The night on the Silver Whale wasn't black.
Inside this colossal ship, there was no distinction between day and night, only an eternally unchanging, deathly pale light. But in the last three "standard galactic times," this warship, symbolizing the pinnacle of the Silver Empire's technology, had descended into a hysterical chaos, like a behemoth suffering from a migraine.
[Warning: Gravity system anomaly in third living quarters.]
[Warning: Food synthesis machine recipe error... Capsaicin content exceeds limit by 1000%.]
[Warning: Corridor lights flickering... Unknown Morse code detected.] In the bridge command room, Captain Sal (a silicon-based lifeform with skin flowing like mercury) angrily crushed the data panel in his hand.
"Rats! Rats must have gotten in!"
"Find them! Burn them to ashes!"
Meanwhile, three kilometers away from the bridge, in the abandoned compartment C-99...
Shen Qingqiu sat cross-legged on a simple "bed," dozens of holographic projection screens she had deciphered floating before her.
Her fingers danced lightly in the air, like playing a silent piano piece.
The tattered red dress had been torn at the hem, transformed into a sleek miniskirt, revealing a pair of long, straight legs. Her long hair was casually tied up, tucked into a silver probe salvaged from a scrap part.
"Are you angry?" Shen Qingqiu looked at the furious captain on the screen, a playful yet elegant smile playing on her lips.
"Don't rush, this is just an appetizer."
She extended her slender index finger and lightly tapped a blue control node.
"Next, it's time for the **'Ghost Ball'**."
…Warship B Sector, Crew Meal.
Hundreds of silver-skinned crew members were queuing to receive their "high-energy nutritional paste." It was their life-sustaining fuel, tasteless but highly effective.
Suddenly, the lights went out.
In the darkness, the whirring sound of airflow from the ventilation ducts could be heard, sounding remarkably like a woman's sigh.
"What's going on? System malfunction?"
"Where's the maintenance crew? Go check it out!"
Amidst the commotion, the lights came on again.
But this time, it wasn't a stark white light.
Instead, it was a strange, flickering pink neon light (a grotesque aesthetic quirk Shen Qingqiu brought from the cyber world).
Immediately afterward, a piercing static crackled from the broadcast system, then transformed into a melodious, ancient, and distinctly oriental tune… "Spring River Flower Moon Night."
The sound of the pipa, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, echoed in the cold interstellar warship, sounding utterly out of place and utterly eerie.
Even more terrifying, the nutrient paste being squeezed from the synthesizer turned a vibrant red.
A crew member suspiciously tasted it.
The next second, he let out a horrific scream, clutching his throat and writhing on the ground. His silicon-based esophagus had been burned through by some ancient Earth chemical substance called "Ghost Pepper."
"Aaaaah! Poison! A biochemical attack!" Chaos erupted in the dining hall.
And in the shadows of the chaos… The ventilation duct grille was silently pushed open.
A pair of purple eyes lit up in the darkness.
It was Seventeen.
After several days of rest, and with Shen Qingqiu feeding him stolen "energy blocks" at any cost, his body had regained its mobility.
Although his black-gold right arm was still missing, he had used discarded parts from the warship to create a makeshift exoskeleton.
He hung upside down from the ceiling like an elegant black panther.
Looking at the chaotic crowd below, his eyes were cold, and he slightly adjusted the angle of the high-frequency vibrating knife (stolen) in his hand.
[Target locked: Lone security captain.]
[Mission: Obtain ID card.]
[Execution mode: Silent hunt.]
When the security captain tried to check the electrical box,
Seventeen released his hand from the ceiling.
There was no sound of wind.
Only a black afterimage.
*Swoosh—* The blade sliced through the fragile neck joint of the silicon-based creature.
No blood splattered, only blue coolant slowly seeped out. The security captain didn't even have time to sound the alarm before his body went limp and collapsed.
Seventeen caught the body with one hand and dragged it into the shadows.
His movements were fluid and graceful, possessing an artful quality to killing.
A few minutes later.
Seventeen emerged from the shadows.
He had changed into the captain's silver uniform. It was a tight-fitting suit made of fluid metal, perfectly outlining his muscular physique. He put on a full-face helmet, concealing his overly handsome face.
