The king of the stars

Chapter One: Uncle and Nephew

Rex's head throbbed, as if it could split open at any moment. Countless scenes played out in his mind like a cinematic projection, and though he struggled to regain consciousness, his eyelids remained stubbornly closed.

Sleep paralysis?

A fleeting thought crossed Rex's mind as his consciousness grappled with the situation. Finally, his left hand twitched, and he felt a chilling, sticky sensation. Meanwhile, his right hand felt as though it bore the weight of a heavy object, growing increasingly numb.

"Exhale..." Rex finally opened his eyes, gasping for breath, overwhelmed by a profound sense of exhaustion.

As if sensing something, Rex abruptly raised his left hand, stained red. The sight of it, combined with the chilling touch, left Rex in a momentary daze, his heartbeat quickening.

His right arm remained unresponsive. Rex shifted his head, glancing at his right arm, where a small, battered body lay. Tattered clothes adorned with bloodstains covered the child. The tender face, marked by both blood and tears, belonged to a girl of about five, still sniffling in her sleep.

Carefully, Rex maneuvered, propping himself up with his left elbow, creating a protective embrace for the girl against his chest.

Sitting up, Rex surveyed the room, his heart pulsating violently. Two lifeless bodies lay sprawled on the cold floor, their color subtly shifting to a dark purple. Bloodstains had tainted the floor, suggesting that death had visited some time ago.

A memory surfaced in Rex's mind, bringing with it a sharp pang, intense sorrow, and a wrenching pain that made it hard for him to distinguish who he truly was.

Glancing down at the sobbing girl in his arms, Rex's inner turmoil deepened.

Rex vaguely sensed that something had happened to him. Lowering his gaze to the ground, shattered furniture scattered around, he picked up a broken piece of mirror. Shifting his body, he held the shard, catching a glimpse of a slightly immature face – around fifteen years old – with a sickly pallor.

The girl's eyelashes fluttered as she awoke, calling out, "Big brother."

Seemingly recalling something, she burst into tears. Struggling in Rex's arms, she turned around, but Rex firmly held her head, his right arm tightly around her neck, applying gentle pressure to restrain her.

"Don't look," Rex whispered softly, his heart aching, his breath carrying a sense of pain.

How harrowing it must be for a five-year-old girl to witness the beating death of her parents and brother!

"Big brother, I'm scared..." The girl trembled as she cried, clinging tightly to Rex. His heart quivered along with her cries, and the grip on his hand tightened.

"Don't be afraid. Big brother is here," Rex tried to soothe her with a gentler tone.

"Big brother, are Mom and Dad sleeping? Why are they bleeding? Big brother, can you wake them up?" The girl sobbed.

"Yao'er, Mom and Dad are tired. Let them rest for a while, okay?" Rex lowered his head, looking at the girl, attempting to force a smile.

"Okay." Though still crying, the girl obediently nodded.

Rex lifted her gently, cradling her in his arms. Glancing around the room, Rex took in the disorder. Clothes were piled up, and Rex found two tattered blankets. Leaving the bedroom, he covered the lifeless bodies, searching his memories for guidance on how to handle the situation. However, the previous owner seemed to lack such memories, being less than fifteen years old and devoid of life experience.

Yet, he vaguely understood that the deceased could be buried or cremated.

"Money!" Rex glanced around the messy room, realizing it had been ransacked. Likely, anything of value had been taken. This world appeared more brutal than the memories he possessed.

Dong, dong, dong...

Footsteps approached, and the half-open door was pushed ajar. A middle-aged figure entered, glancing at the bodies covered in white cloth and then at Rex. His eyelids twitched, and he inquired, "Are you from the Arsenal Factory?"

"Probably." Rex nodded. In his memories, his parents were ordinary workers at the Arsenal Factory, but one day they returned home, never daring to go back. They even went to the law enforcement team, seemingly having encountered something.

According to Rex's memories, his parents hadn't disclosed what happened, but he overheard them discussing that the Arsenal Factory harbored some secrets. Filled with fear, they contemplated reporting it, but in the end, they met this tragic fate. The whole family, except for five-year-old Yao, was beaten to death.

"Muddled fools. I warned them not to meddle, or they'd end up like this." The middle-aged man, Rex's uncle and the younger brother of his father, sighed. "Rex, considering the circumstances, I'll take care of your parents' arrangements. However, cremation requires money. I'll borrow some and try to make it dignified. After that, we can sell this wretched house. What do you think?"

