My Core is the Boss

High above, in the stars. It was dark, but the starfield here was subtly different from any true night sky.

Cold warships cut through the void. Countless small spacecraft peeled away from the larger ships and returned again. These were the latest generation of drones from Brilliant Star, designed to detect and gather intelligence on Arch Star below.

On the bridge, before an enormous display screen, a ship captain raised an eyebrow. Fierce battle intent blazed in his eyes. "How’s the investigation?"

He was an ambitious man who had always dreamed of colonizing Arch Star. Though the Eye of the Sky had stopped him once, Brilliant Star didn't necessarily have to conquer Arch Star outright. He intended to manipulate certain nations and create internal conflict within Arch Star.

Recently, word had come through that thirteen of Arch Star's Eyes of the Sky had been destroyed. That was nearly a sixth of the planet's total defensive strength. A gaping hole had opened in their defense, making this a prime opportunity for Brilliant Star.

From a technological standpoint, Brilliant Star was far more advanced than Arch Star. In fact, the only reason Arch Star could put up even the slightest resistance against Brilliant Star was a chance discovery.

If they hadn't stumbled upon the aircraft carrier of a fallen civilization, the Eye of the Sky would never have existed. Indeed, Arch Star couldn’t construct the Eye of the Sky on its own. Every Eye of the Sky that was lost was gone for good.

The captain was giddy, feeling that a supreme military achievement was within reach.

A soldier in a special uniform reported, "Captain, our report indicates that the Seven Martial Stars entered a period of internal strife. Several factions came to attack the Mu family and destroyed them."

The captain found that surprising. "Internal strife?"

An internal power struggle wiped out that many Eyes of the Sky? What extraordinary wastefulness.

The captain instinctively felt there was more than met the eye. "Is there something we're missing?"

Out of nowhere, someone said, "Don't worry, Captain. Humans have always loved destroying each other, haven't they?"

Something akin to a miniature whirlwind drifted through the vast, empty hold of the warship before coming to a halt. From within it emerged a strange man with four horns and twin pupils in each eye.

The horned man gazed at the screen ahead, transfixed by the distant blue planet. "What a magnificent feast of a world. I can almost feel the blood of my ancestors calling."

The captain asked, "Do you believe there’s no hidden complication, my lord?"

He knew that this man was a visitor from beyond their world. The horned man came from a powerful world called the Myriad Demon World, which was home to formidable demon races. Genetic analysis had even suggested that the humans of Brilliant Star and the demons of the Myriad Demon World shared a common ancestor. It was such a strange notion.

Brilliant Star's initial response to the Myriad Demon World had been wariness and resistance. At least, until a powerful envoy descended upon nearly two hundred of Brilliant Star's rulers, granting them renewed youth and vitality. Their attitudes did a complete one-eighty ever since.

Even the captain's family elders had received the Myriad Demon World's gifts and blessings. Hence, they could only bow their heads reverently before any representative of that realm.

The horned man countered, "Does it matter whether there's a complication? Whatever Arch Star has left will become ours in the end. Once we claim the ancestral blood, the demon world will rise again. The losses from the last Great Calamity were far too severe."

The previous Myriad Demon King had joined forces with a demoness and dispatched ten thousand elites to descend upon a foreign world. Most of the elite warriors died in that war, crippling the Myriad Demon World. The old king had no choice but to abdicate. Under the new king's rule, the world had slowly begun to recover, but it was still far from its former peak.

And now, they had caught the scent of their ancestral blood on the Arch Star. With that, the Myriad Demon World would possess endless, unimaginable possibilities. There was even a chance their world could ascend to the upper world.

The captain pledged himself immediately, "The Qilin Warship is ready to serve you, my lord!"

The horned man nodded. "When the clan elders arrive, they will sweep Arch Star clean. The Eye of the Sky is nothing but an oversized toy."

Despite saying so, he held deep wariness toward the Eye of the Sky. Still, he trusted that the clan elders could handle it. After all, they were elites who stood one step beneath ascension to the upper world. No matter how powerful the Eye of the Sky was, it was still an object.

He said confidently, "Unless I'm mistaken, didn’t your people maintain contact with certain nations on Arch Star? I'd like to visit Arch Star first and take a look."

"Of course." The captain agreed immediately, though something gave him pause. "I would ask you to be careful, my lord, and not reveal your true identity. If the Eye of the Sky locks onto you, it may be difficult for you to—"

He stopped short of finishing that thought.

The Eye of the Sky was so terrifying that it was rumored to be capable of killing gods. Even their warships were outclassed by a clear margin.

The horned man was no fool. "I understand."

As powerful as he was, dealing with Brilliant Star's top warships would be challenging, let alone something even stronger.

The captain moved quickly. "I'll make arrangements at once."

Though Brilliant Star and Arch Star stood in opposition, cross-world movement and trade were not prohibited.

An expression of deep fascination spread across the horned man’s expression. "What a singular world."

***

At the same time, in Tianyue City. Qi Yuan entered through the front door, hand in hand with Canary. She held his hand tightly, a faint nervousness in her grip. The door swung open.

Zero-One stood at the threshold, her smile blossoming. "Welcome home, Master. Welcome home, Mistress."

Canary blushed faintly. "So this is Zero-One. She is quite pretty."

For all she had been through, shyness remained a persistent feature of her character.

Canary then looked into the house. Red Double Happiness characters decorated the room, while wedding candies were scattered across the table. The whole room radiated warmth and celebration. Even the cat had a Double Happiness sticker pressed onto her back, which made her look rather adorable.

Canary looked around with wide eyes, clearly delighted.

Zero-One said, "Master, I have checked the horoscope. Tomorrow is an auspicious day for marriage."

Canary's face went scarlet in an instant.