Chapter 1345
When Hikari wasn't around
At this moment, everyone in the Land of Light felt unusually safe.
The light from the Plasma Spark Tower remained bright, softly illuminating every corner of the Land of Light. On the streets, researchers walked briskly, long-lost relaxed smiles on their faces, their voices rising slightly when they greeted each other. The soldiers on the training grounds no longer worried about sudden explosions from some corner or being knocked to the ground by uncontrolled energy waves. Even the atmosphere in the canteen had become more relaxed; everyone chatted casually while sipping energy drinks, their conversations no longer filled with the fearful speculation of "which lab exploded today."
And all of this... we all understand...
Hikari wasn't there.
That name seemed to have become a taboo, yet also an unspoken understanding. No one proclaimed it aloud, but everyone's eyes reflected the same sense of relief. It was as if the Sword of Damocles, which had hung over their heads for countless years, had finally been temporarily removed. Although they knew it would return, at least for this moment, the air was safe.
"Sigh... With Hikari gone, I suddenly feel like the entire Land of Light is safe."
Father of Ultra stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping across the orderly streets below, his tone filled with感慨 (a complex emotion encompassing admiration, regret, and a touch of melancholy). His voice was low and slow, carrying a complex mix of emotions: recognition of Hikari's scientific abilities, and exasperation with his tendency to cause trouble. This leader of the Land of Light already had enough to worry about, but the various unexpected situations Hikari created always added urgent notes to his already heavy schedule.
Torregia, standing nearby, nodded.
The Blue Clan warrior turned slightly to the side, his gaze fixed on the intact buildings in the distance, a faint, bitter smile playing on his lips. He recalled how, back when Hikari was around, he would always avoid the research department, fearing he might be hit on the head by some flying experimental debris.
"Indeed... I suddenly feel much safer..."
Tregear's voice was very soft, as if he were agreeing, or perhaps talking to himself. He crossed his arms, his posture unusually relaxed, a state of complete unguardedness that Hikari would never have dared to display when he was in charge of the Land of Light.
"Although I feel bad for Hikari, it's true..."
Father of Ultra sighed, the second half of his sentence stuck in his throat, ultimately turning into an ambiguous sigh. They all knew that Hikari's inventions had made the Land of Light countless times stronger, and his contribution was irreplaceable. But whenever the night was deep and quiet, and the entire Land of Light was not awakened by sirens, not illuminated by the flames of explosions, and not broken by emergency evacuation broadcasts, everyone would have the same thought in their minds—they wished these days could last a few more days.
In fact, not only the Land of Light, but the entire universe is in a unique state of stability because Hikari is not around.
On interstellar routes, merchant fleets shuttled back and forth, their cargo holds overflowing with planetary specialties. Captains dozed off in their cockpits, no longer worried that a sudden energy fluctuation might vaporize their entire fleet into cosmic dust. Soldiers at border outposts lazily basked in artificial sun; radar screens were spotless, no unidentified flying objects streaking in with out-of-control plumes, and no distress signals blaring from malfunctioning experimental devices.
Even if no one knows why... suddenly they feel at ease.
In the most chaotic corner of the cosmic black market, smugglers who had spent years living on the edge of death sat around a table, the clinking of their glasses quieter than usual. They didn't know where the plague scientist from the Land of Light had gone, nor when he would return, but recently, they hadn't heard of any remote planets suddenly exploding into fireworks, nor any fleets inexplicably being swept away in energy storms. This tranquility came without reason, yet it was so real it was almost unbearable. A small, newly migrated race planted their first crop on their newly established colony. The elders gazed at the clear sky, feeling something was amiss—in the past, whenever they were preparing to settle down, some calamity would always disrupt their peace, either an uncontrolled energy leak or an unidentified flying object crashing in the middle of their fields. But this time, nothing happened; the weather was perfect, and all was well.
"Strange..." the elder stroked his beard and muttered to himself, "Why do I suddenly feel... that I can finally get some sleep?"
In the Interstellar Alliance headquarters, officials in charge of emergency response were surprised to find that the number of incident reports this month had hit an all-time low. The meeting rooms were no longer the chaotic, frantic scenes of the past; people even had time to sit down for a cup of tea and chat about which planet's tourism industry was doing well recently. An elderly official, flipping through the empty backlog of files, suddenly remarked, "It seems... it's been a long time since we've received a distress signal about an 'unknown energy explosion'."
The young secretary beside him nodded and lowered her voice: "I heard that the one from the Land of Light has gone on a long trip..."
Before he could finish speaking, the old official stopped him with a look. The two exchanged a glance, then looked away tacitly, continuing to drink their tea as if the conversation had never happened.
The entire universe was enjoying this rare tranquility, like a colossal beast, chronically awakened by thunder, finally welcoming a nightmare-free afternoon. No one delved into the reason, nor dared to proclaim it aloud, for fear of disturbing this fragile peace. The clocks on each planet ticked away, cosmic dust drifted slowly, everything proceeded as usual, everything was peaceful.
Only occasionally, on certain late-night channels, would a few suppressed, relieved whispers be heard:
"That guy... isn't here, is he?"
"No, I heard they went to a very far place."
"That's good...that's good..."
Then the channel fell silent, leaving only the soft hissing of the cosmic background radiation, as gentle as a lullaby.
The King of Ultra fell silent...
He stood in a secluded corner of the universe, his golden body gleaming with an ancient and majestic luster under the starlight. His all-seeing eyes slowly swept across the galaxy below. The universe, usually filled with energy explosions, experimental accidents, and emergency distress signals, was now eerily quiet. Merchant ships sailed smoothly along interstellar routes, border outposts remained silent, planets operated as usual, and even the stench of blood in the black markets seemed to have faded.
Why is the universe suddenly so much more peaceful without Hikari...?
The King of Ultra tilted his head, a gesture that cracked his otherwise dignified image. He had lived countless ages, witnessing the rise and fall of the universe, yet this was the first time he had encountered such absurdity—the absence of a scientist was more effective than any peace treaty. He recalled the explosions and flashes of light that had erupted throughout the universe when Hikari was in the Land of Light, and compared that to the deathly silence of the present, an indescribable sense of absurdity welled up within him.
Never mind...we'll talk about it later... (End of Chapter)