He walked to the electrical box, took a small device (the signal jammer Shen Qingqiu had made) from his pocket, and inserted it.
[Connection successful.]
[Area monitoring: Blocked.] Having done all this, he slightly tilted his head and pressed the communicator to his ear.
It was his private channel with Shen Qingqiu.
"Commander." His voice was low, carrying a hint of seeking praise after completing a mission.
"Sector B cleared. Got a Level 2 access card, and... two boxes of the 'Interstellar Chocolates' you wanted." Shen Qingqiu's gentle laughter came through the earpiece, like a feather tickling his heart.
"Well done, my Ghost Knight."
"Come back soon. Even on an interstellar warship, food gets cold."
...Cabuse C-99.
The once cold, silver-white walls had been transformed by Shen Qingqiu into a cozy "virtual study" using holographic projection.
Ink paintings hung on the walls, a Persian carpet covered the floor, and there was even a fake window offering a view of West Lake in the rain.
This was the haven she had woven for herself and Seventeen during their tedious escape.
The door opened.
Seventeen walked in.
He removed his helmet, his silver hair slightly disheveled. He placed the two boxes of precious chocolates on the table, then awkwardly took off his silver uniform and changed back into Shen Qingqiu's favorite black shirt.
"Are you injured?" Shen Qingqiu turned off the holographic screen, walked to him, and took his hand to examine it.
Several new scratches appeared on his mangled black-gold right arm.
Although he was the strongest weapon, infiltrating and assassinating was still fraught with risk without full recovery and heavy weapons.
"I'm fine." Seventeen shook his head and took her hand in return.
His body temperature was rising, and his [Nano-God Gold] heart was beating steadily and powerfully.
"These aliens... are weak."
Seventeen commented, "They rely too much on the system. Once the internet is cut off, they're like blind men."
"Of course." Shen Qingqiu opened a box of chocolates, broke off a piece, and put it in his mouth.
"A common ailment of advanced civilizations—arrogance."
"They think they control everything, but they don't realize that the most deadly blade often hides in the unseen shadows." Seventeen chewed the chocolate.
Bitter with a hint of sweetness, the taste of energy.
He looked at Shen Qingqiu.
In this foreign land billions of light-years from Earth, inside the belly of this perilous steel behemoth, she remained as composed as if strolling in her own backyard.
With her wisdom, she transformed this terrifying warship into a giant playground.
And he was her only playmate, and also her sharpest toy.
"Qingqiu." Seventeen suddenly spoke.
"Hmm?"
"I want… to fix my hand."
He held up his mutilated right arm. The fingertips were broken, wires exposed, looking rather pitiful.
"Like this… it will hurt if I hold you." The sharp metal fragments had nearly cut her skin several times.
Shen Qingqiu's heart softened.
She took his hand and placed a kiss on the cold, severed fingers.
"Okay."
"We've obtained Level Two clearance. I heard there's a 'bio-weapon repair bay' on the lower deck of the warship."
"Tonight…" Shen Qingqiu's golden eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a cunning glint.
"Tonight, the Ghost Captain will take you to 'borrow' some parts."
"I'm going to give you a... stronger, more beautiful hand, one that can pluck stars from the sky."
...The night was deep and still (though there was no night here).
The warship's corridors were deserted. The crew huddled in their cabins, trembling with fear, terrified that the "ghost" who would sing opera over the loudspeaker and turn food into poison would come knocking.
Two figures moved through the corridors like phantoms.
Shen Qingqiu walked ahead, the terminal on her wrist emitting invisible ripples. All the surveillance cameras along the way automatically shut down the moment she passed, or looped empty shots.
This was the domineering power of the **[Universal Interface]**.
On this ship, apart from the trembling mainframe hiding in the core area, no one could detect her presence.
Seventeen followed closely behind.
He was constantly vigilant, his intact left hand always positioned to protect Shen Qingqiu's side; even a fly flying by would be instantly crushed by him.
"We're here." Shen Qingqiu stopped before a massive gate emblazoned with a skull and crossbones symbol.
[Bioweapon Research Center · No Unauthorized Entry]
"The locks here are bio-genetic locks."
Shen Qingqiu frowned. These locks require specific DNA sequences to open, making them difficult for hackers to crack directly.
