The Villain Is Too Popular

Chapter 502: Artificial Star Beasts

In the evening, Jing Liuli ran back to the base, skipping along with the Spirit Fox in her arms. She mumbled to herself about filming a training vlog for her fans to share her progress.

Tendo stood where he was, watching her cheerful retreating figure. His pale blue star power quietly receded, and the aura around him returned to its usual steady composure.

He did not return to the base immediately. Instead, he looked up toward the starry sky at the base's perimeter.

While guiding Jing Liuli's training earlier, he had vaguely sensed a faint but abnormal energy fluctuation coming from the distant reaches of space.

It was different from ordinary Star Beasts; that fluctuation was laced with a hint of deliberately hidden malice.

Relying on his exceptional perception, Tendo precisely captured this sliver of abnormality despite the distance and the opponent's attempt to conceal their presence.

After a moment of reflection, Tendo slowly raised his hand. Pale blue star power swirled gently around his fingertips. His gaze grew sharp as an eagle's as he looked toward the source of the fluctuations.

The pressure around him spread quietly, but this time, it was tempered with a cold vigilance. He would not tolerate any existence that attempted to threaten the base or the people around him.

Before long, the base's defensive warning system emitted a soft alarm, and a prompt popped up on the terminals.

[Warning! Unknown star power fluctuation detected 10 kilometers from the base. Suspected cluster of high-level Star Beasts approaching. Energy level unknown.]

In the base control room, Caroline's expression changed when she saw the prompt. She immediately dialed Tendo's communication line, her tone heavy with gravity.

"Tendo, an unknown Star Beast cluster has been detected on the perimeter. Their energy fluctuations are very strange. They don't seem like ordinary Star Beasts. Can you sense the specifics on your end?"

"Yes, I've already sensed them."

Tendo's tone remained flat, devoid of panic, as if he were facing a few inconsequential ants rather than an unknown cluster of high-level Star Beasts.

"Three high-level Star Beasts. They are laced with a hint of artificially modified star power. Someone likely deployed them deliberately for unknown purposes. They are eight kilometers from the base. I'm going to handle it."

"I'll go with you," Caroline said immediately. "There might be an ambush. Two people offer more security. I can use the mechs to assist you and monitor their energy fluctuations."

Tendo was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Fine. Stay safe, stay behind me, and do not act on your own."

Closing the communication, Tendo moved. His pale blue star power erupted instantly, and his figure sped toward the base perimeter like a meteor. His speed was even faster than when he had headed to the laboratory, leaving only a fleeting pale blue afterimage in the air.

Back in her room, Jing Liuli hadn't even had time to turn on her terminal when she heard the base's warning alarm.

Her face paled, and she immediately ran out with the Spirit Fox, happening upon Yun Meng and Little Jin as they hurried toward the perimeter.

"Sister Yun, what happened? Is there danger?" Jing Liuli asked urgently, her eyes filled with worry. "Where's Tendo? Did he go to the perimeter?"

"Yes, but don't worry," Yun Meng said, gently taking her hand. Her tone was soft yet firm. "Tendo has gone to deal with it, and Caroline followed him. You know Tendo's strength; he won't be in danger."

Little Jin also raised its head and let out a low growl as if to reassure Jing Liuli, though its eyes also held a hint of vigilance. It could sense that the unknown energy fluctuation was very strange. It felt like one of its own kind, yet not entirely.

At the base perimeter, Tendo had already reached the area where the Star Beasts were approaching. Caroline arrived by his side, her mech terminal clearly displaying the energy fluctuations and specific positions of the three high-level Star Beasts.

"Tendo, they're right ahead. Three high-level Star Beasts. Their energy levels have reached the mid-Calamity grade, and their star power fluctuations are very unstable, as if they were forcibly modified. They are extremely aggressive."

Caroline pointed toward the sky ahead, her tone grave. "The terminal detected unstable abnormal energy sources inside them. If they are killed, they might trigger an explosion that could affect the base."

Tendo looked up to see three grotesquely shaped Star Beasts rushing toward the base through the starry sky.

Their bodies were covered in black scales, radiating violent black star power. Their auras were hideous and terrifying; every step of their charge caused the surrounding star power to fall into disarray.

Tendo's Star Core, the Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye, opened quietly. A faint cyan light flickered in his eyes.

Combined with Conscious Calculation, he completed a massive data analysis in an instant. He understood the star power flow trajectories of these three new beasts, the locations of their energy cores, and the nature of the abnormal energy sources within them.

