Here's the English translation:
Hao Ming blinked slowly. His eyes, which for ten years had seen only a crimson, sunless sky, were gradually adjusting to the blinding whiteness.
The young man looked wild. Filthy, dressed in crude, poorly-treated furs, his hair matted with years of dried blood. He looked around slowly, studying the ceiling and walls. Despite his frightening appearance, his posture remained relaxed—almost careless.
He stood in the center of a vast hall. The walls, made of pure white alloy, were perfectly smooth, without a single seam, seeming to swallow all sound. Even breathing felt muffled here. One wall was made of glass, but beyond it lay only a cloudy, milky whiteness.
Directly behind Hao Ming was a pulsing rift. Dark red, like a torn wound in space itself, it writhed like lightning.
Ahead, a few dozen meters away, people stood arranged in a semicircle.
Ten Spirit Masters. All in identical gray Federation uniforms. Cold, composed faces, precise stances, restrained gazes. Hao Ming couldn't sense Spirit Power—but he could clearly feel that these people were far from weak.
A man stood at the center of the formation.
Deep blue hair, the color of a raging sea, neatly combed back. Impeccable posture, hands clasped behind his back, a heavy, unwavering gaze like a solid mountain slab.
This was a Title Douluo (9).
Not a trace of pressure emanated from him. On the contrary—he seemed the embodiment of absolute composure. But the attention with which he studied Hao Ming made the boy flinch for a brief moment.
—<
Dismissing it, Hao Ming closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
—Haaaa....
The air. Clean, free of stench and the suffocating taste of death, felt intoxicating to him. His chest rose sharply, expanding as he greedily drew in air.
—<
The young man's shoulders trembled. On his dirty face, through layers of dust and dried blood, a wide, almost childlike smile bloomed. The next moment, the hall's silence shattered with loud laughter.
—Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!—he covered his face with his hands, and his laughter echoed off the perfectly smooth walls.
None of those present moved. The soldiers merely waited for their commander's order. Qin Ye watched Hao Ming calmly. There was no madness or threat in his laughter—only relief.
The laughter gradually faded, leaving behind only a light, peaceful smile.
—I'm back....—he whispered.
He had made it out. Out of an endless nightmare, where time stood still and the only law was survival. A world where every breath could be the last.
His hand still gripped Qin Ye's palm. The warmth of her fingers gave him a strange, unfamiliar feeling of peace.
The blue-haired man spoke. His voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
—Young man, please release the student.
Hao Ming didn't even turn his head. His thoughts seemed to be far away right now.
Qin Ye sighed quietly.
—You promised you'd follow orders.
Hao Ming froze. Then slowly, as if returning to reality, he nodded.
—Then let go of my hand.
Hao Ming lowered his head. For several seconds he silently looked at her face, as if trying to memorize it.
Then his fingers loosened.
The Title Douluo gave a hand signal. The gesture was minimal—almost lazy.
A soldier carefully, without sudden movements, stepped between them. Hao Ming didn't resist. He only followed Qin Ye with a long, calm gaze until she took her place behind the blue-haired Title Douluo.
—<
The reply came immediately.
—<
Hao Ming stood silently.
He made no unnecessary movements, showed no anxiety or aggression. He seemed simply to be waiting.
Yet he clearly felt dozens of eyes fixed on him. He was used to bestial gazes, full of bloodlust, ready to tear him apart at any moment. But the gazes directed at him now were wary, curious, studying, cold, vigilant. But not hostile.
This feeling was new to him.
The silence in the hall lasted several seconds.
Then the blue-haired man stepped forward. Then another step. He stopped in front of Hao Ming, a few meters away.
—My name is Bai Le. Title Douluo, Blue Whale.
His gaze was heavy, but not oppressive.
—You are currently at a restricted Federation facility.
He spoke unhurriedly, evenly and monotonously. As if reading from a protocol.
—Until all circumstances are clarified, you will remain under full Federation control. You are required to cooperate and answer all questions. Restraints will be placed on you before questioning begins.
No threats or manipulation.
No pressure, use of force, or attempts at intimidation.
Just a statement of fact.
Hao Ming listened to him to the end, then nodded slightly.
—Understood. I don't have a choice anyway. And really, there's nothing to choose.
Outwardly Bai Le remained cold and composed, but a shadow of doubt flickered in the depths of his gaze.
—<
Bai Le was an incredibly experienced soldier who had risen to the rank of Major. With his strength he could have held a far higher position, but he didn't want one. Even so, he was privy to many of the Federation's secrets and understood its situation well.
Enemy forces had tried to invade the Federation more than once.
—<
Bai Le shook his head almost imperceptibly.
—<
He raised his hand and gave a brief signal.
Five Spirit Masters moved forward simultaneously. In their hands were black metal shackles—heavy, cold, etched with numerous complex formations.
Hao Ming didn't resist.
The shackles closed around his wrists, ankles, and neck.
—Major Bai Le. Restraining shackles installed—one of the soldiers reported.
Bai Le nodded.
—Don't attempt to leave the base's territory. If the perimeter is breached, the shackles will activate. An electric discharge will be delivered directly to your internal organs. This will be followed by forced teleportation to an isolated room.