"I'll do it." Seventeen stepped forward.
He didn't use brute force.
He extended his missing right arm and actually… plunged it into the heavy alloy gate!
[Devouring God Technique · Matter Assimilation]
Since there was no key, he would make the lock a part of himself.
The hard alloy gate, upon contact with Seventeen's right arm, softened and flowed like mercury, eventually parting to create an opening just large enough for two people to pass through.
"That's a good move."
Shen Qingqiu patted his shoulder approvingly, "You're becoming more and more like a villainous big boss."
The two crawled through the opening.
The scene inside was breathtaking.
It was a huge circular hall. Countless transparent incubation tanks lined the perimeter.
The tanks didn't contain humans, but rather various bizarre, modified interstellar creatures. There were winged lizards and giant apes covered in armor.
And in the very center of the hall.
Floating within was a massive, silver-white mechanical arm.
It was about three meters long, with sleek, graceful lines, crafted entirely from a top-tier material called **"Star Mithril"**. Its fingertips gleamed with a dangerous, cold light, and a blue antimatter energy core was embedded in its elbow.
This was a spare limb prepared by the Silver Empire for their "super soldiers."
[Model: Silverwing · Starslayer]
"That's it." Shen Qingqiu's eyes lit up.
"Although it's silver, a bit tacky, with a repaint, paired with your black and gold style, it'll be absolutely perfect."
She turned to Seventeen.
"Go, Seventeen."
"That's your new piece of the puzzle." Seventeen looked at the massive mechanical arm.
A powerful resonance arose within its core. That was the hunger of a predator upon seeing its apex prey.
He walked towards the center.
The hovering mechanical arm seemed to sense the threat, automatically activating, its five fingers spreading, a laser beam shooting towards Seventeen.
*Snap.*
Seventeen raised his mangled right hand, directly swatting away the laser.
"Quiet down," he said coldly.
He walked to the mechanical arm, extended his broken index finger, and gently touched its core.
[Devour.]
*Boom—!!!*
Black-gold nanofluid erupted from Seventeen's body, like a greedy maw, instantly engulfing the massive silver arm.
The metal screamed, energy surged.
Two completely different civilizations' technologies—the divine metal of cyberpunk cultivation and the mithril of interstellar civilization—collided and fused violently at this moment.
Seventeen gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain of bone remodeling.
But he didn't utter a single groan.
He simply stared intently at Shen Qingqiu not far away, as if she were his only painkiller. A long while passed.
The light faded.
Seventeen stood still.
His missing right arm was gone.
In its place was a completely new arm, longer and more intricate.
It was no longer simply black and gold, but rather shimmered with silver starlight within the black, as if the entire galaxy were sealed beneath its armor.
He tried to move his fingers.
Click.
A soft mechanical sound, melodious as a wind chime.
He raised his hand and gently clenched it in the air.
A tiny crack appeared in the surrounding space.
[Right Arm Module Update: Starry Sky · Xing Tian.]
[New Feature: Spatial Tear.]
"Qingqiu." Seventeen turned and walked towards Shen Qingqiu.
His steps were light, carrying a joy of rebirth.
He reached her and knelt on one knee.
He extended his new, impossibly beautiful hand, palm up, and offered it to her.
"I fixed it."
His voice held a hint of anticipation.
"Now…can I hold you?"
Shen Qingqiu looked at the hand.
She could feel the terrifying power contained within, enough to easily crush the keel of this warship.
But at this moment, the hand was desperately concealing all its sharpness, waiting only for her touch.
Shen Qingqiu reached out and placed her palm in his.
One large, one small; one black, one white.
"Yes." Shen Qingqiu smiled and pulled him up.
"However, before we hug…"
She pointed to the flashing red alarm light above the hall—the fusion had been too loud, finally triggering the alarm.
"We need to give that captain a 'return gift' first."
"Seventeen, empty the armory here…" Seventeen gripped her hand tightly, a wild smile curving his lips.
"Yes, my captain." The alarm blared through the sky.
But this was no longer a threat.
For the ghosts on this ship have grown fangs.
Transforming into ghosts, they frolic with silver whales.
Tonight, the master of this colossal ship will change.