AEKMEM chapter 1

According to most of the Imperial Star, the eldest son of the An family could not accept the reality of his failed awakening. His mentality collapsed, and he ran into the Star Beast Forest alone.

“He’s seeking death. Even beastmen don’t dare enter the Star Beast Forest so easily, let alone him, a weak elf.” Someone sneered.

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to live anymore? His once-promising future has suddenly turned worthless—he had hoped to return to the ancestral elf form, but now his awakening has failed. Anyone would fall apart.”

“Such a waste of pure elf blood.”

In the Empire, elf blood was extremely rare, and even the lowest-ranked elves were highly sought after.

Although elves were weak in combat, they generally had attractive appearances due to the rare elf genes in their bodies. After reaching adulthood, they could awaken healing abilities.

This magical healing ability could calm beastmen’s mental turbulence, heal their mental trauma, and even enhance their strength. The purer the blood, the stronger the healing ability.

Some say that when elf blood reaches a certain degree of purity, one can return to the ancestral elf form.

Just a few days ago, An Qiao, the eldest son of the An family, was the most dazzling elf in the empire. He was the most handsome man in the empire and had the purest elf blood in imperial history. He harbored the faint hope of returning to his ancestral form and becoming a true elf.

The An family was eager to showcase their brilliance at the coming-of-age banquet after An Qiao’s awakening, and they had created a huge stir and publicity.

Unexpectedly, joy turned to sorrow. At the critical moment of awakening a few days ago, An Qiao was stabbed and seriously injured—

His awakening failed. Not only could he not return to his ancestral form, but he also could not awaken basic elf healing abilities. He was worse than the lowest-ranked elf.

It was said that An Qiao couldn’t accept the truth and was obsessed with rumors from who knows where. He hoped to find a healing herb in the Star Beast Forest.

Five days later:

“We’ve found An Qiao!” someone from the rescue team shouted.

Through the falling snow, they saw a handsome young man lying on the ground with his eyes closed. He was not far from a cluster of wild roses.

His skin was as pale and cold as snow. His body proportions and allure were exquisitely perfect. His features were so stunning that they overshadowed the wild roses blooming across the land.

He looked as if he had gone through a fierce battle. His snow-white robe was stained with blood, and his long, silver hair, which draped behind him, was slightly disheveled. His bloodied brows furrowed faintly, and several dark red streaks dripped from his pale cheek. He had a fragile beauty that seemed as if it could shatter at any moment.

Everyone present held their breath, afraid to disturb the scene.

“Is this what the legendary elves must look like?” After a long time, someone finally broke the silence and sighed.

Elves had appeared in the empire a long time ago.

In legends, movies, and dramas, they wore snow-white robes and had long silver hair. Even on ordinary days, some elves imitated “elf attire.”

But no one could compare to the young man before them. He was truly mesmerizing.

Even the fierce star beasts, which usually showed no goodwill toward passing humans, seemed reluctant to harm him.

**

Hospital corridor.

“Has An Qiao gone mad? Does he think he can become an elf just by wearing elf costumes? That’s nothing but delusion!”

“He only has a pretty face. Can’t we at least use that? Honestly, though, he really is good-looking. He looks more like an elf than the ones in the movies.”

“What good is being handsome? He’s completely useless—even worse than low-level elves!”

The voices of the discussion were muffled.

The Elf King, An Qiao, dressed in snow-white robes and with cold brows and eyes, seemed not to hear the sarcasm. He dragged his sick body toward the hospital’s back garden, walking slowly.

Pain.

It was truly painful.

An Qiao never imagined that he, an elf, would be afraid of pain.

Elves are born with light attributes and naturally possess healing powers. In the past, if he sustained a minor injury, he could immediately recover with a healing spell. Even if he was severely injured and couldn’t use healing magic, clan elders were always eager to treat him.

But this time, when he was most severely injured, he couldn’t be treated.

To protect the elves from demonic invasion, he led the charge and killed the demon king who had attacked them. But before dying, the demon king cursed him. Severely injured and cursed, he watched the demons, powerless and defeated. Finally, he succumbed and fainted.

He believed the clan elders would treat him well, heal his wounds, and handle the clan’s troublesome matters.

When he woke up, An Qiao was stunned.

He found himself in another world!

If he had known earlier, he would have stayed awake a little longer instead of lazily leaving matters to the clan elders.

His gravely injured, frail body was pale and painful, and he coughed up blood.

Because of the demon curse, his recovery was slow.

The curse did not suit him. Not only did it restrain and erode his magical power, but it also tortured him with constant pain. Even at his peak, he couldn’t easily dispel the curse. Now, he was even more powerless.

When he woke up in the hospital, the humans told him that he was An Qiao, the eldest son of the An family, who had been rescued from the Star Beast Forest by the search team.

He denied being the human An Qiao.

They believed that he was overstimulated by the failed awakening and was gravely injured and near death, which caused his memory to blur.

For various reasons, he temporarily accepted this identity.

Even if he encountered danger or an accident, his intact mental power was enough to protect him.

After being bedridden for half a month, his condition improved slightly over the last two days, and he could barely get up and walk.

Having heard that the hospital’s back garden was beautiful, An Qiao planned to take a look.

Elves are naturally close to nature and long for freedom.

During his time in the ward, he felt suffocated by its pale, narrow, cramped walls.

Stepping out of the warm building into the open air, An Qiao shivered as a gust of cold wind blew by.

His ears, the tip of his nose, and his hands turned red from the cold in seconds.

