Modern Cultivation : The Strongest Couple Bonded by Vampire System-Chapter 637 - 637: Soul Insect Princess

The princess's blue eyes lit up.
A bluish aura spread out from her body in slow waves.
The insects around her lowered their heads. The ones rushing at Alex and Mingyue stopped mid-step, then pulled back without a sound.
Alex and Mingyue raised their qi, ready to clash.
The moment their aura touched hers, it felt like the world paused.
A voice entered their minds.
'Why do such esteemed beings come here? Did our presence become trouble?'
Alex frowned.
He stopped pouring energy into the talisman. "You can feel our soul?"
The princess tilted her head slightly.
'It is as bright as a sun. I would be blind if I could not see it, esteemed ones.'
Alex and Mingyue exchanged a quick glance.
This was the first time they had met a creature that could see them like this.
They had always known the universe was vast, but seeing something new like this still surprised them.
Alex and Vesa had taken precautions to hide their soul presence and Progenitor aura for this mission.
But in front of this soul insect princess, they were clear as day.
Alex quickly thought of how to use it to his benefit.
If she could see souls like this, she could also track other souls.
He believed Saryx was hiding somewhere.
Even if the dragon prince wouldn't disguise himself as a human, he could still conceal his presence or stay far enough away to avoid attention.
Alex looked at her. "Could you look for someone for me?"
'I can. But in exchange, please let us be.'
Alex smiled. "I'll give you a better offer."
Mingyue's frown deepened. She sent a message straight into his mind.
'Can you promise something like that?'
She knew Alex was thinking about giving her a planet to live on near Ainode.
But after what happened with the Mecalyte, she didn't believe humans there would accept soul insects living nearby.
Alex answered her without looking away from the princess.
'Don't worry. If I can't place them there, I'll find another planet in another system. We still have the deal with Kael.'
'I see, but won't that still be a problem with Alice and the Felidaeans?'
'I'm sure they'll accept it, as long as we can offer enough benefit.'
Then he spoke out loud again.
"Help me find the dragon prince," Alex said. "Also help us here. In return, I'll give you a safe planet to stay on."
The princess's aura spread again.
Her gaze moved past them, like she was looking through the battlefield and farther still.
A moment passed, then she answered in their minds again.
'The dragon is not on this planet. It seems he is biding his time near the sun.'
Alex's eyes narrowed.
This sensing ability is something else. If I can make them join me, they will be useful.
Mingyue frowned. "The sun? You're sure?"
The princess looked at them.
'I'm sure, esteemed ones. The dragon race soul is peculiar, and in this system there is only one I can find.'
Alex nodded. He decided to believe her.
"Good. In that case we will leave."
'Of course, esteemed one.
As for your offer of another planet, I fear we must reject it.
We already have a deal with the humans here.'
Alex's brows knit. He was confused, but he already had a suspicion.
"What do you mean by that? Explain."
The only reason he could think of was simple.
This was part of an inner conflict inside the Human Empire.
Some faction didn't want the mining operation in this system to run smoothly.
The reason was still unclear, but it wasn't strange.
Being under the same banner didn't mean they were united.
They cooperated when danger was in front of them, but once it passed, they would start fighting each other.'
"The human come and offered us this system in exchange on rapidly expanding trough it while letting the mining station be."
"I see…"
That narrowed the possibilities.
Either the governor of this system was behind it, because he wanted something inside the mining station for himself.
Or it was his competitor, pushing him into a corner and letting him take the blame.
If it was the first case, then if he escaped and self-destructed the mining station, the empire would be busy counting what they lost.
They wouldn't even think to check what treasures the governor took.
If it was the second case, then the governor would lose his reputation if he failed to protect the system, while his own mining station kept running.
The populace would suspect foul play. They would think he only cared about profit.
'I'll find out later, after capturing the dragon prince. Maybe I can use this to improve my plan.'
After a bit more talk with the soul insect princess, Alex tore the talisman.
The rune light flared.
The world around them begin to twist.
Then he and Mingyue dissapeared.
They landed inside a large command bay, not the mining station they were before.
Alex's eyes swept the room.
Screens covered the walls.
A huge display in the center showed the battlefield map from multiple angles.
Red marks kept blinking across the map.
People rushed between consoles.
Some had bandages around their heads.
Some were missing arms.
Some were drenched in blood, yet still working like they didn't feel it.
Captain Jorren sat slumped in a chair near the main table.
The cultivators Alex had seen earlier were around him, their faces pale.
Alex walked up.
"What should we do now?"
Jorren's eyes lifted slowly.
He let out a rough breath. "What else? We have forty-eight hours to take that zone back."
His jaw tightened.
"If we fail, I resign and take responsibility."
He looked at the screen again, then back at Alex.
"But in this situation, I doubt we can do it by ourselves."
"Why don't ask for backup than?"
"Hah…" Jorren scoffed.
"Asking for help is impossible. They have too few to gain, yet they need to take a lot of risk.
If the operation succeed, at best they will just get promise I will help them back in the future.
But if it failed they will be in my position."