Equipped with this fundamental intelligence, pale blue star power flowed slowly around him. It was not ordinary star power, but the manifestation of "Vectors."

Tendo's finger twitched slightly, and the space around him began to ripple with subtle distortions.

Domain: Infinite Spacetime opened silently.

The moment the domain opened, the space within a hundred-meter radius of Tendo was completely distorted, forming an independent "Vector Space."

The charging speed of the three Star Beasts suddenly slowed, as if they had fallen into a viscous mire of spacetime. This was Tendo using "Vector Control" to distort the flow of time and space within a specific range, thereby infinitely slowing the enemy's movements. Simultaneously, he used Conscious Calculation to adjust the vector rules within that space in real-time.

"Leave them to me."

Tendo's tone was flat, without a hint of emotion.

The moment he spoke, though his body did not move, he used "Vector Control" to forcibly redirect the black star power surrounding the three beasts. Their originally violent momentum instantly became a chaotic mess.

Feeling the suppression of "Infinite Spacetime" and the chaos of their own star power, the three originally frenzied beasts froze instantly, their bodies trembling slightly.

Their instincts told them that all their movements—even the flow of star power within them—were being completely controlled by this human. This suppression, originating from the level of fundamental rules, was a bone-deep reverence that they could not escape even with artificial modification and enhancement.

Watching this, Caroline's eyes were filled with shock.

She saw clearly that the space around Tendo was warping. The three mid-Calamity grade Star Beasts were moving as slowly as snails, their star power seemingly manipulated by an invisible force until they couldn't even control their own energy flow.

What shocked her even more was that Tendo had not actively attacked once. He achieved absolute suppression over the three beasts solely through the spatial ripples emanating from his person. This was no longer just a crushing difference in strength; it was control at the level of universal rules—the absolute advantage brought by the "Infinite Spacetime" domain.

"Roar!"

One of the Star Beasts, driven to a corner by the spacetime suppression and star power chaos, exerted all its strength to erupt its black star power. It broke free from a portion of the vector control and let out a violent roar.

It gathered all its strength and lunged at Tendo. Its sharp claws glinted with a cold light, imbued with earth-shattering black star power that even caused slight tremors in space. It hoped to break through the suppression of "Infinite Spacetime" and kill this human who made it feel such dread.

Tendo's expression did not change. His Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye flickered again, and Conscious Calculation instantly completed a prediction, precisely capturing the vector trajectory and energy intensity of the attack.

He did not dodge. Instead, he raised his hand slightly.

The moment the black star power from the lunging beast touched Tendo's palm, it did not trigger an explosion. Instead, it was forcibly absorbed and stored by Tendo's body.

In an instant, the originally violent black star power was transformed into docile vector energy, merging into Tendo's body to become his own power.

In the next second, Tendo exerted force again, completely reversing the vector of the Star Beast's attack.

The black star power he had just absorbed and stored was instantly fired back with even greater vector intensity, precisely striking the Star Beast's energy core.

Bang!

Struck by its own redirected attack, the black star power inside the beast's body went into a violent frenzy. The black scales on its surface began to peel off.

Under Tendo's vector control and the rule modifications of Infinite Spacetime, the unstable energy source within it was forcibly stabilized, preventing it from exploding.

It looked simple, but it was incredibly complex. The Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye analyzed the core structure of the energy source; Conscious Calculation adjusted the vector parameters; and Vector Control managed the energy conduction of the unstable source. Only with all these conditions met could the "time bomb" hidden inside the Star Beast be prevented from detonating.

Boom!

The Star Beast's body fell like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the sea surface, completely losing its combat capability. The residual star power within it was continuously drained by Tendo and channeled into his own body, becoming part of his stored attack energy.

Seeing their companion defeated in a single strike and their own attacks turned against them, the other two Star Beasts trembled with fear, not daring to move an inch. They tried their best to break through the suppression of "Infinite Spacetime" to turn and flee.

However, Tendo had already used Conscious Calculation to predict their escape routes.

The vector force field contracted again. The distorted flow of spacetime became even faster, causing the escape movements of the two beasts to be infinitely slowed while their star power was completely sealed.

Tendo moved, appearing instantly in front of the two Star Beasts.

The invisible vector field immediately seized their energy cores, while the Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye monitored their star power flow in real-time.

In just a few minutes, the three high-level Star Beasts were completely subdued and stripped of their fighting power. Their violent star power and attack energy were all absorbed and stored by Tendo's cells, becoming his "Counter-Attack Reserve Energy."