Hao Ming nodded again. Then he tensed his arm slightly, testing the strength of the shackles.
—<
—Squad, dismissed,—Bai Le ordered.—Student Qin Ye, you need to report to Colonel Xin. Report on the mission and hand over all collected data and materials.
Qin Ye straightened and saluted, fist to chest—the standard gesture among the Federation's military Spirit Masters.
—Understood.
Before leaving the hall, she cast a brief glance at Hao Ming.
—<
Only the two of them remained in the room.
—Come with me,—Bai Le said curtly, and turned.
Hao Ming silently followed him. They walked out into a wide corridor with cold metal walls. The light here was even and soulless—no shadows, no hiding places. The space seemed deliberately designed to deny any possibility of concealment. After a few minutes, Bai Le stopped at a massive door and activated the lock.
The room beyond was spacious but almost empty. Just a table, with food neatly arranged on it, and two chairs facing each other.
Hao Ming didn't even glance at the food. During his time in that world, his sense of taste had vanished. Food had long since stopped bringing pleasure—it was merely fuel, a source of strength.
Bai Le sat down first and gestured to the chair opposite.
—Sit.
Hao Ming walked over and sat.
Bai Le remained silent, watching closely. He noted everything: breathing, the position of the shoulders, eye movements, microscopic changes in facial expression.
Silence.
—Not going to eat?—he finally asked.
Hao Ming shook his head slightly.
—No. I ate recently.
Bai Le nodded shortly.
—Fine. Then answer the questions. In detail. I don't recommend lying—the shackles have sensors that detect falsehood.
Hao Ming nodded; there was no point in lying.
—Name. Age.
Hao Ming frowned slightly. In his mind flickered the sense of another name on the tip of his tongue, heavy and painful, but he could neither remember nor speak it.
—...Hao Ming,—he said after a pause.—Age...
He thought, calculating in his head.
—Physically I'm about 14-15, or 13-14. Not sure exactly.
Bai Le raised his eyebrows.
—Physically? What do you mean by that?
—Time flows differently in that world. About five times faster. My body looks young. I think, somehow, physically, I was tied to the flow of time in the Federation.
He paused briefly.
—My inner age... about twenty-four, maybe twenty-five.
Even Bai Le couldn't immediately hide his surprise. His fingers tightened slightly.
—<
The Forces of Space and Time remained the greatest mystery of the universe.
Even beings of Divine rank couldn't fully comprehend or control them.
Bai Le spoke slowly.
—If your mind is about twenty-five, and your body—fifteen… then you spent about ten years there.
He paused and asked.
—How did you survive?
Hao Ming looked down at his hands. Worn, rough, covered in scars, marked with old wounds. He raised one hand and pointed a finger at his own body.
—The answer is right before your eyes.
Bai Le was about to press further when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. For a moment it seemed to him that Hao Ming's eyes had gone empty. The irises vanished, becoming deep, bottomless, almost black. His voice sounded calm—too calm. Devoid of feeling, utterly emotionless.
—Killing.
One word.
But in that moment even Bai Le—a man who had survived countless battles and seen death at arm's length—couldn't help but tense. Before him now stood something that seemed not human... but something else, incomprehensible and dangerous.
—<
A moment later Hao Ming's gaze cleared. The blackness vanished, his face became ordinary again, even slightly cheerful.
Bai Le ran his fingers across his forehead.
—<
—<
A long silence fell over the room. Eventually broken by Hao Ming.
—Any more questions?
Bai Le nodded, returning to business.
—Tell me about your life in the Federation. Parents. Place of residence and schooling. Everything you remember. And how you ended up in that world.
Hao Ming closed his eyes.
Inside—fog. Dense, viscous. Memories seemed to dissolve the moment he tried to touch them. Several minutes passed before he opened his eyes again.
—Most of my life... I don't remember,—he said calmly.—It would be more accurate to say, practically nothing.
Hao Ming paused for a moment.
—I remember living on Heavenly Dou Planet until I was eleven or twelve. Then—on the Mother Planet. Parents...
At that word, an image suddenly flashed in his mind.
A tall, sturdy man. A sword in hand. A calm voice.
—<
Hao Ming frowned.
—Parents... I definitely had a father... But I can't remember his face or his name. How I ended up in that world—I don't remember either.
Bai Le nodded. Such a state wasn't beyond expectations.
—Alright, let's set that question aside for now.
He straightened, folding his fingers together.
—Then tell me everything you know about the world in the rift. About the environment and the creatures. And also about your life there. Everything you saw, heard, and felt.
—Alright.
Hao Ming told him. He didn't say much about himself. There wasn't much to tell, anyway. But about the monsters, the nature, their peculiarities and oddities, he spoke in as much detail as possible.
Bai Le listened without interrupting. This information was invaluable. When Hao Ming finished, Bai Le rose.
—Good. Thank you for your cooperation. Now you'll undergo a medical examination. After that, you'll be given quarters to rest in, with everything you need.
Hao Ming nodded and stood.
Two doctors in white coats entered the room immediately. Without unnecessary words, they escorted him out.
Bai Le watched him go.
—<
He frowned.
—<
This thought troubled Bai Le far more than Hao Ming's potential strength.