A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 183: Saving Phantom
Chapter 183: Saving Phantom

Before Zeta could take any action, an unexpected video call came from the Empire.

On the screen, Cassian, looking sharp in an elegant prince’s outfit, bowed slightly with a sincere expression. ”I’ve heard about the rumors. I apologize for the negative impact on Admiral Thaddeus. The Empire has already reprimanded the Dragon clan and asked them to issue a public apology. We hope this can help repair the harm caused to Admiral Thaddeus and his family. I apologize on behalf of the Empire.”

Cassian then gave a formal Empire salute.

his heartfelt apology left Zeta and Matis a bit taken aback. They both wondered, ’What’s the Empire’s angle here? Is it because of the Alliance’s control over the Arix Crystal?’

Whatever the reason, Zeta and Matis decided to respect the gesture from the Crown Prince of the Empire.

Matis smiled warmly and said, ”Since the misunderstanding has been cleared up, there’s no issue now. Also, on behalf of the Kering family, I thank you, Prince Cassian, for your assistance.”

”Admiral Kering, you’re welcome. If there’s nothing else, I won’t take up more of your time. I also wish Admiral Thaddeus a speedy recovery,” Cassian replied politely before ending the call.

As the screen went dark, Zeta raised an eyebrow and asked, ”Mr. Kering, what do you think the Empire is up to?”

Matis chuckled proudly, ”What’s the big mystery? Arix saved him, and now he’s helping us out. That’s all.”

He was well aware of Arix’s good relationship with Cassian. Plus, the Empire had gifted the Aqualis Region to the Alliance, benefiting the Fifth Legion the most. Given all that, he couldn’t just turn against Cassian.

The Aqualis Region, while mostly uninhabited, was rich in mineral resources and had many planets suitable for human habitation.

In smaller countries, one region that big could be as vast as their entire territory.

The Empire was being incredibly generous to give it away, as nations usually had to pay a steep price in blood and effort to expand their territory against the insectoids.

The Alliance’s ancestors had sacrificed countless lives and generations of effort to secure one star system and establish the Alliance in the interstellar world. So, in a way, the Alliance got a fantastic deal.

Matis knew that they should all thanks Arix. Without her, the Empire and the Alliance wouldn’t have achieved this peace, nor transitioned from enemies to allies.

Matis grinned widely, feeling so proud of Arix.

Zeta noticed Matis’s proud expression and wisely chose not to burst his bubble. With a slight eye roll, he turned his attention back to the treatment room, curious about how Thaddeus was doing.

...

In the treatment room, Arix was so exhausted she drifted off to sleep right next to the bed, oblivious to the rumors spreading on the interstellarnet.

Even when Cassian tried to video call, the opticomputer, sensing its owner was asleep, automatically declined the call.

Arix was out cold after a day of battling and worrying about Thaddeus. She didn’t even notice when he woke up.

As the golden light around him dimmed, Thaddeus slowly opened his eyes. His first thought was to check his psychic world, but he couldn’t find the two-tailed cat.

Thaddeus froze, then it hit him—he had lost his little companion.

Thaddeus clenched his fists and bit his lip, tears of sorrow and despair streaming down his face.

”Phantom...” he muttered.

Suddenly, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He covered his mouth with his hand and leaned back, coughing.

The blood that dripped onto Arix’s hand startled her awake. She looked up to see Thaddeus coughing up blood.

”Dad!” Arix shouted, jumping up to check on him.

After a quick examination, she realized he was coughing blood because his overwhelming sadness was causing his vital energy to flow backward. She knew he was feeling sad for losing his Psychic Incarnation.

Arix wondered if she should tell him the truth or try to comfort him with a little white lie.

For the first time, Arix felt uncertain about what to do.

Thaddeus noticed his daughter was awake and quickly wiped the blood from his mouth, not wanting to worry her. ”Arix, I’m fine,” he said weakly, his face pale.

”Dad...” Arix could see he wasn’t fine at all.

Seeing him try to comfort her despite his own pain, she made a decision. It was better to offer him a sliver of hope than to leave him completely despondent.

She put on a cheerful smile and said playfully, ”I know you’re fine, Dad! I healed you, didn’t I? Aren’t you proud of me?”

She hugged Thaddeus’s arm, trying to lighten the mood. Thaddeus forced a small smile and replied, ”Arix, you’re the best. Having you as my daughter is the proudest thing in my life.”

”And you’re Worlds best dad!” Arix said, rubbing her head against his arm with a proud grin.

Thaddeus, still pale, smiled and gently patted her head, silently agreeing.

When the moment felt right, Arix acted like she suddenly remembered something. ”Dad, your body’s almost fully healed, but your Psychic Incarnation needs more time to recover. You won’t be able to see him for a while.”

Thaddeus’s breath caught. He gripped the blanket tightly, his voice shaky as he asked, ”Arix, does that mean Phantom can still be saved?”

”Yes, he can,” Arix nodded firmly, looking him straight in the eyes to reassure him.

”Arix, are you sure? How could a Psychic Incarnation be saved?” Thaddeus asked, his initial excitement giving way to skepticism. He knew Arix was talented, but reviving a vanished Psychic Incarnation seemed impossible, like something only a god could do.

Arix didn’t flinch when her lie was questioned. Instead, she pulled out her Talrin’s notebook and handed it to Thaddeus.

Thaddeus flipped through the pages, his eyes widening at the unconventional ideas within.

Normally, he would have dismissed such theories as nonsense. But now, after losing Phantom, he clung to this glimmer of hope.

He turned to Arix with a mix of desperation and hope, ”Arix, is this real?”

Arix nodded confidently. ”Yes, Dad, I promise you, I can bring Phantom back.”

”Really... that’s incredible.” Thaddeus tried to keep his voice steady, but a trace of emotion broke through.

Seeing her father’s belief in the lie, Arix felt a pang of guilt. She knew she might be giving him false hope, but she decided it was worth it to keep him going. For now, she chose to be a ”bad kid” who lies, just this once, for the sake of his health.

Watching Thaddeus smile, genuinely uplifted, Arix felt a mix of relief and regret.

Remembering the others waiting outside, she quickly mentioned, ”Dad, Grandpa and the others are outside. Should I let them in?”

”Your grandpa’s here too? Arix, let them in! I’m feeling great now; I’m ready to take on the insectoids again!” Thaddeus said, his spirits visibly lifted by the thought of Phantom’s potential return. Everything seemed brighter to him, and even his complexion looked better.

”Dad, even if you feel better, you still need to rest for a few days,” Arix gently scolded.

”Alright, alright, I hear you,” Thaddeus agreed, smiling warmly.

With her father’s approval, Arix went to open the door to the treatment room. As soon as she did, the group outside rushed in, eager to check on Thaddeus.

”My dad is fine now; you can see him,” Arix assured them with a polite smile. The officers praised her, some giving her a thumbs-up as they entered the room.

Matis, Thaddeus’s father, entered as well. After making sure his son was healthy and in good spirits, he stepped back out and pulled Arix aside.

”Arix, something seems off with your dad. Does he know about Phantom?” Matis asked, concerned.

”Dad knows,” Arix replied, her tone somber.

This puzzled Matis even more. ”If the Psychic Incarnation is gone, why isn’t he more affected?” he questioned, his worry deepening.