Having dealt with the beasts, Tendo turned to Caroline and spoke plainly.

"It's done. The purpose behind deploying these Star Beasts is currently unknown. After you return, use the mechs to monitor the star power fluctuations around the base. If you find anything unusual, notify me immediately."

The pale blue star power around Tendo quietly receded, and the Star Eclipse Heavenly Eye closed. The "Infinite Spacetime" domain vanished completely, as if the rule-level suppression and energy absorption had never happened.

Caroline nodded and began the clean-up work.

Tendo didn't say much else. He looked toward the distant stars, a profound light flashing in his eyes. He could feel that the artificially modified star power aura was familiar; it seemed to have some connection to the previous "Tie Jin."

Perhaps this was only the beginning. There would be more dangers and more challenges in the future.

"Let's go back. They should be waiting for us."

Tendo withdrew his gaze and sped toward the base, his pale blue star power leaving a dazzling afterimage under the starlight.

Caroline watched his retreating back and nodded silently. To her, Tendo was like a star hidden in the night sky. He seemed plain on the surface, but he contained endless light. Once he erupted, he would be enough to illuminate the entire galaxy and become the most brilliant existence.

At the base entrance, Jing Liuli, Yun Meng, and Little Jin were already waiting. Seeing Tendo and Caroline, Jing Liuli immediately ran over, her face a mix of excitement and worry. "Tendo! Sister Caroline! You're back! Are you hurt? Did you solve the danger smoothly?"

Tendo looked at her leaping, worried form. His tone softened slightly as he shook his head gently.

"It's fine. It's been dealt with. It was just three insignificant Star Beasts."

Yun Meng also walked over with a gentle smile. "It's good that you're back."

Little Jin raised its head and nudged Tendo's leg, the reverence in its eyes deepening.

Caroline walked up to the group and said with a smile, "We owe it to Tendo this time. If not for him, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Three high-level artificial Star Beasts at the Pseudo-Calamity grade—that's quite a grand gesture."

"Wow!" Jing Liuli exclaimed, hugging the Spirit Fox and leaning against Tendo's arm. "I knew Tendo was the best! My Innate Great Luck must have been buffing you too, which is why you could solve the danger so smoothly!"

Tendo looked at her adorable expression, and a very faint smile touched the corners of his mouth. He gently ruffled her hair. "Mm. Thanks to your good luck."

As the night deepened, the stars shone brightly. The star-energy light strips of the base were warm and bright, enveloping the entire facility in a soft glow.

The group walked into the base together. Jing Liuli continued to chatter away, sharing her worries and her joy. Caroline offered occasional reminders, Yun Meng smiled gently, and Little Jin and the Spirit Fox followed obediently. The atmosphere was warm and lively.

Tendo walked at the front. His aura remained steady and reserved without a hint of flashiness, yet he had invisibly become the person everyone relied on. He looked up at the stars above, his pale blue star power flowing quietly around him as his resolve became increasingly clear.

Upon returning to the base, Caroline immediately went to the control room to monitor the surrounding star power fluctuations and screen for potential threats. Yun Meng went to prepare dinner to soothe everyone's frayed nerves.

Jing Liuli held the Spirit Fox and started a livestream to share the recent crisis with her fans and show off Tendo's prowess. In the chat, fans spammed messages praising Tendo's strength and envying Jing Liuli for having such a reliable partner.

Tendo went alone to the base's viewing window. Gazing at the distant stars, his pale blue star power flowed slowly as he silently tempered his energy.

At the same time, he activated his Tendo cells to refine the Star Beast attack energy he had just absorbed and stored. He converted it entirely into his own vector star energy and merged it into his Star Core, further enhancing the strength of the "Infinite Spacetime" domain.

He did not feel proud because of the recent victory, nor did he slack off because of his talent. The path of the strong never has an end.

The precision of "Star Source: Vector Control," the fusion of the four components of "Infinite Spacetime," and the upper limit of energy absorption and storage—all of these required constant accumulation and refinement. Only then could he face all future challenges, truly master rules, modify laws, control his own destiny, and become the protagonist of this era.

The Spirit Fox quietly came to his side and lay submissively at his feet. It exhaled a wisp of faint light that wrapped around his fingertips, as if keeping him company, or perhaps showing its reverence.

Tendo looked down at the Spirit Fox by his feet. a touch of softness flashed in his eyes. He didn't speak, but continued to gaze at the stars. His pale blue star power emitted a faint glow in the night—steady and brilliant, just like his conviction.