Rex looked at him warily, realizing his uncle wasn't so easy to deal with. His parents were honest people, while this uncle was more cunning. The brothers didn't interact much.

"Where will Yao'er and I live?" Rex asked.

"I'll apply to be your guardian. You and Yao'er will stay with me," his uncle replied.

"Your home isn't big, and adding Yao'er and me might be inconvenient. Besides, Yao'er will grow up, making it less suitable," Rex responded.

His uncle's eyes flashed with impatience. This timid and obedient Rex seemed to have changed. Was he not terrified after what had happened? His uncle believed he could easily handle a less-than-fifteen-year-old kid.

"Don't worry about that. Uncle will find a solution," his uncle said impatiently.

Rex stared at him, then said, "Thank you for your kind offer, but don't trouble yourself, Uncle. I'll take care of Yao'er."

"Young children don't understand anything." His uncle scolded Rex with an irritated look, not expecting him to be so different after the ordeal. Wasn't he supposed to be frightened, scared silly? Yet, Rex was contemplating the future?

"You don't need to worry about that. Uncle will figure it out," his uncle said, his tone growing impatient.

Rex looked at his uncle, and then said, "Thank you for your offer, Uncle, but there's no need to trouble you. I'll take care of Yao'er myself."

"You brat, you're giving me faceless!" His uncle glared at Rex, a hint of maliciousness in his eyes. It seemed that this kid, once timid and scared, had changed. His uncle couldn't believe he couldn't control a less-than-fifteen-year-old brat.

"I decline," a voice tender and innocent echoed. Rex turned around to find little Yao'er standing barefoot at the room's entrance. Clearly awakened by shock, her dewy eyes fixed on Rex, she uttered, "Yao'er doesn't want to be given away."

Observing the tears in the girl's eyes, Rex felt a pang in his heart. Walking over, he embraced her, declaring, "Brother won't send Yao'er away."

"There's no place for a child to speak here," Uncle Xu scowled at Yao'er.

Yao'er shrank her body, her eyes seeking Rex's comfort.

A surge of anger brewed within Rex; he carried Yao'er into the room and placed her on the bed. Gently stroking her head, he said, "Be good, Yao'er. Brother will protect you. Stay in the room and don't move, alright?"

"Okay, Yao'er will listen to Brother!" The girl obediently nodded.

"Good girl," Rex lightly kissed her forehead and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Uncle, please leave. I will handle matters here on my own," Rex addressed Uncle Xu, not expecting any assistance from his uncle.

Upon hearing this, Uncle Xu cast a malevolent gaze at Rex. A sinister smirk played on his lips as he approached Rex, uttering in a cold tone, "Brat, showing ingratitude even when your parents are dead. Do you understand?"

With those words, he aimed a kick at Rex, who, already weakened, collapsed to the ground. As Rex fell, Uncle Xu callously added, "Cooperate obediently, and you'll fare better. Do you think I'd willingly take you in? Yao'er, don't worry; this little girl is quite cute. She'll fetch a good price on the black market. Some wealthy gentlemen there fancy such things."

Rex coughed, his tightly clenched hand trembling.

"Hmph," Uncle Xu shot a cold glance at Rex, then walked past him toward the room, pushing the door open.

Suddenly, a noise emerged from behind. Uncle Xu furrowed his brow, a murderous intent appearing in his eyes. Initially thinking Rex still had some value – perhaps as cheap labor – it seemed he was now reconsidering.

Here, no one cared about what happened. Just as Uncle Xu turned his head, a sharp shard of glass hurtled toward him. His pupils constricted in shock. Unfathomable to him, his usually timid nephew had made such a daring move. Before he could react, Rex, as if using every ounce of his strength, drove the glass shard directly into Uncle Xu's eye, piercing deep.

Chapter 2: Subterranean Realm

A sharp piece of glass pierced into the opponent's eyes, yet Rex did not relent. With all his might, he covered the opponent's mouth with his left hand, forcing the body to the ground.

The opponent struggled intensely, but Rex held firm, relentless as sharp objects continued their frenzied assault. Blood splattered, flesh became indistinct, until convulsions began, resistance weakening, gradually fading away.

Rex gazed at the disfigured face, his body and arms trembling slightly. Suppressing the churning in his stomach, he dragged the corpse away from the bedroom door. Finding a piece of cloth, he covered the body and cleaned the residual blood from himself and the floor.

Having completed these tasks, Rex leaned back on the worn-out sofa, breathing heavily. His arm still trembled slightly, the dangers of this world making him feel a sense of fear.

"The subterranean realm!"

Rex murmured, only now ta