Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 344: Have You No Feelings?

Chapter 344: Have You No Feelings?

The leader of the Legion of the Long Night remained an enigma, even to his own followers—a shadowy figure whose true identity was cloaked in secrecy.

Many space pirates who joined the ranks noted that Liliana, the group’s public face, was merely a level-eight superpower user. This led some to overestimate their own chances of seizing control.

A few even dared to conspire against the organization, but none lasted a single round against the leader.

Despite this, he never openly displayed his abilities, leaving the extent of his power a mystery.

Yet the massive forces he had amassed in such a short time spoke volumes about his might, convincing everyone of his dominance.

Leandro, standing behind this enigmatic figure, noticed someone familiar—Broken Blade.

After the collapse of Voidstar No. 1, he had often wondered where that old hag had vanished.

Now, it seemed she had taken refuge with the Legion of the Long Night.

Broken Blade appeared drastically changed from three years ago. The reckless arrogance that once defined her was gone, replaced by a more subdued demeanor.

She couldn’t help but steal glances at Lyra, but each time their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze.

Leandro scoffed quietly. Back during the chaos at Voidstar No. 1, Broken Blade had been the first to flee. Naturally, she’d feel guilty facing Lyra now.

"Welcome to the Alliance," Valeria said, her tone laced with irony. Internally, she cursed her luck. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined exchanging pleasantries with space pirates.

The Legion of the Long Night’s leader remained cool and detached, offering a brief handshake before moving on.

However, as he passed Lyra, he stopped.

"Rear Admiral Shedd," he addressed her.

Lyra, who had kept her eyes lowered, finally lifted her gaze, her expression questioning his intentions.

"Why have you repeatedly refused Liliana’s invitations?" His voice was cold and mechanical, devoid of any emotion. "You must know my Legion has always welcomed you."

He paused, as if debating whether to reach out to her, but ultimately refrained.

Everyone around them turned to Lyra, stunned. They couldn’t believe that Rear Admiral Shedd had ties to the Legion of the Long Night.

Cohen, standing nearby, clenched his fists tightly.

Lyra held the man’s gaze, undaunted. Even though his face was hidden behind a mask, she could feel the weight of his unusual focus on her.

After a brief pause, she calmly uttered just two words: "Not interested."

Valeria’s eye twitched as she stepped in, admonishing her, "Rear Admiral Shedd, show some respect!"

In truth, she was trying to protect Lyra. This man’s temperament was a complete unknown, and if he turned out to be unpredictable, Lyra could be in real danger.

Rumors claimed that the leader of the Legion of the Long Night had never been defeated, with even powerhouses like Broken Blade and Gino unable to withstand him.

If the rumors were true, he was likely a Supreme Peculiar or beyond.

The leader let out a derisive snort. "Ungrateful."

With that, he turned and strode away, leading his followers toward the council chamber. Leandro and the others let out a collective breath of relief as they trailed after him.

Lyra lingered at the back, her eyes narrowing slightly.

...

When the meeting ended, the Legion of the Long Night’s leader agreed to an alliance but made it clear they wouldn’t remain on Elden Prime.

"Though we are all humans," he said, "we are space pirates. Staying here with you doesn’t suit us."

Once they departed, the council disbanded. Lyra, sidelined in the discussions, remained calm and composed.

Instead of heading back to the base, she made her way to the nearby government finance building.

Inside, Leona was buried in paperwork. When her secretary announced Lyra’s arrival, Leona looked up, surprised.

"Well, well, what a rare guest," Leona remarked.

Lyra wasn’t one for idle visits. Without preamble, she pulled out an approval document.

"We’ve recently lost a significant number of weapons," she said. "I need new supplies. Please sign off on this."

Since the last wave of chaos and looting, the Alliance had enforced emergency wartime management measures.

Large-scale resource transactions now required government approval. Using official military channels was out of the question, so Lyra decided to rely on her personal connections.

Leona groaned at the request, already feeling the weight of her workload. "Do you know how many demands the military has dumped on me recently?"

Lyra’s lips curved into a faint, sarcastic smile. "What good are they, anyway?"

Anyone with a clear mind knew that a single setback wouldn’t tarnish Lyra’s reputation as a stabilizing force.

Leona, perceptive as ever, sighed while reviewing the documents. Her expression darkened as she scanned the request. "Vice Admiral Whyte requested a large amount of these materials recently. Now you’re asking for the same thing. I’m not even sure how much of this we have left in stock."

Her gaze sharpened slightly. "The same materials, huh?"

Realizing the implications of her words, Leona silently cursed her overworked mind. She had just let something slip she shouldn’t have.

Fortunately, Lyra didn’t seem to care. She calmly withdrew the form and replaced it with a new one. "In that case, let’s change it to these."

The updated list included less scarce but still valuable materials. Without further delay, Leona approved it.

Lyra handed the signed documents to Mandy, waiting just outside.Mandy carefully tucked them away.

"I’ll take care of this right away," she assured her. After a pause, she added, "By the way, I heard from a neighbor that someone came looking for my family yesterday. When no one answered the door, they started questioning the neighbors about their whereabouts."

"My parents told the neighbors they were visiting friends before they left," Mandy continued with a hint of relief. "The neighbors said the same thing to whoever was asking. Morrison’s family seems to have had a similar situation."

Mandy felt fortunate. Acting on Lyra’s advice, her family had evacuated well before any trouble arose. Events were unfolding exactly as Lyra had foreseen.

Lyra’s expression remained unreadable as her gaze swept across the eerily empty, tension-filled streets of Central City. "Let’s go," she said.

Mandy hesitated. "Helion wants to see you."

Lyra had been so busy lately she hadn’t even had time to bid farewell to the discharged soldiers and injured troops.

Helion, however, still harbored feelings for Lyra—though Mandy wasn’t sure if Lyra even noticed.

"Where is he now?" Lyra asked.

"At his home in Central City," Mandy replied.

The Legion of Everglow was known for offering enviable benefits. In just a few years, Helion had managed to buy a townhouse on First Street, the most prestigious area in Central City.

Yet, as a single man, the large house felt empty.

Since losing his superpower, Helion had grown reclusive. Even at the time of his discharge, he hadn’t been able to see Lyra, a regret that gnawed at him.

When Lyra rang the doorbell, footsteps quickly approached.

Mandy glanced through the doorway and was surprised to see Helion looking far better than expected.

He was clean-shaven, wearing a tank top, and still sweating from a workout.

"You’re here?" Helion said, his eyes locked on Lyra. He stepped aside to let her in. "Come in."

Lyra entered without hesitation. When Mandy moved to follow, Helion blocked her with an outstretched hand. "Private time."

The door shut firmly in her face.

Mandy sighed. ’Figures. Compared to Lyra, I’m just a comrade—not even worth offering a cup of coffee.’

Inside, Helion returned to the living room, where Lyra was already seated on the sofa, her demeanor distant, even her hair radiating an air of detachment.

"What do you want to say?" Lyra asked, her voice plain.

Helion, who had been brimming with emotion, suddenly felt his resolve waver. He forced a smile, but it crumbled under the weight of his feelings. "I thought... I thought you might at least show a little sympathy."

What greeted him instead were cold, unfeeling eyes.

Helion’s face twisted in frustration. He leaned over the back of the sofa, glaring down at her. "Lyra, do you have any feelings at all? How can you be so cold?"

His eyes reddened, his lips trembling as if on the verge of breaking.

Lyra pondered his question seriously but found she didn’t have an answer.

Her reply, however, was calm and precise. "That question is meaningless. Whether I have feelings or not changes nothing about my actions or my plans."