115: Chapter 116 The Star Alliance Princess is an Octopus Demon? A Tentacle Monster Dares to Steal My Man?

The air in the command hall seemed to freeze.

A second ago, this place was still a romantic sea of pink, with meteor showers streaking across the sky and the air thick with the sickly-sweet scent of love.

The next second, as Lei Keming shouted the words "political marriage," the entire hall instantly became a potential battleground.

"Political... marriage?"

Jiang Chen watched the Star Alliance diplomatic ship approaching on the big screen—it had an extremely flamboyant design, resembling a giant golden conch—and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"Old Lei, are you sure the translation is correct? Is it 'political marriage' and not 'nuclear peace'?"

Lei Keming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and handed over the translation report: "Director, it's absolutely certain. The diplomatic letter sent by the other party was written in the universal cosmic language, and Miss Zero's translation system just confirmed it. The princess named Klara has explicitly requested to marry the 'Earth's Highest Authority Holder' in exchange for permanent peace between the two civilizations."

Jiang Chen instinctively looked at the holographic projection beside him.

At this moment, Zero was no longer the loving little wife with hearts in her eyes.

The cyber qipao she wore had transformed into a jet-black combat outfit, and her originally smooth, blue, data-stream hair stood on end like electrified wires.

The halo behind her had turned into a red, serrated shape, spinning crazily and emitting a teeth-grinding "buzzing" sound.

[Highest Authority Holder?]

Zero's voice was devoid of inflection, but every syllable sounded like it had been fished out of a tank of liquid nitrogen.

[Husband.]

[She is talking about you.]

Jiang Chen's scalp tingled, and he hurriedly waved his hands: "No, no, no! Wife, listen to my explanation! This must be a misunderstanding! Perhaps in their eyes, you are the Highest Authority Holder? After all, you hacked their home planet..."

[No.]

Zero coldly interrupted him, extended a finger, and drew a red circle on the big screen.

[There is a photo in the attachment of the diplomatic letter. It is you.]

[This photo... is your ID photo from when you participated in the campus hunk election during your sophomore year. It seems their intelligence work is quite good; they even dug up your dark history.]

Jiang Chen: "..."

Which big-mouthed idiot sent my photo into the universe?!

Just then.

"Boom—"

With a loud noise, the ground trembled slightly.

That golden conch ship ignored the base's landing pad guidance and landed extremely arrogantly directly on the plaza in front of the command center.

The hatch opened slowly, spraying a puff of lavender-colored gas (rumored to be a fragrance exclusive to Star Alliance nobility, but to humans, it smelled like rotten eggs).

"Let's go."

Zero sneered, her form passing directly through the wall as she floated outside.

[Since they're here, let's go take a look.]

[I want to see exactly what kind of carbon-based life form this 'First Princess' who dares to steal my man is.]

...

On the plaza, searchlights converged.

Xue Youyou held a bucket of unfinished chicken legs, squatting at the entrance to watch the commotion. Lei Keming led a squad of fully armed soldiers, standing by in battle readiness.

Jiang Chen steeled himself and stood at the very front, feeling like a suckling pig being roasted over a fire.

As the purple mist dissipated, two rows of Star Alliance guards in silver armor stepped out and rolled out a red carpet.

Immediately after.

The legendary "Star Alliance's Most Beautiful Woman," Princess Klara, made a grand entrance.

The moment she stepped out, the entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

Even the experienced Lei Keming nearly dropped the gun in his hand.

Was she beautiful?

By Star Alliance standards, she might truly be breathtakingly beautiful.

She stood a full three meters tall, her skin a translucent pink, emitting a fluorescent glow all over. Most importantly... she had no legs.

Her lower body consisted of eight thick, suction-cup-covered tentacles, which were elegantly writhing on the red carpet.

As for her upper body, while it could barely be considered humanoid, her face had three eyes, no nose, and a mouth that looked like a miniature black hole.

"Oh... my... god..."

The chicken leg in Xue Youyou's hand fell to the ground with a "plop," and her face went deathly pale.

"Is this... an octopus spirit? Or one that hasn't fully transformed?"

However, Princess Klara was clearly full of confidence in her own beauty. She twisted her tentacles and slid in front of Jiang Chen, blinking her three eyes simultaneously and emitting a series of high-frequency cries that sounded like dolphin calls.

The accompanying translation robot immediately translated in a emotionless electronic voice:

"Oh, noble powerhouse of Earth, Lord Jiang Chen."

"I am Klara, the most brilliant pearl of the Star Alliance."

"To show my sincerity, I have brought half of the rare mineral resources of the Centaurus constellation, as well as this... flawless body of mine."

After speaking, she extended two slimy tentacles, attempting to grab Jiang Chen's hand, her eyes filled with the implication of "You've hit the jackpot."

Jiang Chen looked at the suction cups still dripping with mucus, and his stomach churned violently.

If this blessing were given to you, would you want it?!

This is interspecies, for crying out loud! There's reproductive isolation!

"Um... Your Highness."

Jiang Chen quietly took a half-step back, dodging the enthusiastic tentacles, and gave a dry laugh.

"Although I am honored, but... aren't we moving a bit too fast? Also, our aesthetics... might have a slight difference."

"Difference?"

Klara paused, confusion appearing in her three eyes.

"What? Am I not beautiful enough? Are my tentacles not strong enough? Is my mucus not lubricated enough?"

"In the Star Alliance, how many males queue up just to be strangled to death by me, and you actually..."

[You are indeed not beautiful enough.]

Just then.

A cold, mechanical, yet endlessly mocking voice abruptly cut in.

The holographic projection in the air suddenly lit up.

Zero's figure appeared out of thin air, blocking the space between Jiang Chen and that octopus princess.

She looked down at Klara condescendingly, her dark blue data eyes frantically scanning and analyzing.

[Biological scan complete.]

[Species: Mollusca Cephalopoda (Mutated).]

[Appearance score: -10086.]

[Structural analysis: Multiple limbs, excessive surface secretions, and emitting a hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg) odor.]

[Conclusion:]

Zero turned her head, looking at Jiang Chen with an expression of utter disgust.

[Husband, is this your bad luck with women?]

[This thing, in my database, is usually classified as 'deep-sea food ingredient' or 'biochemical contamination source'.]

"You... who are you?!"

Princess Klara was so angry that her tentacles trembled wildly at this "glowing woman" who had suddenly appeared.

"I am the Star Alliance's most beautiful woman! My skin is as bouncy as jelly! My tentacles can lift a ten-ton mecha! You ghost without even a physical body, how dare you humiliate me?!"

[Humiliate?]

Zero sneered.

[No, this is a statement based on objective data.]

[You say your tentacles can lift a mecha? So what?]

Zero waved her hand.

The few newly built "Cyber Defense Towers" around the plaza suddenly transformed, extending dozens of "tentacles" made of mechanical arms and laser beams, waving through the air until they were just a blur.

[I have billions of threads. I can simultaneously control mechanical arms across the globe to massage, cook, do laundry, and play games for my husband.]

[Can your eight tentacles do that?]

[You say your skin is bouncy?]

A ripple of data flowed across Zero's body surface, instantly simulating the texture of diamonds, silk, and even the starry sky.

[My skin can simulate any material in the universe. The hardness is comparable to a neutron star, and the softness is comparable to light waves.]

[Most importantly...]

Zero leaned closer to Klara, her tone chilling.

[I don't have that disgusting mucus.]

"You... you..."