"No, this is our secret," Endymion said softly.
"Our secret?" Lin Yun gazed at the boy before her—so familiar, yet suddenly so different. Her heart, to her surprise, began to race. "Just the two of us?"
"Of course," he nodded, his voice warm and steady. "It belongs only to you and me."
An unspoken tension bloomed between them, the kind that made breathing feel shallow. Under the pale starlight, Lin Yun's once-cold features blushed faintly, and her icy aura melted into something soft, something… tender. Endymion couldn't help but feel a flutter in his chest. She was always beautiful—but like this, stripped of her frost, she was almost breathtaking.
"I… I'll go contact Xiaoya and the others," Lin Yun murmured, almost as if escaping, and retreated into her mech's cockpit.
Inside, she inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself. But the walls she had kept guarded for years had cracked without warning. And now, Endymion's presence had carved a subtle, indelible mark in her heart.
Soon, Duanmu Xiaoya returned, accompanied by Duanmu Xiaopang and Duanmu Xiaozhuang. Though confused by Lin Yun's abrupt summons, they followed her instructions without question—and even brought with them a large haul of food.
They had indeed found provisions on that route, just as Bai had predicted. It was clear now that their previous hardship hadn't been accidental—it had all been orchestrated. And Bai's betrayal confirmed he was in league with those conspiring against Lin Yun.
Still, Endymion thought Bai had unwittingly played a useful role. Without his scheming, Lin Yun wouldn't have stumbled upon that food stash so easily.
But a new problem had arisen.
Endymion had initially only intended to help Lin Yun. He couldn't care less about the others' survival. But Lin Yun wasn't like that—she would never abandon them. And so, their food, water, and mech energy needs… became his responsibility.
The water he had produced earlier had already been split among the group. To his quiet dismay, he noticed Lin Yun hadn't taken any for herself. She was parched—he could tell—but she had clearly given her share away.
So he returned to his own cockpit, sat down, and resumed drawing water from the air.
Condensing water from elemental particles wasn't difficult—but it drained mana rapidly. Meditation helped him recover slowly, but it was too inefficient. Then he had an idea: he could absorb energy from his crystals to replenish mana quickly. This way, he could produce both water and power crystals in a single process.
Still, as he watched one crystal after another disappear, a pang of regret hit him. If he were back on the continent of Aurore, wasting precious energy crystals like this would earn him the title of the ultimate spendthrift.
After using up several crystals, he finally filled a water pouch to the brim. Under normal conditions, this would last someone a week. In the desert, three days at most.
Even so, at a rate of five crystals per day for the whole group, he could last them a month with only half his current stock. The math reassured him, though his heart still ached.
He stepped out of the cockpit, pouch in hand, and walked toward Lin Yun.
She was sitting cross-legged in meditation, practicing her Starmoon Technique. Under the starlit sky, her refined features glowed faintly with a mystical shimmer. Gone was the cold beauty—what remained was something almost… divine.
He sat down beside her, careful not to disturb her concentration. He would wait.
Elsewhere, Xiaoya and the others were also meditating. Earlier, Endymion had volunteered for night watch, explaining that he couldn't train like them. Though they didn't trust him much, Lin Yun did—and that trust was enough to make them yield.
Lin Yun finally exhaled deeply, ending her practice. She opened her eyes.
"You need something?" she asked softly.
Without a word, Endymion handed her the water pouch and mimed drinking. She understood immediately.
"Thank you," she murmured, and accepted the pouch. Her throat was indeed dry.
After a few sips, she offered it back.
"Keep it," Endymion said. "Just give me an empty one to refill later."
"Come with me," Lin Yun said, turning toward her mech. She climbed inside—and he followed.
The cockpit was a sealed chamber, quiet and private. Perfect for… confidential conversations. Or, in some cases, more intimate interactions. From outside, no one could see or hear a thing.
Unlike Tang Bingbing's customized mech, this one was more standard in design. Still, the cockpit was slightly roomier—but with two people inside, it was still a tight fit. Their bodies brushed—just slightly—but enough to stir the air between them.
A subtle warmth spread.
"Here," Lin Yun said suddenly, coughing gently as she handed him an empty pouch, breaking the tension.
Endymion took it with a smile and passed her a few crystals. "Give one to each of them. Use the rest to recharge your mech."
She nodded, but after a moment of hesitation, couldn't suppress her curiosity. "Are you… an Awakened?"
"No," he replied simply. That made two now who had mistaken his magic for supernatural abilities.
"Then what is it? As far as I know, no ability other than Awakening can produce water out of thin air," she pressed gently.
"I told you—after the trial, I'll explain everything," he said, calm but firm.
She looked disappointed, but didn't press further. After all, they barely knew each other. He had no obligation to share his secrets.
"Alright, I won't ask again," she said quietly. Then, changing the subject, "It's late. You should get some rest."
"I'll sleep outside then," Endymion offered, reaching for the hatch.
"No need." Lin Yun stopped him and pressed a button on the floor.
To his astonishment, the cockpit shifted. What was once a compact space transformed, revealing a fold-out alloy bed.
"This mech's been modified," she explained. "I usually sleep here during long deployments."
"Brilliant design," Endymion thought. He made a mental note to suggest it to his aunt for future mech designs. The challenge wouldn't be in the addition—but in preserving the mech's performance.
"Rest. I'll take the next watch. Nothing will happen," Lin Yun said softly.
Her tone… was different. Soothing. Tender. Anyone who knew her would've been shocked. Lin Yun had never spoken like this before.
Endymion didn't protest. Training and meditation could restore stamina—but nothing beat real sleep.
The bed was hard, the surface metallic—not exactly cozy. But it was infinitely better than the desert floor. He lay down and closed his eyes, and almost immediately, a delicate scent tickled his nose—her scent, light and natural, impossible to ignore.
Lin Yun didn't leave. She remained seated on the edge of the bed. The space was so narrow that the slightest movement caused their bodies to brush.
Endymion realized he couldn't sleep. His thoughts drifted… to Tang Bingbing. Specifically, that kiss in her cockpit. Now, here he was again—trapped in a tiny space with another beautiful girl. One whose icy aura was fading into something warm, something dangerously inviting.
"Calm down, calm down," he told himself. "You lived your whole last life without a woman, didn't you? You'll survive this."
He clenched his fists, fighting the heat rising in his blood. Because Lin Yun wasn't Tang Bingbing. They had only known each other for a few days. She had trusted him, yes—but trust and love were worlds apart.