Humiliation

Tuss's legs were missing, so without the wheelchair, his unique condition would become even more apparent, which explained why he hesitated to get on the bed when Yuri was around.

He had tried hard, lied to himself and others, fighting to keep up a facade of being normal. But now, everything had come crashing down. He was visibly disabled, a harsh reality exposed—

In front of everyone, Tuss, the exceptionally talented individual from Military Academy No. 1, was tossed around like a delicate baby bird.

Tuss had never experienced such a deep sense of humiliation, so intense that it made him think about death.

At the moment, he was leaning against Yuri, his head resting on her shoulder, his face just a little space from hers. She wasn't looking at him, and neither was anyone else. It gave him a tiny bit of comfort.

He could hear her heartbeat, feel her breath tickling his ear—

He had never been this close to anyone, not even his best friend. Surprisingly, he didn't find it disgusting; in fact, he found some odd comfort in it.

As Tuss started to get lost in his thoughts, Yuri was watching the pirates very closely, observing what they were doing. When all the passengers were gathered, a big, strong pirate said, "Alphas and Betas, come forward."

No one in the crowd moved.

"I'm giving you a chance to come forward on your own. If you do, I'll be nice. But if I have to come and find you, well, I won't be as nice—" The pirate's threat hung in the air, creating a sense of fear.

"I'm an alpha, D-tier," one of the Alphas stood up.

"I'm a beta, C-tier."

"I'm an alpha, C-tier."

"....."

One by one, people started to stand up.

Yuri turned to Tuss, "Should we stand?"

Biting his lip, Tuss answered, "You stay here. I'll deal with this."

"My husband's an alpha," Yuri said, raising her hand, ignoring Tuss's objection.

"Just a cripple. Stay there," the big pirate scoffed, looking at Tuss. He had no respect for these handsome young men, who were even prettier than women.

Tuss's face turned stern, his soft lips pressed into a straight line. Yuri gently touched his back and whispered into his ear, "At least, we don't have to separate."

Her words seemed to ease Tuss's frustration.

As the alphas and betas were led away, a young chubby passenger started screaming, "Don't take me! My family is rich. Tell me how much you want, my dad will pay."

His face was covered in tears and snot. The man who had grabbed his collar was now holding the back of his shirt, sternly saying, "Be quiet. We don't need money. We need people."

"Why do you need people?" the chubby passenger asked in fear, "To sell organs? I have heart disease, kidney problems, and my corneas are artificial—"

"Quiet," the pirate ordered, hitting the back of the chubby man's neck.

The alphas and betas were separated and locked up, while the Omegas were moved into big areas like the gym and dining room.

"They've changed direction," Tuss pointed out, looking out of the window, his eyebrows furrowed.

"How can you tell?" Yuri asked, confused. Outside was the vast universe, which all looked the same to her.

Tuss looked at her and asked, "Did you really get into Military Academy No. 1 on your own?"

Yuri froze, then didn't say anything. It was the previous owner of her body who had passed the exam, not her.

"They don't want money, just people. It's likely they want us for mining," Tuss said confidently.

"In an age of advanced technology and machines, they still need people for mining?" Yuri wondered in her mind. She was surprised but didn't dare to ask, scared of showing her lack of knowledge.

"There's a unique mineral called Blue Keystone. It can be gooey or liquid, very active, and moves around. It pushes away all metals and can only be collected by hand," Tuss explained.

"That's incredible." Yuri's eyes shone like she was looking at treasure, she asked, "Is Blue Keystone a type of metal?"

For a moment, Tuss was lost in her bright eyes. He looked away, replying, "Yes, it's a kind of metal. It's very rare and costly, you can't find it in the market. It's mainly used in medicine, often saving lives from serious illnesses."

Yuri became more interested in the Blue Keystone, "Isn't it too quick to say we're going to mine Blue Keystone just because the pirates aren't asking for money?"

"There have been rumors that Blue Keystone deposits were found in the Chaotic Galaxy," Tuss said.

Yuri waited for Tuss to go on, but he stopped talking, even closed his eyes. It was a shame that her opticomputer had been taken by the pirates, otherwise, she could search for the Chaotic Galaxy.

Yuri wasn't tired yet. She looked at the stars for a while, then at Tuss. When she saw Tuss's body start to slide, she caught him, placing his head on her lap.

This position was a bit intimate, but Yuri didn't think much of it right now. She just hoped that the stubborn, sad guy in front of her could be a little more comfortable.

She had noticed his shaking a while ago, the veins in his tight fist standing out, he must be dealing with some kind of pain.

Slowly, Yuri also closed her eyes.

In a half-asleep state, she felt like she left her body, entering a dark, freezing cold place. Surprised, she thought, "I thought I'm dreaming! How can I feel the cold?

"Where am I?"

Hoping to see better, she saw a strange sight the next second. The darkness slowly faded, revealing a deserted world, with black, twisted, dead vines everywhere.

Yuri found herself tangled in the dry vines, the cold seeping into her body. It wasn't just cold, it was also painful, like being pricked by needles.

This felt too real to be a dream.

"What's going on?" Yuri closed her eyes, only to find she couldn't leave this place.

She sighed, slowly untangling the "dead branches" with her remaining arm, thinking of clearing a path.

These seemingly heavy, hard "dead branches" turned incredibly soft when they touched her hand. Yuri played with them for a bit, not wanting to break them. She straightened them out and put them to the side.

"Hmm—" Tuss made a quiet noise in his sleep, his scrunched-up eyebrows slowly relaxing. But now Yuri, next to him, was the one with wrinkled brows. Her young face looked serious and concentrated, as if she was busy with something extremely important.

Tuss was sleeping deeply and calmly, enjoying the best sleep since he lost his legs.

He looked around, then down at the legs he was using as a pillow, and let out a sad smile. He asked himself, "So, is my good sleep because of the gym, or because of the legs under my head?"

He lifted his body, carefully moving his head away. He had been asleep all night like this; her leg must've been feeling tingly for a long time now.

Tuss pressed his lips together, a look of irritation in his eyes. "Maybe," he thought, "I shouldn't have slept so soundly."