His hair was messy, his long eyelashes trembled, and his fair face, fragile as fine glass, looked pitiful.

An Qiao: “… ”

The noble elf king, raised with the utmost care, experienced for the first time how torturous the cold could be.

When he wasn’t injured, magic power flowed through his body, so extreme cold or heat never harmed him. Even when he was injured and unable to use magic, the clan elders protected him.

Now, cursed and gravely injured, his body couldn’t automatically resist the cold. Because of his weakness, he was even more afraid of the cold than ordinary humans were.

The damp, icy winter wind pierced his bones like needles, stinging him painfully.

An Qiao frowned and took a deep breath.

In this foreign world without elves, the magic elements in the air were scarce.

How long would it take to recover from these wounds?

The always-elegant Elf King, who had never cursed, nearly couldn’t hold back a swear word when he thought of enduring such pain for so long.

“Master An Qiao,” someone called out.

A middle-aged man in a servant uniform approached him and said, “Master An Qiao, you are not well. Why are you wandering?”

“If you become seriously ill again and can’t attend the second young master’s coming-of-age banquet tonight, the family head and the second young master will be furious.”

“Oh.” An Qiao nodded casually.

His gaze fell on the garden not far away, and doubt flickered in his icy blue eyes.

This was it?

Was this supposed to be the “very beautiful” garden?

It wasn’t even as big as his small rose garden. The flowers, plants, and trees were withered and lifeless.

What An Qiao didn’t know was that, in the interstellar era, weakness meant danger. Most plants had even become feral. Pure ornamental plants without aggression had few varieties and were too fragile to cultivate.

This garden was good, no worse than the noble gardens An Qiao had seen in human lands. However, elves had high standards.

An Qiao looked away, disappointed.

If he had known that this so-called “garden” was like this, he wouldn’t have dragged his broken body out here! And in such bad weather, too!

“Master An Qiao, please return to the ward at once.” Seeing An Qiao’s indifferent gaze, Steward An’s face turned cold and his tone became firm. “Someone will come tonight to take you back to the old house for the second young master’s coming-of-age banquet.”

“Let’s go.” An Qiao glanced at him coldly, then slowly and gracefully walked back.

Elves are naturally sensitive to malice and goodwill.

Steward An had come to the hospital two or three times, and each time, there was deep hatred in his eyes.

Steward An: “…”

Why did he feel like a servant following a king?

Steward An was extremely displeased.

Did he still think he was the cherished son of Heaven, with the purest elf blood in the Empire?

The more caring and humble Steward An had been, the more he hated An Qiao. He felt that all his efforts spent on An Qiao had been a waste.

Remembering what the family head said, he decided to choose a “suitable” husband for An Qiao at the second young master’s coming-of-age banquet—in truth, he would “sell” An Qiao.

Regardless of what the buyer looked like, what his personality was like, or his age, as long as the price was high enough, An Qiao would be sold.

Steward An sneered maliciously.

An Qiao, now wasted and worthless, was only worthy of being a “gift” in exchange for profit.

“Cough… cough…” Walking ahead, An Qiao suddenly coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. He bent slightly and clutched a nearby lamp post. His back looked weak, powerless, and pitiful.

The crimson stain on his lips was startling.

An Qiao: “…”

This broken body! Can’t you be a little more motivated?!”

**

In a small tavern on a border star in the southern region of the empire, a few men were drinking loudly.

“I heard the prince went east to the frontier to wipe out the star pirates.”

“Didn’t he just defeat the Zerg? Shouldn’t he be attending the celebration banquet at the Imperial Capital Star?”

“He postponed it. Last night, at the banquet, all the officials from the Imperial Capital Star were waiting to present their daughters to him as crown princess candidates. Even the emperor attended with great fanfare. But the banquet was almost over, and there was still no sign of the prince. After checking, they found that he had disappeared two days ago.

“This…this is too…unreliable, right? He’s openly defying so many people.”

“This is still considered restrained. He once beat the second prince nearly to death in public. If not for others intervening, it would have ended badly.”

“Everyone knows that when the prince was in the military academy, he was infamous for being a troublemaker. Even the instructors couldn’t do anything.”

Almost everyone in the empire knew that Crown Prince Chu Heng was rebellious, reckless, and ruthless.

Since the empire was constantly threatened by Zerg invasions, every crown prince was the strongest among the princes and beastmen.

Chu Heng was even more extraordinary. He was the most talented beastman in imperial history, ranking first in military strength from a young age. His black dragon form covered the sky and sun, making him appear ferocious and awe-inspiring. This made everyone fear and respect him.

After he led the Second Army to defeat the invading Zerg — even injuring the Zerg Queen himself and forcing them to retreat — he became highly sought after and admired in the empire.

Chu Heng’s military prowess and striking appearance embodied the people’s ideal of a “crown prince.”

However, the crown prince was extremely difficult to deal with.

Not even the emperor could restrain him.

At that time, someone suddenly thought aloud, “Maybe after the prince marries the elf princess, he can restrain him and calm his temper?”

“Click.” In a corner near the window, a man in a black cloak sat cross-legged, drinking and amused by this remark.

The man was tall and well-built with striking eyebrows. Though he sat lazily, an indescribably sharp and deadly aura emanated from him.

His eyes were a romantic shade of pink. Yet they made people feel danger. They were cruel, relaxed, passionate, flamboyant, and utterly dangerous.

“Wife? Only a crazy dragon would waste money raising a wife,” Chu Heng thought arrogantly and contemptuously.

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