This sound was like a beautiful vessel, carrying solemnity and tranquility, containing indescribable emotions that moved people and brought back many vivid memories.

After the giant viper raised its head and hissed, it crawled toward the small house on the pond.

The modified viper changed a lot over time; it could speak, but the person it wanted to speak to was long gone.

Inside the cabin lay a person, lying there quietly, as if in a deep sleep, yet their face remained clear. Though aged and no longer youthful, their sleeping posture was just as beautiful as it had been in their youth, like that of a child.