Chapter 75: Contraindications of the Taiga Light Key

Upon hearing this, Yuxing leaned back dramatically.
“What are you trying to do…!”
His face was filled with the terror of someone discovering another’s true nature, even scooting his rear an inch further on the round stool as if deeply frightened.
“…”
Confronted with Yuxing’s exaggerated reaction, the mischievous spark that had just ignited in Tregear’s eyes was instantly doused, leaving everything dull and flavorless.
Tsk, forget it.
Yuxing still wore an expression of doubt and suspicion, though inside his mind was racing. Seeing Tregear’s waning interest and intention to drop the topic, Yuxing grew anxious—he couldn’t let this opportunity slip away!
“Research me… Actually, there is something I wanted to ask your help with, but I never found the right moment.”
He took the initiative, moving closer to Tregear. The bar’s music and the clamor of the crowd provided the perfect cover for their whispered conversation.
“I truly want to know what’s happening to me.”
As he spoke, Yuxing drew the Taiga Light Key from the small of his back, holding it in his hand. He looked to Tregear, his eyes brimming with curiosity.
“I did gain power through the Light Key, but what exactly is that power?”
Power never comes from nothing, yet the strength Yuxing had now seemed to appear out of thin air, settling upon him for no apparent reason.
In such circumstances, Yuxing was naturally anxious. If this power could appear from nothing, could it not also vanish just as easily?
It felt like using a phone whose battery gauge never displayed. Yuxing used this unmarked phone with trepidation, constantly fearing that, at some unpredictable moment in the future, the power would suddenly be gone.
As Yuxing posed his question, Tregear glanced down at the silver pendant in Yuxing’s hand, glittering with starlight.
He hadn’t crafted this item himself, yet it had indeed been made according to his design.
Without hesitation, Tregear reached out to take the Light Key, and Yuxing simultaneously handed it over.
Tregear examined the Taiga Light Key, then asked, “What do you believe that power is?”
“…”

All right, a minefield.
Yuxing considered carefully and chose to tread lightly.
“Taiga once heard his father mention it, but I think, well, that might not be the right answer,” Yuxing said cautiously, watching Tregear’s face for any sign of reaction.
“By the way, did you ever explain the operational logic of this system to Taiga’s father?”
“…”
Tregear fell silent.
Yuxing grew even more nervous.
What did this silence mean? So—in reality, you never explained to Taro how this system works in detail?
Then Taro’s claim that it could “strengthen the bond with partners” is entirely unfounded?…
Could it be that this statement was really just Taro’s hope and blessing for his son? Because of his deep regret over drifting apart from Tregear, he subconsciously projected that longing onto his son, hoping to find some compensation in him?
Yuxing felt a tightness in his chest.
Tregear glanced at Yuxing and, seeing his tormented expression, grew even more curious about what Taro had actually said.
“That guy… what did he say?”
Tregear’s tone was calm, which gave Yuxing some confidence. After all, he had done his best to warn Tregear in advance, hoping he wouldn’t explode at the mention of that word.
“He said this was a device made together with a friend, and that it could strengthen the bond between partners.”
As Yuxing repeated it, he realized this statement said nothing about how the Taiga Light Key system actually delivered power to its user! It simply claimed to enhance bonds… such an abstract answer was impossible to grasp.
However, in this idealistic world, bonds truly were power, though it was rarely possible to quantify them.
“Heh.”
Tregear let out a soft laugh, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
A green light flashed in Yuxing’s mind—he was safe. Tregear neither exploded nor snapped about being sick of hearing about “bonds,” nor did he rush to deny or refute it; he simply curled his lips slightly.

That smile was forced, for his brow remained tightly knit and the muscles of his face moved awkwardly. The emotion conveyed was not happiness, but perhaps resignation, and maybe a touch of nostalgia.
Yuxing had long suspected that Tregear was not truly a complicated person—on the contrary, he might be quite simple. Yet even if the paper called “Tregear” bore only a few plain lines, as long as he refused to show it, he would always seem inscrutable, a devil impossible to fathom.
Thus, only those who had glimpsed that page would never understand why Tregear would fall, become disordered, and go mad.
It made no sense—something must have gone awry.
“Do you want to know the technical details of the Taiga Light Key?” Tregear asked, handing it back. Yuxing took it and shook his head decisively; he had no desire to know.
“I only want to understand the principle by which it grants power to its user because… I feel my body has changed, likely due to the Taiga Light Key. I don’t know if this change is good or bad, and since I’ve had the good fortune to meet the system’s designer, I want to figure it out.”
“…”
Tregear’s gaze lingered on Yuxing, as if probing for something, then drifted away, seemingly uninterested.
“The changes in your body have indeed exceeded the original design. The Light Key never included the ability for a human to survive in space.”
Yuxing nodded in agreement; he’d thought the same. Yet the reality before him was that it now did offer such a function, or at least a way to install such an ability.
“The logic by which the Taiga Light Key provides power to its user is actually quite simple. But that shouldn’t concern you, because the system has no effect on the Ultra Warrior’s host body—‘theoretically’ no effect.”
Here, Tregear’s tone took on an icy, habitual amusement: “...It’s more likely to cause some not-so-good side effects. Just as medicine always comes with side effects or contraindications—not inevitable, but everything involves probability.”
“However, if we were to ‘study you,’ there are no instruments or equipment here, so it’d be difficult.”
Yuxing’s expression froze. Wait a minute, why did it sound as though he’d already lost the bet and Tregear was plotting how to experiment on him?
Tregear, however, paid his awkwardness no mind. He’d already tossed the wager to some distant nebula, slipping into research mode and muttering half-understood jargon: “The preliminary research for this system—the three-stage transformation of nebula particles: adsorption, absorption, and integration—I actually took over from another researcher. The problem may not lie solely with the Light Key system itself…”
“Wait!” Yuxing hurriedly grabbed Tregear’s arm, cutting off his rambling, anxiety starting to creep in. “Don’t get sidetracked! About the bet—tell me what’s really behind those disappearances!”